Armas, drogas y aparatitos mágicos

QUESTION: Silvia Pisani from La Nacion in Argentina. And the information is that the foreign minister in Argentina, Mr. Timerman, called the United States Embassy in Buenos Aires to stop discussing the airplane issue. So we would like to know if you are aware of that and if you have any comment on – okay, that they intend to stop the press discussion?

MR. CROWLEY: Well, we are fully prepared to resolve this issue. We hope we can work with Argentina to resolve this issue. We have made clear all along that we felt that this could easily have been resolved at a lower level, and we remain puzzled as to why we have yet been unable to resolve it. But we remain open to working through this, but – so that remains our view, and we remain engaged with the Government of Argentina on the subject.

QUESTION: And the press – and to not discuss the issue with the press?

MR. CROWLEY: I’m misunderstanding. Is the foreign minister of Argentina giving me advice? (Laughter.)

QUESTION: Yeah, he’s asking to --

MR. CROWLEY: Well, I mean, the best way – I mean, I believe you’ll continue asking this as long as the situation is unresolved. It is within Argentina’s power to resolve this issue. We are fully prepared to resolve it. We felt all along it could have been resolved at a lower level at the time that the plane landed to conduct this training exercise. It wasn’t the United States that elevated this issue.

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