Secretary Blinken’s Call with UK Foreign Secretary Cameron
02/04/2024
Secretary Blinken’s Call with UK Foreign Secretary Cameron
02/04/2024 07:06 PM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller:
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron. Foreign Secretary Cameron briefed Secretary Blinken on his meetings in Israel and the West Bank, and they discussed ongoing efforts to secure the release of all hostages and achieve a humanitarian pause that would allow for increased humanitarian aid delivery to civilians in Gaza. In addition, the two discussed the situation in the Red Sea and international action to hold the Houthis accountable for their illegal and reckless attacks on vessels. The leaders reaffirmed the U.S.-UK joint commitment to support Ukraine.
The Secretary also congratulated the Foreign Secretary on the successful restoration of the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive.
Secretary Blinken’s Call with UK Foreign Secretary Cameron
02/04/2024
Secretary Blinken’s Call with UK Foreign Secretary Cameron
02/04/2024 07:06 PM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller:
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron. Foreign Secretary Cameron briefed Secretary Blinken on his meetings in Israel and the West Bank, and they discussed ongoing efforts to secure the release of all hostages and achieve a humanitarian pause that would allow for increased humanitarian aid delivery to civilians in Gaza. In addition, the two discussed the situation in the Red Sea and international action to hold the Houthis accountable for their illegal and reckless attacks on vessels. The leaders reaffirmed the U.S.-UK joint commitment to support Ukraine.
The Secretary also congratulated the Foreign Secretary on the successful restoration of the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive.
U.S. Special Envoy for Yemen Lenderking’s Travel to the Gulf
02/05/2024
U.S. Special Envoy for Yemen Lenderking’s Travel to the Gulf
02/05/2024 10:53 AM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
U.S. Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking is traveling to the Gulf this week to meet with partners in the region to discuss the urgent need to reduce regional tensions, including cessation of Houthi attacks, which are undermining both freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and progress on the Yemen peace process.
The United States is working closely with our partners to support peace efforts under UN auspices and alleviate the complex humanitarian and economic crises harming the Yemeni people.
Special Envoy Lenderking will meet with regional counterparts to discuss the necessary steps to de-escalate the current situation, stop the ongoing Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, and renew focus on securing a durable peace for the people of Yemen.
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Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs Office of the Spokesperson Yemen
Congratulations to El Salvador’s President-Elect Nayib Bukele
02/05/2024
Congratulations to El Salvador’s President-Elect Nayib Bukele
02/05/2024 11:40 AM EST
Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State
I congratulate Nayib Bukele on his electoral victory as President of El Salvador. The United States commends the work of electoral observers and looks forward to working with President-elect Bukele and Vice President-elect Felix Ulloa following their inauguration in June.
The United States values our strong relationship with the people of El Salvador, forged over 160 years and built on shared values, regional ties, and family connections. Events in El Salvador have a direct impact on U.S. interests at home and abroad. Only by working together can we achieve our full potential and overcome the greatest obstacles in our hemisphere and globally.
Looking ahead, the United States will continue to prioritize good governance, inclusive economic prosperity, fair trial guarantees, and human rights in El Salvador under our Root Causes Strategy.
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Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs El Salvador Office of the Spokesperson
Congratulations to El Salvador’s President-Elect Nayib Bukele
02/05/2024
Congratulations to El Salvador’s President-Elect Nayib Bukele
02/05/2024 11:40 AM EST
Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State
I congratulate Nayib Bukele on his electoral victory as President of El Salvador. The United States commends the work of electoral observers and looks forward to working with President-elect Bukele and Vice President-elect Felix Ulloa following their inauguration in June.
The United States values our strong relationship with the people of El Salvador, forged over 160 years and built on shared values, regional ties, and family connections. Events in El Salvador have a direct impact on U.S. interests at home and abroad. Only by working together can we achieve our full potential and overcome the greatest obstacles in our hemisphere and globally.
Looking ahead, the United States will continue to prioritize good governance, inclusive economic prosperity, fair trial guarantees, and human rights in El Salvador under our Root Causes Strategy.
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Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs El Salvador Office of the Spokesperson
New Zealand National Day
02/05/2024
New Zealand National Day
02/05/2024 12:01 PM EST
Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State
On behalf of the United States of America, I send my best wishes to the people of Aotearoa New Zealand as you commemorate the anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi on February 6.
The United States recognizes the significance of this day and the ongoing dialogue it inspires. We reaffirm our shared commitment to diversity and building a more equitable future for all.
Waitangi Day serves as a vital reminder of the deep bonds that connect the United States and New Zealand. For over 80 years, our relationship has flourished, grounded in shared values of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. We stand together as partners in the face of global challenges, collaborating on issues ranging from climate change and security to economic prosperity and scientific advancement. Our people-to-people ties are equally strong, fueled by shared interests in sports, art, culture, and education.
As we look to the future, I am confident that the ties between our two nations will continue to strengthen. We remain committed to working alongside you, not only as partners but also as friends, as we strive for a safer, more prosperous, and equitable world for all. He waka eke noa – we’re all in this together.
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Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs New Zealand Office of the Spokesperson
New Zealand National Day
02/05/2024
New Zealand National Day
02/05/2024 12:01 PM EST
Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State
On behalf of the United States of America, I send my best wishes to the people of Aotearoa New Zealand as you commemorate the anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi on February 6.
The United States recognizes the significance of this day and the ongoing dialogue it inspires. We reaffirm our shared commitment to diversity and building a more equitable future for all.
Waitangi Day serves as a vital reminder of the deep bonds that connect the United States and New Zealand. For over 80 years, our relationship has flourished, grounded in shared values of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. We stand together as partners in the face of global challenges, collaborating on issues ranging from climate change and security to economic prosperity and scientific advancement. Our people-to-people ties are equally strong, fueled by shared interests in sports, art, culture, and education.
As we look to the future, I am confident that the ties between our two nations will continue to strengthen. We remain committed to working alongside you, not only as partners but also as friends, as we strive for a safer, more prosperous, and equitable world for all. He waka eke noa – we’re all in this together.
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Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs New Zealand Office of the Spokesperson
Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud in Riyadh
02/05/2024
Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud in Riyadh
02/05/2024 01:52 PM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller:
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met today with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud in Riyadh. The Secretary underscored the importance of addressing humanitarian needs in Gaza and preventing further spread of the conflict. The Secretary and Crown Prince continued discussions on regional coordination to achieve an enduring end to the crisis in Gaza that provides lasting peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians alike. They discussed the importance of building a more integrated and prosperous region and reaffirmed the strategic partnership between the United States and Saudi Arabia. The Secretary and Crown Prince also discussed the urgent need to reduce regional tensions, including a cessation of Houthi attacks undermining both freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and progress on the Yemen peace process.
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Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs Israel-Hamas Conflict Office of the Spokesperson Palestinian Territories Saudi Arabia Secretary Trip The Secretary of State Yemen
Announcement of a Visa Restriction Policy to Promote Accountability for the Misuse of Commercial Spyware
02/05/2024
Announcement of a Visa Restriction Policy to Promote Accountability for the Misuse of Commercial Spyware
02/05/2024 02:16 PM EST
Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State
The State Department is implementing a new policy today that will allow the imposition of visa restrictions on individuals involved in the misuse of commercial spyware.
This new policy is the most recent action in the United States’ comprehensive approach to countering the misuse of commercial spyware. Previous actions have included the issuance of an Executive Order prohibiting the U.S. government’s use of commercial spyware that poses risks to U.S. national security or foreign policy interests, Department of Commerce entity listings of commercial spyware companies that enabled the abuse of sophisticated surveillance tools, and diplomacy to boost international cooperation, including through the U.S.-led Joint Statement on Efforts to Counter the Proliferation and Misuse of Commercial Spyware.
The United States remains concerned with the growing misuse of commercial spyware around the world to facilitate repression, restrict the free flow of information, and enable human rights abuses. The misuse of commercial spyware threatens privacy and freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly, and association. Such targeting has been linked to arbitrary detentions, forced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings in the most egregious of cases. Additionally, the misuse of these tools presents a security and counterintelligence threat to U.S. personnel. The United States stands on the side of human rights and fundamental freedoms and will continue to promote accountability for individuals involved in commercial spyware misuse.
This visa restriction policy is pursuant to Section 212 (a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and National Act, and allows the Department of State to implement visa restrictions for (1) individuals believed to have been involved in the misuse of commercial spyware, to target, arbitrarily or unlawfully surveil, harass, suppress, or intimidate individuals including journalists, activists, other persons perceived to be dissidents for their work, members of marginalized communities or vulnerable populations, or the family members of these targeted individuals; (2) individuals believed to facilitate or derive financial benefit from the misuse of commercial spyware described in prong (1) above, including but not limited to developing, directing, or operationally controlling companies that furnish technologies such as commercial spyware to governments, or those acting on behalf of governments, that engage in activities as described in prong (1) above; and (3) the immediate family members of individuals subject to the restrictions in prongs (1) and (2) above. For purposes of this policy, “immediate family members” include spouses and children of any age.
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Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy Cyber Issues Cyber Security Office of the Spokesperson The Secretary of State Visas
The Minerals Security Partnership Announces Collaboration in Minerals Exploration, Production, and Processing Between GECAMINES in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and JOGMEC in Japan
02/05/2024
The Minerals Security Partnership Announces Collaboration in Minerals Exploration, Production, and Processing Between GECAMINES in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and JOGMEC in Japan
02/05/2024 02:08 PM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
The United States, as Chair of the Minerals Security Partnership (MSP), and MSP partners, announces the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between LA GENERALE DES CARRIERES ET DES MINES (GECAMINES) and the Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC). This milestone collaboration, forged through dialogue among MSP partners, creates a framework for coordination in mineral exploration, production, and processing in alignment with our shared commitment to the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGI)’s development of the Lobito Corridor. The MOU will create a framework for cooperation in the areas of mining and mineral resources with the intention of expanding of business opportunities for the parties.
This coordination among MSP partners is a powerful demonstration of the MSP’s efforts to secure and diversify critical mineral supply chains, which bring economic benefits to local communities and source countries such as the DRC. In addition, GECAMINES will be a key player in the Lobito Corridor project thanks to its large portfolio of joint-venture projects in production, representing over 1.5 million tons of copper cathodes and 100,000 tons of cobalt hydroxide and more to be commissioned from projects under construction.
Learn more about the Minerals Security Partnership.
To stay up to date, follow Under Secretary Fernandez on X, LinkedIn, and Facebook.
For press inquiries, please contact: E_Communications@state.gov.
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Bureau of African Affairs Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs Japan Office of the Spokesperson Republic of the Congo Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment
The Minerals Security Partnership Announces Collaboration in Minerals Exploration, Production, and Processing Between GECAMINES in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and JOGMEC in Japan
02/05/2024
The Minerals Security Partnership Announces Collaboration in Minerals Exploration, Production, and Processing Between GECAMINES in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and JOGMEC in Japan
02/05/2024 02:08 PM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
The United States, as Chair of the Minerals Security Partnership (MSP), and MSP partners, announces the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between LA GENERALE DES CARRIERES ET DES MINES (GECAMINES) and the Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC). This milestone collaboration, forged through dialogue among MSP partners, creates a framework for coordination in mineral exploration, production, and processing in alignment with our shared commitment to the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGI)’s development of the Lobito Corridor. The MOU will create a framework for cooperation in the areas of mining and mineral resources with the intention of expanding of business opportunities for the parties.
This coordination among MSP partners is a powerful demonstration of the MSP’s efforts to secure and diversify critical mineral supply chains, which bring economic benefits to local communities and source countries such as the DRC. In addition, GECAMINES will be a key player in the Lobito Corridor project thanks to its large portfolio of joint-venture projects in production, representing over 1.5 million tons of copper cathodes and 100,000 tons of cobalt hydroxide and more to be commissioned from projects under construction.
Learn more about the Minerals Security Partnership.
To stay up to date, follow Under Secretary Fernandez on X, LinkedIn, and Facebook.
For press inquiries, please contact: E_Communications@state.gov.
Tags
Bureau of African Affairs Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs Japan Office of the Spokesperson Republic of the Congo Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment
Announcement of a Visa Restriction Policy to Promote Accountability for the Misuse of Commercial Spyware
02/05/2024
Announcement of a Visa Restriction Policy to Promote Accountability for the Misuse of Commercial Spyware
02/05/2024 02:16 PM EST
Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State
The State Department is implementing a new policy today that will allow the imposition of visa restrictions on individuals involved in the misuse of commercial spyware.
This new policy is the most recent action in the United States’ comprehensive approach to countering the misuse of commercial spyware. Previous actions have included the issuance of an Executive Order prohibiting the U.S. government’s use of commercial spyware that poses risks to U.S. national security or foreign policy interests, Department of Commerce entity listings of commercial spyware companies that enabled the abuse of sophisticated surveillance tools, and diplomacy to boost international cooperation, including through the U.S.-led Joint Statement on Efforts to Counter the Proliferation and Misuse of Commercial Spyware.
The United States remains concerned with the growing misuse of commercial spyware around the world to facilitate repression, restrict the free flow of information, and enable human rights abuses. The misuse of commercial spyware threatens privacy and freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly, and association. Such targeting has been linked to arbitrary detentions, forced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings in the most egregious of cases. Additionally, the misuse of these tools presents a security and counterintelligence threat to U.S. personnel. The United States stands on the side of human rights and fundamental freedoms and will continue to promote accountability for individuals involved in commercial spyware misuse.
This visa restriction policy is pursuant to Section 212 (a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and National Act, and allows the Department of State to implement visa restrictions for (1) individuals believed to have been involved in the misuse of commercial spyware, to target, arbitrarily or unlawfully surveil, harass, suppress, or intimidate individuals including journalists, activists, other persons perceived to be dissidents for their work, members of marginalized communities or vulnerable populations, or the family members of these targeted individuals; (2) individuals believed to facilitate or derive financial benefit from the misuse of commercial spyware described in prong (1) above, including but not limited to developing, directing, or operationally controlling companies that furnish technologies such as commercial spyware to governments, or those acting on behalf of governments, that engage in activities as described in prong (1) above; and (3) the immediate family members of individuals subject to the restrictions in prongs (1) and (2) above. For purposes of this policy, “immediate family members” include spouses and children of any age.
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Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy Cyber Issues Cyber Security Office of the Spokesperson The Secretary of State Visas
U.S. Department of State, National Football League, and USA Football Announce American Football Sports Envoys Travel to Brazil
02/05/2024
U.S. Department of State, National Football League, and USA Football Announce American Football Sports Envoys Travel to Brazil
02/05/2024 02:37 PM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
To kick off Super Bowl LVIII week in the United States and around the world, and to celebrate the bicentennial of U.S.-Brazil diplomatic relations, the U.S. Department of State, National Football League (NFL), and USA Football – the sport’s governing body in the United States –announced today that American football Sports Envoys will visit São Paulo February 5-11 to engage Brazilian youth from underserved communities.
Brennan Scarlett, an eight-year NFL linebacker and Ashlea Klam, a member of the USA Football’s Women’s Flag Football National Team, will lead sports clinics with Brazilian players of flag and tackle football and participate in local events celebrating the Super Bowl LVIII, the NFL’s annual championship game.
Scarlett, a native of Portland, Oregon, played with the Houston Texans and Miami Dolphins after graduating from the University of California at Berkeley and Stanford University and is the Founder and CEO of Scarlett Creative Co., which aims to achieve genuine connection, authentic collaboration, and powerful storytelling between brands, athletes, and audiences. Scarlett is also deeply involved in the community through his nonprofit, the Big Yard Foundation, established in 2018 to empower underserved Portland communities through education, creativity, and access to sport.
Klam, hailing from Austin, Texas, is a first-year student on a flag football scholarship at Keiser University in West Palm Beach, Florida. Klam plays center and defensive back for the USA Football’s Women’s Flag Football National Team that represents the United States in international competition. In addition to her on-field activities, Klam is the youngest member of the USA Football Board of Directors.
Sports Envoys are elite American athletes and coaches who travel overseas to engage youth and are an integral part of the United States’ vast diplomatic efforts to promote peace through sport. Through sports diplomacy, the United States taps into a universal passion for sports to support broader U.S. foreign policy goals and expand access to education, economic opportunity, and societal inclusion.
Scarlett’s and Klam’s engagements in Brazil are part of a broader collaboration between the Department and the NFL, announced in 2022, to engage youth worldwide. Later this year, São Paulo will host the first-ever NFL regular season football game to be played in South America, and the International Olympic Committee recently announced that flag football will debut as an Olympic sport at the 2028 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles. The National Football League launched NFL Flag programs in Brazil in 2023, in partnership with the Brazilian American Football Confederation (CBFA) to grow flag football at the grassroots and elite level.
Flag football made its international, multi-sport event debut at The World Games 2022 in Birmingham, Alabama, where USA Football’s U.S. National Teams participated alongside roughly 3,500 athletes from approximately 100 countries. In 2023, the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) held its largest international cycle of flag football competition ever, with regional championships for all continents for the first time, laying the foundation for the 2024 IFAF Flag Football World Championships in Lahti, Finland. In July 2023, USA Football’s Women’s Flag Football National Team took home a gold medal at IFAF’s Americas Continental Championship in Charlotte, N.C.
For more information, contact eca-press@state.gov.
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Brazil Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs Office of the Spokesperson Sports
Assistant Secretary for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Robinson Travels to Peru and Ecuador
02/05/2024
Assistant Secretary for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Robinson Travels to Peru and Ecuador
02/05/2024 02:59 PM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) Todd D. Robinson will travel to Peru and Ecuador from February 5-9 to highlight the United States’ unwavering commitment to fighting transnational organized crime and illicit narcotics.
On February 6 in Peru, Assistant Secretary Robinson will meet Peruvian officials to discuss opportunities for greater collaboration to combat transnational organized crime. He will also visit the Port of Callao, where INL supports efforts to build Peru’s capacity to interdict illicit goods and will visit the INL-supported program for youth with substance use problems at the Superior Court of Callao/Ventanilla.
From February 7-9 in Guayaquil and Quito, Ecuador, Assistant Secretary Robinson will work with Ecuadorian counterparts on furthering U.S. support to Ecuador’s stand against recent appalling levels of violence at the hands of narco-criminal elements. He will visit INL-supported programming that strengthens information sharing and bolsters the work of the police and armed forces. The Assistant Secretary will be joined by Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs Deputy Assistant Secretary Kevin Sullivan in Ecuador. The United States will work with our partners in both Ecuador and Peru to deepen our law enforcement cooperation through U.S. security assistance programs.
For more information, please contact INL-PAPD@state.gov and follow INL on Twitter.
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Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs Combating Drugs and Crime Drug Trafficking Drugs Ecuador Office of the Spokesperson Peru
Secretary Blinken Hosts Trade and Technology Council Ministerial With EU
02/05/2024
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The Week at State | January 29-February 4
In “The Week at State,” the United States hosted the fifth meeting of the U.S.-E.U. Trade and Technology Council. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also met with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Sigrid Kaag, who is leading the United Nations’ work on humanitarian assistance in Gaza. Visit state.gov for more information.
U.S., European Union Collaborate on Trade, Technology, and Security
In Washington, Secretary Blinken joined Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo and U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai in hosting our colleagues from the European Union for the fifth Trade and Technology Council Ministerial Meeting.
“In these challenging times, it is particularly valuable to have in the EU a partner of first resort,” Secretary Blinken said on Twitter/X. “The Trade and Technology Council has been an indispensable tool for our transatlantic economic cooperation.”
Alliances and Partnerships
Solidifying Our NATO Alliance
On January 29, Secretary Blinken met with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to talk about the upcoming NATO summit and other matters relating to our Alliance.
“Once again, we see that NATO is advancing with a sense of urgency and a strong sense not only of unity of purpose but unity of action,” Secretary Blinken said, noting that Türkiye recently approved Sweden’s accession to NATO.
Peace and Security
State Department Sanctions Four Israelis for West Bank Violence
On February 1, the State Department announced it is imposing financial sanctions on four Israeli nationals/individuals connected to violence against civilians in the West Bank. These designations were imposed under a new Executive Order.
“Israel must do more to stop violence in the West Bank and hold accountable those responsible for it,” Secretary Blinken said in a statement.
Humanitarian Assistance
Increasing Aid for Palestinian Civilians
On January 29, Secretary Blinken met with Sigrid Kaag, who is leading the United Nations’ efforts on humanitarian assistance in Gaza.
“We are working closely with her, and with Israel and Egypt, to maximize aid getting into Gaza,” Secretary Blinken said on Twitter/X. “Her mission could not be more vital, and we strongly support it.”
The next day, Secretary Blinken met with Tom Hart, the president and chief executive officer of InterAction, and fellow non-governmental organization leaders to discuss the humanitarian situation in Gaza and continued U.S. efforts to increase humanitarian access and assistance for Palestinian civilians.
Economic Prosperity and Trade Policy
Securing Stability in the Red Sea
Houthi attacks against commercial shipping vessels in the Red Sea are directly impacting people’s lives. Ships taking longer journeys increase the cost of food, medicine, and fuel, as well as life-saving aid to people who need it most.
Operation Prosperity Guardian, a coalition of more than 20 countries led by the United States, is defending freedom of navigation and securing all nations’ mariners in the Red Sea.
Human Rights
Promoting Religious Freedom
Rashad Hussain, the U.S. Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom, spoke at the 2024 International Religious Freedom Summit in Washington and gathered with leaders from government and civil society.
“I look forward to engaging with old and new friends this week and continuing to build on efforts to advance religious freedom,” Ambassador Hussain said on Twitter/X.
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This WeekFebruary 4-8: Secretary Blinken is on travel to the Middle East, with stops in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Israel, and the West Bank
February 6: International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation
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Looking AheadFebruary 11: International Day of Women and Girls in Science
February 14-16: Munich Security Conference
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Observance of the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation
02/06/2024
Observance of the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation
02/06/2024 10:01 AM EST
Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State
On the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation, the United States stands in solidarity with survivors and global activists in calling for an end to female genital mutilation and cutting.
Female genital mutilation and cutting, no matter the type, degree, severity or motivation, is a human rights abuse that harms girls and young women in the United States and around the world. All women and girls deserve to live free from gender-based violence.
The United States supports global programs to end this abuse, including our recent contribution to the UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme on the Elimination of Female Genital Mutilation. Because of global efforts like these, girls today are a third less likely to be subjected to female genital mutilation and cutting than 30 years ago.
The United States is committed to eliminating female genital mutilation and cutting wherever it occurs and will continue to partner with survivors, locally-led women’s organizations, and youth-led groups and networks to achieve this important objective.
Observance of the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation
02/06/2024
Observance of the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation
02/06/2024 10:01 AM EST
Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State
On the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation, the United States stands in solidarity with survivors and global activists in calling for an end to female genital mutilation and cutting.
Female genital mutilation and cutting, no matter the type, degree, severity or motivation, is a human rights abuse that harms girls and young women in the United States and around the world. All women and girls deserve to live free from gender-based violence.
The United States supports global programs to end this abuse, including our recent contribution to the UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme on the Elimination of Female Genital Mutilation. Because of global efforts like these, girls today are a third less likely to be subjected to female genital mutilation and cutting than 30 years ago.
The United States is committed to eliminating female genital mutilation and cutting wherever it occurs and will continue to partner with survivors, locally-led women’s organizations, and youth-led groups and networks to achieve this important objective.
Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with Egyptian President El-Sisi
02/06/2024
Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with Egyptian President El-Sisi
02/06/2024 10:13 AM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller:
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi today in Cairo. Secretary Blinken and President El-Sisi discussed ongoing efforts to secure the release of all hostages held by Hamas. The Secretary expressed appreciation for Egypt’s leadership role in facilitating the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in Gaza. Secretary Blinken emphasized the United States’ rejection of any forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza and commitment to establishing a Palestinian state that provides peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians alike.
Secretary Blinken and President El-Sisi also discussed shared objectives for regional stability and prosperity, including halting Houthi attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea.
Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with Qatari Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani
02/06/2024
Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with Qatari Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani
02/06/2024 12:50 PM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
The following is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller:
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met with His Highness Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani in Doha to discuss ongoing efforts to secure the release of the hostages held by Hamas and enable an extended humanitarian pause in the conflict in Gaza. Secretary Blinken and the Amir agreed to continue close coordination to increase humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza and to urge the protection of civilians consistent with humanitarian law. The Secretary reiterated the U.S. rejection of any forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza and underscored the U.S. commitment to establishing durable peace in the Middle East, including the establishment of a Palestinian state that ensures security for Israelis and Palestinians alike.
Secretary Blinken’s Call with Algerian Foreign Minister Attaf
02/06/2024
Secretary Blinken’s Call with Algerian Foreign Minister Attaf
02/06/2024 02:43 PM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller:
Secretary Antony J. Blinken spoke with Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf today regarding regional issues of mutual concern, including the situation in Gaza. The Secretary noted ongoing diplomatic efforts that could lead to a release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas as part of an extended humanitarian pause. The Secretary and the Foreign Minister also discussed the importance of protecting civilians consistent with international humanitarian law and agreed there must be no forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza. They stressed the importance of the U.S.-Algeria bilateral relationship in promoting regional peace and security and agreed to remain in close contact.
Secretary Antony J. Blinken And Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani At a Joint Press Availability
02/06/2024
Secretary Antony J. Blinken And Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani At a Joint Press Availability
02/06/2024 03:52 PM EST
Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State
Doha, Qatar
Diwan Annex
PRIME MINISTER AL THANI: (Via interpreter) In the name of God the merciful, the compassionate, peace be upon you. I am pleased to welcome His Excellency Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Doha. We have had several meetings in the past weeks, so whether in Doha, Washington, and today we meet again in Doha.
First, I would like to inform the media that we have received a reply from Hamas with regards to the general framework of the agreement with regard to hostages. The reply includes some comments, but in general it is positive. However, given the sensitivity of the circumstances, we will not tackle details. We are optimistic and we have delivered the response to the Israeli party.
We met today with His Excellency and discussed the different developments in this war, notably the unfortunate expansion that we have been seeing and the repercussions on the security and stability of the region. In the past weeks, we have witnessed different tensions in addition to the war on Gaza that has expanded beyond the Gaza Strip to reach different countries such as Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, and the Red Sea. I take advantage of this opportunity to express my condolences to His Excellency for the death of the U.S. soldiers. We in the state of Qatar cannot accept such actions, and we cannot accept the threatening of the coalition in the region.
Since the first day of confrontations, we have warned against the threats and the dangers of expansion of these confrontations, notably that the region witnesses long-term and longstanding conflict. Unfortunately, these have become a reality, and it adds to the complexities – it adds to the complexity to the negotiations. That’s why we call the concerned parties to go back to restraint, to avoid escalation, to not make any decisions that would lead to more bloodshed, to maintain the safety of civilians.
This war has so far incurred more than 20,000 deaths in Gaza and more than 60,000 injured, most of whom are kids and women. Therefore, we call the international community to assume responsibility and call for a ceasefire. It is time – high time – for an international community decision to a ceasefire. I would like in this context to mention that defunding the UNRWA will have repercussions – catastrophic repercussions because more than 6 million Palestinians will not receive humanitarian assistance. We believe in the importance of the United Nations and the UNRWA, and we have to separate between the agency as a UN agency that has strong values and the accusations against some of its employees, who are being investigated. We cannot punish a humanitarian agency because of some accusations against some of its employees.
Throughout the past years, we have witnessed the repercussions of the lack of funding, and we fear of the complete defunding. Based on our responsibility towards the Palestinian brothers and sisters, we affirm that Qatar will keep bringing in the people who need to be treated in Qatar. Our efforts have led to the entry of medications to Gaza, particularly to the most affected regions and to those who are held or who are still stuck in the strip. And thanks to His Highness’s decision, we have sent more than 2,000 tons of help, including the needs for shelter, including food and two field hospitals, and this has been successful with our partners in the UK, France, Italy, in addition to the organizing committee of churches.
Around 200 injured and patients have been sent from Gaza to Qatar, and that as part of our commitment to provide care – health care to those, in addition to 3,000 kids who have become orphaned in this – in Gaza because of the war. At this point, all the efforts to de‑escalate and after four months of the confrontations, we have all been unable to stop bloodshed and violence. The hospitals are still being targeted, schools are being bombarded, and refugees are being killed while moving for the first, second, and third time.
Your Excellency, we appreciate your constant and our constant cooperation and collaboration in different fields – political, humanitarian – and we hope that our efforts that have started four months ago to lead to a ceasefire and to reach a solution that is just and fair for the region. I seize this opportunity to thank you for all your efforts, and I thank all our partners in the UN, Egypt, France, and other partners who are collaborating with us on different humanitarian and relief assistance to reduce the size of this humanitarian crisis.
I look forward to sustaining these discussions between our two countries in order to reach a solution and the stability in this region, to put an end to this war, and to look forward for a better future for the region. Thank you.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Well, good evening, everyone. And Prime Minister, Mohammed, thank you. Thank you for the, as always, very productive discussions that we had today – this evening with the emir and with the prime minister as well.
We’ve had constant engagement at the highest levels of our respective governments going back many, many weeks now – months – with an intense focus on securing the release of hostages and getting an extended pause to help address the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza. And we saw the results of the last pause – the initial pause: 105 hostages out, a significant increase in humanitarian assistance getting in, the repair of critical infrastructure in Gaza, and more broadly, reduced regional tensions at the same time.
So together with Qatar and Egypt, we put forward, as you know, a serious proposal that was aimed at not simply repeating the previous agreement but expanding it. As the prime minister just said, Hamas responded tonight. We’re reviewing that response now, and I’ll be discussing it with the Government of Israel tomorrow. There’s still a lot of work to be done, but we continue to believe that an agreement is possible and, indeed, essential. And we will continue to work relentlessly to achieve it.
We had meetings already on this trip in Riyadh, in Cairo, now today in Doha, focused on ensuring as well that we can use any pause to continue to build out plans for the day after in Gaza – the security, humanitarian, reconstruction, governance – all bringing real challenges with them, but that’s exactly why we are and need to be focused on them now. We’re also determined to use any pause to continue to pave a diplomatic path forward to a just and lasting peace and security for the region. That is the best way – the best way to ensure that October 7th and the tragic loss of life by Israelis and Palestinians is not repeated.
When I was last in the region a few weeks ago, I said then that there is a very powerful path that we can see before us to actually get to lasting peace and security, and it’s coming ever more sharply into focus: an Israel that is integrated into the region with security guarantees from its neighbors and partners alongside a practical, timebound, irreversible path to a Palestinian state living side-by-side in peace with Israel, with the necessary security arrangements for both peoples.
On this visit, one of our key objectives has been to continue to hammer out the substance and sequence of all the steps that would be necessary to enable us to move down that path. Now, that’s one path. It’s clear – and you can see that it gets us to a destination that would benefit virtually everyone in the region and, as I said, bring lasting peace and security to Israelis and Palestinians alike.
But there are those who want to move the region in a different direction and take a different path and who are actively working to sabotage every effort to move towards lasting peace and security. Just look at what we’ve seen in the last couple of months and indeed in the last couple of weeks. Attacks in Syria and Iraq, attacks on Israel from Lebanon, attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea, attacks in Jordan that killed three U.S. service members, and of course, the attack on Israel on October 7th. Each and every one carried out by groups trained, armed, funded, and formed by Iran.
Iran and its proxies claim that they’re carrying out these attacks somehow on behalf of the Palestinian people. That is absolutely wrong and it’s a cover for their true intent. Not a single one of these attacks has advanced the rights, the opportunities, the security, and the dignity of the Palestinians. They are all fundamentally about Iran’s quest for power.
Since October 7th, we’ve been very clear in warning any actor that would try to take advantage of the conflict: Don’t do it. We’ve been very clear that we do not want to see the conflict expanded, we don’t want to see escalation; but we’ve also been clear that if our personnel, if our people are threatened, if they’re attacked, we will respond. We will defend them.
We are responding to violence, not initiating it. We’re seeking to prevent escalation, not fuel it. And as we do this, we will continue to use every tool available to us to reach an extended pause that gets hostages out, that gets more assistance in, that brings calm to Gaza’s civilians, and that keeps diplomacy moving forward toward an integrated and more secure region.
In these efforts, we’re very fortunate to have Qatar as a partner. Thank you.
MODERATOR: (Via interpreter) We open the floor to questions. Saber Ayoub, Al Araby TV.
QUESTION: (Via interpreter) Saber Ayoub, Al Araby TV. My first question is addressed to His Excellency Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs. What is the evaluation of Qatar for the regional developments? And what is its message to concerned parties with these developments?
(In English) (Inaudible) is to the Secretary of State, Mr. Antony Blinken: Why it seems too hard for the United States to end the war on Gaza, or at least to push for a ceasefire? Are you or are we going to witness soon a ceasefire? Is it going to be signed here, or truce signed here in Qatar or agreed here in Qatar, in Doha? And lastly, before you travel to Israel and meet Netanyahu, I’m going to ask the same question that Politico asked today: Is Mr. Antony Blinken too nice to be Secretary of State? Thank you.
PRIME MINISTER AL THANI: (Via interpreter) With regards to our evaluation of the regional developments, we have since the beginning had a clear position: War should end; there shouldn’t be an expansion of conflicts in the region. Unfortunately, we witness an expansion of tensions. There are some forces taking advantage and using this conflict, whereas there are forces that seek to create these tensions. We believe and we see that the way towards solution and de-escalation is reaching and achieving a just and fair solution for the Palestinian cause, in addition to putting an end to the war on Gaza.
We always call every – all parties, concerned parties, to self-restraint. We are in communication with all and we do not want to see an escalation in the region. We do not want to witness more death in addition to what we are seeing today to – from challenges to the freedom of navigation, which would affect not only the security of the region but trade overall.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: The best path forward, the most effective path forward right now to get an extended period of calm and to work toward an end to the conflict, is through an agreement on the hostages. And that’s what we’re intensely focused on with our partners here in Qatar, Egypt, working with Israel. And of course, now that we have the response from Hamas to the proposal that was put on the table a week or so ago, we’re going to be very intensely focused on that. And again, that offers the prospect of extended calm, hostages out, more assistance in. That would clearly be beneficial to everyone, and I think that offers the best path forward. But there is a lot of work to be done to achieve it. We’re very focused on doing that work.
Now, of course, as we’ve said all along, all of this could have been over yesterday, last month, three months ago, four months ago, first of all if Hamas had not committed the atrocities of October 7th; and second, after that, had they stopped hiding behind civilians, had they put down their weapons, and had they surrendered. But that, of course, has not happened. So the best path now is to see if we can make real this renewed hostage agreement.
I’ll let others speak to my character, and all I can say is that most people who assume the position that I have the great privilege of assuming now don’t get there by being nice all the time.
MODERATOR: (Via interpreter) Second question, Humeyra Pamuk, Reuters.
QUESTION: Hello, Mr. Secretary, Mr. Prime Minister. My first question is to both of you. I understand there are sensitivities about Hamas response, but I am wondering, Mr. Secretary, how do you plan to overcome Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s refusal to commit to a permanent ceasefire after the phases of this deal? Was there anything in the Hamas response that would – that you think might change his mind?
And Mr. Prime Minister, could you help us understand why the reply took a week? Was it the communication challenges, the difficulty to reach Yahya Sinwar? Are you worried that the fighting would actually hamper – is actually hampering the communications on this important area of negotiation?
And one more for you, Mr. Secretary. I’m going to try to ask a similar question that my Qatari colleague asked, maybe a little less directly. It’s been four months into this war, and this is your fifth trip, and yet the United States seems unable to meaningfully influence Benjamin Netanyahu’s position on some fundamental issues that you yourself advocate for – Palestinian – the creation of a Palestinian statehood, how long Israel’s military campaign in Gaza will last, minimizing civilian casualties. Aren’t you worried that this is – this makes America look weak and it undercuts its ability to rally allies and partners in other foreign policy issues? And in that sense, what can you do differently, for example, tomorrow? Thank you.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Want me to start?
PRIME MINISTER AL THANI: Yeah, please, go ahead. Three questions for you.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: First, Humeyra, on the hostage question, I appreciate you asking the question. You’ll appreciate that I’m not going to answer it because the sensitivity of this matter is such that we’re just not going to get into any of the details. All I can say is what you’ve heard from both me and the prime minister, which is that we have received the response to the proposal; we are studying it intensely. It’s been shared with the Israelis. I’ll pick up that conversation tomorrow in Israel when I’m there, and we will be working as hard as we possibly can to try to get an agreement so that we can move forward with not only a renewed but an expanded agreement on hostages and all the benefits that that would bring with it.
Virtually everything that we do in diplomacy in general and in the case of this crisis more specifically is a process. It’s almost never flipping a light switch. And it requires being in there with your sleeves rolled up every single day to try to make progress on all of the areas where we’ve been determined to make progress.
And I think if you look at the record, we’ve seen important steps taken, significant steps taken that I would argue would not have happened without our engagement and our intervention, including the provision of humanitarian assistance to begin with to Gaza, which was not the case in the days following October 7th; the significant expansion of that assistance; the efforts to open more crossing points into Gaza; the work that we’re doing every single day to try to strengthen protection for civilians; our efforts as well to prevent the conflict from escalating. And despite some of the recent actions that have been necessary in response to violence that we’ve seen directed at our personnel and our people, we’ve been working, I think effectively, to do that.
In each and every one of these areas we have achieved results that had we not been engaged, I believe would not have been achieved. But in all of these areas there is much more work to be done, and in a number of places we need to see, as I’ve said before, real and clear results – not simply a change in intent, but a change in what actually results. And I will be discussing all of that when I’m in Israel tomorrow, as we have throughout this trip.
PRIME MINISTER AL THANI: Well, regarding your question about why the response took too long, of course there are a number of challenges that we are facing throughout the negotiations. It’s not something new, and what’s happening on the ground in Gaza, it affects the course of the negotiations all the time, and this is something that we’ve been highlighting in many occasions. Communication was representing some challenges, but also the negotiation itself – it took some time in order to get them to a place where we get that response.
Overall, as the Secretary mentioned here and we have mentioned earlier, that it’s better not – it’s not also for the benefit of the negotiations to reveal any of the details, but the overall prospect of this looks for us, at least as we received it, giving more promising and more prospects for better results. We are hoping for to see it and to see it yielding very soon.
MODERATOR: (Via interpreter) Third question, Abdullah Maraghi, Qatar News Agency.
QUESTION: (Via interpreter) Peace be upon you. From the Qatar News Agency, my question’s addressed to His Excellency the Prime Minister. What are the latest developments in the Qatari mediation? Thank you.
PRIME MINISTER AL THANI: (Via interpreter) We tackled this topic at the beginning of our press conference. We have just received the response few hours ago. We sent it to the Israeli side. There will be further negotiations and discussions of the details, and we hope that we will reach an agreement, the soonest possible, in coordination and cooperation with our partners in the United States or in Egypt.
MODERATOR: (Via interpreter) Fourth and last question, Olivia Gazis, CBS.
QUESTION: Thank you very much. Mr. Secretary, since the American retaliatory response in Iraq and Syria began on Friday, U.S. and coalition forces have been attacked at least twice, indicating deterrence is not yet established. Do you have any indication to date that Tehran will stop providing weapons to its proxies or otherwise work to constrain their behavior? And did you hear any support on this trip from your Arab partners to continue these strikes?
On normalization efforts, do you believe that you now have with the Saudis something in hand that will change Prime Minister Netanyahu’s declared opposition to an eventual Palestinian state? Or does a broader regional agreement require different leadership in Israel?
And Mr. Prime Minister, the U.S. has said that last week’s strikes in Iraq and Syria are the beginning and not the end of its response. You called this earlier an unfortunate expansion. Do you view the actions that the U.S. is now taking as escalatory?
And if I may follow up on my colleague on the hostage deal, you mentioned positive comments from Hamas. There have been consistent reports of divisions within the group. Are you confident that this response that you’ve gotten is from a unified consensus? Thank you.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Olivia, thank you. First, and I don’t want to speak for colleagues or other countries, but I think it’s fair to say that all of our partners very much oppose and reject the attacks that have been perpetrated by a variety of groups, often directed at us but that affect everyone’s interests. The Red Sea – the Houthi attacks on shipping there affect the interests of virtually everyone in the world given the implications that it has for shipping that’s so important to countries around the world, with 15 percent of global traffic going through the Red Sea. And we’ve already seen the adjustments that shipping companies, countries have had to make in ways that’s imposing added costs on consumers and countries around the world.
So that, the attacks on our personnel – including the attack that killed three Americans in Jordan – I’ve heard nothing but condemnation of those attacks, opposition to them, and a determination that, one way or another, they cease. We’ve been, as I said, very clear from day one that anyone trying to use the conflict in Gaza as an excuse to expand the conflict, to attack our personnel, to attack shipping, to engage in any form of escalation that spreads the conflict, we would stand strongly against that. And that’s exactly what we’re doing. We have been very clear that we don’t want the conflict to escalate. We are – we’ll do everything we can to prevent that – excuse me. But at the same time, we will defend our personnel anywhere and everywhere that they’re under threat. We’ll see the results.
As you’ve heard clearly from Secretary Austin as well as from the President, the response that we’ve undertaken over the last few days is going to continue, and it’s very important that not only do those engaged in these attacks get the message but that they act on it by ceasing the attacks against our people and personnel. And we will do what’s necessary until that happens.
Second part of your question – in Saudi Arabia, I had the opportunity to discuss again with Prince Mohammed bin Salman the way forward really for the region as a whole. And I said a few minutes ago how there is an incredibly powerful path that that lies before us, but it’s going to require everyone involved to make hard decisions. None of this comes easy. But with regard specifically to normalization, the crown prince reiterated Saudi Arabia’s strong interest in pursuing that. But he also made clear what he had said to me before, which is that in order to do that two things are required: an end to the conflict in Gaza and a clear, credible, time-bound path to the establishment of a Palestinian state.
So we know the immense benefits that would come for everyone concerned with Israel’s further integration into the region, starting with the benefits for Israel. That’s something that Israelis will have to decide for themselves. And again, all of this requires difficult, hard decisions made all the more challenging given the focus on the conflict in Gaza. But these are questions that fundamentally our partners will have to answer, answer for themselves, answer for everyone else. We can’t do that for them. All we can do is keep our focus on what we strongly believe is the best answer for the long-term security, the long-term peace for Israel, for the region, as well as for the Palestinian people.
And if we’re able to move down that pathway, it also does something else. It isolates those who reject it, starting with Iran. And in that sense, in terms of dealing with some of the most profound security challenges that Israel faces and has faced for years, it will be in a much stronger position as part of an integrated region to deal with them. But again, these are decisions that will have to be made. None of them are easy. And we’ll continue the effort to prepare all the diplomatic steps necessary to be able to move down that path if that’s the path that everyone chooses.
PRIME MINISTER AL THANI: Well, regarding the U.S. response, first of all, as I have expressed in many occasion, Qatar reject and condemn any attack that infringe other countries’ sovereignty or leading to killing citizens – and of course they are the U.S. citizens, but also it’s part of their mission within the coalition which is – Qatar member in. And of course, we totally understand that each country has the right to protect its sovereignty and its own citizen with the measures they are seeing according to international law. Yet, our advice to all the parties all the time that we should of course take in consideration what’s happening in the region and try to avoid any escalatory measure with all our understanding to the context of this attack.
Regarding your second question about Hamas and their – and the division in between both the inside and the outside, our dealing in its entirety for all over the last years has been with the political office, and this channel that we are using has been always just giving us their responses that represent both, and that’s what we have seen in the first pause. And hopefully also with the current responses that we are having that will lead to the second, hopefully, pause and exchange of hostages. I think that’s the only channel that we have, and that’s – has been always effective for us. So we don’t see or we don’t – we are not in position to examine their unity and their division. Our – what’s leading us really are the results of any agreement that we would have.
MODERATOR: (Via interpreter) With this, we close our press conference for today. We thank His Excellency, Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and His Excellency Secretary of State, as well as the media. Thank you.
Secretary Antony J. Blinken And Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani At a Joint Press Availability
02/06/2024
Secretary Antony J. Blinken And Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani At a Joint Press Availability
02/06/2024 03:52 PM EST
Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State
Doha, Qatar
Diwan Annex
PRIME MINISTER AL THANI: (Via interpreter) In the name of God the merciful, the compassionate, peace be upon you. I am pleased to welcome His Excellency Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Doha. We have had several meetings in the past weeks, so whether in Doha, Washington, and today we meet again in Doha.
First, I would like to inform the media that we have received a reply from Hamas with regards to the general framework of the agreement with regard to hostages. The reply includes some comments, but in general it is positive. However, given the sensitivity of the circumstances, we will not tackle details. We are optimistic and we have delivered the response to the Israeli party.
We met today with His Excellency and discussed the different developments in this war, notably the unfortunate expansion that we have been seeing and the repercussions on the security and stability of the region. In the past weeks, we have witnessed different tensions in addition to the war on Gaza that has expanded beyond the Gaza Strip to reach different countries such as Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, and the Red Sea. I take advantage of this opportunity to express my condolences to His Excellency for the death of the U.S. soldiers. We in the state of Qatar cannot accept such actions, and we cannot accept the threatening of the coalition in the region.
Since the first day of confrontations, we have warned against the threats and the dangers of expansion of these confrontations, notably that the region witnesses long-term and longstanding conflict. Unfortunately, these have become a reality, and it adds to the complexities – it adds to the complexity to the negotiations. That’s why we call the concerned parties to go back to restraint, to avoid escalation, to not make any decisions that would lead to more bloodshed, to maintain the safety of civilians.
This war has so far incurred more than 20,000 deaths in Gaza and more than 60,000 injured, most of whom are kids and women. Therefore, we call the international community to assume responsibility and call for a ceasefire. It is time – high time – for an international community decision to a ceasefire. I would like in this context to mention that defunding the UNRWA will have repercussions – catastrophic repercussions because more than 6 million Palestinians will not receive humanitarian assistance. We believe in the importance of the United Nations and the UNRWA, and we have to separate between the agency as a UN agency that has strong values and the accusations against some of its employees, who are being investigated. We cannot punish a humanitarian agency because of some accusations against some of its employees.
Throughout the past years, we have witnessed the repercussions of the lack of funding, and we fear of the complete defunding. Based on our responsibility towards the Palestinian brothers and sisters, we affirm that Qatar will keep bringing in the people who need to be treated in Qatar. Our efforts have led to the entry of medications to Gaza, particularly to the most affected regions and to those who are held or who are still stuck in the strip. And thanks to His Highness’s decision, we have sent more than 2,000 tons of help, including the needs for shelter, including food and two field hospitals, and this has been successful with our partners in the UK, France, Italy, in addition to the organizing committee of churches.
Around 200 injured and patients have been sent from Gaza to Qatar, and that as part of our commitment to provide care – health care to those, in addition to 3,000 kids who have become orphaned in this – in Gaza because of the war. At this point, all the efforts to de‑escalate and after four months of the confrontations, we have all been unable to stop bloodshed and violence. The hospitals are still being targeted, schools are being bombarded, and refugees are being killed while moving for the first, second, and third time.
Your Excellency, we appreciate your constant and our constant cooperation and collaboration in different fields – political, humanitarian – and we hope that our efforts that have started four months ago to lead to a ceasefire and to reach a solution that is just and fair for the region. I seize this opportunity to thank you for all your efforts, and I thank all our partners in the UN, Egypt, France, and other partners who are collaborating with us on different humanitarian and relief assistance to reduce the size of this humanitarian crisis.
I look forward to sustaining these discussions between our two countries in order to reach a solution and the stability in this region, to put an end to this war, and to look forward for a better future for the region. Thank you.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Well, good evening, everyone. And Prime Minister, Mohammed, thank you. Thank you for the, as always, very productive discussions that we had today – this evening with the emir and with the prime minister as well.
We’ve had constant engagement at the highest levels of our respective governments going back many, many weeks now – months – with an intense focus on securing the release of hostages and getting an extended pause to help address the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza. And we saw the results of the last pause – the initial pause: 105 hostages out, a significant increase in humanitarian assistance getting in, the repair of critical infrastructure in Gaza, and more broadly, reduced regional tensions at the same time.
So together with Qatar and Egypt, we put forward, as you know, a serious proposal that was aimed at not simply repeating the previous agreement but expanding it. As the prime minister just said, Hamas responded tonight. We’re reviewing that response now, and I’ll be discussing it with the Government of Israel tomorrow. There’s still a lot of work to be done, but we continue to believe that an agreement is possible and, indeed, essential. And we will continue to work relentlessly to achieve it.
We had meetings already on this trip in Riyadh, in Cairo, now today in Doha, focused on ensuring as well that we can use any pause to continue to build out plans for the day after in Gaza – the security, humanitarian, reconstruction, governance – all bringing real challenges with them, but that’s exactly why we are and need to be focused on them now. We’re also determined to use any pause to continue to pave a diplomatic path forward to a just and lasting peace and security for the region. That is the best way – the best way to ensure that October 7th and the tragic loss of life by Israelis and Palestinians is not repeated.
When I was last in the region a few weeks ago, I said then that there is a very powerful path that we can see before us to actually get to lasting peace and security, and it’s coming ever more sharply into focus: an Israel that is integrated into the region with security guarantees from its neighbors and partners alongside a practical, timebound, irreversible path to a Palestinian state living side-by-side in peace with Israel, with the necessary security arrangements for both peoples.
On this visit, one of our key objectives has been to continue to hammer out the substance and sequence of all the steps that would be necessary to enable us to move down that path. Now, that’s one path. It’s clear – and you can see that it gets us to a destination that would benefit virtually everyone in the region and, as I said, bring lasting peace and security to Israelis and Palestinians alike.
But there are those who want to move the region in a different direction and take a different path and who are actively working to sabotage every effort to move towards lasting peace and security. Just look at what we’ve seen in the last couple of months and indeed in the last couple of weeks. Attacks in Syria and Iraq, attacks on Israel from Lebanon, attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea, attacks in Jordan that killed three U.S. service members, and of course, the attack on Israel on October 7th. Each and every one carried out by groups trained, armed, funded, and formed by Iran.
Iran and its proxies claim that they’re carrying out these attacks somehow on behalf of the Palestinian people. That is absolutely wrong and it’s a cover for their true intent. Not a single one of these attacks has advanced the rights, the opportunities, the security, and the dignity of the Palestinians. They are all fundamentally about Iran’s quest for power.
Since October 7th, we’ve been very clear in warning any actor that would try to take advantage of the conflict: Don’t do it. We’ve been very clear that we do not want to see the conflict expanded, we don’t want to see escalation; but we’ve also been clear that if our personnel, if our people are threatened, if they’re attacked, we will respond. We will defend them.
We are responding to violence, not initiating it. We’re seeking to prevent escalation, not fuel it. And as we do this, we will continue to use every tool available to us to reach an extended pause that gets hostages out, that gets more assistance in, that brings calm to Gaza’s civilians, and that keeps diplomacy moving forward toward an integrated and more secure region.
In these efforts, we’re very fortunate to have Qatar as a partner. Thank you.
MODERATOR: (Via interpreter) We open the floor to questions. Saber Ayoub, Al Araby TV.
QUESTION: (Via interpreter) Saber Ayoub, Al Araby TV. My first question is addressed to His Excellency Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs. What is the evaluation of Qatar for the regional developments? And what is its message to concerned parties with these developments?
(In English) (Inaudible) is to the Secretary of State, Mr. Antony Blinken: Why it seems too hard for the United States to end the war on Gaza, or at least to push for a ceasefire? Are you or are we going to witness soon a ceasefire? Is it going to be signed here, or truce signed here in Qatar or agreed here in Qatar, in Doha? And lastly, before you travel to Israel and meet Netanyahu, I’m going to ask the same question that Politico asked today: Is Mr. Antony Blinken too nice to be Secretary of State? Thank you.
PRIME MINISTER AL THANI: (Via interpreter) With regards to our evaluation of the regional developments, we have since the beginning had a clear position: War should end; there shouldn’t be an expansion of conflicts in the region. Unfortunately, we witness an expansion of tensions. There are some forces taking advantage and using this conflict, whereas there are forces that seek to create these tensions. We believe and we see that the way towards solution and de-escalation is reaching and achieving a just and fair solution for the Palestinian cause, in addition to putting an end to the war on Gaza.
We always call every – all parties, concerned parties, to self-restraint. We are in communication with all and we do not want to see an escalation in the region. We do not want to witness more death in addition to what we are seeing today to – from challenges to the freedom of navigation, which would affect not only the security of the region but trade overall.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: The best path forward, the most effective path forward right now to get an extended period of calm and to work toward an end to the conflict, is through an agreement on the hostages. And that’s what we’re intensely focused on with our partners here in Qatar, Egypt, working with Israel. And of course, now that we have the response from Hamas to the proposal that was put on the table a week or so ago, we’re going to be very intensely focused on that. And again, that offers the prospect of extended calm, hostages out, more assistance in. That would clearly be beneficial to everyone, and I think that offers the best path forward. But there is a lot of work to be done to achieve it. We’re very focused on doing that work.
Now, of course, as we’ve said all along, all of this could have been over yesterday, last month, three months ago, four months ago, first of all if Hamas had not committed the atrocities of October 7th; and second, after that, had they stopped hiding behind civilians, had they put down their weapons, and had they surrendered. But that, of course, has not happened. So the best path now is to see if we can make real this renewed hostage agreement.
I’ll let others speak to my character, and all I can say is that most people who assume the position that I have the great privilege of assuming now don’t get there by being nice all the time.
MODERATOR: (Via interpreter) Second question, Humeyra Pamuk, Reuters.
QUESTION: Hello, Mr. Secretary, Mr. Prime Minister. My first question is to both of you. I understand there are sensitivities about Hamas response, but I am wondering, Mr. Secretary, how do you plan to overcome Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s refusal to commit to a permanent ceasefire after the phases of this deal? Was there anything in the Hamas response that would – that you think might change his mind?
And Mr. Prime Minister, could you help us understand why the reply took a week? Was it the communication challenges, the difficulty to reach Yahya Sinwar? Are you worried that the fighting would actually hamper – is actually hampering the communications on this important area of negotiation?
And one more for you, Mr. Secretary. I’m going to try to ask a similar question that my Qatari colleague asked, maybe a little less directly. It’s been four months into this war, and this is your fifth trip, and yet the United States seems unable to meaningfully influence Benjamin Netanyahu’s position on some fundamental issues that you yourself advocate for – Palestinian – the creation of a Palestinian statehood, how long Israel’s military campaign in Gaza will last, minimizing civilian casualties. Aren’t you worried that this is – this makes America look weak and it undercuts its ability to rally allies and partners in other foreign policy issues? And in that sense, what can you do differently, for example, tomorrow? Thank you.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Want me to start?
PRIME MINISTER AL THANI: Yeah, please, go ahead. Three questions for you.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: First, Humeyra, on the hostage question, I appreciate you asking the question. You’ll appreciate that I’m not going to answer it because the sensitivity of this matter is such that we’re just not going to get into any of the details. All I can say is what you’ve heard from both me and the prime minister, which is that we have received the response to the proposal; we are studying it intensely. It’s been shared with the Israelis. I’ll pick up that conversation tomorrow in Israel when I’m there, and we will be working as hard as we possibly can to try to get an agreement so that we can move forward with not only a renewed but an expanded agreement on hostages and all the benefits that that would bring with it.
Virtually everything that we do in diplomacy in general and in the case of this crisis more specifically is a process. It’s almost never flipping a light switch. And it requires being in there with your sleeves rolled up every single day to try to make progress on all of the areas where we’ve been determined to make progress.
And I think if you look at the record, we’ve seen important steps taken, significant steps taken that I would argue would not have happened without our engagement and our intervention, including the provision of humanitarian assistance to begin with to Gaza, which was not the case in the days following October 7th; the significant expansion of that assistance; the efforts to open more crossing points into Gaza; the work that we’re doing every single day to try to strengthen protection for civilians; our efforts as well to prevent the conflict from escalating. And despite some of the recent actions that have been necessary in response to violence that we’ve seen directed at our personnel and our people, we’ve been working, I think effectively, to do that.
In each and every one of these areas we have achieved results that had we not been engaged, I believe would not have been achieved. But in all of these areas there is much more work to be done, and in a number of places we need to see, as I’ve said before, real and clear results – not simply a change in intent, but a change in what actually results. And I will be discussing all of that when I’m in Israel tomorrow, as we have throughout this trip.
PRIME MINISTER AL THANI: Well, regarding your question about why the response took too long, of course there are a number of challenges that we are facing throughout the negotiations. It’s not something new, and what’s happening on the ground in Gaza, it affects the course of the negotiations all the time, and this is something that we’ve been highlighting in many occasions. Communication was representing some challenges, but also the negotiation itself – it took some time in order to get them to a place where we get that response.
Overall, as the Secretary mentioned here and we have mentioned earlier, that it’s better not – it’s not also for the benefit of the negotiations to reveal any of the details, but the overall prospect of this looks for us, at least as we received it, giving more promising and more prospects for better results. We are hoping for to see it and to see it yielding very soon.
MODERATOR: (Via interpreter) Third question, Abdullah Maraghi, Qatar News Agency.
QUESTION: (Via interpreter) Peace be upon you. From the Qatar News Agency, my question’s addressed to His Excellency the Prime Minister. What are the latest developments in the Qatari mediation? Thank you.
PRIME MINISTER AL THANI: (Via interpreter) We tackled this topic at the beginning of our press conference. We have just received the response few hours ago. We sent it to the Israeli side. There will be further negotiations and discussions of the details, and we hope that we will reach an agreement, the soonest possible, in coordination and cooperation with our partners in the United States or in Egypt.
MODERATOR: (Via interpreter) Fourth and last question, Olivia Gazis, CBS.
QUESTION: Thank you very much. Mr. Secretary, since the American retaliatory response in Iraq and Syria began on Friday, U.S. and coalition forces have been attacked at least twice, indicating deterrence is not yet established. Do you have any indication to date that Tehran will stop providing weapons to its proxies or otherwise work to constrain their behavior? And did you hear any support on this trip from your Arab partners to continue these strikes?
On normalization efforts, do you believe that you now have with the Saudis something in hand that will change Prime Minister Netanyahu’s declared opposition to an eventual Palestinian state? Or does a broader regional agreement require different leadership in Israel?
And Mr. Prime Minister, the U.S. has said that last week’s strikes in Iraq and Syria are the beginning and not the end of its response. You called this earlier an unfortunate expansion. Do you view the actions that the U.S. is now taking as escalatory?
And if I may follow up on my colleague on the hostage deal, you mentioned positive comments from Hamas. There have been consistent reports of divisions within the group. Are you confident that this response that you’ve gotten is from a unified consensus? Thank you.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Olivia, thank you. First, and I don’t want to speak for colleagues or other countries, but I think it’s fair to say that all of our partners very much oppose and reject the attacks that have been perpetrated by a variety of groups, often directed at us but that affect everyone’s interests. The Red Sea – the Houthi attacks on shipping there affect the interests of virtually everyone in the world given the implications that it has for shipping that’s so important to countries around the world, with 15 percent of global traffic going through the Red Sea. And we’ve already seen the adjustments that shipping companies, countries have had to make in ways that’s imposing added costs on consumers and countries around the world.
So that, the attacks on our personnel – including the attack that killed three Americans in Jordan – I’ve heard nothing but condemnation of those attacks, opposition to them, and a determination that, one way or another, they cease. We’ve been, as I said, very clear from day one that anyone trying to use the conflict in Gaza as an excuse to expand the conflict, to attack our personnel, to attack shipping, to engage in any form of escalation that spreads the conflict, we would stand strongly against that. And that’s exactly what we’re doing. We have been very clear that we don’t want the conflict to escalate. We are – we’ll do everything we can to prevent that – excuse me. But at the same time, we will defend our personnel anywhere and everywhere that they’re under threat. We’ll see the results.
As you’ve heard clearly from Secretary Austin as well as from the President, the response that we’ve undertaken over the last few days is going to continue, and it’s very important that not only do those engaged in these attacks get the message but that they act on it by ceasing the attacks against our people and personnel. And we will do what’s necessary until that happens.
Second part of your question – in Saudi Arabia, I had the opportunity to discuss again with Prince Mohammed bin Salman the way forward really for the region as a whole. And I said a few minutes ago how there is an incredibly powerful path that that lies before us, but it’s going to require everyone involved to make hard decisions. None of this comes easy. But with regard specifically to normalization, the crown prince reiterated Saudi Arabia’s strong interest in pursuing that. But he also made clear what he had said to me before, which is that in order to do that two things are required: an end to the conflict in Gaza and a clear, credible, time-bound path to the establishment of a Palestinian state.
So we know the immense benefits that would come for everyone concerned with Israel’s further integration into the region, starting with the benefits for Israel. That’s something that Israelis will have to decide for themselves. And again, all of this requires difficult, hard decisions made all the more challenging given the focus on the conflict in Gaza. But these are questions that fundamentally our partners will have to answer, answer for themselves, answer for everyone else. We can’t do that for them. All we can do is keep our focus on what we strongly believe is the best answer for the long-term security, the long-term peace for Israel, for the region, as well as for the Palestinian people.
And if we’re able to move down that pathway, it also does something else. It isolates those who reject it, starting with Iran. And in that sense, in terms of dealing with some of the most profound security challenges that Israel faces and has faced for years, it will be in a much stronger position as part of an integrated region to deal with them. But again, these are decisions that will have to be made. None of them are easy. And we’ll continue the effort to prepare all the diplomatic steps necessary to be able to move down that path if that’s the path that everyone chooses.
PRIME MINISTER AL THANI: Well, regarding the U.S. response, first of all, as I have expressed in many occasion, Qatar reject and condemn any attack that infringe other countries’ sovereignty or leading to killing citizens – and of course they are the U.S. citizens, but also it’s part of their mission within the coalition which is – Qatar member in. And of course, we totally understand that each country has the right to protect its sovereignty and its own citizen with the measures they are seeing according to international law. Yet, our advice to all the parties all the time that we should of course take in consideration what’s happening in the region and try to avoid any escalatory measure with all our understanding to the context of this attack.
Regarding your second question about Hamas and their – and the division in between both the inside and the outside, our dealing in its entirety for all over the last years has been with the political office, and this channel that we are using has been always just giving us their responses that represent both, and that’s what we have seen in the first pause. And hopefully also with the current responses that we are having that will lead to the second, hopefully, pause and exchange of hostages. I think that’s the only channel that we have, and that’s – has been always effective for us. So we don’t see or we don’t – we are not in position to examine their unity and their division. Our – what’s leading us really are the results of any agreement that we would have.
MODERATOR: (Via interpreter) With this, we close our press conference for today. We thank His Excellency, Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and His Excellency Secretary of State, as well as the media. Thank you.
Postponement of Election in Senegal
02/06/2024
Postponement of Election in Senegal
02/06/2024 06:23 PM EST
HomeOffice of the SpokespersonPress Releases…Postponement of Election in Senegal
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Postponement of Election in Senegal
Press Statement
February 6, 2024
The United States is deeply concerned by actions taken to delay Senegal’s February 25 presidential election, which run contrary to Senegal’s strong democratic tradition. We are particularly alarmed by reports of security forces removing by force parliamentarians who opposed a bill to delay the election, resulting in a National Assembly vote that cannot be considered legitimate given the conditions under which it took place. The United States urges the Government of Senegal to move forward with its presidential election in accordance with the Constitution and electoral laws. We also call on the Senegalese government to restore full Internet access immediately and to ensure that freedoms of peaceful assembly and expression, including for members of the press, are fully respected. The United States will remain engaged with all parties and regional partners in the days ahead.
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Bureau of African Affairs Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Elections Human Rights and Democracy Office of the Spokesperson Senegal
Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Bitter Travels to San Juan, Puerto Rico
02/07/2024
Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Bitter Travels to San Juan, Puerto Rico
02/07/2024 09:10 AM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Rena Bitter will travel on February 7 to Puerto Rico to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the San Juan Passport Agency and engage with local officials. Since 2014, the agency has overseen passport operations in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. This visit underscores the importance of passport services to the American people.
For updates on Assistant Secretary Bitter’s travel follow @TravelGov on social media.
Acting Deputy Secretary Nuland’s Meeting with Kenyan Cabinet Secretary for Defense Duale
02/07/2024
Acting Deputy Secretary Nuland’s Meeting with Kenyan Cabinet Secretary for Defense Duale
02/07/2024 09:02 AM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller:
Acting Deputy Secretary of State and Under Secretary for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland met with Kenyan Cabinet Secretary for Defense Aden Bare Duale and reaffirmed our strong bilateral ties, ongoing collaboration on counterterrorism, and close security cooperation. They discussed our shared interest in preventing further conflict in the East Africa Region including the multinational security mission to Somalia, and the need for inclusive peace processes. Acting Deputy Secretary Nuland reiterated the United States’ commitment to a successful Multinational Security Support mission to Haiti and underscored the shared values that form the foundation of our partnership.
Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with Israeli President Herzog
02/07/2024
Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with Israeli President Herzog
02/07/2024 09:57 AM EST
HomeOffice of the SpokespersonPress Releases…Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with Israeli President Herzog
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Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with Israeli President Herzog
Readout
February 7, 2024
The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller:
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met today with Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Israel. The Secretary reaffirmed the United States’ support for Israel’s right to ensure the events of October 7 are never repeated and stressed the importance of taking all possible measures to protect civilians in Gaza. The Secretary discussed the latest efforts to secure the release of all remaining hostages and thanked President Herzog for recognizing the importance of delivering humanitarian assistance to displaced civilians throughout Gaza.
The Secretary also discussed the United States’ vision for a more durable peace and security for Israel fully integrated within the region and a two-state solution with security guarantees for Israel.
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Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs Israel Israel-Hamas Conflict Office of the Spokesperson Official International Travel Secretary Trip The Secretary of State
Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu
02/07/2024
Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu
02/07/2024 09:54 AM EST
HomeOffice of the SpokespersonPress Releases…Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu
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Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu
Readout
February 7, 2024
The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller:
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met today with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel. The Secretary reaffirmed the United States’ support for Israel’s right to ensure the terrorist attacks of October 7 are never repeated and stressed the importance of taking all possible steps to protect civilians in Gaza. The Secretary and Prime Minister discussed the latest efforts to secure the release of all remaining hostages and the importance of increasing the amount of humanitarian assistance reaching displaced civilians throughout Gaza.
The Secretary discussed the United States’ vision for durable peace and security in the region. The Secretary reiterated the United States’ support for the establishment of a Palestinian state as the best way to ensure lasting peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians alike and greater integration for the region. The Secretary also stressed the urgent need to de-escalate tensions in the West Bank and prevent the conflict from expanding.
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Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs Israel Israel-Hamas Conflict Office of the Spokesperson Official International Travel Secretary Trip The Secretary of State
Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Israeli President Herzog Before Their Meeting
02/07/2024
Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Israeli President Herzog Before Their Meeting
02/07/2024 10:44 AM EST
HomeOffice of the SpokespersonPress Releases…Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Israeli President Herzog Before Their Meeting
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Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Israeli President Herzog Before Their Meeting
Remarks
February 7, 2024
PRESIDENT HERZOG: Welcome, Mr. Secretary. It’s wonderful to have you in our midst again. You’re coming here during this conflict time again, and it’s a – just another example of the great friendship, the leadership of the United States of America in the region, in the world. It’s an opportunity for me, on behalf of the people of Israel, to express gratitude and my heartfelt thanks to President Joe Biden for his great friendship and real, true, honest affection for the people of Israel, the state of Israel.
We’ve seen it time and time again with his visits, with your visit – President Biden has been a longstanding friend of the state of Israel, cares for its security, and is following in the footsteps of giants such as President Harry Truman in understanding that the bond between Israel and the United States serves both nations and serves the national interests of the United States of America. And I’m very grateful and honored to repeat our gratitude again.
I think your visit comes at a very critical moment in the conflict. We are yearning and praying for the immediate release of our hostages. We want to see them back as soon as possible. The situation is dire, and clearly Hamas is violating every rule of human behavior in this respect. I also believe that as such, whilst we are not hearing or getting any information about our hostages, we are accommodating and facilitating humanitarian aid as part of our belief and our commitment to the rules of international humanitarian law. Israel is committed to international humanitarian law.
We do not have a war with the citizens of Gaza; we have a war with Hamas. We’ve made it clear in the International Court of Justice in The Hague. We made it clear in all forums that are relevant to this question. And as such, we, of course, condemn and reject any call for hurting or damaging any civilian population anywhere, let alone, of course, in this conflict.
And finally, I do hope that there is a ray of hope also with the opportunity of moving towards normalization between Israel and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. I think it is a historic opportunity, and I hope – sincerely hope – that it will be looked at seriously and that this option may progress and advance in the near future. Thank you very much, Mr. Secretary.
I will also say a few comments in Hebrew.
(In Hebrew.)
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you so much, Mr. President. And as always, it’s good to be with you to benefit from your insights, just as people here benefit from your leadership. And I’m always deeply appreciative of that. For us as well, the hostages are foremost on our minds and in our hearts. And as you know, we now have a response from Hamas to the proposal that was put on the table for a way forward. We are looking at it intensely, as is, I know, the Government of Israel. And there is a lot of work to be done, but we are very much focused on doing that work and hopefully being able to resume the release of hostages that was interrupted so many months ago.
I also very much appreciate your emphasis on the imperative of protecting civilians and providing humanitarian assistance to those in need. There are so many innocent men, women, and children who are suffering as a result of the attacks perpetrated by Hamas and now being caught in a crossfire of Hamas’s making. We all have an obligation to do everything possible to get the necessary assistance to those who so desperately need it. And the steps that are being taken, additional steps that need to be taken are a focus of my own meetings here as well.
Finally, I’ve come from a number of countries in the region, and I look forward to sharing with you what I’ve heard, including in Saudi Arabia, as well as in other places, in Egypt and Qatar. And I do believe that there is a very positive, powerful future that is possible that genuinely integrates Israel into the region and addresses its most profound security needs to be able to live in peace and genuine security, and also answers the aspirations of the Palestinian people. And you could see that equation very clearly, and it was only reinforced by my visits with our friends and partners in the region. And I look forward to sharing that with you.
PRESIDENT HERZOG: Thank you.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you.
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Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs Israel Israel-Hamas Conflict Office of the Spokesperson Official International Travel Secretary Trip The Secretary of State
Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Israeli President Herzog Before Their Meeting
02/07/2024
Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Israeli President Herzog Before Their Meeting
02/07/2024 10:44 AM EST
HomeOffice of the SpokespersonPress Releases…Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Israeli President Herzog Before Their Meeting
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Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Israeli President Herzog Before Their Meeting
Remarks
February 7, 2024
PRESIDENT HERZOG: Welcome, Mr. Secretary. It’s wonderful to have you in our midst again. You’re coming here during this conflict time again, and it’s a – just another example of the great friendship, the leadership of the United States of America in the region, in the world. It’s an opportunity for me, on behalf of the people of Israel, to express gratitude and my heartfelt thanks to President Joe Biden for his great friendship and real, true, honest affection for the people of Israel, the state of Israel.
We’ve seen it time and time again with his visits, with your visit – President Biden has been a longstanding friend of the state of Israel, cares for its security, and is following in the footsteps of giants such as President Harry Truman in understanding that the bond between Israel and the United States serves both nations and serves the national interests of the United States of America. And I’m very grateful and honored to repeat our gratitude again.
I think your visit comes at a very critical moment in the conflict. We are yearning and praying for the immediate release of our hostages. We want to see them back as soon as possible. The situation is dire, and clearly Hamas is violating every rule of human behavior in this respect. I also believe that as such, whilst we are not hearing or getting any information about our hostages, we are accommodating and facilitating humanitarian aid as part of our belief and our commitment to the rules of international humanitarian law. Israel is committed to international humanitarian law.
We do not have a war with the citizens of Gaza; we have a war with Hamas. We’ve made it clear in the International Court of Justice in The Hague. We made it clear in all forums that are relevant to this question. And as such, we, of course, condemn and reject any call for hurting or damaging any civilian population anywhere, let alone, of course, in this conflict.
And finally, I do hope that there is a ray of hope also with the opportunity of moving towards normalization between Israel and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. I think it is a historic opportunity, and I hope – sincerely hope – that it will be looked at seriously and that this option may progress and advance in the near future. Thank you very much, Mr. Secretary.
I will also say a few comments in Hebrew.
(In Hebrew.)
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you so much, Mr. President. And as always, it’s good to be with you to benefit from your insights, just as people here benefit from your leadership. And I’m always deeply appreciative of that. For us as well, the hostages are foremost on our minds and in our hearts. And as you know, we now have a response from Hamas to the proposal that was put on the table for a way forward. We are looking at it intensely, as is, I know, the Government of Israel. And there is a lot of work to be done, but we are very much focused on doing that work and hopefully being able to resume the release of hostages that was interrupted so many months ago.
I also very much appreciate your emphasis on the imperative of protecting civilians and providing humanitarian assistance to those in need. There are so many innocent men, women, and children who are suffering as a result of the attacks perpetrated by Hamas and now being caught in a crossfire of Hamas’s making. We all have an obligation to do everything possible to get the necessary assistance to those who so desperately need it. And the steps that are being taken, additional steps that need to be taken are a focus of my own meetings here as well.
Finally, I’ve come from a number of countries in the region, and I look forward to sharing with you what I’ve heard, including in Saudi Arabia, as well as in other places, in Egypt and Qatar. And I do believe that there is a very positive, powerful future that is possible that genuinely integrates Israel into the region and addresses its most profound security needs to be able to live in peace and genuine security, and also answers the aspirations of the Palestinian people. And you could see that equation very clearly, and it was only reinforced by my visits with our friends and partners in the region. And I look forward to sharing that with you.
PRESIDENT HERZOG: Thank you.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you.
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Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs Israel Israel-Hamas Conflict Office of the Spokesperson Official International Travel Secretary Trip The Secretary of State
U.S. – Cuba Law Enforcement Dialogue
02/07/2024
U.S. – Cuba Law Enforcement Dialogue
02/07/2024 11:25 AM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
On February 7, U.S. and Cuban officials met in Washington, D.C. to discuss law enforcement matters of bilateral interest under the U.S. – Cuba Law Enforcement Dialogue.
The U.S. – Cuba Law Enforcement Dialogue enhances the national security of the United States through improved law enforcement coordination, which enables the United States to better protect U.S. citizens and bring criminals to justice. Establishing and increasing channels for law enforcement cooperation to address transnational threats also enhances U.S. advocacy for human rights. The United States integrates advocacy for human rights and human rights protections into all interactions with the Cuban government.
The Departments of State, Homeland Security, and Justice co-chaired the dialogue for the United States. Officials from the U.S. Embassy in Havana also participated. This meeting was the sixth Law Enforcement Dialogue since 2015.
Engaging in these talks underscores the U.S. commitment to pursuing constructive discussions with the Government of Cuba where appropriate to advance U.S. interests.
Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with Palestinian Authority President Abbas
02/07/2024
Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with Palestinian Authority President Abbas
02/07/2024 05:48 PM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller:
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met today in Ramallah with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. The Secretary conveyed the United States’ commitment to increasing the delivery of life-saving humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza. Secretary Blinken reiterated the United States’ support for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state as the best pathway to enduring peace and security for Palestinians and Israelis alike. He also discussed the benefits of revitalizing the Palestinian Authority.
The Secretary reinforced the United States rejects any forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza.
Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with Israeli Minister Gallant
02/07/2024
Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with Israeli Minister Gallant
02/07/2024 06:07 PM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller:
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met today with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in Tel Aviv. Secretary Blinken stressed the need to take all possible steps to protect civilians as Israel works to ensure the attacks of October 7 are never repeated. The Secretary and Minister Gallant reviewed the latest efforts to facilitate the safe return of all remaining hostages, increase levels of humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in Gaza, and prevent the conflict from expanding. Secretary Blinken also discussed the importance of securing lasting regional peace, with Israel fully integrated within the region and the establishment of a Palestinian state with security guarantees for Israel.
Secretary Antony J. Blinken At a Press Availability
02/07/2024
Secretary Antony J. Blinken At a Press Availability
02/07/2024 06:25 PM EST
Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State
Tel Aviv, Israel
David Kempinski Hotel
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Good evening. This is my fifth visit to the region and seventh visit to Israel since October 7th. I’m back first and foremost to consult directly with our partners on the joint efforts to bring all of the remaining hostages home. I’ve met with families of the hostages multiple times during prior visits, as well as in Washington, and I expect to see them again tomorrow.
The sheer agony – not knowing the fate of your loved one – it’s almost unimaginable. And I know that that pain is almost unbearable. So we have been intensely focused from day one on getting the hostages – all the hostages – back with their families where they belong. And we will keep that focus until we get them back.
We had an opportunity today to discuss with the Israeli Government the response that Hamas sent last night to the proposal that the United States, Qatar, and Egypt had put together to bring the remaining hostages home, and extend the humanitarian pause. What I can tell you about these discussions is that while there are some clear nonstarters in Hamas’s response, we do think it creates space for agreement to be reached. And we will work at that relentlessly until we get there.
We had extensive discussions with the prime minister and national security leaders on the status of the military campaign to defeat Hamas, and on the progress toward achieving the fundamental objective of ensuring that October 7th never happens again. At the same time, we’re continuing to work closely with Israel and Lebanon on diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions on Israel’s northern border so that families can return to their homes – both in northern Israel and in southern Lebanon – and live in peace and security.
We also discussed the imperative of maximizing civilian protection and humanitarian aid to address the ongoing suffering of Palestinian civilians in Gaza. Nearly 2 million people have been displaced from their homes. Hundreds of thousands are experiencing acute hunger. Most have lost someone that they love. And day after day, more people are killed.
On all of my previous visits here and pretty much every day in between, we have pressed Israel in concrete ways to strengthen civilian protection, to get more assistance to those who need it. And over the past four months, Israel has taken important steps to do just that: starting the flow of aid; doubling it during the first pause for hostage releases; opening the north and south corridors in Gaza so that people could move out of immediate harm’s way, through these corridors with four hours’ pause every day, three hours’ notice; opening Kerem Shalom; starting the flow of assistance from Jordan; establishing deconfliction mechanisms for humanitarian sites. As a result, today, more assistance than ever is moving into Gaza from more places than at any time since October 7th.
As the largest donor of humanitarian aid to the Palestinians, the United States has helped provide much of that assistance, including funding 90,000 metric tons of flour delivered from Ashdod Port. That’s enough to provide bread for 1.4 million people for the next five months. A UN team began its mission to the north to assess conditions for the civilians who are still there, as well as what needs to be done to allow displaced Palestinians to return back home to the north.
And yet, as I said to the prime minister and to other Israeli officials today, the daily toll that its military operations continue to take on innocent civilians remains too high. In our discussions today, I highlighted some key steps that Israel should take to ensure that more aid reaches more people in Gaza. Israel should open Erez so that assistance can flow to northern Gaza where, as I said, hundreds of thousands of people are struggling to survive under dire conditions. It should expedite the flow of humanitarian assistance from Jordan. It should strengthen deconfliction and improve coordination with the humanitarian providers. And Israel must ensure that the delivery of life-saving assistance to Gaza is not blocked for any reason, by anyone.
We urge Israel to do more to help civilians, knowing full well that it faces an enemy that would never hold itself to those standards – an enemy that cynically embeds itself among men, women, and children, and fires rockets from hospitals, from schools, from mosques, from residential buildings; an enemy whose leaders surround themselves with hostages; an enemy that has declared publicly its goal: to kill as many innocent civilians as it can, simply because they’re Jews, and to wipe Israel off the map.
That’s why we’ve made clear that Israel is fully justified in confronting Hamas and other terrorist organizations. And that’s why the United States has done more than any other country to support Israel’s right to ensure that October 7th never happens again.
Israelis were dehumanized in the most horrific way on October 7th. The hostages have been dehumanized every day since. But that cannot be a license to dehumanize others. The overwhelming majority of people in Gaza had nothing to do with the attacks of October 7th, and the families in Gaza whose survival depends on deliveries of aid from Israel are just like our families. They’re mothers and fathers, sons and daughters – want to earn a decent living, send their kids to school, have a normal life. That’s who they are; that’s what they want. And we cannot, we must not lose sight of that. We cannot, we must not lose sight of our common humanity.
We remain determined as well to pursue a diplomatic path to a just and lasting peace, and security for all in the region, and notably for Israel. And that diplomatic path continues to come into ever sharper focus as I travel throughout the region and talk to all of our friends and partners. An Israel that’s fully integrated into the region, with normal relations with key countries, including Saudi Arabia, with firm guarantees for its security, alongside a concrete, time-bound, irreversible path to a Palestinian state living side by side in peace and security with Israel, with the necessary security assurances.
Over the course of this trip, we discussed both the substance and sequence of steps that all would need to take to make this path real. That includes steps by the Palestinian Authority to reform and revitalize itself. And I reaffirmed the imperative of those steps in my meeting today with President Abbas, chief among them improving governance, increasing accountability to the Palestinian people, reforms that the Palestinian Authority is committed to make in a recently announced reform package and that we urge it to implement swiftly.
Now, we can see so many of the actors in the region lining up to move down the path that I just described. But some are not. Some are trying to sabotage that path. Iran and its proxies continue to escalate and expand the cycle of violence that we all want to break. We’ll continue to defend our people, we’ll continue to defend our interests in the face of such attacks – not to fuel escalation, but to prevent it.
Finally, in my discussions today with the prime minister and senior officials, I also raised our profound concerns about actions and rhetoric, including from government officials, that inflame tensions, that undercut international support, and place greater strains on Israel’s security. The people of Israel have sacrificed enormously to forge this nation and to defend it. They’ll ultimately decide the right path to take, and whether they’re ready to make difficult choices necessary to realize the vision of the long-elusive prospect of true peace and true security. As a true friend of Israel, as the country that has always been first to its side – whether that was May 14th, 1948, or October 7th, 2023 – we will always offer our best advice on the choices before this country, especially the ones that matter the most.
Thank you. Happy to take some questions.
MR MILLER: The first question goes to Zolan Kanno-Youngs with The New York Times.
QUESTION: Thank you, Mr. Secretary, for the question. Just have a couple for you here. I know that you said there’s still room for agreement in terms of the negotiations over the release of hostages, but the prime minister after you spoke with him pretty bluntly dismissed Hamas’s response, describing it even as ludicrous. I just want to clarify, is this response, are these negotiations DOA at this point? And what specifically did the prime minister object to in that response?
Also, the prime minister shortly after you met with him made clear that Israeli troops will be moving deeper into Rafah. Will the United States simply stand by as this action is pursued, even with 1 million Palestinians – more than a million Palestinians being held – are in Rafah, seemingly with nowhere to go?
And if I may, Congress is now moving ahead with a bill that would pair aid for Ukraine with aid for Israel. Would the administration endorse any potential package that once again prohibits UNRWA funding? Thank you.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: That’s impressive. Now, I’m taking it that that includes the questions of all of your colleagues as well. Is that right?
QUESTION: I don’t think so. Couldn’t do that to them.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: All right. Starting with the – with the first part. Look, as I said, we’ve looked very carefully at what came back from Hamas, and there are clearly nonstarters in what it – what it’s put forward. But we also see space in what came back to pursue negotiations to see if we can get to an agreement, and that’s what we intend to do. And I’m not going to speak for Israel or anyone else involved, but again, we believe this space is there and we believe that we should pursue it.
With regard to Rafah, look, as I said before, Israel has the responsibility, has the obligation to do everything possible to ensure that civilians are protected and that they get the assistance they need in the course of this conflict. Any military campaign, military operation that Israel undertakes needs to put civilians first and foremost in mind. And I suggested, again, some ways to do that. And that’s especially true in the case of Rafah, where there are somewhere between 1.2 and 1.4 million people, many of them displaced from other parts of Gaza. So we want to make sure again that in anything that’s done, in any military operations, the situation for civilians is first and foremost in mind and that the necessary steps are taken to make sure that they’re protected and they have the assistance they need.
QUESTION: Sorry, Mr. Secretary. You said that – you mentioned – you suggested some ways to do that to ensure —
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Well, I just went through a number of things that we urge Israel to do now on the building on what it’s already done in terms of both humanitarian assistance and civilian protection. And as I said with – in the case of Rafah itself, that’s extremely important because it has such a dense population, including many people who have been displaced from other parts of Gaza.
And on UNRWA, look, the – we were deeply concerned by the allegations that were made about the participation or involvement of some of its employees in the – in October 7th. And it’s imperative that, as the UN has said it’s doing, that there be a thorough investigation, that there be clear accountability, and that there be clear measures put in place to make sure that this can’t happen again, this – that personnel working for it were not in any way involved in terrorism or the events of October 7th. We know that the work that UNRWA performs, the functions that it performs, have to be preserved because so many lives are depending on it. And so going forward, we’re going to look to the actions that are taken. And as I said, it’s imperative that the functions be preserved.
QUESTION: It sounds like the administration then would potentially support an aid package that still prohibited funding for UNRWA.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: I’m not going to get ahead of our views on hypothetical pieces of legislation.
QUESTION: Although there was already —
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you.
QUESTION: — an aid package that the administration endorsed that prohibited that funding?
SECRETARY BLINKEN: I’ll leave that to the next time. Thanks.
QUESTION: Thank you, Mr. Secretary.
MR MILLER: For the next question, Gil Tamary with Channel 13.
QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, thank you for the opportunity. Gil Tamary, Channel 13. It seems to be that the entire Biden doctrine vis-a-vis Israel, a future Palestinian state, the normalization with Saudi Arabia, is collapsing. Netanyahu says no with capital “N” to any form of a Palestinian state. Saudi Arabia says normalization with Israel will only be considered after an independent Palestinian state is formed in the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. So how does the U.S. intend to break this deadlock?
And secondly, regarding the hostage deal, after we listen tonight to Prime Minister Netanyahu that says that the Hamas’s demands are delusional, how do you find the space, as you mention, for negotiation? And do you feel that Netanyahu is exhausting every possible option to bring back the Israeli citizens kidnapped and held hostage by Hamas, or again Israeli politics is intervening? And lastly, why did you cancel your visit tomorrow to Kerem Shalom?
SECRETARY BLINKEN: So this is good. We have – I think we have a trend going of at least three questions per questioner.
QUESTION: (Off-mike.)
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Yeah. Last question first. There was no planned visit to Kerem Shalom so there was nothing to cancel. One of the things we want to make sure as well, as I said, is that assistance be able to move smoothly and sustainably. But there was nothing to cancel.
Second – I guess I’ll go in reverse order – on the hostage agreement, again, I’ll – I can only repeat myself: clearly, clearly there are things that Hamas sent back that are absolute nonstarters. And I assume that’s what the prime minister was referring to, but I don’t want to speak for him. But at the same time we see, in what was sent back, space to continue to pursue an agreement. And these things are always negotiations. It’s not flipping a light switch. It’s not yes or no. There’s invariably back and forth. And as I said, we see the space for that. And given the imperative, given the importance that we all attach to bringing the hostages home, we’re intent on pursuing it.
Finally, as I’ve said before, we were, before October 7th, pursuing the possibility of normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia. And in fact, I was scheduled to come to Israel and to Saudi Arabia – I believe it was on October 10th – to pursue that, and in particular, to focus on what we already knew back then was a necessary Palestinian component to any normalization agreement. When I saw the crown prince in Saudi Arabia just a couple of days ago, he repeated to me his desire and determination to pursue normalization. But he also repeated that in order to do that, two things need to happen. One, there needs to be calm in Gaza; two, there needs to be a clear and credible pathway to a Palestinian state.
So as I said before, you can see the path forward for Israel and for the entire region with integration, with normalization, with security assurances, with the pathway to a Palestinian state. That entirely changes the equation and the future for the better for Israelis, for Arabs, for Palestinians, and in so doing isolates groups like Hamas, isolates countries like Iran, that want a very different future. But as I also said, going down that path, pursuing it, requires hard decisions. None of this is easy.
And so it will be up to Israelis to decide what they want to do, when they want to do it, how they want to do it. No one’s going to make those decisions for them. All that we can do is to show what the possibilities are, what the options are, what the future could be, and compare it to the alternative. And the alternative right now looks like an endless cycle of violence and destruction and despair. We know where the better path lies, but I don’t minimize in any way the very difficult decisions that would need to be made by all concerned to travel down that path.
MR MILLER: Anton La Guardia with the The Economist.
QUESTION: Thank you very much, Secretary. Can you – you’ve used some very specific words on – in describing this vision for a better path. What do you actually mean by clear, credible, irreversible, time-bound path to a Palestinian state?
And in Qatar and again today, you spoke about security, Israel receiving security guarantees and assurances from its neighbors. What does that actually mean? What’s on the table for Israel if it goes down this path? And would that include additional U.S. assurances to Israel on top of the arrangements that currently exist? Thank you.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Look, I’m not going to get ahead of things or get into specifics. I think those words speak for themselves. How they’re defined, how they’re made real, that’s the subject of diplomacy. It’s very much the subject of the conversations that I’ve been having in the region as well as here as we flesh that out and give real substance to it. But I don’t want to get ahead of it.
What I can only add in response to the rest of your question is it’s clear to me, from talking to many of the countries in the region, that they’re prepared to do things with and for Israel that they were never prepared to do in the past, including steps that would further address any security concerns it might have. And similarly, the United States is prepared to do that, too. But the details of that, the substance of that, these are all things that we continue to talk about in these conversations, in our diplomacy, and will bring it into ever-sharper focus because at some point, yes, it will be very important to put forward exactly those details and see if, for all parties concerned, there is a credible pathway to walk down. And again, I believe that there is, but there remains a lot of work to be done in the weeks and months ahead.
MR MILLER: The final question goes to Mohammed Jamjoom with Al Jazeera English.
QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, thank you. I have two issues I want to ask you about. The first is regarding the fact that you’ve spoken about the importance of creating a pathway for a Palestinian state. There have been reports that you’ve asked the State Department to review options on potentially recognizing a Palestinian state. So I want to ask you if that’s the case, and if so, is that a type of pressure point that you feel is needed to get Israel to agree to a ceasefire and one that could ultimately lead to a two-state solution? That’s the first issue.
The second issue I want to ask you about is the fact that Israel has maintained that Hamas needs to be eliminated, that it cannot have any role in governing Gaza after the war has ended. Where does the U.S. currently stand on this? Is it in any way acceptable to the U.S. for Hamas to be playing a role in governing Gaza in a day-after scenario, and what would U.S. policy be toward Hamas going forward?
SECRETARY BLINKEN: The short answer to the second part of the question is no. As to the first part of the question, look, as I just said, there are a number – as we’re defining the path forward, including the pathway to a Palestinian state, there are a number of policy options that people may propose as part of that process. But our focus today is on all of the diplomacy needed to bring it about, including, again, getting ideas, getting proposals from all concerned, and putting those together in a credible and clear plan. So that’s where we are, and as I said, we’ll continue to have these conversations to engage in that diplomacy, to really sharpen the focus on all of the different elements that would be necessary, that would be involved, and that each of the parties believes is important.
Thank you.
QUESTION: Thank you.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thanks, everyone, and apologies for keeping folks late. Hope you get a chance to have some dinner. Thanks.
Secretary Antony J. Blinken At a Press Availability
02/07/2024
Secretary Antony J. Blinken At a Press Availability
02/07/2024 06:25 PM EST
Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State
Tel Aviv, Israel
David Kempinski Hotel
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Good evening. This is my fifth visit to the region and seventh visit to Israel since October 7th. I’m back first and foremost to consult directly with our partners on the joint efforts to bring all of the remaining hostages home. I’ve met with families of the hostages multiple times during prior visits, as well as in Washington, and I expect to see them again tomorrow.
The sheer agony – not knowing the fate of your loved one – it’s almost unimaginable. And I know that that pain is almost unbearable. So we have been intensely focused from day one on getting the hostages – all the hostages – back with their families where they belong. And we will keep that focus until we get them back.
We had an opportunity today to discuss with the Israeli Government the response that Hamas sent last night to the proposal that the United States, Qatar, and Egypt had put together to bring the remaining hostages home, and extend the humanitarian pause. What I can tell you about these discussions is that while there are some clear nonstarters in Hamas’s response, we do think it creates space for agreement to be reached. And we will work at that relentlessly until we get there.
We had extensive discussions with the prime minister and national security leaders on the status of the military campaign to defeat Hamas, and on the progress toward achieving the fundamental objective of ensuring that October 7th never happens again. At the same time, we’re continuing to work closely with Israel and Lebanon on diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions on Israel’s northern border so that families can return to their homes – both in northern Israel and in southern Lebanon – and live in peace and security.
We also discussed the imperative of maximizing civilian protection and humanitarian aid to address the ongoing suffering of Palestinian civilians in Gaza. Nearly 2 million people have been displaced from their homes. Hundreds of thousands are experiencing acute hunger. Most have lost someone that they love. And day after day, more people are killed.
On all of my previous visits here and pretty much every day in between, we have pressed Israel in concrete ways to strengthen civilian protection, to get more assistance to those who need it. And over the past four months, Israel has taken important steps to do just that: starting the flow of aid; doubling it during the first pause for hostage releases; opening the north and south corridors in Gaza so that people could move out of immediate harm’s way, through these corridors with four hours’ pause every day, three hours’ notice; opening Kerem Shalom; starting the flow of assistance from Jordan; establishing deconfliction mechanisms for humanitarian sites. As a result, today, more assistance than ever is moving into Gaza from more places than at any time since October 7th.
As the largest donor of humanitarian aid to the Palestinians, the United States has helped provide much of that assistance, including funding 90,000 metric tons of flour delivered from Ashdod Port. That’s enough to provide bread for 1.4 million people for the next five months. A UN team began its mission to the north to assess conditions for the civilians who are still there, as well as what needs to be done to allow displaced Palestinians to return back home to the north.
And yet, as I said to the prime minister and to other Israeli officials today, the daily toll that its military operations continue to take on innocent civilians remains too high. In our discussions today, I highlighted some key steps that Israel should take to ensure that more aid reaches more people in Gaza. Israel should open Erez so that assistance can flow to northern Gaza where, as I said, hundreds of thousands of people are struggling to survive under dire conditions. It should expedite the flow of humanitarian assistance from Jordan. It should strengthen deconfliction and improve coordination with the humanitarian providers. And Israel must ensure that the delivery of life-saving assistance to Gaza is not blocked for any reason, by anyone.
We urge Israel to do more to help civilians, knowing full well that it faces an enemy that would never hold itself to those standards – an enemy that cynically embeds itself among men, women, and children, and fires rockets from hospitals, from schools, from mosques, from residential buildings; an enemy whose leaders surround themselves with hostages; an enemy that has declared publicly its goal: to kill as many innocent civilians as it can, simply because they’re Jews, and to wipe Israel off the map.
That’s why we’ve made clear that Israel is fully justified in confronting Hamas and other terrorist organizations. And that’s why the United States has done more than any other country to support Israel’s right to ensure that October 7th never happens again.
Israelis were dehumanized in the most horrific way on October 7th. The hostages have been dehumanized every day since. But that cannot be a license to dehumanize others. The overwhelming majority of people in Gaza had nothing to do with the attacks of October 7th, and the families in Gaza whose survival depends on deliveries of aid from Israel are just like our families. They’re mothers and fathers, sons and daughters – want to earn a decent living, send their kids to school, have a normal life. That’s who they are; that’s what they want. And we cannot, we must not lose sight of that. We cannot, we must not lose sight of our common humanity.
We remain determined as well to pursue a diplomatic path to a just and lasting peace, and security for all in the region, and notably for Israel. And that diplomatic path continues to come into ever sharper focus as I travel throughout the region and talk to all of our friends and partners. An Israel that’s fully integrated into the region, with normal relations with key countries, including Saudi Arabia, with firm guarantees for its security, alongside a concrete, time-bound, irreversible path to a Palestinian state living side by side in peace and security with Israel, with the necessary security assurances.
Over the course of this trip, we discussed both the substance and sequence of steps that all would need to take to make this path real. That includes steps by the Palestinian Authority to reform and revitalize itself. And I reaffirmed the imperative of those steps in my meeting today with President Abbas, chief among them improving governance, increasing accountability to the Palestinian people, reforms that the Palestinian Authority is committed to make in a recently announced reform package and that we urge it to implement swiftly.
Now, we can see so many of the actors in the region lining up to move down the path that I just described. But some are not. Some are trying to sabotage that path. Iran and its proxies continue to escalate and expand the cycle of violence that we all want to break. We’ll continue to defend our people, we’ll continue to defend our interests in the face of such attacks – not to fuel escalation, but to prevent it.
Finally, in my discussions today with the prime minister and senior officials, I also raised our profound concerns about actions and rhetoric, including from government officials, that inflame tensions, that undercut international support, and place greater strains on Israel’s security. The people of Israel have sacrificed enormously to forge this nation and to defend it. They’ll ultimately decide the right path to take, and whether they’re ready to make difficult choices necessary to realize the vision of the long-elusive prospect of true peace and true security. As a true friend of Israel, as the country that has always been first to its side – whether that was May 14th, 1948, or October 7th, 2023 – we will always offer our best advice on the choices before this country, especially the ones that matter the most.
Thank you. Happy to take some questions.
MR MILLER: The first question goes to Zolan Kanno-Youngs with The New York Times.
QUESTION: Thank you, Mr. Secretary, for the question. Just have a couple for you here. I know that you said there’s still room for agreement in terms of the negotiations over the release of hostages, but the prime minister after you spoke with him pretty bluntly dismissed Hamas’s response, describing it even as ludicrous. I just want to clarify, is this response, are these negotiations DOA at this point? And what specifically did the prime minister object to in that response?
Also, the prime minister shortly after you met with him made clear that Israeli troops will be moving deeper into Rafah. Will the United States simply stand by as this action is pursued, even with 1 million Palestinians – more than a million Palestinians being held – are in Rafah, seemingly with nowhere to go?
And if I may, Congress is now moving ahead with a bill that would pair aid for Ukraine with aid for Israel. Would the administration endorse any potential package that once again prohibits UNRWA funding? Thank you.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: That’s impressive. Now, I’m taking it that that includes the questions of all of your colleagues as well. Is that right?
QUESTION: I don’t think so. Couldn’t do that to them.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: All right. Starting with the – with the first part. Look, as I said, we’ve looked very carefully at what came back from Hamas, and there are clearly nonstarters in what it – what it’s put forward. But we also see space in what came back to pursue negotiations to see if we can get to an agreement, and that’s what we intend to do. And I’m not going to speak for Israel or anyone else involved, but again, we believe this space is there and we believe that we should pursue it.
With regard to Rafah, look, as I said before, Israel has the responsibility, has the obligation to do everything possible to ensure that civilians are protected and that they get the assistance they need in the course of this conflict. Any military campaign, military operation that Israel undertakes needs to put civilians first and foremost in mind. And I suggested, again, some ways to do that. And that’s especially true in the case of Rafah, where there are somewhere between 1.2 and 1.4 million people, many of them displaced from other parts of Gaza. So we want to make sure again that in anything that’s done, in any military operations, the situation for civilians is first and foremost in mind and that the necessary steps are taken to make sure that they’re protected and they have the assistance they need.
QUESTION: Sorry, Mr. Secretary. You said that – you mentioned – you suggested some ways to do that to ensure —
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Well, I just went through a number of things that we urge Israel to do now on the building on what it’s already done in terms of both humanitarian assistance and civilian protection. And as I said with – in the case of Rafah itself, that’s extremely important because it has such a dense population, including many people who have been displaced from other parts of Gaza.
And on UNRWA, look, the – we were deeply concerned by the allegations that were made about the participation or involvement of some of its employees in the – in October 7th. And it’s imperative that, as the UN has said it’s doing, that there be a thorough investigation, that there be clear accountability, and that there be clear measures put in place to make sure that this can’t happen again, this – that personnel working for it were not in any way involved in terrorism or the events of October 7th. We know that the work that UNRWA performs, the functions that it performs, have to be preserved because so many lives are depending on it. And so going forward, we’re going to look to the actions that are taken. And as I said, it’s imperative that the functions be preserved.
QUESTION: It sounds like the administration then would potentially support an aid package that still prohibited funding for UNRWA.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: I’m not going to get ahead of our views on hypothetical pieces of legislation.
QUESTION: Although there was already —
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you.
QUESTION: — an aid package that the administration endorsed that prohibited that funding?
SECRETARY BLINKEN: I’ll leave that to the next time. Thanks.
QUESTION: Thank you, Mr. Secretary.
MR MILLER: For the next question, Gil Tamary with Channel 13.
QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, thank you for the opportunity. Gil Tamary, Channel 13. It seems to be that the entire Biden doctrine vis-a-vis Israel, a future Palestinian state, the normalization with Saudi Arabia, is collapsing. Netanyahu says no with capital “N” to any form of a Palestinian state. Saudi Arabia says normalization with Israel will only be considered after an independent Palestinian state is formed in the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. So how does the U.S. intend to break this deadlock?
And secondly, regarding the hostage deal, after we listen tonight to Prime Minister Netanyahu that says that the Hamas’s demands are delusional, how do you find the space, as you mention, for negotiation? And do you feel that Netanyahu is exhausting every possible option to bring back the Israeli citizens kidnapped and held hostage by Hamas, or again Israeli politics is intervening? And lastly, why did you cancel your visit tomorrow to Kerem Shalom?
SECRETARY BLINKEN: So this is good. We have – I think we have a trend going of at least three questions per questioner.
QUESTION: (Off-mike.)
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Yeah. Last question first. There was no planned visit to Kerem Shalom so there was nothing to cancel. One of the things we want to make sure as well, as I said, is that assistance be able to move smoothly and sustainably. But there was nothing to cancel.
Second – I guess I’ll go in reverse order – on the hostage agreement, again, I’ll – I can only repeat myself: clearly, clearly there are things that Hamas sent back that are absolute nonstarters. And I assume that’s what the prime minister was referring to, but I don’t want to speak for him. But at the same time we see, in what was sent back, space to continue to pursue an agreement. And these things are always negotiations. It’s not flipping a light switch. It’s not yes or no. There’s invariably back and forth. And as I said, we see the space for that. And given the imperative, given the importance that we all attach to bringing the hostages home, we’re intent on pursuing it.
Finally, as I’ve said before, we were, before October 7th, pursuing the possibility of normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia. And in fact, I was scheduled to come to Israel and to Saudi Arabia – I believe it was on October 10th – to pursue that, and in particular, to focus on what we already knew back then was a necessary Palestinian component to any normalization agreement. When I saw the crown prince in Saudi Arabia just a couple of days ago, he repeated to me his desire and determination to pursue normalization. But he also repeated that in order to do that, two things need to happen. One, there needs to be calm in Gaza; two, there needs to be a clear and credible pathway to a Palestinian state.
So as I said before, you can see the path forward for Israel and for the entire region with integration, with normalization, with security assurances, with the pathway to a Palestinian state. That entirely changes the equation and the future for the better for Israelis, for Arabs, for Palestinians, and in so doing isolates groups like Hamas, isolates countries like Iran, that want a very different future. But as I also said, going down that path, pursuing it, requires hard decisions. None of this is easy.
And so it will be up to Israelis to decide what they want to do, when they want to do it, how they want to do it. No one’s going to make those decisions for them. All that we can do is to show what the possibilities are, what the options are, what the future could be, and compare it to the alternative. And the alternative right now looks like an endless cycle of violence and destruction and despair. We know where the better path lies, but I don’t minimize in any way the very difficult decisions that would need to be made by all concerned to travel down that path.
MR MILLER: Anton La Guardia with the The Economist.
QUESTION: Thank you very much, Secretary. Can you – you’ve used some very specific words on – in describing this vision for a better path. What do you actually mean by clear, credible, irreversible, time-bound path to a Palestinian state?
And in Qatar and again today, you spoke about security, Israel receiving security guarantees and assurances from its neighbors. What does that actually mean? What’s on the table for Israel if it goes down this path? And would that include additional U.S. assurances to Israel on top of the arrangements that currently exist? Thank you.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Look, I’m not going to get ahead of things or get into specifics. I think those words speak for themselves. How they’re defined, how they’re made real, that’s the subject of diplomacy. It’s very much the subject of the conversations that I’ve been having in the region as well as here as we flesh that out and give real substance to it. But I don’t want to get ahead of it.
What I can only add in response to the rest of your question is it’s clear to me, from talking to many of the countries in the region, that they’re prepared to do things with and for Israel that they were never prepared to do in the past, including steps that would further address any security concerns it might have. And similarly, the United States is prepared to do that, too. But the details of that, the substance of that, these are all things that we continue to talk about in these conversations, in our diplomacy, and will bring it into ever-sharper focus because at some point, yes, it will be very important to put forward exactly those details and see if, for all parties concerned, there is a credible pathway to walk down. And again, I believe that there is, but there remains a lot of work to be done in the weeks and months ahead.
MR MILLER: The final question goes to Mohammed Jamjoom with Al Jazeera English.
QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, thank you. I have two issues I want to ask you about. The first is regarding the fact that you’ve spoken about the importance of creating a pathway for a Palestinian state. There have been reports that you’ve asked the State Department to review options on potentially recognizing a Palestinian state. So I want to ask you if that’s the case, and if so, is that a type of pressure point that you feel is needed to get Israel to agree to a ceasefire and one that could ultimately lead to a two-state solution? That’s the first issue.
The second issue I want to ask you about is the fact that Israel has maintained that Hamas needs to be eliminated, that it cannot have any role in governing Gaza after the war has ended. Where does the U.S. currently stand on this? Is it in any way acceptable to the U.S. for Hamas to be playing a role in governing Gaza in a day-after scenario, and what would U.S. policy be toward Hamas going forward?
SECRETARY BLINKEN: The short answer to the second part of the question is no. As to the first part of the question, look, as I just said, there are a number – as we’re defining the path forward, including the pathway to a Palestinian state, there are a number of policy options that people may propose as part of that process. But our focus today is on all of the diplomacy needed to bring it about, including, again, getting ideas, getting proposals from all concerned, and putting those together in a credible and clear plan. So that’s where we are, and as I said, we’ll continue to have these conversations to engage in that diplomacy, to really sharpen the focus on all of the different elements that would be necessary, that would be involved, and that each of the parties believes is important.
Thank you.
QUESTION: Thank you.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thanks, everyone, and apologies for keeping folks late. Hope you get a chance to have some dinner. Thanks.
Secretary Antony J. Blinken And Israeli Opposition Leader Yair Lapid Before Their Meeting
02/08/2024
Secretary Antony J. Blinken And Israeli Opposition Leader Yair Lapid Before Their Meeting
02/08/2024 07:15 AM EST
Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State
Tel Aviv, Israel
David Kempinski Hotel
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Well, good morning, everyone. As always, I very much appreciate this opportunity to exchange views and perspectives with my friend Yair, both on the situation in Gaza, the regional perspectives, and of course we’re intensely focused on the hostages and a determination to bring them home to their families. So I look forward to an exchange of views on all of these issues and more. It’s good to see you.
MR LAPID: Good to see you, my friend. It’s good to be here. It’s good to see the – how committed this group is to the hostages, to solving the situation, to figuring out ways to promote peace, prosperity, and if possible, tranquility in the area. So I’m looking forward to this conversation. Thank you.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thanks, everybody.
Secretary Antony J. Blinken And Israeli Opposition Leader Yair Lapid Before Their Meeting
02/08/2024
Secretary Antony J. Blinken And Israeli Opposition Leader Yair Lapid Before Their Meeting
02/08/2024 07:15 AM EST
Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State
Tel Aviv, Israel
David Kempinski Hotel
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Well, good morning, everyone. As always, I very much appreciate this opportunity to exchange views and perspectives with my friend Yair, both on the situation in Gaza, the regional perspectives, and of course we’re intensely focused on the hostages and a determination to bring them home to their families. So I look forward to an exchange of views on all of these issues and more. It’s good to see you.
MR LAPID: Good to see you, my friend. It’s good to be here. It’s good to see the – how committed this group is to the hostages, to solving the situation, to figuring out ways to promote peace, prosperity, and if possible, tranquility in the area. So I’m looking forward to this conversation. Thank you.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thanks, everybody.
Israeli Former Defense Minister Benny Gantz, And Minister Gadi Eisenkot Before Their Meeting
02/08/2024
Israeli Former Defense Minister Benny Gantz, And Minister Gadi Eisenkot Before Their Meeting
02/08/2024 07:35 AM EST
Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State
Tel Aviv, Israel
David Kempinski Hotel
SECRETARY BLINKEN: (In progress) to have a chance to talk about where we are, the challenges that we both face, of course a focus on the hostages and the strong desire that we both have to see them return home to their families, the work that’s being done to that end. I want a chance as well to share with my colleagues what I’ve been hearing from around the region these past few days about many of the important issues that affect Israel, and to hear from them as they see the way ahead. So thank you both for being here this morning.
MINISTER GANTZ: Thank you very much, Secretary, for first of all supporting us, keep coming visit – this is your sixth visit, I believe, I think – and also to say thank you to the entire team. We are definitely dealing in the serious issues for the security of Israel, for the security of the region, and I think here some (inaudible) as well. And the most urgent issue is, of course, to find ways to bring back the hostages. Once that can be done, then peace can be achieved.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you very much.
Israeli Former Defense Minister Benny Gantz, And Minister Gadi Eisenkot Before Their Meeting
02/08/2024
Israeli Former Defense Minister Benny Gantz, And Minister Gadi Eisenkot Before Their Meeting
02/08/2024 07:35 AM EST
Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State
Tel Aviv, Israel
David Kempinski Hotel
SECRETARY BLINKEN: (In progress) to have a chance to talk about where we are, the challenges that we both face, of course a focus on the hostages and the strong desire that we both have to see them return home to their families, the work that’s being done to that end. I want a chance as well to share with my colleagues what I’ve been hearing from around the region these past few days about many of the important issues that affect Israel, and to hear from them as they see the way ahead. So thank you both for being here this morning.
MINISTER GANTZ: Thank you very much, Secretary, for first of all supporting us, keep coming visit – this is your sixth visit, I believe, I think – and also to say thank you to the entire team. We are definitely dealing in the serious issues for the security of Israel, for the security of the region, and I think here some (inaudible) as well. And the most urgent issue is, of course, to find ways to bring back the hostages. Once that can be done, then peace can be achieved.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you very much.
Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with Israeli Chairman Lapid
02/08/2024
Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with Israeli Chairman Lapid
02/08/2024 07:59 AM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller:
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met today with Israeli Opposition Leader and Chairman of the Yesh Atid party Yair Lapid. The Secretary and Chairman Lapid reviewed the latest efforts to facilitate the safe return of all remaining hostages and to increase levels of life-saving humanitarian assistance. Secretary Blinken discussed with Chairman Lapid the need to protect civilians as Israel works to ensure the attacks of October 7 are never repeated. The Secretary also discussed the United States’ vision for a more durable peace and security for Israel fully integrated within the region and the establishment of a Palestinian state with guarantees for Israel’s security.
Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with Israeli Ministers Eisenkot and Gantz
02/08/2024
Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with Israeli Ministers Eisenkot and Gantz
02/08/2024 07:54 AM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller:
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met today with Israeli Minister Gadi Eisenkot and Minister Benny Gantz in Tel Aviv. The Secretary and Ministers Eisenkot and Gantz reviewed the latest efforts to facilitate the safe return of all remaining hostages, increase levels of humanitarian assistance, and prevent the conflict from expanding. Secretary Blinken stressed the need to take all possible steps to protect civilians as Israel works to ensure the attacks of October 7 are never repeated. Secretary Blinken also discussed the United States’ vision for a more durable peace and security for Israel fully integrated within the region and the establishment of a Palestinian state with Israel’s security guaranteed.
Reward Offers for Information to Bring Hive Ransomware Variant Co-Conspirators To Justice
02/08/2024
Reward Offers for Information to Bring Hive Ransomware Variant Co-Conspirators To Justice
02/08/2024 09:39 AM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
Today, the Department of State is announcing a reward offer of up to $10,000,000 for information leading to the identification and/or location of any individual(s) who hold a key leadership position in the Hive ransomware variant transnational organized crime group. In addition, we are also announcing a reward of up to $5,000,000 for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of any individual in any country conspiring to participate in or attempting to participate in Hive ransomware activity.
The Hive ransomware variant targeted victims in over 80 countries, including the United States. Beginning in late July 2022, the FBI penetrated Hive’s computer networks, obtained its decryption keys, and offered them to victims worldwide, preventing victims from having to pay up to $130 million in ransoms demanded.
Today’s announcement complements the Department of Justice announcement that, with Europol, the German and Dutch authorities, and the United States Secret Service, it had seized control of Hive’s servers and websites, thereby disrupting Hive’s ability to further attack and extort victims. We will continue to work with allies and partners to disrupt and deter ransomware actors that threaten the backbone of our economies and critical infrastructure.
This reward is offered under the Department of State’s Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program (TOCRP), which supports law enforcement efforts to disrupt transnational crime globally and bring fugitives to justice.
Secretary Blinken’s Call with President-elect Nayib Bukele of El Salvador
02/08/2024
Secretary Blinken’s Call with President-elect Nayib Bukele of El Salvador
02/08/2024 11:26 AM EST
HomeOffice of the SpokespersonPress Releases…Secretary Blinken’s Call with President-elect Nayib Bukele of El Salvador
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Secretary Blinken’s Call with President-elect Nayib Bukele of El Salvador
Readout
February 8, 2024
The following is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller:
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with El Salvador’s President-elect Nayib Bukele. The Secretary congratulated President-elect Bukele on his February 4 electoral victory. The Secretary reiterated his commitment to prioritizing good governance, inclusive economic prosperity, fair trial guarantees, and human rights under the United States’ Root Causes Strategy.
Secretary Blinken also reaffirmed shared values and longstanding friendship with the people of El Salvador.
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Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs El Salvador Office of the Spokesperson The Secretary of State
U.S., Zambia, AFC Host PGI Forum to Strengthen Investment in Lobito Corridor
02/08/2024
U.S., Zambia, AFC Host PGI Forum to Strengthen Investment in Lobito Corridor
02/08/2024 11:35 AM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
His Excellency Hakainde Hichilema, President of the Republic of Zambia, Amos Hochstein, Senior Advisor to President Biden, and Samaila Zubairu, President and CEO of the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) convened the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGI) Lobito Corridor Private Sector Investor Forum in Lusaka today. This is the first PGI Investor Forum outside the United States, bringing together over 250 business and government leaders from Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the European Union, the United States, and Zambia, as well as international investors and industry leaders. The Forum will accelerate private sector investment in the Lobito Corridor, which will connect the DRC and Zambia with global markets through Angola.
The Lobito Corridor is the first strategic PGI economic corridor launched by President Biden at the G7 Summit in Japan in May 2023 under the flagship G7 Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment initiative. The corridor will integrate the African continent and enhance connections with global markets by expanding export possibilities, boosting regional trade, and growing key market segments, all while creating decent jobs and improving lives.
PGI’s efforts to upgrade and build new railway will result in the first trans-African rail line, stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the Indian Ocean. A U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) $250 million investment, currently in due diligence, would support the Lobito Atlantic Railway (LAR) consortium that is upgrading and operating the 1,300 km Benguela rail line across Angola with advisory support from the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC). The LAR upgrade will dramatically reduce transport time, better connect critical mineral-rich regions in the DRC with global markets and lower the carbon emissions footprint of goods currently moved by road. By lowering costs for businesses along the corridor, it will also open new markets, including agribusiness.
The Investor Forum follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in October 2023 in which the African Development Bank, the AFC, the governments of Angola, DRC, Zambia and the United States, and the European Commission underscored their shared commitment to developing the Lobito Corridor. The MOU named AFC as lead developer on the new Zambia-Lobito rail line extending from the Benguela line into northwest Zambia. In addition to rail, PGI is investing catalytic public funds alongside G7 and African partners in various sectors, demonstrating a new model of holistic private-sector led infrastructure development while maintaining strong labor and environmental standards, and promoting trade and investment on the African continent.
The PGI Forum marks the partners coming together to further mobilize private sector investment across the Lobito Corridor and unlock the enormous potential of this region. During the forum in Lusaka, the U.S. Government and partners announced additional commitments to the corridor:DFC announced that its Board of Directors approved a new $250 million debt facility to the AFC that would support their efforts to develop high-quality and high-standards infrastructure across the continent. That potential project is now pending congressional review. DFC also marked its commitment to provide a $10 million loan to Seba Foods Zambia, the first U.S. food and agriculture investment along the Lobito Corridor.
Additionally, the United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) announced a feasibility study grant to REV-UP Solar Ventures Zambia to develop an estimated 200-megawatt solar power plant and battery energy storage system in Solwezi, Zambia. The project will supply clean, stable electricity to Zambian industry and households and has the potential to provide power for two critical mineral mines in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
This week LAR announced a six-year export shipment term-sheet with Canadian mining company Ivanhoe that will advance the rail line’s ambitions to become the leading rail transport link in sub-Saharan Africa and support clean energy supply chain diversification.
Supporting efforts to unlock the potential of the Copperbelt region, AFC has entered into an MOU with Congolese commodity trading and mining company La Générale des Carrières et des Mines (Gécamines) to undertake the development of critical minerals in the DRC.
AFC has also signed an expression of interest with Kobaloni Energy to provide $100 million in financing for a cobalt refinery in Chingola, Zambia, with the objective of building the first electric vehicle battery grade cobalt sulphate plant on the African continent.
These announcements build on the more than $1 billion of U.S. government investments made in Angola in the past year. This includes an Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) authorization of a more than $900 million loan supporting construction of two solar energy power plants that will generate over 500 megawatts of renewable energy, and an additional $363 million EXIM loan guarantee to support financing and construction of over 180 bridges connecting rural Angolan communities. Further, two USAID grants are enabling Africell’s recent mobile money launch to reach more underserved populations, and to expand an existing program supporting women farmers to communities around the Lobito Atlantic rail line.
Today’s milestone underlines the importance of the Lobito Corridor initiative. The corridor is a vital logistics hub that connects the region to international markets while demonstrating that strategic public infrastructure investment can mobilize private investment across multiple sectors to promote economic growth that transforms the region.
Designating Additional Violators of Price Cap Policy on Russian Oil and Taking Steps on Russian Diamonds
02/08/2024
Designating Additional Violators of Price Cap Policy on Russian Oil and Taking Steps on Russian Diamonds
02/08/2024 04:03 PM EST
Matthew Miller, Department Spokesperson
The United States is taking additional action today to enforce the Price Cap Coalition’s policies by designating four entities and identifying one vessel as blocked property. Today’s action demonstrates that violating the price cap will result in consequences. Alongside our Price Cap Coalition partners, we are steadfast in our commitment to hindering evasion that helps Russia fund its illegal war against Ukraine.
The Department of Treasury also issued today two determinations related to restrictions on the importation of certain categories of diamonds mined in Russia and diamond jewelry exported from Russia. These prohibitions are intended to implement the December 2023 G7 commitments to impose phased restrictions on the importation of diamonds mined or extracted in Russia.
Today’s action includes an oil trader and a shipowner that transported Russian oil priced above the cap while utilizing covered Coalition services, as well as a fleet manager, Oil Tankers FZCO, which manages five vessels that have previously been sanctioned for violating the price cap, and a shipping company linked to the oil trader by common management. The price cap policy prohibits Price Cap Coalition services related to the maritime transport of oil of Russian Federation origin unless that oil is bought and sold at or below specific price caps established by the Coalition. The Department of the Treasury designations were taken pursuant to Executive Order 14024 for operating or having operated in the marine sector of the Russian Federation economy. For more information on today’s action, see Treasury’s press release.
Designating Additional Violators of Price Cap Policy on Russian Oil and Taking Steps on Russian Diamonds
02/08/2024
Designating Additional Violators of Price Cap Policy on Russian Oil and Taking Steps on Russian Diamonds
02/08/2024 04:03 PM EST
Matthew Miller, Department Spokesperson
The United States is taking additional action today to enforce the Price Cap Coalition’s policies by designating four entities and identifying one vessel as blocked property. Today’s action demonstrates that violating the price cap will result in consequences. Alongside our Price Cap Coalition partners, we are steadfast in our commitment to hindering evasion that helps Russia fund its illegal war against Ukraine.
The Department of Treasury also issued today two determinations related to restrictions on the importation of certain categories of diamonds mined in Russia and diamond jewelry exported from Russia. These prohibitions are intended to implement the December 2023 G7 commitments to impose phased restrictions on the importation of diamonds mined or extracted in Russia.
Today’s action includes an oil trader and a shipowner that transported Russian oil priced above the cap while utilizing covered Coalition services, as well as a fleet manager, Oil Tankers FZCO, which manages five vessels that have previously been sanctioned for violating the price cap, and a shipping company linked to the oil trader by common management. The price cap policy prohibits Price Cap Coalition services related to the maritime transport of oil of Russian Federation origin unless that oil is bought and sold at or below specific price caps established by the Coalition. The Department of the Treasury designations were taken pursuant to Executive Order 14024 for operating or having operated in the marine sector of the Russian Federation economy. For more information on today’s action, see Treasury’s press release.
Department Press Briefing – February 8, 2024
02/08/2024
Department Press Briefing – February 8, 2024
02/08/2024 06:12 PM EST
HomeDepartment Press Briefing – February 8, 2024
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Department Press Briefing – February 8, 2024
February 8, 2024
MR PATEL: Good afternoon, everybody. Apologies for being a little tardy. I do not have anything off the top. So Simon, since you’re in that chair, I’m going to ask if you’d like to kick us off.
QUESTION: That is quite intimidating.
MR PATEL: What’s that?
QUESTION: It’s quite intimidating to be in —
MR PATEL: I don’t think so, no. (Laughter.)
QUESTION: Yeah, I want to – first of all, there’s some reporting about two American citizens in Gaza who appear to have been detained by the Israelis. Is there anything beyond just the fact you’re aware of reports? Have you’ve been in touch with the family? Can you tell us anything about their cases?
MR PATEL: I don’t have any other updates, Simon, than what you said. As you know, we have no higher priority than the safety and security of American citizens overseas. We are aware of these reports, and we are currently seeking additional information, but I don’t have any additional information to share and would not be able to at this point, given the privacy considerations.
QUESTION: I just wondered – the Israeli Defense Forces did say today that they have been operating in Khan Younis and have apprehended dozens of suspected militants. If – have there been any cases where American citizens have been accused by the Israelis of being militants involved with Hamas in Gaza?
MR PATEL: I’m not aware and I just wouldn’t want to speculate on such a hypothetical situation. As it relates to the questions that you asked, we are seeking out additional information. Broadly, as it relates to American citizens in Gaza, we continue to be communicative to them through online and through our consular channels for avenues and options for safe departure, specifically through the Rafah crossing, and we’ll continue to have those resources available.
QUESTION: And I believe the same family involved in a lawsuit against the State Department about – regarding this very issue of whether you’ve done enough to help Palestinian Americans who want to evacuate from Gaza, is your understanding that there are still Americans in Gaza who would like to leave who haven’t been able to? And what has stopped you from being able to get them out?
MR PATEL: So let me say a couple things. First, I am just not going to comment on any kind of litigation matter. But since October 7th, we have assisted nearly 1,600 individuals, including U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, and other eligible family members with entry into Egypt from Gaza at the – from the Rafah border crossing. We will continue to be in close touch and make ourself available to U.S. citizens seeking to depart. We believe that the vast majority of U.S. citizens so far who are seeking assistance have reached out. And our expectation continues to be that we expect the number of American citizens, LPRs, and eligible family members who are able to depart – we expect that number to continue to grow, as long as the crossing remains open.
Again – you’ve heard me say this before – this is not a crossing that the United States of America has any control over. It’s not one of our ports of entry. But we’ll continue to work closely with the Egyptians, the Israelis, and others on the safe departure of foreign nationals.
QUESTION: Can I follow up on this, please?
MR PATEL: On the region broadly or on the consular question?
QUESTION: On this, on this issue.
MR PATEL: All right. Go ahead. Then I’ll come to you, Jenny.
QUESTION: Thanks. There’s also a young Palestinian American woman in the West Bank that was arrested by the Israelis. How do you – what mechanism do you use to follow up on these things? Do you do it through the embassy, or you go directly to the – how do you do it? What is the mechanism?
MR PATEL: Well, Said, there are appropriate channels that exist in the respective governments’ foreign ministries to talk about consular issues. I’m not going to get into the specifics of those, but those channels exist. And specifically on the issue that you’ve raised, we are also trying to continue to get more information as we can. We are aware that a U.S. citizen from the West Bank is detained in Israel, and we are in direct contact with the family and Israeli authorities and providing all appropriate consular assistance.
QUESTION: So it is something that is done through the American security coordinator, a military general who’s in the West Bank? Is that how it’s done? I mean, for instance, there was a young man that was shot a couple weeks ago. We don’t know what happened. It seems like you go into some sort of a never neverland. What happened afterward?
MR PATEL: Said, I —
QUESTION: How are you following up with that particular case?
MR PATEL: So on that —
QUESTION: Which we raised here.
MR PATEL: On that specific case, as you heard me say, the investigation into that matter was referred to the INP, and that process continues to be underway. And we hope and expect that that investigation to be conducted expeditiously, and we’re eager to hear and learn of the findings of that circumstance.
Broadly though, Said – I’m not going to speak specifically about one country – when it has made – it has been made to our attention that an American citizen is detained, we work through the appropriate consular channels that exists in the consular conventions that we have with that country to assess information, ask for consular access to that individual, and that continues to be in the case here.
QUESTION: Yeah. I have a couple of follow-ups on Secretary statements.
MR PATEL: Okay. I’m going – is it okay if I come back to you? Because Jenny had her hand up and —
QUESTION: Oh, absolutely. Yeah. I’ve been —
MR PATEL: We’ll – don’t worry, Said. No doubt we’ll get to you.
QUESTION: I understand you’ll come back to me.
QUESTION: Can I get a quick follow-up on Said’s question, though? When do you expect the INP investigation into this person’s case to be wrapped up?
MR PATEL: I don’t have a sense on a timeline.
QUESTION: Have you given them any timeline, that you need answers by X date?
MR PATEL: I’m going to keep those diplomatic conversations private. We – of course, our hope is to have answers and clarity as soon as possible. And like I said, we want this to happen expeditiously, but I don’t have a timeline to prescribe or offer.
QUESTION: Got it. And our understanding is the Secretary was briefed on the Israeli forces’ plans for Rafah. What can you tell us about their intended military operation there? Are you confident that they are going to be able to take steps to protect more than the one million people who have now had to flee to Rafah for safety?
MR PATEL: So specifically on Rafah and on the Secretary’s meetings broadly, I’m not going to get more descriptive than how you heard the Secretary himself describe his engagements with Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Netanyahu, over this past week.
But on Rafah, we have seen those reports. We have yet to see any evidence of serious planning for such an operation. And to do – conduct such an operation right now with no planning and little thought in an area where there is sheltering of a million people would be a disaster. And you’ll note that I spoke a little bit about this on Monday: Rafah is also a region that is a key conduit for access of humanitarian aid. The Rafah border crossing is where foreign nationals, including American citizens and LPRs, are able to safely depart.
So this is not something that we’d support, and the Secretary made that clear in his meetings with —
QUESTION: You would not support a military operation in Rafah? Is that what you’re saying?
MR PATEL: And the Secretary made that clear with the prime minister.
QUESTION: Just so I’m understanding your message correctly, the U.S. does not support a military operation in Rafah?
MR PATEL: We would not support the undertaking of something like this without serious and credible planning as it relates to the more than a million people who are sheltering there, as well as without considering the impacts on humanitarian assistance and the safe departure of foreign nationals as well.
QUESTION: And so you say there are – you have not heard any plans for a military operation. Is that what Halevi and other Israeli officials —
MR PATEL: I’m just – I’m not going to —
QUESTION: — relayed to the Secretary yesterday, or is this just based on the public – what – what is being said.
MR PATEL: I am not going to get more specific on the Secretary’s engagements, beyond what you’ve heard him read out in his own press conference yesterday.
QUESTION: And then he also mentioned in this press conference the need for Erez to be open for humanitarian goods. Is that something the Israelis have indicated they are open to, and when might we see that opening?
MR PATEL: I’ll let the Israelis, of course, speak to their own planning and operations. But you’re absolutely right; he did raise that in his press conference, and we think that it could be an important and vital step for continuing to increase the humanitarian aid that flows into Gaza.
QUESTION: Can I just follow up specifically on Rafah?
MR PATEL: Sure.
QUESTION: I mean, you’ve talked about without a serious undertaking of how it relates to more than a million people there. Presumably, if they want to carry out a military operation there, that means those people have to be evacuated and moved, but where are they supposed to go? There is nowhere left to go, and they’re not allowing them back to the north. Khan Younis is another center of military action. So just if you could flesh out what that means.
MR PATEL: These are legitimate questions that we believe that the Israelis should answer. I mean, it’s not for us to be prescriptive about these things. But what you so exactly raised is why it is important to be – make sure that these kinds of operations are fully thought out, especially in an area that, like I said, there are more than a million people sheltering, continues to be an important conduit for humanitarian aid, as I’ve said, as well as the safe departure of foreign nationals.
QUESTION: Sorry, let me just – on the same topic.
MR PATEL: Yeah.
QUESTION: It’s 1.4 million. That’s the estimates. It’s a lot of people. And it doesn’t seem to have much military value, so – and I know the Secretary said that October 7th should not – should not be a license to Israel to dehumanize others. I assume he’s talking about this looming catastrophe. So why can’t the administration just issue a very firm statement on Rafah? Because obviously, until most recently, it had no military value, none whatsoever.
MR PATEL: Said, it’s really not —
QUESTION: That’s what the Israelis kept saying.
MR PATEL: It’s really not for me to stand up here and speak to what has military or strategic value or not. What I can just say and reiterate what I just said is that such an operation needs to be conducted with planning and factoring and taking the things into consideration that I laid out, specifically the more than a million people sheltering, the impacts on humanitarian assistance. And we have not seen such kind of planning take place yet, and therefore, as I said, the Secretary made clear that this is not something that we would support.
QUESTION: The Secretary also —
QUESTION: There’s been just so —
QUESTION: Just to follow up —
MR PATEL: Sure.
QUESTION: The Secretary also said something akin that we want an irreversible path to Palestinian statehood. What does that mean?
MR PATEL: Said, you have heard —
QUESTION: What does that mean? I mean, can you explain to us in whatever the understanding of this building, what does it mean?
MR PATEL: Said, you have heard the Secretary talk about this quite clearly since October 7th and even before. We believe that there is an avenue and an opportunity here to get us out of this endless cycle of violence, to work towards and make credible progress towards a two-state solution, a Palestinian state. And we believe that that is a key factor in how we look at regional stability and security for the overall region and to get us out of this endless cycle of violence.
We are not – I am not – no one here is being prescriptive about what exactly that policy is. As the Secretary said in Tel Aviv, part of this diplomatic process is engaging in a variety of these ideas and engaging in a lot of these policy proposals.
QUESTION: So is it conceivable to go to the UN Security Council and say – talk – or maybe recognize a Palestinian state although it may not be implemented, let’s say, in the immediate future? Is it conceivable that the United States would not veto it if such a resolution is proposed?
MR PATEL: Said, I’m not going to entertain or get into hypotheticals. You’ve heard us say before that a Palestinian state should be realized through direct negotiations. That’s not a position that has changed. But what the Secretary said was that there are a number of policy options that people may propose as part of that process, and our focus continues to be on the diplomacy needed to bring all of this about – getting ideas, getting proposals from concerned and appropriate regional parties, and putting together a credible and clear plan. That’s part of what the Secretary is doing on his travels to the region.
QUESTION: Is it fair to assume —
MR PATEL: Go ahead, Rosiland.
QUESTION: — that if the Israelis describe to the U.S. why they needed to go into Rafah, what they would be doing in Rafah, what the targets would be, would the U.S. be in support of such a mission? And – echoing what my colleagues have already raised – where would people go? Egypt has already indicated it does not want people coming into the Sinai. It does not want a refugee problem in the Sinai. So two parts.
MR PATEL: Rosiland, I’m just not going to get ahead of a hypothetical or a process here. I’ve seen these reports about a military operation into Rafah. As I said in answering Jenny’s question, we have not seen evidence of serious planning for such an operation. And to do any kind of – such thing right now with no planning and little thought in an area where more than a million people are sheltering, an area that is a key conduit for humanitarian aid entering Gaza, a key conduit for the safe departure of foreign nationals, that would be a disaster. It’s not something that we would support, and the Secretary made that clear to the prime minister.
QUESTION: Yeah, and —
MR PATEL: Leon, go ahead.
QUESTION: Yeah, I was wondering, because from this podium you’ve always been very clear that you are not involved in operational planning —
MR PATEL: We are not. We are not.
QUESTION: Yeah, of course. Yes.
MR PATEL: That is – that is absolutely correct.
QUESTION: And they didn’t – they didn’t give you a heads-up with Gaza. They’ve never given you a heads-up really on the operational planning, and you’ve always been very clear that you are not – obviously not involved and not – so now you’re saying you want to see those plans before they do what they do in Rafah?
MR PATEL: That’s not what I’m saying, Leon. What I am saying is that we have not seen evidence of serious planning around this operation. And of course —
QUESTION: Well, what kind of evidence are you waiting for —
MR PATEL: — when it comes to —
QUESTION: — are you expecting?
MR PATEL: We’ve just spent the past, I don’t know, 15 minutes talking about how there are a million people sheltering in this region, how it’s a region that is a key conduit for humanitarian aid and the safe departure for foreign nationals. I’m answering yours and your colleagues’ questions about what our viewpoint would be on this. And so we’ve been pretty clear that we’ve not seen any evidence of any serious planning around this, that we’ve seen these reports and we’ve also reiterated what the Secretary laid out when it came to his concerns, which you saw him address in Tel Aviv as well.
QUESTION: Just quick on the evidence thing, though. So did the IDF and everyone Blinken met with yesterday say we are not going into Rafah?
MR PATEL: I am not going to speak to the specifics of the meetings and engagements that the Secretary has had beyond what we have already wrote out. And he gave a pretty lengthy press conference that your colleagues on the road attended and asked questions in which —
QUESTION: Yeah, we all watched the press conference, but we’re trying to figure out —
MR PATEL: — he spoke to this pretty clearly.
QUESTION: — how you are saying there is no evidence you have seen if he had an entire briefing yesterday with top Israeli officials. Did – yes or no, did they tell him we are not going into Rafah?
MR PATEL: I am just not going to get into the specifics of the engagement that he had on the road.
QUESTION: Yeah, Vedant —
MR PATEL: Yeah.
QUESTION: — the Israeli prime minister said yesterday that he directed the army to prepare for an operation in Rafah.
MR PATEL: Again, when I’m saying that we’ve not seen these reports, Michel, what I am speaking about is that – reports around the serious planning for such an operation. And we believe that planning for such an operation should require and – some thought into the more than a million people who are sheltering in the area. It’s also an area that is a key conduit for humanitarian aid and the safe departure of foreign nationals. Conducting an operation without thinking these pieces through is not something we’d support, and the Secretary made that clear to the prime minister.
QUESTION: And what’s your assessment or the department’s assessment for the Secretary’s trip? Was he able to achieve the goals that he set before he went?
MR PATEL: Michel, in all of our travels to the region, we go with some broad goals in mind and broad goals that we hope to continue to push forward: one of those, of course, continues to be doing everything we can to ensure that hostages can come home and that the hostages that are being held and continue to be unaccounted for can be released and come home.
Additionally, we continue to do everything we can to try and push for additional humanitarian assistance to flow into Gaza. That continues to be something the Secretary raised. You saw him talk about how important we feel that Erez be opened for humanitarian aid to flow into Gaza. And additionally we’ll continue to coordinate appropriately with regional parties on two fronts: first, taking every step we can to ensure that this conflict does not expand, does not grow and wade into other parts of the region; and additionally, of course, as Said was talking about, beginning to lay the groundwork and have conversations about a solution here that gets us out of the endless cycle of violence and closer to a two-state solution, which we believe is integral for peace and stability in the region.
QUESTION: Any progress that has been made on any of these points that you – that you already (inaudible)?
MR PATEL: You saw the Secretary lay out a number of these things in his press conference yesterday as it relates to how we are talking to our partners in Israel and other regional interlocutors about humanitarian aid and some of these other issues, and we’ll continue to work at them.
Go ahead, Simon.
QUESTION: Just a follow-up on this. You’ve sort of given this warning of it would be a disaster to go into Rafah with no planning. Does the U.S. – the U.S. is the main supporter of Israel in terms of military aid and weapons. Would you do anything if they go ahead and do something that you just said would be a disaster?
MR PATEL: I’m not going to speculate or hypothesize on something, Simon.
QUESTION: And just – just – so more than two months ago, on the same theme, but more than two months ago the administration sort of said – started saying that there have been too many deaths in this conflict. That was when about 15,000 Palestinians had died. And there was a warning that Israel faces strategic defeat if they continue down a path of conflict, which is – which was creating so many civilian deaths and kind of – they were basically losing the longer-term fight through these – this tactic. Now, like, more than two months later, that number of deaths has almost doubled. We’re – I think we’re around 29,000 now. Can you just continue to give these rhetorical warnings without any actual consequences for Israel, or aren’t they just going to continue doing the same thing?
MR PATEL: We continue to believe that the daily toll of this military operation is too high, especially the toll that it is taking on innocent civilians, specifically women and children. And so what we are doing is we’re having very specific conversations with Israel about steps that can be taken that we believe would help alleviate some of that. You saw the Secretary talk about some of those things yesterday – first, of course, opening Erez so that the assistance can flow into northern Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of people are struggling to survive under dire conditions. We also believe that steps could and should be taken to expedite the flow of humanitarian assistance from Jordan. There are steps that can be taken to strengthen deconfliction and improve coordination with humanitarian providers. And we also believe that Israel should take any step possible to ensure that the delivery of lifesaving assistance to Gaza is not blocked for any reason by anyone.
QUESTION: Can I follow up on —
MR PATEL: I’ll come back to you. Alex, go ahead.
QUESTION: Just on the same region.
MR PATEL: Yeah.
QUESTION: When it comes to retaliation for the killing of three Americans in Jordan, is your objective still deterrence or, as we’re hearing from the opposition officials recently, degrading their capabilities? Has there been any shift on that front?
MR PATEL: Both things can be true, Alex. Of course, my colleagues at the Pentagon, I’m sure, would be happy to talk to you in greater detail about some of the contours of the military operation, but the focus continues to be both: to deter these Iran-backed malign proxy groups from taking dangerous action against our servicemembers while also degrading their capability and their ability to do so down the line. And so both can certainly be true.
QUESTION: Can you please come back to me?
QUESTION: Follow-up?
MR PATEL: Yeah, sure. Go ahead.
QUESTION: (Off-mike.)
MR PATEL: I’ll come back to you, I promise. (Inaudible.)
QUESTION: Thank you. Follow – following up on the civilian deaths in Gaza. There have been some reports in Israeli media suggesting that during their meeting, Blinken told Netanyahu that he will think about thousands of children killed in Gaza all his life. Can you provide any confirmation or clarification on that? And what was the nature of the conversation between Blinken and Netanyahu regarding the civilian deaths in Gaza?
MR PATEL: So I don’t have anything to offer to further characterize the Secretary’s meetings in Israel beyond what you heard him say. What I can just say broadly is that we believe that the civilian death toll in Gaza has been far too high, and the impact that this military operation has had on civilians is far too high, and there continue to be steps, we believe, that can be taken that we believe are a moral and strategic imperative to minimize the impact on civilians. And that’s something we’ll continue to work towards.
QUESTION: So you have been urging Israel to take some steps to minimize civilian harm – and you have been urging them for maybe past four months. And have you determined that Israel has taken any of these steps? And if you determine that Israel is not taking those steps, what will be the consequences?
MR PATEL: Look, I am not going to Monday morning quarterback this – the operation from here or specific incidents that are reported in the media. We believe that there are more steps that can be taken. We also believe that over the course of this conflict, when we have raised the need to take certain steps that we believe will have a positive impact on civilians, our partners in Israel have done so. And so we’ll continue having these very tough and frank conversations.
I’m going to do Guita because she had her hand up, then I’ll come to you, Rosiland. Guita, go ahead.
QUESTION: Thank you, Vedant. My question is about the CENTCOM attack against the KH member in Baghdad last night. Number one, is there a fixed list of targets, and is the DOS in any way involved in identifying the targets?
MR PATEL: I’m just not going to speak to the operational specifics around this operation. What I can say is that the individual killed was a commander of KH, which as you know, is an Iran-aligned militia group and a designated terrorist organization. This commander was directly responsible for planning and participating in attacks on U.S. forces in the region, and we have said that attacks against U.S. and coalition forces by groups who call themselves the Islamic Resistance in Iraq need to stop.
And so if we continue to see threats and attacks from these militia groups, we will respond. We’ll take appropriate steps to hold them accountable.
QUESTION: You just said that the goal is to degrade their capabilities. But they could easily replenish with Iran’s help.
MR PATEL: Again, I’m – the specifics around the operation, I’m happy – I’m sure my colleagues at the Department of Defense would be happy to speak to you about this. But as I said to Alex, our goals can continue to be dual fronted on this.
QUESTION: One more —
MR PATEL: Yeah.
QUESTION: — on this. Politico is reporting that the U.S. intelligence agencies have started – after the October 7th, they started warning about possible attacks on U.S. interests in the Middle East, military and diplomatic facilities. Are you confident that all diplomatic facilities are secure in the region? Because there’s very – when they get to Tower 22, they could easily do, I mean, Baghdad.
MR PATEL: So the safety and security of our facilities, our embassies, our consulates, as well as our American personnel operating there is of the highest priority for the Secretary and for this department. I am just not going to speak to threat assessments or security assessments from here, but it is something that is of the highest priority for the Secretary. And we will take appropriate precautions and steps as the risk circumstances and the threat tolerance changes.
QUESTION: Did you change anything in the U.S. embassy (inaudible) —
MR PATEL: No updates to offer. Rosiland, go ahead.
QUESTION: Let me just ask this very plainly. The U.S., Qatar, Egypt, other interlocutors worked out some kind of deal to try to bring this war to an end. Hamas came back with its concerns. Netanyahu yesterday said: absolutely no way, no how. Where is the space to try to negotiate an end to this war?
MR PATEL: Well, first and foremost, I think it’s important to remember that the negotiations and the specifics and the sensitive conversations around these things are, of course, often best kept to be done in private. But I think the Secretary was pretty clear yesterday that while certainly there were some clear nonstarters in the proposal, that we believe that there is space to continue to pursue negotiations and see if we can get to an agreement, and that’s what the United States will intend to do in hopefully a constructive role.
Let’s not lose sight of the fact that we have seen this work earlier in the conflict, where we have seen a pause take place, where we saw approximately 100 hostages released, we saw a pause in the conflict which allowed the additional entrance of humanitarian aid into Gaza. So we know that there is a clear track record of this working, and we believe that there continues to be space to pursue and engaged on this.
QUESTION: Is the U.S. trying to temper expectations because, as the war continues, it becomes easier for Netanyahu and for his government to maintain a hard line?
MR PATEL: I don’t think we would be saying that there is a – there is space for some progress here if we were trying to temper expectations. That’s not hyperbole; that’s just legitimately where we believe things to be as it relates to this conversation.
Diyar, go ahead.
QUESTION: Thank you, Vedant. Going back to the – Alex and Guita’s question —
MR PATEL: Yeah.
QUESTION: You said that the U.S. goal is to degrade the capabilities of these groups and also to deter these groups. Does that meaning that the U.S. will continue with their attacks on these Iranian-backed groups in Iraq, even if they stop attacks on your personnels in Iraq, in Syria, and elsewhere?
MR PATEL: So I think the important thing to remember is that we are not going to hesitate to defend our people and hold responsible all who harm U.S. personnel at the time and place of our choosing. And as I just said, if we continue to see threats and attacks from these militia groups, we will respond to them and we will hold those responsible to account. What you also have to remember is that absent attacks against U.S. personnel for many of these groups based in Iraq, there certainly would be no reason for these kinds of strikes.
QUESTION: But you are working to degrade their capabilities until – to that end?
MR PATEL: I am not going to speculate or offer a timeline here.
QUESTION: One more question. Two days ago, the Iraqi foreign ministry said that there were a phone call between the Iraqi foreign minister and Secretary Blinken, and they touched two issues: The U.S. strikes in Iraq, which there is a lot of reactions to that, which they see that this is a violation to the Iraqi sovereignty; and also they said that the U.S. sanctions on the Iraqi bank is – there’s no explanation for that. Is there any political reason behind that, or is there any legal issue the U.S. are not giving as details? And I haven’t seen any readout from the State Department for that phone call between Dr. Fuad Hussein and Secretary Blinken.
MR PATEL: So first and foremost, let me just say we fully respect Iraqi sovereignty, and the Iraqi Government itself has rejected attacks on U.S. and coalition advisors by these Iran-aligned militia groups. I don’t have any policy updates for you on our sanctions regime, and I’m happy to check back on a readout between the Secretary and the foreign minister to see if we have any updates there.
QUESTION: My last question, Vedant.
MR PATEL: Sure.
QUESTION: Do you think that your attacks in Iraq is not violating the Iraqi sovereignty, which they say that?
MR PATEL: We have fully respect for Iraqi sovereignty. And the Iraqi Government itself has rejected these kinds of attacks on U.S. and coalition forces. What these strikes are about —
QUESTION: (Off-mike.)
MR PATEL: I’m answering his question, Said. What these strikes are about are holding those who attempt to harm – and in some cases have lethally harmed – our personnel and our service members doing important work in the region.
QUESTION: And this is not violation to the Iraqi sovereignty?
MR PATEL: It is – it is not. It is us holding Iran-backed malign groups accountable for their reckless and dangerous behavior.
QUESTION: Thank you.
QUESTION: Yeah, but for the record, Vedant, these guys were not underground. They were not fugitives. They could have – the United States still wields a great deal of influence in Iraq on the government, on the security forces. Why not arrest them instead of resorting to an assassination – assassination, and then compromising Iraqi sovereignty?
MR PATEL: We have urged them, Said. We have urged the Iraqi Government to take appropriate action against these groups who we believe, when they undertake these kinds of actions, they are undermining their own country’s sovereignty and drawing Iraq into a violent conflict.
Go ahead.
QUESTION: Yes. We learned that Amos Hochstein has been handling Lebanon’s file in all aspects, not just the negotiation to stop the war or expand the war in south of Lebanon – also the presidential file, to maybe the cabinet in the future. Is it because the State Department failed to do so, or why this shift of responsibilities to a special envoy and not for NEA office?
MR PATEL: So the State Department continues to be integrally involved in our engagements around Lebanon as well as making sure that this conflict does not spread further, specifically as it relates to Israel’s northern border. Of course, Senior Advisor Hochstein also plays an integral role, and we – this is a collaborative effort involving a lot of key players across the interagency.
Janne.
QUESTION: Okay, one more question.
MR PATEL: All right.
QUESTION: This ongoing negotiation, maybe it’s direct talk or indirectly between Israel and Hizballah mediated by U.S. – and other European countries helping out – to find a solution, a diplomatic solution, on the border – maybe back up Hizballah forces on the Blue Line and maybe apply 1701 in future. Can you – some reports came out that – soon that we are going to hear a ceasefire at the Lebanese border despite if there is any ceasefire in Gaza. Is it something that you can give us extra information about the ongoing negotiation?
MR PATEL: I don’t have any updates for you on that, but I’m happy to check and see if we have anything to share.
Janne, go ahead.
QUESTION: Thank you, Vedant. Two questions on —
MR PATEL: Sure.
QUESTION: — Russia and North Korea. The Russian ambassador to North Korea said that if the United States continues to take provocative actions against North Korea, North Korea will conduct its seventh nuclear test. How would you react to this?
MR PATEL: Well, this kind of rhetoric is just another example of the kind of behavior that we believe to be just incredibly destabilizing, risky, and dangerous. And so we have repeatedly said that the United States does not harbor any hostile intent towards the DPRK. We continue to be willing to engage with Pyongyang without preconditions, and we simultaneously will continue to consult closely with the Republic of Korea and Japan trilaterally, as well as other allies and partners, on how to continue to best engage the DPRK and deter this kind of aggressive behavior.
QUESTION: One more, quick. The New York Times reported that Russia released $12 million in frozen funds from North Korea and allowed North Korea to use its own bank account. How concerned are you about Russia violating UN sanctions?
MR PATEL: Of course it is something that we are deeply concerned about – not just this specific event, but we spend a good amount of time in this briefing room talking about the closening of relations between the DPRK and Russia. There continues to be a clear track record of that, and so it’s something that we’re continuously monitoring. And like I said, we will continue to consult closely with allies and partners on how to best deter this kind of aggressive behavior.
QUESTION: Thank you.
MR PATEL: Cindy, go ahead.
QUESTION: Yeah. I have a couple questions on Ukraine. Do you have any reaction to President Zelenskyy firing his army chief?
MR PATEL: That is a sovereign decision for the Government of Ukraine to make, and I will defer to them to speak to that.
QUESTION: Right. And closer to home, with foreign aid at an impasse in Congress, can you talk about the consequences if aid for Ukraine in particular dries up? There have been some assessments that Russia could win the war outright within weeks or months. And is there any way that the Biden administration has to bridge the gap if there’s just a more permanent —
MR PATEL: So let me start with the second part of your question. I think you’ve heard the Secretary say this a number of times before. There is no magic second pot of money. There is no other alternative here when it comes to this, and that’s why you have seen this administration come out strongly for the text of the supplemental funding bill that was made public over this past weekend. There is not another alternative than for Congress doing its job and passing this, and the effects that it could have on our partners – not just on our partners, on Ukraine, but there is – there are broader national security implications of not getting this done.
Of course, part of that conversation continues to be supporting our Ukrainian partners. Passing this will allow us to continue to support them in their effort to protect their sovereignty and to protect their territorial integrity. They’re also – not funding this would severely limit our ability to get humanitarian aid to some of the places where it is needed, including in Ukraine but also in Gaza. Of course, also, it would have dire impacts on our ability to support our Israeli partners as they hold these Hamas terrorists accountable for October 7th. So the consequences are surely cross-cutting, and that is why you’ve heard the Secretary say, in the clearest terms, there is not another alternative here.
QUESTION: Just to follow up on that, Vedant.
MR PATEL: Sure.
QUESTION: Senate just approved the supplemental – Senate Appropriations – back to Congress, but more broadly speaking, the past few days, Ukraine has been facing assault – increasing assault – from Russia. Given that and also given increasing criticism from allies, most notably today from Polish PM, how concerned are you about the U.S. – the state of – current state of U.S. leadership?
MR PATEL: Well, look, Alex, I think it’s important to not link these two things together. While we will continue to work tirelessly to get the supplemental across the finish line – I think you saw the President speak about this quite clearly earlier in the week – simultaneously, though, Alex, in the various conflicts that are currently taking place around the world, what there continues to be in common is this desire for the United States to continue to play its role as a key diplomatic partner on a lot of these endeavors. Countries around the world are seeking further U.S. engagement in preventing these conflicts from spreading and holding malign actors accountable. And so that is a role we’ll continue to play and we’ll continue to engage. You saw the Secretary do some of this on his travels as it relates to the conflict in Gaza right now.
QUESTION: And on flip side – don’t want to drag you into a Tucker Carlson debate, but given the fact that the Secretary has been on the record urging journalists, American journalists, not to go to Russia, and also GEC came up with the special report just two weeks ago approving – confirming how Russia has been using historically same tools to push its propaganda in the Western capitals, what is the Secretary’s position on this very episode?
MR PATEL: The Secretary really doesn’t have a position on this specific episode. What I will just reiterate, Alex, is that our message to all Americans, not just journalists, is that there is a pretty clear Travel Advisory warning when it comes to Russia. It’s a Level Four. It’s do not travel, and the reasons for why that is our very serious recommendation are pretty clear. And we have seen, just in the past year and a half, American journalists being detained in Russia just for doing their job.
Nike, I know you had your hand up. I’m sorry for breezing past you. Go ahead.
QUESTION: Right. First, going back to the Hamas response to the hostage deal, what elements of the response makes the U.S. say that there are room for negotiation? And then is it fair to say that Hamas asked that it will have a governing role in the aftermath of Gaza is a nonstarter?
MR PATEL: I’m just not going to get into the specifics of these conversations and these proposals, as this continues to be something ongoing. But like the Secretary said, we continue to believe that there is space for progress here, and we’ll continue to play a role in moving that forward.
QUESTION: And then separately, on the Pakistan elections, I know you have been asked several times. Now that the elections were held, does the United States have a message to people in – not – sorry. Does the United States have a message to people in Pakistan after their controversial elections?
MR PATEL: Well, first, millions of Pakistanis went to the polls today to vote, and I will reiterate that Pakistan’s future leadership is for the Pakistani people to decide, and our interest continues to be in the democratic process. We strongly condemn all instances of election-related violence, both in the weeks preceding elections as well as those that transpired on election day. These kinds of election-related violence, we believe, affected a broad range of political parties across Pakistan. It impacted polling stations, election officers, as well as the election commission.
And as you heard me say earlier in the week, we are concerned about the restrictions on the exercise of freedom of expression. We are tracking reports of restrictions on internet and cellphone access across Pakistan on polling day. And we, along with the international community, will continue to emphasize the importance of democratic institutions, a free press, a vibrant civil society, and expanded opportunities for political participation of all of Pakistan’s citizens. But I am not going to get ahead of any of the other official election results, so I’m not going to comment on this any further.
QUESTION: How would you characterize the relations – the working relationship between the United States and Pakistan moving forward?
MR PATEL: Look, you heard me say is that – what you heard me say is that when it comes to Pakistan’s leaders, that is for the people of Pakistan to decide. Our interest is in the democratic process, and we are interested in taking the appropriate steps to continue to foster our relationship, our partnership with the Government of Pakistan, whatever it should be.
QUESTION: Can I follow up on that?
QUESTION: On Pakistan?
MR PATEL: Sure. Go ahead.
QUESTION: So following up on Pakistan.
MR PATEL: Yeah.
QUESTION: Thank you for taking the question. So far the preliminary results have been Imran Khan’s party, I think at this point, with leading in 136 districts. That’s the three times the next closest one. You’re now seeing reports of Pakistan of two separate things: one, the army is in the streets, the police are in the streets, they’re surrounding polling stations. And you’re seeing a lot of reports and videos of efforts to change the vote. They’re kicking election officials out. There’s a lot of concern that number – 136 – by tomorrow morning in Pakistan could be pushed down lower.
Separately, you’re seeing also surface in Pakistan an attempt by the kind of military-connected officials to take the independents who are associated with PTI and pressure them to join other parties. So even though Imran Khan’s party might win a majority, after torture and bribery, you could have a different government take power.
So you’ve from the podium stood up for free and fair elections, but free and fair elections are one thing. But if you torture your way to a majority after that, that doesn’t quite – that doesn’t quite live up to kind of the values that you are stating from here. So this seems like a pretty pivotal moment —
MR PATEL: Look, Ryan —
QUESTION: — for America and the – and Pakistan’s relationship.
MR PATEL: Look, Ryan, the thing about preliminary results is that they are preliminary. And I am not going to get ahead of any official results, and so I’m not going to comment or speculate further on what a government could look like, what the makeup could be, or anything like that. What I will just —
QUESTION: You’d be okay if —
MR PATEL: What I will just reiterate again is that we condemn all instances of election- related violence, even some of the kinds that you are describing that took place in the weeks preceding the election as well as on election day. We also believe that these kinds of actions have affected a number of political parties across Pakistan, and we’re also concerned about the steps that were taken to restrict freedom of expression, specifically around internet and cellphone use. But again, I’m just not going to —
QUESTION: Thank you. Just real quick —
MR PATEL: — speculate on results or government makeup.
QUESTION: But let’s say the Pakistani people do elect a majority of independents associated with the PTI, but then after a bunch of backroom negotiations, which are accompanied by reports of torture, all of a sudden there’s another candidate that has a majority. Would that be okay with the United States?
MR PATEL: I’m not going to – I’m not going to speculate or hypothesize on —
QUESTION: You can’t say that wouldn’t be okay with the United States?
MR PATEL: I’m not going to hypothesize on a made-up situation that you’re just describing right now. We will at some point – I have no doubt that the United States of America will comment on the election – official election results when they happen, but till then we will defer to the electoral process, which we believe – we take very seriously.
Nick, go ahead.
QUESTION: Can I follow up on that?
MR PATEL: Let’s – I’ll come back to you. Go ahead.
QUESTION: Thank you. During the last few days, we have seen a rise in the terrorism in Pakistan.
MR PATEL: Yeah.
QUESTION: A couple of bomb blasts killing security forces and innocent people in Pakistan. Pakistani foreign ministry officials say that they have shared some evidence with the United States and some other foreign countries regarding the involvement of neighboring countries sponsoring terrorism in Pakistan. You have seen reports or what you want to say about that? (Inaudible) of cooperation with Pakistan?
MR PATEL: I don’t have any – I don’t have any comments on that, and I would defer you to the Government of Pakistan to speak further on that.
I’m sorry I missed you earlier. Go ahead. Yeah.
QUESTION: So would the U.S. accept the results of Pakistan election while they’re being tainted by rigging, violence, torture?
MR PATEL: So again, I think I’m starting to sound like a little bit like a broken record on this, but we’re going to continue to monitor the electoral process. We’re not going to get ahead of any official results, and we want to see a process that took place in a way that allowed for broad participation, freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association. And there were some clear restrictions of the exercise of freedom that took place – addressed some of those in speaking to Nike and Ryan’s questions, specifically around internet and cellphone use – and those, of course, are concerning. We’ve also seen reports of election-based violence in the weeks leading up to this, as well as on election day. Those continue to be concerning, and those, we believe, have impacted a number of political parties. But again, I’m just not going to get ahead of this, and it is truly up to the people of Pakistan to decide their political future.
QUESTION: Just last question. Some here do think the U.S. has been fairly muted on human rights violations in Pakistan, but the focal point between bilateral talks or the relations between U.S. and Pakistan is the Pakistan military, so it doesn’t really matter what the outcome of the election is because U.S. prefers to deal with the Pakistan military. Is that true? That’s the question.
MR PATEL: I would certainly take issue with that characterization. We are interested in the – first, let me take a step back. The makeup of the Government of Pakistan is up for the Pakistani people to decide. What the United States is interested is in deepening our partnership and cooperation with the Government of Pakistan irregardless of what the makeup of the government is. That is not for us to decide. There are a number of areas which we believe we’ve got some strategic shared priorities, and we look forward to continuing to work in that space.
All right.
QUESTION: Thank you.
MR PATEL: Nick, I think we’re going to – that’s all we’ve got time for anyways. Go ahead.
QUESTION: So two questions, then.
MR PATEL: All right.
QUESTION: The first is: The U.S. embassy in Colombia put out a security alert a couple of weeks ago warning about the risk of using dating apps. Apparently eight citizens died between November and December in Medellin after being drugged on dates from dating apps. Are you aware of this issue? Any comment on it, and is it happening in any other countries where Americans are being targeted?
MR PATEL: So I would have to take a look at every single Travel Advisory to see if others are listed as specifically, but what I can just say broadly, Nick, is that when we update our Travel Advisories or when we add specific information to them – in this case dangers around cyber – a cyber presence and online dating – it’s rooted in circumstances on the ground. As you recall, there are instances in which we’ll update our Travel Advisories based on public health guidance, natural disasters, other things that are happening. It’s something that we take very seriously, and so I will just leave it at that. I don’t have any other specific contours to offer on this.
QUESTION: And then a lot lighter topic. More than 100 million people around the world are going to be watching the Super Bowl this Sunday. Wondered if you had any predictions.
QUESTION: (Off-mike.) (Laughter.)
MR PATEL: I will be one of them. I will be one of them. Look, I grew up —
QUESTION: 49ers.
MR PATEL: I grew up in San Jose.
QUESTION: Off the record. Off the record.
MR PATEL: Said – Said said right – I grew up in San Jose, California. Go Niners.
QUESTION: Go Niners.
MR PATEL: So I will be – I will be tuning in.
All right. Thanks, everybody. Have a safe Super Bowl weekend.
QUESTION: Thank you so much.
MR PATEL: I will see you all next week.
(The briefing was concluded at 1:46 p.m.)
# # #
Tags
Egypt Iran Iraq Israel Jordan Lebanon North Korea Office of the Spokesperson Pakistan Palestinian Territories Russia Ukraine
Secretary Blinken’s Call with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud
02/08/2024
Secretary Blinken’s Call with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud
02/08/2024 06:22 PM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
The following is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller:
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud. Secretary Blinken updated the Foreign Minister on his trip to Israel, and discussed ongoing efforts to achieve an enduring end to the crisis in Gaza that provides lasting peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians alike and the establishment of a Palestinian state with security guarantees for Israel. The Secretary and the Foreign Minister pledged to continue close coordination to increase humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza.
Assistant Secretary Witkowsky’s Travel to the United Kingdom
02/09/2024
Assistant Secretary Witkowsky’s Travel to the United Kingdom
02/09/2024 08:35 AM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
Assistant Secretary of State for Conflict and Stabilization Operations Anne A. Witkowsky will travel to the United Kingdom February 11-14 for a dialogue on approaches to conflict resolution hosted by the Foreign, Commonwealth, & Development Office.
Assistant Secretary Witkowsky will represent the United States at Wilton Park and participate in multilateral discussions on enhancing collaboration among state actors, multilateral organizations, and the peacebuilding NGO community. She will chair a panel on adapting future conflict resolution efforts to shifting geopolitics and emerging technology.
While in the United Kingdom, Assistant Secretary Witkowsky will also meet with multilateral and non-governmental organizations on conflict prevention and mediation initiatives worldwide, including efforts under the U.S. Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability.
For more information, follow @StateCSO on X or contact CSO at CSOPublicAffairs1@state.gov.
Assistant Secretary Witkowsky’s Travel to the United Kingdom
02/09/2024
Assistant Secretary Witkowsky’s Travel to the United Kingdom
02/09/2024 08:35 AM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
Assistant Secretary of State for Conflict and Stabilization Operations Anne A. Witkowsky will travel to the United Kingdom February 11-14 for a dialogue on approaches to conflict resolution hosted by the Foreign, Commonwealth, & Development Office.
Assistant Secretary Witkowsky will represent the United States at Wilton Park and participate in multilateral discussions on enhancing collaboration among state actors, multilateral organizations, and the peacebuilding NGO community. She will chair a panel on adapting future conflict resolution efforts to shifting geopolitics and emerging technology.
While in the United Kingdom, Assistant Secretary Witkowsky will also meet with multilateral and non-governmental organizations on conflict prevention and mediation initiatives worldwide, including efforts under the U.S. Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability.
For more information, follow @StateCSO on X or contact CSO at CSOPublicAffairs1@state.gov.
Anniversary of Operation Nica Welcome and Continued Unjust Detentions in Nicaragua
02/09/2024
Anniversary of Operation Nica Welcome and Continued Unjust Detentions in Nicaragua
02/09/2024 10:34 AM EST
Matthew Miller, Department Spokesperson
On February 9, 2023, the United States received 222 political prisoners released by Nicaragua, a group that included human rights defenders, Nicaraguan presidential contenders, political activists, clergy, journalists, students, and members of civil society organizations and business groups.
Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo subsequently moved to strip the former political prisoners of their Nicaraguan citizenship in absentia. One year later, Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo continue to unjustly detain or force into exile those who wish to exercise their human rights and fundamental freedoms in Nicaragua.
The United States joins the international community in condemning such efforts to silence the voices of the Nicaraguan people, and we renew our calls for the Nicaraguan authorities to restore the full enjoyment of civil and political rights by all Nicaraguans.
Secretary Blinken’s Travel to Albania and Germany
02/09/2024
Secretary Blinken’s Travel to Albania and Germany
02/09/2024 10:54 AM EST
Matthew Miller, Department Spokesperson
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken will travel to Tirana, Albania, and Munich, Germany, February 14-17. In Tirana, Secretary Blinken will reaffirm the strength of the United States’ relations with Albania, a key partner for stability in the Western Balkans and a firm ally in supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. In Munich, Secretary Blinken will participate in the Munich Security Conference as part of the U.S. delegation led by Vice President Kamala Harris. The Secretary will hold bilateral meetings to underscore the United States’ enduring support for the people of Ukraine, continue discussions with partners on how to achieve lasting peace and security in the Middle East, and highlight our steadfast commitment to transatlantic security. Secretary Blinken will also join international partners for a public forum on multilateralism.
Secretary Blinken’s Travel to Albania and Germany
02/09/2024
Secretary Blinken’s Travel to Albania and Germany
02/09/2024 10:54 AM EST
Matthew Miller, Department Spokesperson
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken will travel to Tirana, Albania, and Munich, Germany, February 14-17. In Tirana, Secretary Blinken will reaffirm the strength of the United States’ relations with Albania, a key partner for stability in the Western Balkans and a firm ally in supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. In Munich, Secretary Blinken will participate in the Munich Security Conference as part of the U.S. delegation led by Vice President Kamala Harris. The Secretary will hold bilateral meetings to underscore the United States’ enduring support for the people of Ukraine, continue discussions with partners on how to achieve lasting peace and security in the Middle East, and highlight our steadfast commitment to transatlantic security. Secretary Blinken will also join international partners for a public forum on multilateralism.
Elections in Pakistan
02/09/2024
Elections in Pakistan
02/09/2024 11:10 AM EST
Matthew Miller, Department Spokesperson
Millions of Pakistanis made their voices heard by voting in Pakistan’s elections on February 8, with record numbers of Pakistani women, members of religious and ethnic minority groups, and youth registered. We commend Pakistani poll workers, civil society, journalists and election observers for their work to protect and uphold Pakistan’s democratic and electoral institutions. We now look forward to timely, complete results that reflect the will of the Pakistani people.
We join credible international and local election observers in their assessment that these elections included undue restrictions on freedoms of expression, association, and peaceful assembly. We condemn electoral violence, restrictions on the exercise of human rights and fundamental freedoms, including attacks on media workers, and restrictions on access to the Internet and telecommunication services, and are concerned about allegations of interference in the electoral process. Claims of interference or fraud should be fully investigated.
The United States is prepared to work with the next Pakistani government, regardless of political party, to advance our shared interests. We look forward to bolstering our partnership by supporting Pakistan’s economy through trade and investment. We will continue to support Pakistan strengthening its democratic institutions, engage through the U.S.-Pakistan Green Alliance Framework, broaden people-to-people ties, and promote human rights including freedom of expression. We are also committed to strengthening our security cooperation and creating an environment of safety and security that affords the Pakistani people the peace, democracy, and progress they deserve.
Assistant Secretary Phee’s Travel to Ethiopia
02/09/2024
Assistant Secretary Phee’s Travel to Ethiopia
02/09/2024 02:10 PM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Molly Phee will travel to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia February 12-17, 2024. Assistant Secretary Phee will be joined by Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Ambassador Mike Hammer, U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator and Senior Bureau Official for the Bureau of Global Health Security and Diplomacy Dr. John Nkengasong, U.S. Agency for International Development’s Assistant Administrator for the Bureau for Africa Monde Muyangwa, and other senior U.S. Government officials. Their travel will focus on the African Union (AU) Summit, where they will meet with AU officials, as well as heads of state and ministers attending the summit. While in Addis Ababa, Assistant Secretary Phee will also meet Government of Ethiopia officials to discuss bilateral and regional issues.
The United States reaffirms the value of a strong African Union and welcomes the AU’s leadership on the global stage. We are proud of our strong partnership with the AU, its member states, and the peoples of Africa. We are dedicated to working together to advance our shared global priorities to foster openness and open societies, deliver democratic and security dividends, promote economic opportunity and pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response, and support conservation, climate adaptation, and a just energy transition.
The United States’ Enduring Commitment to the Indo-Pacific: Marking Two Years Since the Release of the Administration’s Indo-Pacific Strategy
02/09/2024
The United States’ Enduring Commitment to the Indo-Pacific: Marking Two Years Since the Release of the Administration’s Indo-Pacific Strategy
02/09/2024 03:41 PM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
The United States is an Indo-Pacific nation. As the most dynamic and fastest-growing region on earth, the Indo-Pacific is an essential driver of America’s future security and prosperity. The region is home to more than half the world’s population, and it accounts for 60 percent of global GDP as well as two-thirds of global economic growth. Trade between the United States and the Indo-Pacific region reached over $2 trillion in 2022, and the United States benefits from $956 billion in foreign direct investment from the Indo-Pacific. Our people-to-people ties bind us together – over two-thirds of international students in the United States are from the Indo-Pacific.
Since the release of the Indo-Pacific Strategy in February 2022, the United States has taken historic strides to advance our shared vision for an Indo-Pacific region that is free and open, connected, prosperous, secure, and resilient. The United States continues to demonstrate leadership and commitment to the Indo-Pacific, reinforcing the region’s capacity and resilience to address the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century and showing that we can build a better future together.
Our accomplishments under the Indo-Pacific Strategy over the past two years reflect not only American leadership, but also an unprecedented level of cooperation with allies, partners, and friends across the region to tackle global challenges and protect our shared vision of the world in the face of heightened geopolitical challenges. Our work together to build collective capacity with allies, partners, and friends remains the bedrock of our approach to the region.
But as our cooperation to advance our common values and interests has grown, so too have our challenges. We have seen the PRC become more repressive at home and more assertive abroad, undermining human rights and international law, and seeking to reshape the international order. We have seen the DPRK continue to expand its unlawful nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs. The impacts of climate change pose an existential threat to small island states. In the face of so many challenges, we remain guided by our affirmative vision under the Indo-Pacific Strategy, deepening our cooperation and collaboration to advance regional capacity, shared prosperity, and steady progress.
The Department of State is central to these efforts, as we reinforce the architecture of diplomacy and global engagement through the Indo-Pacific Strategy. We are reinvigorating our network of partnerships and alliances, building coalitions, and deepening our engagement in multilateral institutions to meet the tests of our time.
U.S. leadership in the Indo-Pacific yields direct benefits both in the region and at home. New markets, as well as common laws, regulations, and standards, strengthen economic ties between American businesses and international markets. New investments from this vibrant region create American jobs. As we collaborate on public health crises, we become better prepared to protect ourselves from future pandemics. On these and so many other issues, the work that we do in the Indo-Pacific helps secure a safer and more prosperous world for generations to come, both across the region and at home in the United States.
I. Advancing a Free and Open Indo-Pacific
Our approach to the Indo-Pacific remains focused on advancing a free and open region where individuals live in open societies; countries make independent political choices free from coercion; and at a regional level, problems are dealt with openly, rules are reached transparently and applied fairly, and goods, ideas, and people flow freely. Key efforts led by the Department of State over the past two years include:Advancing human rights and democratic institutions around the world and working with likeminded partners: We strengthened global democratic renewal through the Summit for Democracy as well as through frank and direct dialogues on human rights and democratic resilience with regional partners. We pushed for accountability on human rights abuses in the PRC, the DPRK, and Burma. With U.S. support, the United Nations Security Council convened its first open briefing on DPRK human rights in August 2023. We launched several inaugural dialogues in 2023, including the U.S.-ASEAN Dialogue on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in October, the Australia-U.S. Strategic Dialogue on Gender Equality in June, and U.S.-Japan-ROK Trilateral Meeting on Women’s Economic Empowerment in August, and the U.S.-Japan transnational repression dialogue.
Supporting democracy in Burma: In the three years since the coup in Burma, the United States has provided over $317 million in life-saving assistance to support the people of Burma, and dedicated $400 million to advance democracy, human rights, and justice. The United States has sanctioned 91 individuals and 50 entities to deprive the military regime of the means to perpetuate violence and to promote the democratic aspirations of Burma’s people.
Addressing threats from foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI): The Department signed bilateral memoranda with the Republic of Korea and Japan to coordinate efforts to combat foreign information manipulation. We are also working to build resilience to FIMI by supporting independent news outlets across the Indo-Pacific.
Addressing the Rohingya Humanitarian Crisis: The United States is the leading single contributor of humanitarian assistance in response to the Rohingya crisis, having provided nearly $2.4 billion to support the regional response since the escalation of violence in August 2017. U.S. assistance has reached nearly 1 million Rohingya refugees residing in Bangladesh and helped support stability in the region.
Upholding International Maritime Law in the South China Sea: We are supporting our Philippine allies in their efforts to grow the group of voices upholding the international law of the sea as reflected in the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention (the Convention). For example, the United States joined with allies and partners in condemning the PRC’s repeated harassment of vessels exercising high seas freedom of navigation, and its continuing unwillingness to comply with a unanimous 2016 Arbitral Award, which, pursuant to the Convention, is final and binding on the PRC and the Philippines. The United States engages in intensive legal diplomacy to reinforce the international law of the sea and the international rules-based order, including meetings with foreign maritime experts and the issuance of detailed studies on maritime claims in the Department of State’s “Limits in the Seas” publications.
II. Building Connections Within and Beyond the Region
Over the past two years, we have strengthened our relationships with allies and partners to an unprecedented degree. Historic challenges require cooperation with those who share in our vision. Developing our partnerships into flexible groupings and dialogues that are fit for purpose has become an important tool for us to drive concrete results. We have strengthened our bilateral relationships, reinforced the regional architecture, and pooled our collective strength with partners and allies by:Strengthening an empowered and unified ASEAN: We have held four U.S.-ASEAN Summits over the course of the Administration, including a historic U.S.-ASEAN Special Summit in Washington, DC in May 2022. During the U.S.-ASEAN Leaders’ Summit in November 2022, President Biden and ASEAN leaders elevated U.S.-ASEAN relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The expansion in U.S.-ASEAN relations has been marked by new cabinet-level engagement in health, climate and the environment, energy, transportation, and women’s empowerment, and sustained top-level participation in longstanding dialogue tracks with the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, and the U.S. Trade Representative.
Deepening U.S.-Japan-ROK trilateral cooperation: At the historic Trilateral Leaders’ Summit at Camp David in August 2023, President Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Kishida, and Republic of Korea (ROK) President Yoon inaugurated a new era of trilateral partnership to broaden Indo-Pacific cooperation, deepen security, economic, and technology cooperation, combat foreign manipulation of information, and expand global health and people-to-people engagement.
Delivering through the Quad: The United States continues to work with our Quad partners Australia, India, and Japan to deliver concrete benefits for the Indo-Pacific. At the May 2023 Hiroshima Summit, the Quad launched a Quad Investors Network to foster co-investment in critical technologies, announced the first Quad STEM Fellowship and 1,800 new Quad Infrastructure Fellowships. We have trained over 1,000 telecom officials and executives under the Quad Partnership for Cable Connectivity and Resilience. The Quad has also made advancements in health, critical and emerging technology, maritime security, climate, and clean energy, and more.
Driving new resources and expanding our presence across the Indo-Pacific: In 2023, the United States expanded diplomatic representation in the Indo-Pacific, opening Embassies in Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Maldives. We intend to open an embassy in Vanuatu in 2024 and are actively discussing our interest in opening an embassy with the Government of Kiribati. In 2023, we appointed a U.S. Envoy to the Pacific Islands Forum to support greater coordination on Pacific priorities. The United States hosted two U.S.-Pacific Islands Summits in September 2022 and 2023 and released the first ever U.S. Pacific Partnership Strategy in 2022. In May 2023, Secretary Blinken highlighted the Department’s commitment to work with Congress to secure over $7.2 billion in new funding and programs for the Pacific Islands region.
Recognizing Cook Islands and Niue: The United States recognized the Cook Islands and Niue as sovereign and independent nations and established diplomatic relations with them – a historic achievement that will deepen our bonds and advance cooperation on shared values and interests.
Launching Partners in the Blue Pacific (PBP): In June 2022, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States established the Partners in the Blue Pacific to support Pacific priorities including prosperity, resilience, and security in the region. Since its launch, Canada, Germany, and the Republic of Korea have joined as partners and the EU has joined as an observer.
Enhancing trilateral cooperation with Japan and the Philippines: Through engagements among foreign ministers and national security advisers throughout 2023, we enhanced trilateral cooperation and response capabilities to advance defense and security capabilities, maintain a free and open maritime order, support humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, and promote economic security and resilience.
Elevating our bilateral partnerships with countries in the Indo-Pacific: During historic leaders’ level visits in 2023, we upgraded our bilateral relationships with Vietnam and Indonesia to Comprehensive Strategic Partnerships. President Biden also hosted ROK President Yoon and Australian Prime Minister Albanese for State Visits in 2023 and looks forward to hosting Prime Minister Kishida in April. With ROK, we affirmed commitments to deepen defense and security ties, expand economic cooperation, increase digital and technology collaboration, combat foreign information manipulation, and broaden development assistance, educational exchanges, and people-to-people ties. With Australia, we inaugurated a new era of U.S.-Australia strategic cooperation, adding climate and clean energy cooperation as the third pillar of our relationship alongside robust existing collaboration on defense and economic issues.
Supporting India’s role as a regional leader: The United States supports India’s leadership in the region through multilateral and bilateral fora. 2023 included an official state visit for Prime Minister Modi to Washington in June 2023, a visit from President Biden to New Delhi for the G-20 Leaders’ Summit in September, and a meeting between Secretary Blinken and Secretary Austin and their counterparts for the fifth 2+2 Ministerial in New Delhi in November. We are working closely together on defense and security, climate and clean energy, space, multilateral cooperation, and people-people ties.
Expanding partnerships in the Indian Ocean Region: The United States is steadily expanding its work with Indian Ocean Region partners and organizations, like the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), to support collective prosperity and regional stability through collaboration on key priorities like climate adaptation, sustainable and inclusive blue economies, and maritime security.
Connecting European and Atlantic allies with the Indo-Pacific: To support expanded cooperation with our European and Atlantic allies in the Indo-Pacific, the United States has held regular consultations and dialogues with the United Kingdom, Canada, and the European Union, and enhanced engagement through the Partners in the Blue Pacific, NATO, and G7 and G20 fora. This cooperation has strengthened our collective capacity to support an international system that underpins our security, prosperity, and values in the face of shared global challenges from Russia’s brutal invasion in Ukraine to the threats posed by the DPRK, climate change, economic security, cybersecurity, and more.
Investing in people-to-people connections: In December 2023, we, alongside Arizona State University, launched the U.S.-ASEAN Center in Washington DC. We continue to strengthen leadership development through the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) and Young Pacific Leaders (YPL) programs which both celebrated their 10-year anniversary in 2023.
III. Driving Regional Prosperity
The United States is prioritizing investments to encourage innovation, strengthen economic competitiveness, produce good-paying jobs, strengthen supply chains, and expand economic opportunities for all in the Indo-Pacific. We are promoting private investment and economic competitiveness, and working to close the region’s infrastructure gap. Over the past two years, State and USAID have dedicated approximately $4 billion in foreign assistance to the region. Foreign direct investment from the United States in the region has nearly doubled in the last decade. These investments, in turn, bolster the foundations of American strength at home. Companies based in the APEC region have announced almost $200B of investments in the U.S. since the start of the Administration. We have deepened our economic engagement by:
Successfully hosting APEC 2023: During the U.S. Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) host year in 2023, the President hosted the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting where Leaders endorsed the Golden Gate Declaration to advance important work on sustainability, resilience, the digital economy, and economic inclusion. President Biden also hosted the first informal leaders dialogue on climate to urge greater ambition and action on climate during this critical decade. Throughout the year, the United States hosted over 400 meetings, including 10 ministerials, to promote regional cooperation on transportation, trade, disaster preparedness, food security, health, energy, women and the economy, SMEs, finance, and broader economic policy.
Substantially concluding negotiations for Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) Pillars: In May 2022, President Biden launched IPEF with 13 regional partners to deepen economic cooperation and create stronger, fairer, more resilient economies. In November 2023, IPEF partners signed the Pillar II Supply Chain Agreement and substantially concluded negotiations of the IPEF Clean Economy Agreement and Fair Economy Agreement.
Building high-standards infrastructure: Together with G7 Partners, we launched the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGI) in May 2022, and established a PGI-IPEF Accelerator to support high-standards infrastructure investment in the region with an emphasis on energy supply chains, digital connectivity, and transportation infrastructure. In Sri Lanka, the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation’s $553 million investment for the long-term development of the Port of Colombo’s West Container Terminal will facilitate private sector-led growth and attract crucial foreign exchange inflows.
Concluding COFA-related agreements: In 2023, the United States concluded eight agreements related to the Compacts of Free Association, signed by the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), the Republic of Palau, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), to enhance economic prosperity and stability, including by providing support for essential areas such as health, education, and infrastructure.
Launching the U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st Century Trade: In June 2022, under the auspices of AIT and TECRO, the United States and Taiwan launched the U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st-Century Trade to develop concrete ways to deepen the economic and trade relationship, advance mutual trade priorities based on shared values, and promote innovation and inclusive growth for our workers and businesses.
Supporting digital connectivity: The United States committed over $21 million to support the undersea East Micronesia Cable, alongside Australia and Japan to connect the Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, and Kiribati. The United States also supported the Central Pacific Cable to connect several Pacific Island Countries, increasing opportunities for economic development, education, telemedicine, and banking.
Driving cooperation on critical and emerging technologies: To advance cooperation with partners on critical and emerging technologies, we have held dialogues with India, Singapore and ROK, and hosted the second annual Quad Technology Business and Investment Forum in San Francisco, laying the foundation for enhanced private-public collaboration across governments, industry, investors, academia, and civil society. We are also improving and securing semiconductor supply chains across the region.
Co-Hosting the Indo-Pacific Business Forum: In 2023, the United States co-hosted the Indo-Pacific Business Forum with Japan, with satellite events in Bangladesh, the Philippines, and Mongolia, that launched over $100 million in new U.S. economic initiatives.
IV. Bolstering Regional Stability
Equitable prosperity can only be achieved in a stable and secure region. The United States continues to deepen cooperation, support allies and partners’ investments in their own capabilities, and enhance interoperability to promote regional security. We are enhancing the capacity of our allies, partners, and friends to address threats to regional stability, including efforts to assert unlawful maritime claims, provocations from the DPRK, and environmental and natural disasters. Working closely with the Department of Defense, we continue to bolster regional security by:Supporting the Australia – United Kingdom – United States (AUKUS) Security Partnership: In March 2023, the leaders of the United States, Australia, and United Kingdom announced the optimal pathway for Australia to acquire a conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarine at the earliest possible date, a generational opportunity for deeper collaboration with two of our closest allies to enhance our joint capabilities, improve interoperability, and better promote regional peace and stability.
Strengthening security alliances: The United States is strengthening cooperation on extended deterrence with key allies in the region. We have signed defense cooperation agreements with Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, building on decades of bilateral defense and security cooperation. We have also established a mechanism for real-time information sharing on DPRK missile threats with Japan and the ROK and integrated cooperation between Australia and Japan in trilateral exercises.
Expanding presence: Through both force posture advancements and expanded multinational military operations in the Indo-Pacific, the United States is continuing to invest in regional security. This includes announcing four new Enhanced Defense Cooperation (EDCA) sites in strategic areas of the Philippines to enhance cohesion in addressing challenges in the Indo-Pacific region, including natural and humanitarian disasters, and collaborating with likeminded allies and partners on exercises such as the first U.S.-EU joint naval exercise off the coast of Oman, Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) Cobra Gold, Super Garuda Shield, and MALABAR.
Supporting maritime domain awareness and maritime security: We are building the capacity of our partners to maintain maritime security and maritime domain awareness and ensuring that the region’s seas are governed and used according to international law. Alongside our Quad partners, we launched the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA) to enable our partners to better monitor their waters across the Indo-Pacific. We have signed a Shiprider Agreement with Palau to strengthen maritime domain awareness. Through the Southeast Asia Maritime Law Enforcement initiative, we have conducted trainings for more than 850 maritime law enforcement officials. Our South Asia assistance also includes $6.5 million in capacity building on illegal fishing, including evidence handling and conduct of simulated trials to strengthen maritime security capacity and tackle maritime crimes.
Advancing cybersecurity cooperation and capacity-building: With the Partners in the Blue Pacific, the United States launched an annual Pacific Cyber Capacity and Coordination Conference (P4C) in the Pacific Islands. We have also held cyber dialogues with ASEAN, Japan, the ROK, and India. We continue to train ASEAN Member States on cyberspace policy with Singapore and supported strategic planning for Thailand’s National Cybersecurity Agency Through the Digital Connectivity and Cybersecurity Partnership (DCCP), we have worked closely with the governments of Timor Leste, India, and the Philippines to strengthen cyber resiliency.
Supporting Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities: Consistent with the United States’ longstanding one China policy, we used several security assistance authorities for the first time to support Taiwan’s maintenance of a sufficient self-defense capability, including Foreign Military Financing, Presidential Drawdown Authority, and International Military Education and Training.
Enhancing national defense capabilities: In the last two years, we have invested $393 million in foreign military financing and over $34 million in International Military Education and Training (IMET) in the Indo-Pacific region that has supported the development of maritime security, maritime domain awareness, military professionalization, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief capabilities, and supported training and equipment needs. U.S. security assistance to Sri Lanka has enabled the Sri Lanka Navy to successfully complete multiple smuggling busts and several maritime exercises and enhanced its ability to police its own waters and counter illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.
Countering DPRK sanctions evasion: To track, disrupt, and deter UN sanctions evasion activities that support the DPRK regime’s unlawful WMD and ballistic missile programs, the Pacific Security Maritime Exchange (PSMX) expanded in 2023, adding Italy to its membership and strengthened operational capabilities and diplomatic reach via the Enforcement Coordination Cell (ECC) in Yokosuka Japan. PSMX now includes the United States, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, ROK, and the United Kingdom.
Collaborating on civilian security issues: Through the Quad Counterterrorism Working Group, Quad partners share best practices and expertise and coordinate counterterrorism policies. In Bangladesh, we are providing counterterrorism related assistance focusing on crisis response, bomb disposal, training for prosecutors and judges, and preventing violent extremism.
V. Advancing Resilience to 21st Century Transnational Threats
Over the past two years, the United States has worked with partners within the Indo-Pacific region to reduce vulnerability to the impacts of climate change, accelerate the clean energy transition and other critical climate mitigation actions, and support investments in global health security. We are advancing regional resilience by:Supporting climate adaptation and resilience in the Pacific Islands and Maldives: Together with Partners in the Blue Pacific, we have dedicated funding to launch an initiative on humanitarian warehousing for disaster resilience as well as an ocean and fisheries research vessel managed by the Pacific Community (SPC). The United States is also supporting the Pacific Islands Forum to stand up the Pacific Resilience Facility to support community resilience building and address loss and damage. We are also supporting marine spatial planning in partnership with the SPC and are establishing a new Resilience and Adaptation Fellowship for Rising Pacific Leaders. In South Asia, the Climate Action Champions Network engages the next generation of climate leaders by providing networks, support, and mentoring to help them pursue climate advocacy and projects that respond to the needs of their local communities.
Leveraging an Indo-Pacific Economic Framework Clean Economy Agreement and Catalytic Capital Fund: Together with our IPEF partners, the United States established an annual IPEF Clean Economy Investor Forum, created a Partnership for Global Infrastructure (PGI) IPEF Investment Accelerator to scale high-standard project financing, and announced a new IPEF Catalytic Capital Fund to pool resources and expand the pipeline of bankable climate projects.
Advancing climate ambition, clean energy, and energy security: To accelerate the region towards a cleaner energy future, we have launched Just Energy Transition Partnerships (JETP) with Indonesia and Vietnam, taken steps toward supporting critical energy security in the Philippines through signing a Civil-Nuclear Cooperation Agreement, and advanced the clean energy transition in South Asia by supporting regional energy integration through cross border electricity trade, and regional power markets. In Southeast Asia, we are advancing sustainable energy trade and clean energy integration through the Japan-U.S. Mekong Power Partnership under the Mekong-U.S. Partnership (MUSP).
Supporting investments in health and climate through the Quad and APEC: Together with Quad partners, we have financed, manufactured, and distributed almost 400 million COVID-19 vaccine doses in the region, and launched a Quad Health Security Partnership in 2023. Together with our APEC partners, we convened the inaugural Sustainable Future Forum to develop public-private solutions and address environmental challenges, which will lay the groundwork to launch the APEC Coastal Resilience Framework in 2024 to help coastal communities build adaptive capacities. We are also working to develop the Seattle Framework on Gender Equality and Climate Change.
Supporting water resource, land, and forest management: Together with NASA, we provide technical and training assistance to academic, governmental, and non-governmental institutions in Bhutan and Bhutanese scholars in the United States, on water resource, land and forest management and extreme weather forecasting with the use of NASA Earth observations. In the Mekong sub-region, the Mekong-U.S. Partnership supports a technically sound, coordinated approach to managing transboundary water resources.
Ambassador Fick and Director Easterly’s Travel to Ukraine and Poland
02/09/2024
Ambassador Fick and Director Easterly’s Travel to Ukraine and Poland
02/09/2024 03:49 PM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
Ambassador at Large for Cyberspace and Digital Policy Nathaniel C. Fick and Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Jen Easterly traveled to Kyiv, Ukraine and Warsaw, Poland from February 7 to 9, 2024.
In Ukraine, Ambassador Fick and Director Easterly participated in the Kyiv International Cybersecurity Forum 2024: Resilience in Cyber Warfare and met with government officials and private sector stakeholders to emphasize the United States’ continued solidarity with Ukraine. They discussed the United States’ commitment to supporting Ukraine’s exercise of its inherent right to self-defense in cyberspace and its cyber capacity building needs, including through the efforts of the Tallinn Mechanism and CISA’s Memorandum of Cooperation with the State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine.
In Poland, Ambassador Fick and Director Easterly met with government representatives to discuss cybersecurity governance and workforce development, secure and trustworthy digital ecosystems including 5G deployment, and efforts to further enhance global cyber resilience through cyber capacity building and solidarity activities supporting partners. They also exchanged views on promoting a regulatory environment that fosters – and does not stifle – digital innovation and growth.
On February 15th at 12:00pm, EDT, Ambassador Fick and Director Easterly will engage in a moderated discussion with CBS’s Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent and “Face the Nation” moderator Margaret Brennan at the German Marshall Fund of the United States to discuss the Ukraine portion of their trip, the criticality of continued cyber assistance to Ukraine, and lessons learned from the cyber elements of Russia’s war against Ukraine: Register here for in-person attendance or livestream link.
Follow the Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy on Twitter/X and LinkedIn @StateCDP.
United States Welcomes Greece’s Signing of the Artemis Accords
02/09/2024
United States Welcomes Greece’s Signing of the Artemis Accords
02/09/2024 03:54 PM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
On February 9, Greece became the 35th country to sign the Artemis Accords. Foreign Minister Georgios Gerapetritis signed the Accords for Greece during the fifth round of the U.S.-Greece Strategic Dialogue, held in Washington, D.C. at the Department of State. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, and President of the Hellenic Space Center Dr. Ioannis Daglis spoke at the signing, welcoming Greece’s commitment to the peaceful, safe and transparent exploration and use of outer space.
The United States views Greece as an indispensable partner and a key NATO Ally defending NATO’s southeastern flank. United by democratic values we are advancing our shared goals for peace and prosperity in the Eastern Mediterranean, Western Balkans, Black Sea region, and beyond. Our countries’ shared values extend to efforts beyond our defense cooperation and include a partnership in addressing climate change, increasing bilateral investment and trade opportunities, and strengthening educational and cultural ties. These efforts ensure that the U.S.-Greece relationship is stronger than ever.
The U.S.-Greece Strategic Dialogue is an important feature of our bilateral relationship and focuses on advancing shared priorities in the areas of regional cooperation, defense and security, trade and investment, energy and environment, law enforcement and counterterrorism, humanitarian challenges and disaster preparedness, and people-to-people ties.
The Artemis Accords were established in 2020 by the United States and seven other countries. They set out a practical set of principles to guide space exploration. Greece joins 34 other nations – Angola, Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia, Czech Republic, Ecuador, France, Germany, Iceland, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Poland, the Republic of Korea, Romania, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States – in affirming the Accords’ principles for sustainable civil space activity. The Department of State and NASA lead the United States’ outreach and implementation of the Accords.
For more information, please visit https://www.state.gov/artemis-accords/. For media inquiries, please contact OES-Press@state.gov.
Ambassador Fick and Director Easterly’s Travel to Ukraine and Poland
02/09/2024
Ambassador Fick and Director Easterly’s Travel to Ukraine and Poland
02/09/2024 03:49 PM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
Ambassador at Large for Cyberspace and Digital Policy Nathaniel C. Fick and Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Jen Easterly traveled to Kyiv, Ukraine and Warsaw, Poland from February 7 to 9, 2024.
In Ukraine, Ambassador Fick and Director Easterly participated in the Kyiv International Cybersecurity Forum 2024: Resilience in Cyber Warfare and met with government officials and private sector stakeholders to emphasize the United States’ continued solidarity with Ukraine. They discussed the United States’ commitment to supporting Ukraine’s exercise of its inherent right to self-defense in cyberspace and its cyber capacity building needs, including through the efforts of the Tallinn Mechanism and CISA’s Memorandum of Cooperation with the State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine.
In Poland, Ambassador Fick and Director Easterly met with government representatives to discuss cybersecurity governance and workforce development, secure and trustworthy digital ecosystems including 5G deployment, and efforts to further enhance global cyber resilience through cyber capacity building and solidarity activities supporting partners. They also exchanged views on promoting a regulatory environment that fosters – and does not stifle – digital innovation and growth.
On February 15th at 12:00pm, EDT, Ambassador Fick and Director Easterly will engage in a moderated discussion with CBS’s Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent and “Face the Nation” moderator Margaret Brennan at the German Marshall Fund of the United States to discuss the Ukraine portion of their trip, the criticality of continued cyber assistance to Ukraine, and lessons learned from the cyber elements of Russia’s war against Ukraine: Register here for in-person attendance or livestream link.
Follow the Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy on Twitter/X and LinkedIn @StateCDP.
Special Envoy on North Korean Human Rights Issues Julie Turner’s Travel to Japan and the Republic of Korea
02/09/2024
Special Envoy on North Korean Human Rights Issues Julie Turner’s Travel to Japan and the Republic of Korea
02/09/2024 03:49 PM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
Special Envoy on North Korean Human Rights Issues Julie Turner will travel to Tokyo, Japan, and Seoul, Republic of Korea (ROK), from February 12-22 to mark the 10th anniversary of the final release of the UN Commission of Inquiry (COI) on human rights in the DPRK. During her visit, Special Envoy Turner will meet with government representatives of Japan and the ROK, civil society activists, and North Korean defectors.
In Japan, Special Envoy Turner will highlight the DPRK’s practice of enforced disappearances, including through abductions, and emphasize the need for an immediate resolution to such cases. In the ROK, Special Envoy Turner will discuss efforts to promote accountability for those responsible for North Korea’s egregious human rights violations and how best to advance the welfare of the North Korean people. She will also participate in events commemorating the landmark UN COI report, engage with aspiring foreign policy leaders, and visit entities providing support and education to recently arrived North Korean escapees.
Special Envoy Turner’s trip will underscore the U.S. commitment to promoting human rights in North Korea, increasing access to uncensored information within the closed country, and empowering survivor voices advocating for concrete change.
United States Welcomes Greece’s Signing of the Artemis Accords
02/09/2024
United States Welcomes Greece’s Signing of the Artemis Accords
02/09/2024 03:54 PM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
On February 9, Greece became the 35th country to sign the Artemis Accords. Foreign Minister Georgios Gerapetritis signed the Accords for Greece during the fifth round of the U.S.-Greece Strategic Dialogue, held in Washington, D.C. at the Department of State. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, and President of the Hellenic Space Center Dr. Ioannis Daglis spoke at the signing, welcoming Greece’s commitment to the peaceful, safe and transparent exploration and use of outer space.
The United States views Greece as an indispensable partner and a key NATO Ally defending NATO’s southeastern flank. United by democratic values we are advancing our shared goals for peace and prosperity in the Eastern Mediterranean, Western Balkans, Black Sea region, and beyond. Our countries’ shared values extend to efforts beyond our defense cooperation and include a partnership in addressing climate change, increasing bilateral investment and trade opportunities, and strengthening educational and cultural ties. These efforts ensure that the U.S.-Greece relationship is stronger than ever.
The U.S.-Greece Strategic Dialogue is an important feature of our bilateral relationship and focuses on advancing shared priorities in the areas of regional cooperation, defense and security, trade and investment, energy and environment, law enforcement and counterterrorism, humanitarian challenges and disaster preparedness, and people-to-people ties.
The Artemis Accords were established in 2020 by the United States and seven other countries. They set out a practical set of principles to guide space exploration. Greece joins 34 other nations – Angola, Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia, Czech Republic, Ecuador, France, Germany, Iceland, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Poland, the Republic of Korea, Romania, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States – in affirming the Accords’ principles for sustainable civil space activity. The Department of State and NASA lead the United States’ outreach and implementation of the Accords.
For more information, please visit https://www.state.gov/artemis-accords/. For media inquiries, please contact OES-Press@state.gov.
Inaugural C5+1 Critical Minerals Dialogue among the United States and Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan
02/09/2024
Inaugural C5+1 Critical Minerals Dialogue among the United States and Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan
02/09/2024 04:07 PM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
On February 8th, the U.S. Department of State hosted the inaugural meeting of the C5+1 Critical Minerals Dialogue (CMD), an initiative announced by President Biden and the presidents of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan at the September 19, 2023, C5+1 Presidential Summit in New York.
Following the largest mining conference in Africa, Mining Indaba, where Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Jose W. Fernandez advanced cooperation on securing and strengthening critical mineral supply chains, he chaired the C5+1 discussion on goals and objectives of the CMD, which will seek to increase the region’s involvement in global critical minerals supply chains, strengthen economic cooperation, and advance the clean energy transition, while also protecting Central Asia’s unique ecosystems.
Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources Geoffrey Pyatt moderated the event, accompanied by Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Central Asian Affairs John Mark Pommersheim and colleagues from across the U.S. government who work on critical minerals. Senior officials from each of the Central Asian governments shared their interest in developing investment opportunities in critical minerals that meet the highest environmental, social standards, and governance.
In the spirit of C5+1 collaboration, each country underscored the benefit of working together to advance our shared critical minerals objectives in a manner that will benefit all our citizens. Among the initiatives discussed, the United States emphasized opportunities through the Minerals Security Partnership and Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment. In the lead-up to the mining and exploration convention in Toronto, Canada, called Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC), the United States welcomed input from the C5 countries to promote new partnership and investment opportunities and efforts to continue the dialogue through national coordinators within the C5+1 framework.
Learn more about C5+1 collaboration at: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/09/21/c51-leaders-joint-statement/ .
Learn more about the Minerals Security Partnership at: https://www.state.gov/minerals-securit-partnership/.
To stay up to date, follow Under Secretary Fernandez on X: @State_E, LinkedIn: @State-E, and Facebook: @StateDeptE.
For press inquiries, please contact: E_Communications@state.gov.
Secretary Antony J. Blinken at the Artemis Accords Signing Ceremony With Greek Foreign Minister Georgios Gerapetritis, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, and Dr. Daglis
02/09/2024
Secretary Antony J. Blinken at the Artemis Accords Signing Ceremony With Greek Foreign Minister Georgios Gerapetritis, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, and Dr. Daglis
02/09/2024 04:47 PM EST
Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State
Washington, D.C.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Good afternoon, everyone. Georgios, my friend, welcome. It is always good to see you and always an important occasion to say we’re so grateful for the partnership between our countries. Administrator Nelson, Bill, wonderful to have you here today. Dr. Daglis, you as well. Thank you to both of you for all that you do to further our understanding of space to the benefit of everyone here on Earth.
I’m very happy to host my colleagues for what is now our fifth U.S.-Greece Strategic Dialogue, but also for this ceremony marking an important new step in our relationship. The partnership between our countries is, in my judgment, the strongest it’s ever been. This was reinforced when I had a chance to visit Athens a year ago for our last strategic dialogue, and also reinforced by my recent visit just a few weeks ago to be with the prime minister in Crete.
Our countries are working together to promote peace and stability: standing with Ukraine, defending freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, confronting terrorism, providing lifesaving humanitarian assistance to people who need it, responding to natural disasters. We’re bolstering transatlantic defense and security through our Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreement, our work to strengthen NATO, the sale of F-35 jets to Greece. And we’re building more opportunities for our people and for people around the world: accelerating the clean energy transition, combating climate change together.
And now we’re taking our partnership literally to new frontiers. By signing the Artemis Accords, Greece is joining the United States and 33 other nations to advance our shared vision for safe, peaceful, sustainable space exploration.
We’re working to shape the future of how our countries operate in space so that benefits are maximized for all people for generations to come. That’s why in October the Artemis Accords signatories identified steps to help us deconflict space missions and avoid space accidents. Our coalition now will be stronger with Greece. It’s an important member of the European Space Agency, where it’s helping to craft the next generation of communications technology so that people around the globe can share information more freely and more securely. And Greece is positioning itself as a leader in using small satellites to monitor our Earth’s environment and improve our understanding of climate change.
Through these accords, we’ll also draw upon the contributions made by Greece and its experts throughout history. In ancient times, Plato argued that the sun, the moon, the planets moved on circular paths. Over the last few decades, it was a Greek American physicist, Tom Krimigis, who helped NASA conduct experiments on all of the major planets in our solar system.
As the early Greek philosopher Glaucon put it, and I quote, “Astronomy compels the soul to look upwards and leads us from this world to another.” What an extraordinary vision and what a powerful description of what this is all about. Our partnership in the Artemis Accords will enable many more discoveries in these other worlds and make possible new horizons for all of our people. That’s why we’re so grateful to be joining together today.
With that, my friend Georgios, over to you.
FOREIGN MINISTER GERAPETRITIS: Thank you so much. Thank you, dear Secretary, dear Tony, for the warm welcome. Let me begin by expressing my deepest condolences to the families of the five members of the crew of the Marine helicopter who lost their lives tragically yesterday.
Our meeting today marks the opening of the fifth U.S.-Greece Strategic Dialogue. Please allow me at the outset to just place emphasis on the importance of those two Greek-origin words, “strategic” deriving from the Greek word strategíkos, meaning of high hierarchy, and “dialogue” coming from the Greek word diálogos, meaning discussion, debate on the ground of reason and logic. Therefore, our strategic dialogue is a means to set vision and enhance policy based on shared values, and it is important that today we’re signing the Artemis Accords in order to just be together not only on Earth but also in the space.
Such meaningful cooperation is today more needed than ever in the light of present global challenges, such as the climate change, migration, the – and pandemics, which directly affect the lives of billions of people; but also in the context of serious conflicts, from Ukraine and South Caucasus to Gaza and the Red Sea and Sahel, with imminent extraterritorial effects. What is urgently needed is global cooperation based on ethical commitments under the auspices of international law. This is, after all, the epitome of global governance, calling for rule-based international orders and universal solidarity.
In this respect, the further cultivation of our bilateral ties, as well as of the transatlantic cooperation, is of the utmost importance. And it is important that we’re here, one of the oldest members of the European Union and of the NATO, in order to discuss together and find new ways of cooperation.
We actively support EU enlargement to the Western Balkans and Ukraine. We underline the respect of international law and of the law of the seas. We urge to resume talks concerning the Cyprus problem towards a viable solution according to the resolutions of the security council of the European nations.
In relation to the Middle East, we are in a position by virtue of our relations with all involved parties to work constructively to prevent further humanitarian deterioration. And I would like to take this opportunity to stress Secretary’s Blinken tireless efforts to prevent the escalation in the humanitarian catastrophe of – in the Middle East, from where he just came back. We are all grateful for his efforts.
In relation to Ukraine, we’re hosting next week, alongside with a European investment bank, a reconstruction summit in Athens. And of course next April we’re hosting the ninth Our Ocean conference concerning the sustainability of the preservation of waters globally. I had the opportunity earlier this morning to have a very interesting talk with Special Presidential Envoy John Kerry, and it was really outstanding to see how we are completely likeminded in many respects.
Further, our economy – Greece’s economy – is back on a strong growth trajectory. This is also thanks to emblematic foreign direct investments coming from the United States. And we’re increasingly becoming a key player and a hub in the energy sector, with particular emphasis on infrastructures and interconnectors, in order to make diversification of energy sources more plausible in Europe. Just last month, our new floating storage regasification unit, the FSRU, arrived in Alexandroupolis and will soon start providing gas to the Balkans and Eastern Europe via Greece.
And we further develop our defense capabilities with upcoming acquisition of up to 40 F-35 jets, which reflects the depth of our mutual relations. In light of the above, I daresay that the United States and Greece complement each other, doing everything in their power to contribute to regional and global stability.
Let me conclude, my dear Secretary, by mentioning people-to-people ties, a vital underpinning of our strategic dialogue. The Greek American diaspora is a significant bridge of the two civilizations and of the two people, and of course I cannot but stress the importance of educational exchanges through the Fulbright exchange program, the U.S. German Marshall Fund, and other educational vehicles. And, of course, we also value the 53 Greece-related programs at American universities, including 11 chairs of Greek studies.
Dear Secretary, today we celebrate the International Greek Language Day. It’s a great day for us, and on this occasion, please allow me to conclude with some ecumenical Greek words. So thank you for your philoxenia, and I look forward to further synergies among our governments and nations – (laughter) – on grounds of common ethos so as to develop philanthropic and democratic ecumene. Thank you so much. (Applause.)
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Bill. And this is a reminder, so beautifully done, that pretty much everything begins with Greece. (Laughter.)
FOREIGN MINISTER GERAPETRITIS: I consent.
MR NELSON: Mr. Secretary. And thank you for all the lessons of foreign policy that you taught me many moons ago in the Senate. Mr. Minister, Mr. Director, Mr. – Dr. Daglis, we are in a golden era of space exploration, and who we engage in that space exploration is very important. Half a century ago in the Apollo program, NASA took a giant leap for humanity when we stepped foot on the moon. That was the Apollo program, and if you’ll recall, in Greek mythology, Apollo had a twin sister, and she is Artemis. And their father was Zeus; he was the king of the gods, and Artemis was the goddess of the moon and also the goddess of the hunt.
And now we’re going back to the moon after a half-century, and we’re doing it not in the Apollo program but in the Artemis Program. And then we go to the hunt, and the hunt is further than the moon. It is to go to Mars with a crew circa 2040. And as this signing today signifies, we are going with Greece, the birthplace of democracy and the longtime friend of the United States. It’s also the location of Mt. Olympus, the mythic abode of the gods and the throne of Zeus. And our countries are united by the shared principles of peace and prosperity. And now with this signing, we share these principles in the cosmos.
Today, Greece will join 34 other nations from across the globe, and together we are ensuring that humanity’s journey to the moon and beyond is done peacefully, safely, and transparently. And that’s what these Artemis Accords are. They’re commonsense declarations of we go in peace and to help each other as we explore the cosmos.
We will chart a path forward united by the possibilities of space and the promise of goodwill here on Earth. And I recall as President Kennedy was gathered at Rice Stadium when he had made that bold declaration in 1961 that we were going to the moon and return safely by the end of the decade. And I recall as he went to Rice, he said we go not because it’s easy, but because it’s hard. And he said something further. He was a sailor so often talked in nautical terms, and he said we go as star sailors, sailing on a cosmic sea to far-off cosmic shores. And that’s where we go together, Mr. Director, Dr. Daglis. (Applause.)
FOREIGN MINISTER GERAPETRITIS: Thank you so much.
MR NELSON: Thank you.
MR DAGLIS: Your Excellency, Secretary Blinken, and Minister Gerapetritis, Administrator Nelson, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to our esteemed hosts for organizing this momentous signing ceremony which marks the accession of Greece to the Artemis Accords. Here in the illustrious Treaty Room, we gather to celebrate a new chapter in international space cooperation. On a personal note, please allow me to add that I was delighted to discover the existence of the Benjamin Franklin Room here which is named after the revered American scientist whose legend has inspired me since childhood.
The Artemis Accords stand as a beacon of collaboration offering a roadmap for the future where humanity unites in space exploration fostering peace and progress. Named after Artemis, as you already mentioned, Administrator, the ancient Greek goddess symbolizing the moon, the Artemis Program embodies our collective aspiration to expand the horizons of human exploration and knowledge.
As we embark on this bold endeavor to return astronauts to the lunar surface and establish a sustainable human presence, Greece stands ready to contribute its experience in space science and engineering. Our vibrant community with its deep knowledge in space physics, remote sensing, robotics and space software eagerly anticipates the opportunity to enrich the Artemis Program. In joining the Artemis Accords, we affirm our commitment to advancing scientific discovery, driving technological innovation, and inspiring future generations of scientists and engineers. Greece is honored to be a part of this international endeavor, and we eagerly anticipate the journey ahead. Thank you. (Applause.)
MODERATOR: Today, Greece shows exceptional leadership in signing the Artemis Accords, the most important international space policy commitment since the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, committing to safe, transparent, and responsible behavior as we advance humanity into the solar system together. (Applause.)
Secretary Antony J. Blinken at the Artemis Accords Signing Ceremony With Greek Foreign Minister Georgios Gerapetritis, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, and Dr. Daglis
02/09/2024
Secretary Antony J. Blinken at the Artemis Accords Signing Ceremony With Greek Foreign Minister Georgios Gerapetritis, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, and Dr. Daglis
02/09/2024 04:47 PM EST
Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State
Washington, D.C.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Good afternoon, everyone. Georgios, my friend, welcome. It is always good to see you and always an important occasion to say we’re so grateful for the partnership between our countries. Administrator Nelson, Bill, wonderful to have you here today. Dr. Daglis, you as well. Thank you to both of you for all that you do to further our understanding of space to the benefit of everyone here on Earth.
I’m very happy to host my colleagues for what is now our fifth U.S.-Greece Strategic Dialogue, but also for this ceremony marking an important new step in our relationship. The partnership between our countries is, in my judgment, the strongest it’s ever been. This was reinforced when I had a chance to visit Athens a year ago for our last strategic dialogue, and also reinforced by my recent visit just a few weeks ago to be with the prime minister in Crete.
Our countries are working together to promote peace and stability: standing with Ukraine, defending freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, confronting terrorism, providing lifesaving humanitarian assistance to people who need it, responding to natural disasters. We’re bolstering transatlantic defense and security through our Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreement, our work to strengthen NATO, the sale of F-35 jets to Greece. And we’re building more opportunities for our people and for people around the world: accelerating the clean energy transition, combating climate change together.
And now we’re taking our partnership literally to new frontiers. By signing the Artemis Accords, Greece is joining the United States and 33 other nations to advance our shared vision for safe, peaceful, sustainable space exploration.
We’re working to shape the future of how our countries operate in space so that benefits are maximized for all people for generations to come. That’s why in October the Artemis Accords signatories identified steps to help us deconflict space missions and avoid space accidents. Our coalition now will be stronger with Greece. It’s an important member of the European Space Agency, where it’s helping to craft the next generation of communications technology so that people around the globe can share information more freely and more securely. And Greece is positioning itself as a leader in using small satellites to monitor our Earth’s environment and improve our understanding of climate change.
Through these accords, we’ll also draw upon the contributions made by Greece and its experts throughout history. In ancient times, Plato argued that the sun, the moon, the planets moved on circular paths. Over the last few decades, it was a Greek American physicist, Tom Krimigis, who helped NASA conduct experiments on all of the major planets in our solar system.
As the early Greek philosopher Glaucon put it, and I quote, “Astronomy compels the soul to look upwards and leads us from this world to another.” What an extraordinary vision and what a powerful description of what this is all about. Our partnership in the Artemis Accords will enable many more discoveries in these other worlds and make possible new horizons for all of our people. That’s why we’re so grateful to be joining together today.
With that, my friend Georgios, over to you.
FOREIGN MINISTER GERAPETRITIS: Thank you so much. Thank you, dear Secretary, dear Tony, for the warm welcome. Let me begin by expressing my deepest condolences to the families of the five members of the crew of the Marine helicopter who lost their lives tragically yesterday.
Our meeting today marks the opening of the fifth U.S.-Greece Strategic Dialogue. Please allow me at the outset to just place emphasis on the importance of those two Greek-origin words, “strategic” deriving from the Greek word strategíkos, meaning of high hierarchy, and “dialogue” coming from the Greek word diálogos, meaning discussion, debate on the ground of reason and logic. Therefore, our strategic dialogue is a means to set vision and enhance policy based on shared values, and it is important that today we’re signing the Artemis Accords in order to just be together not only on Earth but also in the space.
Such meaningful cooperation is today more needed than ever in the light of present global challenges, such as the climate change, migration, the – and pandemics, which directly affect the lives of billions of people; but also in the context of serious conflicts, from Ukraine and South Caucasus to Gaza and the Red Sea and Sahel, with imminent extraterritorial effects. What is urgently needed is global cooperation based on ethical commitments under the auspices of international law. This is, after all, the epitome of global governance, calling for rule-based international orders and universal solidarity.
In this respect, the further cultivation of our bilateral ties, as well as of the transatlantic cooperation, is of the utmost importance. And it is important that we’re here, one of the oldest members of the European Union and of the NATO, in order to discuss together and find new ways of cooperation.
We actively support EU enlargement to the Western Balkans and Ukraine. We underline the respect of international law and of the law of the seas. We urge to resume talks concerning the Cyprus problem towards a viable solution according to the resolutions of the security council of the European nations.
In relation to the Middle East, we are in a position by virtue of our relations with all involved parties to work constructively to prevent further humanitarian deterioration. And I would like to take this opportunity to stress Secretary’s Blinken tireless efforts to prevent the escalation in the humanitarian catastrophe of – in the Middle East, from where he just came back. We are all grateful for his efforts.
In relation to Ukraine, we’re hosting next week, alongside with a European investment bank, a reconstruction summit in Athens. And of course next April we’re hosting the ninth Our Ocean conference concerning the sustainability of the preservation of waters globally. I had the opportunity earlier this morning to have a very interesting talk with Special Presidential Envoy John Kerry, and it was really outstanding to see how we are completely likeminded in many respects.
Further, our economy – Greece’s economy – is back on a strong growth trajectory. This is also thanks to emblematic foreign direct investments coming from the United States. And we’re increasingly becoming a key player and a hub in the energy sector, with particular emphasis on infrastructures and interconnectors, in order to make diversification of energy sources more plausible in Europe. Just last month, our new floating storage regasification unit, the FSRU, arrived in Alexandroupolis and will soon start providing gas to the Balkans and Eastern Europe via Greece.
And we further develop our defense capabilities with upcoming acquisition of up to 40 F-35 jets, which reflects the depth of our mutual relations. In light of the above, I daresay that the United States and Greece complement each other, doing everything in their power to contribute to regional and global stability.
Let me conclude, my dear Secretary, by mentioning people-to-people ties, a vital underpinning of our strategic dialogue. The Greek American diaspora is a significant bridge of the two civilizations and of the two people, and of course I cannot but stress the importance of educational exchanges through the Fulbright exchange program, the U.S. German Marshall Fund, and other educational vehicles. And, of course, we also value the 53 Greece-related programs at American universities, including 11 chairs of Greek studies.
Dear Secretary, today we celebrate the International Greek Language Day. It’s a great day for us, and on this occasion, please allow me to conclude with some ecumenical Greek words. So thank you for your philoxenia, and I look forward to further synergies among our governments and nations – (laughter) – on grounds of common ethos so as to develop philanthropic and democratic ecumene. Thank you so much. (Applause.)
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Bill. And this is a reminder, so beautifully done, that pretty much everything begins with Greece. (Laughter.)
FOREIGN MINISTER GERAPETRITIS: I consent.
MR NELSON: Mr. Secretary. And thank you for all the lessons of foreign policy that you taught me many moons ago in the Senate. Mr. Minister, Mr. Director, Mr. – Dr. Daglis, we are in a golden era of space exploration, and who we engage in that space exploration is very important. Half a century ago in the Apollo program, NASA took a giant leap for humanity when we stepped foot on the moon. That was the Apollo program, and if you’ll recall, in Greek mythology, Apollo had a twin sister, and she is Artemis. And their father was Zeus; he was the king of the gods, and Artemis was the goddess of the moon and also the goddess of the hunt.
And now we’re going back to the moon after a half-century, and we’re doing it not in the Apollo program but in the Artemis Program. And then we go to the hunt, and the hunt is further than the moon. It is to go to Mars with a crew circa 2040. And as this signing today signifies, we are going with Greece, the birthplace of democracy and the longtime friend of the United States. It’s also the location of Mt. Olympus, the mythic abode of the gods and the throne of Zeus. And our countries are united by the shared principles of peace and prosperity. And now with this signing, we share these principles in the cosmos.
Today, Greece will join 34 other nations from across the globe, and together we are ensuring that humanity’s journey to the moon and beyond is done peacefully, safely, and transparently. And that’s what these Artemis Accords are. They’re commonsense declarations of we go in peace and to help each other as we explore the cosmos.
We will chart a path forward united by the possibilities of space and the promise of goodwill here on Earth. And I recall as President Kennedy was gathered at Rice Stadium when he had made that bold declaration in 1961 that we were going to the moon and return safely by the end of the decade. And I recall as he went to Rice, he said we go not because it’s easy, but because it’s hard. And he said something further. He was a sailor so often talked in nautical terms, and he said we go as star sailors, sailing on a cosmic sea to far-off cosmic shores. And that’s where we go together, Mr. Director, Dr. Daglis. (Applause.)
FOREIGN MINISTER GERAPETRITIS: Thank you so much.
MR NELSON: Thank you.
MR DAGLIS: Your Excellency, Secretary Blinken, and Minister Gerapetritis, Administrator Nelson, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to our esteemed hosts for organizing this momentous signing ceremony which marks the accession of Greece to the Artemis Accords. Here in the illustrious Treaty Room, we gather to celebrate a new chapter in international space cooperation. On a personal note, please allow me to add that I was delighted to discover the existence of the Benjamin Franklin Room here which is named after the revered American scientist whose legend has inspired me since childhood.
The Artemis Accords stand as a beacon of collaboration offering a roadmap for the future where humanity unites in space exploration fostering peace and progress. Named after Artemis, as you already mentioned, Administrator, the ancient Greek goddess symbolizing the moon, the Artemis Program embodies our collective aspiration to expand the horizons of human exploration and knowledge.
As we embark on this bold endeavor to return astronauts to the lunar surface and establish a sustainable human presence, Greece stands ready to contribute its experience in space science and engineering. Our vibrant community with its deep knowledge in space physics, remote sensing, robotics and space software eagerly anticipates the opportunity to enrich the Artemis Program. In joining the Artemis Accords, we affirm our commitment to advancing scientific discovery, driving technological innovation, and inspiring future generations of scientists and engineers. Greece is honored to be a part of this international endeavor, and we eagerly anticipate the journey ahead. Thank you. (Applause.)
MODERATOR: Today, Greece shows exceptional leadership in signing the Artemis Accords, the most important international space policy commitment since the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, committing to safe, transparent, and responsible behavior as we advance humanity into the solar system together. (Applause.)
Celebrating Lunar New Year
02/09/2024
Celebrating Lunar New Year
02/09/2024 05:01 PM EST
Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State
All the best to cherished friends near and far who celebrate Lunar New Year. This joyous celebration marks a time for reflection, hope, and unity in the United States and around the world, and is a testament to our shared humanity.
As we usher in the Year of the Dragon, let us embrace the qualities of strength and resilience that this symbol represents. May the coming year bring happiness, good health, and prosperity to all.
Celebrating Lunar New Year
02/09/2024
Celebrating Lunar New Year
02/09/2024 05:01 PM EST
Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State
All the best to cherished friends near and far who celebrate Lunar New Year. This joyous celebration marks a time for reflection, hope, and unity in the United States and around the world, and is a testament to our shared humanity.
As we usher in the Year of the Dragon, let us embrace the qualities of strength and resilience that this symbol represents. May the coming year bring happiness, good health, and prosperity to all.
Secretary Antony J. Blinken at the Artemis Accords Signing Ceremony With Greek Foreign Minister Georgios Gerapetritis, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, and Dr. Daglis
02/09/2024
Secretary Antony J. Blinken at the Artemis Accords Signing Ceremony With Greek Foreign Minister Georgios Gerapetritis, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, and Dr. Daglis
02/09/2024 04:47 PM EST
Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State
Washington, D.C.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Good afternoon, everyone. Georgios, my friend, welcome. It is always good to see you and always an important occasion to say we’re so grateful for the partnership between our countries. Administrator Nelson, Bill, wonderful to have you here today. Dr. Daglis, you as well. Thank you to both of you for all that you do to further our understanding of space to the benefit of everyone here on Earth.
I’m very happy to host my colleagues for what is now our fifth U.S.-Greece Strategic Dialogue, but also for this ceremony marking an important new step in our relationship. The partnership between our countries is, in my judgment, the strongest it’s ever been. This was reinforced when I had a chance to visit Athens a year ago for our last strategic dialogue, and also reinforced by my recent visit just a few weeks ago to be with the prime minister in Crete.
Our countries are working together to promote peace and stability: standing with Ukraine, defending freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, confronting terrorism, providing lifesaving humanitarian assistance to people who need it, responding to natural disasters. We’re bolstering transatlantic defense and security through our Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreement, our work to strengthen NATO, the sale of F-35 jets to Greece. And we’re building more opportunities for our people and for people around the world: accelerating the clean energy transition, combating climate change together.
And now we’re taking our partnership literally to new frontiers. By signing the Artemis Accords, Greece is joining the United States and 33 other nations to advance our shared vision for safe, peaceful, sustainable space exploration.
We’re working to shape the future of how our countries operate in space so that benefits are maximized for all people for generations to come. That’s why in October the Artemis Accords signatories identified steps to help us deconflict space missions and avoid space accidents. Our coalition now will be stronger with Greece. It’s an important member of the European Space Agency, where it’s helping to craft the next generation of communications technology so that people around the globe can share information more freely and more securely. And Greece is positioning itself as a leader in using small satellites to monitor our Earth’s environment and improve our understanding of climate change.
Through these accords, we’ll also draw upon the contributions made by Greece and its experts throughout history. In ancient times, Plato argued that the sun, the moon, the planets moved on circular paths. Over the last few decades, it was a Greek American physicist, Tom Krimigis, who helped NASA conduct experiments on all of the major planets in our solar system.
As the early Greek philosopher Glaucon put it, and I quote, “Astronomy compels the soul to look upwards and leads us from this world to another.” What an extraordinary vision and what a powerful description of what this is all about. Our partnership in the Artemis Accords will enable many more discoveries in these other worlds and make possible new horizons for all of our people. That’s why we’re so grateful to be joining together today.
With that, my friend Georgios, over to you.
FOREIGN MINISTER GERAPETRITIS: Thank you so much. Thank you, dear Secretary, dear Tony, for the warm welcome. Let me begin by expressing my deepest condolences to the families of the five members of the crew of the Marine helicopter who lost their lives tragically yesterday.
Our meeting today marks the opening of the fifth U.S.-Greece Strategic Dialogue. Please allow me at the outset to just place emphasis on the importance of those two Greek-origin words, “strategic” deriving from the Greek word strategíkos, meaning of high hierarchy, and “dialogue” coming from the Greek word diálogos, meaning discussion, debate on the ground of reason and logic. Therefore, our strategic dialogue is a means to set vision and enhance policy based on shared values, and it is important that today we’re signing the Artemis Accords in order to just be together not only on Earth but also in the space.
Such meaningful cooperation is today more needed than ever in the light of present global challenges, such as the climate change, migration, the – and pandemics, which directly affect the lives of billions of people; but also in the context of serious conflicts, from Ukraine and South Caucasus to Gaza and the Red Sea and Sahel, with imminent extraterritorial effects. What is urgently needed is global cooperation based on ethical commitments under the auspices of international law. This is, after all, the epitome of global governance, calling for rule-based international orders and universal solidarity.
In this respect, the further cultivation of our bilateral ties, as well as of the transatlantic cooperation, is of the utmost importance. And it is important that we’re here, one of the oldest members of the European Union and of the NATO, in order to discuss together and find new ways of cooperation.
We actively support EU enlargement to the Western Balkans and Ukraine. We underline the respect of international law and of the law of the seas. We urge to resume talks concerning the Cyprus problem towards a viable solution according to the resolutions of the security council of the European nations.
In relation to the Middle East, we are in a position by virtue of our relations with all involved parties to work constructively to prevent further humanitarian deterioration. And I would like to take this opportunity to stress Secretary’s Blinken tireless efforts to prevent the escalation in the humanitarian catastrophe of – in the Middle East, from where he just came back. We are all grateful for his efforts.
In relation to Ukraine, we’re hosting next week, alongside with a European investment bank, a reconstruction summit in Athens. And of course next April we’re hosting the ninth Our Ocean conference concerning the sustainability of the preservation of waters globally. I had the opportunity earlier this morning to have a very interesting talk with Special Presidential Envoy John Kerry, and it was really outstanding to see how we are completely likeminded in many respects.
Further, our economy – Greece’s economy – is back on a strong growth trajectory. This is also thanks to emblematic foreign direct investments coming from the United States. And we’re increasingly becoming a key player and a hub in the energy sector, with particular emphasis on infrastructures and interconnectors, in order to make diversification of energy sources more plausible in Europe. Just last month, our new floating storage regasification unit, the FSRU, arrived in Alexandroupolis and will soon start providing gas to the Balkans and Eastern Europe via Greece.
And we further develop our defense capabilities with upcoming acquisition of up to 40 F-35 jets, which reflects the depth of our mutual relations. In light of the above, I daresay that the United States and Greece complement each other, doing everything in their power to contribute to regional and global stability.
Let me conclude, my dear Secretary, by mentioning people-to-people ties, a vital underpinning of our strategic dialogue. The Greek American diaspora is a significant bridge of the two civilizations and of the two people, and of course I cannot but stress the importance of educational exchanges through the Fulbright exchange program, the U.S. German Marshall Fund, and other educational vehicles. And, of course, we also value the 53 Greece-related programs at American universities, including 11 chairs of Greek studies.
Dear Secretary, today we celebrate the International Greek Language Day. It’s a great day for us, and on this occasion, please allow me to conclude with some ecumenical Greek words. So thank you for your philoxenia, and I look forward to further synergies among our governments and nations – (laughter) – on grounds of common ethos so as to develop philanthropic and democratic ecumene. Thank you so much. (Applause.)
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Bill. And this is a reminder, so beautifully done, that pretty much everything begins with Greece. (Laughter.)
FOREIGN MINISTER GERAPETRITIS: I consent.
MR NELSON: Mr. Secretary. And thank you for all the lessons of foreign policy that you taught me many moons ago in the Senate. Mr. Minister, Mr. Director, Mr. – Dr. Daglis, we are in a golden era of space exploration, and who we engage in that space exploration is very important. Half a century ago in the Apollo program, NASA took a giant leap for humanity when we stepped foot on the moon. That was the Apollo program, and if you’ll recall, in Greek mythology, Apollo had a twin sister, and she is Artemis. And their father was Zeus; he was the king of the gods, and Artemis was the goddess of the moon and also the goddess of the hunt.
And now we’re going back to the moon after a half-century, and we’re doing it not in the Apollo program but in the Artemis Program. And then we go to the hunt, and the hunt is further than the moon. It is to go to Mars with a crew circa 2040. And as this signing today signifies, we are going with Greece, the birthplace of democracy and the longtime friend of the United States. It’s also the location of Mt. Olympus, the mythic abode of the gods and the throne of Zeus. And our countries are united by the shared principles of peace and prosperity. And now with this signing, we share these principles in the cosmos.
Today, Greece will join 34 other nations from across the globe, and together we are ensuring that humanity’s journey to the moon and beyond is done peacefully, safely, and transparently. And that’s what these Artemis Accords are. They’re commonsense declarations of we go in peace and to help each other as we explore the cosmos.
We will chart a path forward united by the possibilities of space and the promise of goodwill here on Earth. And I recall as President Kennedy was gathered at Rice Stadium when he had made that bold declaration in 1961 that we were going to the moon and return safely by the end of the decade. And I recall as he went to Rice, he said we go not because it’s easy, but because it’s hard. And he said something further. He was a sailor so often talked in nautical terms, and he said we go as star sailors, sailing on a cosmic sea to far-off cosmic shores. And that’s where we go together, Mr. Director, Dr. Daglis. (Applause.)
FOREIGN MINISTER GERAPETRITIS: Thank you so much.
MR NELSON: Thank you.
MR DAGLIS: Your Excellency, Secretary Blinken, and Minister Gerapetritis, Administrator Nelson, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to our esteemed hosts for organizing this momentous signing ceremony which marks the accession of Greece to the Artemis Accords. Here in the illustrious Treaty Room, we gather to celebrate a new chapter in international space cooperation. On a personal note, please allow me to add that I was delighted to discover the existence of the Benjamin Franklin Room here which is named after the revered American scientist whose legend has inspired me since childhood.
The Artemis Accords stand as a beacon of collaboration offering a roadmap for the future where humanity unites in space exploration fostering peace and progress. Named after Artemis, as you already mentioned, Administrator, the ancient Greek goddess symbolizing the moon, the Artemis Program embodies our collective aspiration to expand the horizons of human exploration and knowledge.
As we embark on this bold endeavor to return astronauts to the lunar surface and establish a sustainable human presence, Greece stands ready to contribute its experience in space science and engineering. Our vibrant community with its deep knowledge in space physics, remote sensing, robotics and space software eagerly anticipates the opportunity to enrich the Artemis Program. In joining the Artemis Accords, we affirm our commitment to advancing scientific discovery, driving technological innovation, and inspiring future generations of scientists and engineers. Greece is honored to be a part of this international endeavor, and we eagerly anticipate the journey ahead. Thank you. (Applause.)
MODERATOR: Today, Greece shows exceptional leadership in signing the Artemis Accords, the most important international space policy commitment since the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, committing to safe, transparent, and responsible behavior as we advance humanity into the solar system together. (Applause.)
Joint Statement on the U.S.-Greece Strategic Dialogue
02/09/2024
Joint Statement on the U.S.-Greece Strategic Dialogue
02/09/2024 05:17 PM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
The text of the following statement was released by the Governments of the United States of America and Greece on the occasion of the fifth Strategic Dialogue.
Begin Text
The Strategic Dialogue serves to accelerate the deepening collaboration between the United States and Greece. Both countries utilized this fifth meeting of the Strategic Dialogue to underscore a growing bilateral and transatlantic relationship founded on shared democratic values and interests. On February 9, 2024, U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs George Gerapetritis held discussions that featured high-level interagency representation from both countries.
At this year’s dialogue, Greece signed onto the Artemis Accords, becoming the 35th country to do so. Under the Artemis Accords principles, the United States and Greece affirm their shared commitment to a common vision for peaceful, sustainable, and transparent cooperation in space. Foreign Minister Gerapetritis signed the Accords on behalf of Greece. Greece and the United States reaffirm their will to continue and enhance cooperation in the following areas:
Regional Issues
The United States and Greece renewed their commitment to promoting stability, peace, and prosperity in Europe and the region, particularly in the wake of the October 7 attack on Israel, violent actions by the Houthis that threaten shipping and navigational rights and freedoms in the Red Sea, and Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine. Both governments reaffirmed their shared values and commitment to democracy and the need to resolve disputes diplomatically, respect sovereignty, and abide by international law, including the law of the sea. The United States welcomed ongoing engagement between Greece and Türkiye, including the Fifth High-Level Cooperation Council on December 7, 2023, in Athens and the signing of a Greece-Türkiye Declaration on Friendly Relations and Good Neighborliness.
The United States and Greece intend to continue promoting regional integration, rule of law, good neighborly relations, stability and security in the Western Balkans and Eastern Mediterranean region, and cooperation through the 3+1 format (Greece, Cyprus, Israel, plus the United States). In light of regional developments, deepening cooperation of the 3+1 and linking it to other regional cooperation initiatives, will promote economic growth, sustainable development, and stability in the region. The United States expressed appreciation for Greece’s humanitarian aid to Gaza; strong support of Israel; participation in Operation Prosperity Guardian, and commended Greece for its leading role in the new EU maritime operation EUNAVFOR Aspides. The two governments discussed the importance of support for Ukraine, emphasizing their unwavering commitment to and respect for the fundamental principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries. The two countries noted Greece’s candidacy for the United Nations Security Council 2025/26 and planned on further enhancement of the already excellent cooperation in the UN.
Defense and Security
Both countries reaffirmed the significance of expanding and deepening bilateral strategic defense cooperation. They reiterated their firm determination mutually to safeguard and protect the security, sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of their respective countries. They also stressed their commitment to enhancing security cooperation through Greece’s military modernization efforts and looked forward to continued cooperation on the procurement of defense articles, such as the F35s and, as EDA grant transfers, C-130H aircraft and Littoral Combat Ships. The United States and Greece discussed possible mutual benefits of co-designing and co-producing Constellation class frigates, including the economic benefits for Greece’s shipyards and the cooperation between the defense innovation ecosystems of the two countries. The United States commended Greece for exceeding its Wales Summit pledge by spending over 3.5 percent of its GDP on defense with over 45 percent of this used for major equipment purchases and modernization. The United States noted the continuing success of the Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreement (MDCA), which increases NATO’s ability to protect its southeastern flank and provides strategically important access, basing, and overflight for U.S. forces. In this context, they welcomed the infrastructure improvement projects in Souda, Larissa, Alexandroupoli, and other locations. Greece and the United States noted the growing number of U.S. forces working in solidarity with the Greek armed forces through combined multilateral training and exercises in support of the NATO Alliance. The United States and Greece underscored the strategic importance of the Port of Alexandroupoli as a vital logistics, energy, and supplies chain hub.
Humanitarian Challenges and Disaster Preparedness
The United States and Greece discussed emergency planning and wildfire readiness, including Greek contributions to the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. The United States welcomed Hellenic Fire Corps involvement in a U.S. study tour and expressed interest in updating disaster response cooperation. Both underscored the need to find sustainable solutions to tackle to migration and refugee flows affecting both Europe and the United States. The United States highlighted its Safe Mobility Initiative with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to establish access to services based on specific humanitarian and protection needs. Greece also emphasized the importance of offering more legal migration pathways, outlining relevant bilateral agreements. Greece underscored the challenges that frontline countries in the Mediterranean face when receiving large numbers of migrants and asylum seekers while ensuring effective protection of the EU external borders.
Energy and Environment
Both countries stressed continued cooperation on energy security, emphasizing the shared goal of greater regional interconnectivity to diversify routes and types of energy, including renewable energy where Greece has emerged as a European leader. Collaborating on Greece’s renewable energy infrastructure development is a shared priority to bolster Greece’s future as a renewable energy exporter, including through the Green Aegean initiative. Furthermore, the United States supports Greece’s efforts to advance electricity interconnection projects in the Eastern Mediterranean, thus contributing to European energy security and the promotion of clean energy. The United States welcomes the accession of Greece to the Three Seas Initiative, as an important step towards enhancing the North-to-South Corridor, fostering regional energy cooperation. The United States commended Greece’s leadership and preparation as host of the 9th Our Ocean Conference in April 2024 and reiterated the U.S. commitment to support of Greece’s planning efforts and host priorities, including green shipping. The two countries emphasized the importance of integrating youth in climate change mitigation and resilience, including through a U.S. Embassy Athens-funded youth corps exchange program linking the California Conservation Corps with Greek non-governmental organization Ecogenia.
Law Enforcement and Counterterrorism
The United States and Greece discussed ongoing law enforcement cooperation, with both committing to mutual legal assistance, extraditions, joint training, and subject matter exchanges to combat complex challenges, and reviewed successes in those areas. The United States commended Greece’s role as the regional leader in strategically advancing aviation security through development of Passenger Information Units in several Western Balkan countries. The discussion further underscored Greece’s successful efforts to counter new and emerging threats such as cybersecurity and threats to critical infrastructure, money laundering, and terrorism through issuance of new biometric IDs and passports, both countries affirmed their commitment to countering trafficking in persons, strengthening cybersecurity, advancing regional aviation security and information sharing within the Western Balkans, and cooperating through the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS.
Trade and Investment
The United States and Greece celebrated a robust year of trade and investment, emphasizing the U.S. – EU Trade and Technology Council’s progress. They discussed the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation’s (DFC) $125 million loan to ONEX Elefsis Shipyards, the first such agreement in Greece. Both nations acknowledged Greece’s economic progress and ongoing efforts to institutionalize a foreign direct investment screening mechanism designed to protect Greek national security and as an entry way into Europe. Greece commended U.S.-supported workplace integration efforts, including a Women in Tech Network in Thessaloniki to support and empower women working and studying in technology fields, conduct recruitment and outreach, and advocate for policy change at the local and national levels. The United States congratulated Greece on its record-breaking number of tourists, especially from the United States, in 2023 and recognized the importance of this key sector of the economy for continued economic growth and employment. Greece underlined the importance of ensuring high levels of air connectivity to maintain and enhance bilateral tourism flows.
People-to-People Ties
The United States and Greece reaffirmed the deep and enduring ties between the people of both nations and our shared commitment to democracy, innovation and expanding educational opportunities for all people, regardless of background or ability. Both recognized the important role of education and culture as drivers of economic growth and underscored the need for upholding academic openness and transparency in international higher education and research cooperation. The United States and Greece reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen their cooperation in the field of education, including by offering more opportunities for exchange of American and Greek students. The two countries re-affirmed their commitment to promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in educational and cultural collaboration and highlighted opportunities to share best practices in inclusive education, including special needs education, universal design for learning and teaching, and early intervention. The United States and Greece welcomed the enhanced bilateral cooperation in returning to Greece illegally obtained artifacts. Both countries agreed to examine ways of further raising awareness against antisemitism and racism. They reaffirmed their commitment to Holocaust education, to include the establishment of a Holocaust Museum and Memorial Park in Thessaloniki, and to their shared oversight of the Arolsen Archives on Nazi Persecutions as partners on the International Commission, which Greece will chair in 2024. The United States and Greece discussed opportunities for partnering to protect cultural heritage from the effects of climate change. The United States welcomed Prime Minister Mitsotakis’s pledges to legislate equality in marriage and continuing to implement the National Action Plan to expand protections for LGBTQI+ persons in Greece.
Joint Statement on the U.S.-Greece Strategic Dialogue
02/09/2024
Joint Statement on the U.S.-Greece Strategic Dialogue
02/09/2024 05:17 PM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
The text of the following statement was released by the Governments of the United States of America and Greece on the occasion of the fifth Strategic Dialogue.
Begin Text
The Strategic Dialogue serves to accelerate the deepening collaboration between the United States and Greece. Both countries utilized this fifth meeting of the Strategic Dialogue to underscore a growing bilateral and transatlantic relationship founded on shared democratic values and interests. On February 9, 2024, U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs George Gerapetritis held discussions that featured high-level interagency representation from both countries.
At this year’s dialogue, Greece signed onto the Artemis Accords, becoming the 35th country to do so. Under the Artemis Accords principles, the United States and Greece affirm their shared commitment to a common vision for peaceful, sustainable, and transparent cooperation in space. Foreign Minister Gerapetritis signed the Accords on behalf of Greece. Greece and the United States reaffirm their will to continue and enhance cooperation in the following areas:
Regional Issues
The United States and Greece renewed their commitment to promoting stability, peace, and prosperity in Europe and the region, particularly in the wake of the October 7 attack on Israel, violent actions by the Houthis that threaten shipping and navigational rights and freedoms in the Red Sea, and Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine. Both governments reaffirmed their shared values and commitment to democracy and the need to resolve disputes diplomatically, respect sovereignty, and abide by international law, including the law of the sea. The United States welcomed ongoing engagement between Greece and Türkiye, including the Fifth High-Level Cooperation Council on December 7, 2023, in Athens and the signing of a Greece-Türkiye Declaration on Friendly Relations and Good Neighborliness.
The United States and Greece intend to continue promoting regional integration, rule of law, good neighborly relations, stability and security in the Western Balkans and Eastern Mediterranean region, and cooperation through the 3+1 format (Greece, Cyprus, Israel, plus the United States). In light of regional developments, deepening cooperation of the 3+1 and linking it to other regional cooperation initiatives, will promote economic growth, sustainable development, and stability in the region. The United States expressed appreciation for Greece’s humanitarian aid to Gaza; strong support of Israel; participation in Operation Prosperity Guardian, and commended Greece for its leading role in the new EU maritime operation EUNAVFOR Aspides. The two governments discussed the importance of support for Ukraine, emphasizing their unwavering commitment to and respect for the fundamental principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries. The two countries noted Greece’s candidacy for the United Nations Security Council 2025/26 and planned on further enhancement of the already excellent cooperation in the UN.
Defense and Security
Both countries reaffirmed the significance of expanding and deepening bilateral strategic defense cooperation. They reiterated their firm determination mutually to safeguard and protect the security, sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of their respective countries. They also stressed their commitment to enhancing security cooperation through Greece’s military modernization efforts and looked forward to continued cooperation on the procurement of defense articles, such as the F35s and, as EDA grant transfers, C-130H aircraft and Littoral Combat Ships. The United States and Greece discussed possible mutual benefits of co-designing and co-producing Constellation class frigates, including the economic benefits for Greece’s shipyards and the cooperation between the defense innovation ecosystems of the two countries. The United States commended Greece for exceeding its Wales Summit pledge by spending over 3.5 percent of its GDP on defense with over 45 percent of this used for major equipment purchases and modernization. The United States noted the continuing success of the Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreement (MDCA), which increases NATO’s ability to protect its southeastern flank and provides strategically important access, basing, and overflight for U.S. forces. In this context, they welcomed the infrastructure improvement projects in Souda, Larissa, Alexandroupoli, and other locations. Greece and the United States noted the growing number of U.S. forces working in solidarity with the Greek armed forces through combined multilateral training and exercises in support of the NATO Alliance. The United States and Greece underscored the strategic importance of the Port of Alexandroupoli as a vital logistics, energy, and supplies chain hub.
Humanitarian Challenges and Disaster Preparedness
The United States and Greece discussed emergency planning and wildfire readiness, including Greek contributions to the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. The United States welcomed Hellenic Fire Corps involvement in a U.S. study tour and expressed interest in updating disaster response cooperation. Both underscored the need to find sustainable solutions to tackle to migration and refugee flows affecting both Europe and the United States. The United States highlighted its Safe Mobility Initiative with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to establish access to services based on specific humanitarian and protection needs. Greece also emphasized the importance of offering more legal migration pathways, outlining relevant bilateral agreements. Greece underscored the challenges that frontline countries in the Mediterranean face when receiving large numbers of migrants and asylum seekers while ensuring effective protection of the EU external borders.
Energy and Environment
Both countries stressed continued cooperation on energy security, emphasizing the shared goal of greater regional interconnectivity to diversify routes and types of energy, including renewable energy where Greece has emerged as a European leader. Collaborating on Greece’s renewable energy infrastructure development is a shared priority to bolster Greece’s future as a renewable energy exporter, including through the Green Aegean initiative. Furthermore, the United States supports Greece’s efforts to advance electricity interconnection projects in the Eastern Mediterranean, thus contributing to European energy security and the promotion of clean energy. The United States welcomes the accession of Greece to the Three Seas Initiative, as an important step towards enhancing the North-to-South Corridor, fostering regional energy cooperation. The United States commended Greece’s leadership and preparation as host of the 9th Our Ocean Conference in April 2024 and reiterated the U.S. commitment to support of Greece’s planning efforts and host priorities, including green shipping. The two countries emphasized the importance of integrating youth in climate change mitigation and resilience, including through a U.S. Embassy Athens-funded youth corps exchange program linking the California Conservation Corps with Greek non-governmental organization Ecogenia.
Law Enforcement and Counterterrorism
The United States and Greece discussed ongoing law enforcement cooperation, with both committing to mutual legal assistance, extraditions, joint training, and subject matter exchanges to combat complex challenges, and reviewed successes in those areas. The United States commended Greece’s role as the regional leader in strategically advancing aviation security through development of Passenger Information Units in several Western Balkan countries. The discussion further underscored Greece’s successful efforts to counter new and emerging threats such as cybersecurity and threats to critical infrastructure, money laundering, and terrorism through issuance of new biometric IDs and passports, both countries affirmed their commitment to countering trafficking in persons, strengthening cybersecurity, advancing regional aviation security and information sharing within the Western Balkans, and cooperating through the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS.
Trade and Investment
The United States and Greece celebrated a robust year of trade and investment, emphasizing the U.S. – EU Trade and Technology Council’s progress. They discussed the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation’s (DFC) $125 million loan to ONEX Elefsis Shipyards, the first such agreement in Greece. Both nations acknowledged Greece’s economic progress and ongoing efforts to institutionalize a foreign direct investment screening mechanism designed to protect Greek national security and as an entry way into Europe. Greece commended U.S.-supported workplace integration efforts, including a Women in Tech Network in Thessaloniki to support and empower women working and studying in technology fields, conduct recruitment and outreach, and advocate for policy change at the local and national levels. The United States congratulated Greece on its record-breaking number of tourists, especially from the United States, in 2023 and recognized the importance of this key sector of the economy for continued economic growth and employment. Greece underlined the importance of ensuring high levels of air connectivity to maintain and enhance bilateral tourism flows.
People-to-People Ties
The United States and Greece reaffirmed the deep and enduring ties between the people of both nations and our shared commitment to democracy, innovation and expanding educational opportunities for all people, regardless of background or ability. Both recognized the important role of education and culture as drivers of economic growth and underscored the need for upholding academic openness and transparency in international higher education and research cooperation. The United States and Greece reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen their cooperation in the field of education, including by offering more opportunities for exchange of American and Greek students. The two countries re-affirmed their commitment to promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in educational and cultural collaboration and highlighted opportunities to share best practices in inclusive education, including special needs education, universal design for learning and teaching, and early intervention. The United States and Greece welcomed the enhanced bilateral cooperation in returning to Greece illegally obtained artifacts. Both countries agreed to examine ways of further raising awareness against antisemitism and racism. They reaffirmed their commitment to Holocaust education, to include the establishment of a Holocaust Museum and Memorial Park in Thessaloniki, and to their shared oversight of the Arolsen Archives on Nazi Persecutions as partners on the International Commission, which Greece will chair in 2024. The United States and Greece discussed opportunities for partnering to protect cultural heritage from the effects of climate change. The United States welcomed Prime Minister Mitsotakis’s pledges to legislate equality in marriage and continuing to implement the National Action Plan to expand protections for LGBTQI+ persons in Greece.
On Mongolian Tsagaan Sar
02/09/2024
On Mongolian Tsagaan Sar
02/09/2024 05:05 PM EST
Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State
To all those observing Tsagaan Sar, the Mongolian celebration of the start of the lunisolar new year, I send you my best wishes.
The United States and Mongolia are close democratic partners, and the bonds of friendship between our peoples are strong. As this new year begins, I am excited about the possibility for even deeper partnership between our countries.
Whether you are celebrating in Mongolia, the United States, or elsewhere in the world, I hope the Year of the Dragon will bring you joy, peace, and prosperity.
Happy Tsagaan Sar! Сар шинэдээ сайхан шинэлээрэй!
On Mongolian Tsagaan Sar
02/09/2024
On Mongolian Tsagaan Sar
02/09/2024 05:05 PM EST
Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State
To all those observing Tsagaan Sar, the Mongolian celebration of the start of the lunisolar new year, I send you my best wishes.
The United States and Mongolia are close democratic partners, and the bonds of friendship between our peoples are strong. As this new year begins, I am excited about the possibility for even deeper partnership between our countries.
Whether you are celebrating in Mongolia, the United States, or elsewhere in the world, I hope the Year of the Dragon will bring you joy, peace, and prosperity.
Happy Tsagaan Sar! Сар шинэдээ сайхан шинэлээрэй!
Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with Greek Foreign Minister Gerapetritis
02/09/2024
Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with Greek Foreign Minister Gerapetritis
02/09/2024 06:33 PM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller:
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met today with Greek Foreign Minister Georgios Gerapetritis in Washington to launch the fifth U.S.-Greece Strategic Dialogue. They discussed the positive developments across the U.S.-Greek bilateral relationship and their shared commitment to democratic values and promoting peace and prosperity. The Secretary thanked NATO Ally Greece for its participation in Operation Prosperity Guardian and continued support for Ukraine. The two recognized the importance of U.S.-Greece people-to-people ties in bolstering the strategic relationship. As part of the Strategic Dialogue, Foreign Minister Gerapetritis signed the Artemis Accords on behalf of Greece to support peaceful and responsible space exploration.
Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with Greek Foreign Minister Gerapetritis
02/09/2024
Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with Greek Foreign Minister Gerapetritis
02/09/2024 06:33 PM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller:
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met today with Greek Foreign Minister Georgios Gerapetritis in Washington to launch the fifth U.S.-Greece Strategic Dialogue. They discussed the positive developments across the U.S.-Greek bilateral relationship and their shared commitment to democratic values and promoting peace and prosperity. The Secretary thanked NATO Ally Greece for its participation in Operation Prosperity Guardian and continued support for Ukraine. The two recognized the importance of U.S.-Greece people-to-people ties in bolstering the strategic relationship. As part of the Strategic Dialogue, Foreign Minister Gerapetritis signed the Artemis Accords on behalf of Greece to support peaceful and responsible space exploration.
Marking Losar, the Tibetan New Year
02/10/2024
Marking Losar, the Tibetan New Year
02/10/2024 08:00 AM EST
Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State
I extend my warmest wishes to all those celebrating Losar, the Tibetan New Year. On this first day of the Year of the Wood Dragon, we celebrate the strength and perseverance of the Tibetan community around the globe. Here in the United States, tens of thousands of Tibetan-Americans are integral to the preservation of Tibetans’ distinct cultural, linguistic, and religious heritage.
I wish Tibetans celebrating all across the world peace and prosperity in the new year. Losar Tashi Delek and Happy New Year!
Marking Losar, the Tibetan New Year
02/10/2024
Marking Losar, the Tibetan New Year
02/10/2024 08:00 AM EST
Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State
I extend my warmest wishes to all those celebrating Losar, the Tibetan New Year. On this first day of the Year of the Wood Dragon, we celebrate the strength and perseverance of the Tibetan community around the globe. Here in the United States, tens of thousands of Tibetan-Americans are integral to the preservation of Tibetans’ distinct cultural, linguistic, and religious heritage.
I wish Tibetans celebrating all across the world peace and prosperity in the new year. Losar Tashi Delek and Happy New Year!
Special Presidential Envoy for Climate Kerry’s Travel to UAE, France, Norway, and Germany
02/10/2024
Special Presidential Envoy for Climate Kerry’s Travel to UAE, France, Norway, and Germany
02/10/2024 02:38 PM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry will travel February 10-19 to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; Paris, France; Oslo, Norway; and Munich, Germany to advance shared objectives on climate and clean energy.
In Abu Dhabi, Secretary Kerry will hold meetings with UAE leaders to discuss climate diplomacy following COP28 and in advance of COP29. In Paris, he will hold meetings with President Emmanuel Macron, Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné, Minister for Ecological Transition and Cohesion of the Territories Christophe Béchu, and others to discuss climate finance and other priorities. He will also participate in the International Energy Agency’s 50th Anniversary and 2024 Ministerial Meeting, where he will highlight the key challenges and opportunities for scaling up clean energy to achieve global net-zero emissions by 2050.
In Oslo, Secretary Kerry will participate in the Oslo Energy Forum, where he will highlight clean energy solutions alongside Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre of Norway, including progress made through the Green Shipping Challenge to encourage action that will put the shipping sector on a 1.5-degree-aligned pathway. In Munich, he will attend the Munich Security Conference, where he will underscore the need to address the climate crisis as a pressing security challenge with global leaders from government, private sector, and civil society.
For media inquiries, please contact ClimateComms@state.gov.
Special Presidential Envoy for Climate Kerry’s Travel to UAE, France, Norway, and Germany
02/10/2024
Special Presidential Envoy for Climate Kerry’s Travel to UAE, France, Norway, and Germany
02/10/2024 02:38 PM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry will travel February 10-19 to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; Paris, France; Oslo, Norway; and Munich, Germany to advance shared objectives on climate and clean energy.
In Abu Dhabi, Secretary Kerry will hold meetings with UAE leaders to discuss climate diplomacy following COP28 and in advance of COP29. In Paris, he will hold meetings with President Emmanuel Macron, Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné, Minister for Ecological Transition and Cohesion of the Territories Christophe Béchu, and others to discuss climate finance and other priorities. He will also participate in the International Energy Agency’s 50th Anniversary and 2024 Ministerial Meeting, where he will highlight the key challenges and opportunities for scaling up clean energy to achieve global net-zero emissions by 2050.
In Oslo, Secretary Kerry will participate in the Oslo Energy Forum, where he will highlight clean energy solutions alongside Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre of Norway, including progress made through the Green Shipping Challenge to encourage action that will put the shipping sector on a 1.5-degree-aligned pathway. In Munich, he will attend the Munich Security Conference, where he will underscore the need to address the climate crisis as a pressing security challenge with global leaders from government, private sector, and civil society.
For media inquiries, please contact ClimateComms@state.gov.
Special Presidential Envoy for Climate Kerry’s Travel to UAE, France, Norway, and Germany
02/10/2024
Special Presidential Envoy for Climate Kerry’s Travel to UAE, France, Norway, and Germany
02/10/2024 02:38 PM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry will travel February 10-19 to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; Paris, France; Oslo, Norway; and Munich, Germany to advance shared objectives on climate and clean energy.
In Abu Dhabi, Secretary Kerry will hold meetings with UAE leaders to discuss climate diplomacy following COP28 and in advance of COP29. In Paris, he will hold meetings with President Emmanuel Macron, Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné, Minister for Ecological Transition and Cohesion of the Territories Christophe Béchu, and others to discuss climate finance and other priorities. He will also participate in the International Energy Agency’s 50th Anniversary and 2024 Ministerial Meeting, where he will highlight the key challenges and opportunities for scaling up clean energy to achieve global net-zero emissions by 2050.
In Oslo, Secretary Kerry will participate in the Oslo Energy Forum, where he will highlight clean energy solutions alongside Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre of Norway, including progress made through the Green Shipping Challenge to encourage action that will put the shipping sector on a 1.5-degree-aligned pathway. In Munich, he will attend the Munich Security Conference, where he will underscore the need to address the climate crisis as a pressing security challenge with global leaders from government, private sector, and civil society.
For media inquiries, please contact ClimateComms@state.gov.
Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with Executive Managing Director Elouafi of CGIAR
02/10/2024
Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with Executive Managing Director Elouafi of CGIAR
02/10/2024 09:54 PM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller:
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met with CGIAR’s new Executive Managing Director, Dr. Ismahane Elouafi, yesterday in Washington, D.C. to discuss the Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils (VACS) and the importance of science and innovation in addressing global food security, including hunger and malnutrition. Secretary Blinken welcomed the development of a CGIAR VACS Agenda that will support agricultural productivity through the scaling of climate-resilient crop varieties and improving soil health. Secretary Blinken thanked Dr. Elouafi for CGIAR’s ongoing partnership and alignment of its global research capabilities – more than 10,000 people working in over 80 countries – with VACS.
Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with Executive Managing Director Elouafi of CGIAR
02/10/2024
Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with Executive Managing Director Elouafi of CGIAR
02/10/2024 09:54 PM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller:
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met with CGIAR’s new Executive Managing Director, Dr. Ismahane Elouafi, yesterday in Washington, D.C. to discuss the Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils (VACS) and the importance of science and innovation in addressing global food security, including hunger and malnutrition. Secretary Blinken welcomed the development of a CGIAR VACS Agenda that will support agricultural productivity through the scaling of climate-resilient crop varieties and improving soil health. Secretary Blinken thanked Dr. Elouafi for CGIAR’s ongoing partnership and alignment of its global research capabilities – more than 10,000 people working in over 80 countries – with VACS.
The Kremlin’s Efforts to Spread Deadly Disinformation in Africa
02/12/2024
The Kremlin’s Efforts to Spread Deadly Disinformation in Africa
02/12/2024 08:44 AM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
Today, the U.S. Department of State’s Global Engagement Center is exposing Russia’s intelligence services for providing material support and guidance to “African Initiative,” a new information agency focused on Africa-Russia relations that has spread disinformation regarding the United States and European countries.
The Kremlin’s disinformation campaign in Africa:
In addition to its own staff, African Initiative recruits African journalists, bloggers, and members of local publics to support and amplify the organization’s work of bolstering Russia’s image and denigrating that of other countries.
One of African Initiative’s first major campaigns is to target U.S. and Western health initiatives in Africa with dangerous health-related disinformation. The campaign seeks to undermine U.S.-funded public health projects across Africa beginning with disinformation regarding an outbreak of a mosquito-borne viral disease.
From there, conspiracies will be spread about Western pharmaceutical corporations, health-focused philanthropic efforts, and the spread of disease in West and East Africa.
The actors involved:
The Chief Editor of the African Initiative is Artem Sergeyevich Kureyev, who is also the General Director of Initsiativa-23, publicly registered to an office in Moscow.
Some members of the African Initiative were recruited from the disintegrating enterprises of the late Yevgeniy Prigozhin.
The organization already has local offices in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso and Bamako, Mali and is hosting events on the ground.
Laundering the Kremlin’s disinformation to appear organic:
African Initiative primarily spreads its disinformation and propaganda via numerous branded and unbranded social media accounts. Two of its main accounts are “African Initiative” and “African Kalashnikov”.
The organization is highly active on its website, afrinz.ru, and VKontakte, and uses these platforms and others amplified by additional pro-Russian accounts.
The popular Telegram channel “Smile and Wave” is a frequent amplifier of African Initiative content.
Foreign information manipulation remains a critical threat around the world, as authoritarian actors like the Russian government use it to exacerbate social divisions, skew national discourse, and fundamentally disrupt people’s ability to make informed decisions for themselves and their communities. By supporting this disinformation network, the Russian government is actively harming the countries it targets and the African continent as a whole.
Recently, the U.S. State Department’s Global Engagement Center exposed the Kremlin’s attempts to undermine global support for Ukraine by covertly spreading disinformation in Latin America. The core tactic in that campaign involved laundering Moscow-produced content through local individuals and groups to make pro-Kremlin disinformation and propaganda seem organic to the communities in which it was spread. Following the disruption of that operation, the Russian government is now trying the same tactic in Africa with a new set of actors and entities.
Foreign information manipulation is a dangerous and destabilizing tactic, but it is especially damaging when targeting health information. This Kremlin disinformation campaign must come to an immediate end before it poses an even greater risk to health security in Africa.
For media inquiries, please contact the Global Engagement Center at GECMediaContacts@State.gov.
Tags
Africa Bureau of African Affairs Disinformation Global Engagement Center Office of the Spokesperson Russia
The Kremlin’s Efforts to Spread Deadly Disinformation in Africa
02/12/2024
The Kremlin’s Efforts to Spread Deadly Disinformation in Africa
02/12/2024 08:44 AM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
Today, the U.S. Department of State’s Global Engagement Center is exposing Russia’s intelligence services for providing material support and guidance to “African Initiative,” a new information agency focused on Africa-Russia relations that has spread disinformation regarding the United States and European countries.
The Kremlin’s disinformation campaign in Africa:
In addition to its own staff, African Initiative recruits African journalists, bloggers, and members of local publics to support and amplify the organization’s work of bolstering Russia’s image and denigrating that of other countries.
One of African Initiative’s first major campaigns is to target U.S. and Western health initiatives in Africa with dangerous health-related disinformation. The campaign seeks to undermine U.S.-funded public health projects across Africa beginning with disinformation regarding an outbreak of a mosquito-borne viral disease.
From there, conspiracies will be spread about Western pharmaceutical corporations, health-focused philanthropic efforts, and the spread of disease in West and East Africa.
The actors involved:
The Chief Editor of the African Initiative is Artem Sergeyevich Kureyev, who is also the General Director of Initsiativa-23, publicly registered to an office in Moscow.
Some members of the African Initiative were recruited from the disintegrating enterprises of the late Yevgeniy Prigozhin.
The organization already has local offices in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso and Bamako, Mali and is hosting events on the ground.
Laundering the Kremlin’s disinformation to appear organic:
African Initiative primarily spreads its disinformation and propaganda via numerous branded and unbranded social media accounts. Two of its main accounts are “African Initiative” and “African Kalashnikov”.
The organization is highly active on its website, afrinz.ru, and VKontakte, and uses these platforms and others amplified by additional pro-Russian accounts.
The popular Telegram channel “Smile and Wave” is a frequent amplifier of African Initiative content.
Foreign information manipulation remains a critical threat around the world, as authoritarian actors like the Russian government use it to exacerbate social divisions, skew national discourse, and fundamentally disrupt people’s ability to make informed decisions for themselves and their communities. By supporting this disinformation network, the Russian government is actively harming the countries it targets and the African continent as a whole.
Recently, the U.S. State Department’s Global Engagement Center exposed the Kremlin’s attempts to undermine global support for Ukraine by covertly spreading disinformation in Latin America. The core tactic in that campaign involved laundering Moscow-produced content through local individuals and groups to make pro-Kremlin disinformation and propaganda seem organic to the communities in which it was spread. Following the disruption of that operation, the Russian government is now trying the same tactic in Africa with a new set of actors and entities.
Foreign information manipulation is a dangerous and destabilizing tactic, but it is especially damaging when targeting health information. This Kremlin disinformation campaign must come to an immediate end before it poses an even greater risk to health security in Africa.
For media inquiries, please contact the Global Engagement Center at GECMediaContacts@State.gov.
Tags
Africa Bureau of African Affairs Disinformation Global Engagement Center Office of the Spokesperson Russia
United States to Co-Host the Sixth Indo-Pacific Business Forum
02/12/2024
United States to Co-Host the Sixth Indo-Pacific Business Forum
02/12/2024 09:08 AM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
The United States government, in partnership with the Government of the Philippines, is sponsoring the sixth Indo-Pacific Business Forum (IPBF) on May 21, 2024. Government and business leaders from the United States, the Philippines, and across the Indo-Pacific will exchange ideas, explore regional government and business partnerships, and discuss commercial opportunities.
The IPBF will showcase high-impact private sector investment and government efforts to support market competition, job growth, and high-standard development for greater prosperity and economic inclusion in the Indo-Pacific.
The IPBF advances a vision for an Indo-Pacific region that is free and open, connected, prosperous, secure, and resilient. The Indo-Pacific region will shape the trajectory of the global economy in the 21st century. It is the fastest growing region on the planet, accounting for 60 percent of the world economy and two-thirds of all economic growth over the last five years.
The United States remains a major economic partner in the Indo-Pacific. U.S. companies continue to be the top source of foreign direct investment in the region with nearly $1 trillion in U.S. investments, and roughly the same invested in the United States by firms in the region. The United States also remains a major trade partner with more than $2 trillion in two-way trade. Exports to the region and investments from the Indo-Pacific support almost 4 million U.S. jobs.
Together with our Philippines co-hosts, we are underscoring our sustained commitment to the region and highlighting the economic ties that have contributed to regional prosperity and interconnectedness.
For further information, please visit the Indo-Pacific Business Forum website.
Tags
Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs Office of the Spokesperson Philippines
Secretary Blinken to Deliver Keynote Remarks on Hostage Diplomacy at the Wilson Center
02/12/2024
Secretary Blinken to Deliver Keynote Remarks on Hostage Diplomacy at the Wilson Center
02/12/2024 09:16 AM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken will deliver keynote remarks at the event “Hostage Diplomacy as an International Security Threat: Strengthening our Collective Action, Deterrence and Response” at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars at 1:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday, February 13, 2024. Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly will also deliver keynote remarks. The Secretary’s remarks will be followed by two panels discussing hostage diplomacy as a threat to international security and how the international community responds to and deters state actors who arbitrarily detain individuals for diplomatic leverage. The event is being held on the third anniversary of the Declaration Against Arbitrary Detention in State-to-State Relations.
Secretary Blinken’s remarks will be pooled press coverage and streamed live on the Department homepage and YouTube channel.
The event is co-hosted by the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and the Center for Strategic and International Studies. In-person attendance is limited. Those interested in attending virtually may RSVP at the Wilson Center website.
Tags
Hostage Recovery Office of the Spokesperson The Secretary of State Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs
United States to Co-Host the Sixth Indo-Pacific Business Forum
02/12/2024
United States to Co-Host the Sixth Indo-Pacific Business Forum
02/12/2024 09:08 AM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
The United States government, in partnership with the Government of the Philippines, is sponsoring the sixth Indo-Pacific Business Forum (IPBF) on May 21, 2024. Government and business leaders from the United States, the Philippines, and across the Indo-Pacific will exchange ideas, explore regional government and business partnerships, and discuss commercial opportunities.
The IPBF will showcase high-impact private sector investment and government efforts to support market competition, job growth, and high-standard development for greater prosperity and economic inclusion in the Indo-Pacific.
The IPBF advances a vision for an Indo-Pacific region that is free and open, connected, prosperous, secure, and resilient. The Indo-Pacific region will shape the trajectory of the global economy in the 21st century. It is the fastest growing region on the planet, accounting for 60 percent of the world economy and two-thirds of all economic growth over the last five years.
The United States remains a major economic partner in the Indo-Pacific. U.S. companies continue to be the top source of foreign direct investment in the region with nearly $1 trillion in U.S. investments, and roughly the same invested in the United States by firms in the region. The United States also remains a major trade partner with more than $2 trillion in two-way trade. Exports to the region and investments from the Indo-Pacific support almost 4 million U.S. jobs.
Together with our Philippines co-hosts, we are underscoring our sustained commitment to the region and highlighting the economic ties that have contributed to regional prosperity and interconnectedness.
For further information, please visit the Indo-Pacific Business Forum website.
Tags
Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs Office of the Spokesperson Philippines
Secretary Blinken to Convene Meeting of the President’s Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons
02/12/2024
Secretary Blinken to Convene Meeting of the President’s Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons
02/12/2024 04:17 PM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken will convene the 2024 meeting of the President’s Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (PITF) at 2:00pm EST on Tuesday, February 13, 2024, at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. This will be the third PITF meeting of the Biden-Harris Administration.
The PITF is a cabinet-level entity that coordinates federal government efforts to prevent and respond to human trafficking. During the meeting, senior White House officials and principals from 20 participating federal agencies will highlight key efforts to address all forms of human trafficking, as well as announce upcoming initiatives in support of the President’s National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking. A member of the presidentially appointed U.S. Advisory Council on Human Trafficking, which provides a formal platform for trafficking survivors to advise and make recommendations on federal anti-trafficking policies, will also speak about the Council’s recent report.
The Secretary will also honor the recipients of the 2023 Presidential Award for Extraordinary Efforts to Combat Trafficking in Persons. The award recognizes the dedication and efforts of individuals or organizations in preventing human trafficking, prosecuting traffickers, and protecting and partnering with survivors.
For additional information, contact the Department of State’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons at TIPOutreach@state.gov or visit www.state.gov/j/tip.
The event will be livestreamed on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOqdMFuNUx8 and on www.state.gov with ASL interpretation.
Department Press Briefing – February 12, 2024
02/12/2024
Department Press Briefing – February 12, 2024
02/12/2024 05:32 PM EST
HomeDepartment Press Briefing – February 12, 2024
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Department Press Briefing – February 12, 2024
February 12, 2024
12:44 p.m. EST
MR MILLER: Hello, everyone. Good afternoon. Happy Monday. Happy day after the Super Bowl to Chiefs fans. Condolences to —
QUESTION: Don’t start.
MR MILLER: Condolences to the – are you a 49ers fan?
QUESTION: Absolutely.
QUESTION: Yeah.
MR MILLER: So am I, Said. And we have an issue on which we agree. Vedant is —
QUESTION: (Off-mike.)
MR MILLER: – lot of 49ers fans in this room.
QUESTION: (Off-mike.) Well, it’s – condolences to all my fellow 49ers fans. The only thing I will say, if any of you thought that Patrick Mahomes wasn’t going to do that at some point, then you haven’t been watching Patrick Mahomes very long.
QUESTION: (Inaudible.)
Anyway, on to the topic at hand. I’m going to start with some opening remarks. We are pleased today to welcome Dr. Kurt Campbell as deputy secretary of state following his confirmation by the Senate on February 6th and swearing in this morning.
Deputy Secretary Campbell’s distinguished career includes service in the Navy, positions at the Treasury Department and Pentagon, his previous service as the State Department’s Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, and most recently as the – at the White House as the Indo-Pacific coordinator. He also brings extensive experience outside of government – including in academia, the think tank community, and the private sector.
We will share more about Deputy Secretary Campbell’s engagements as he begins his role in advancing President Biden’s and Secretary Blinken’s vision of a world that is more free, open, prosperous, and secure. But for today, I just wanted to welcome him to the building. On behalf of all of us here, we look forward to working with you.
And with that, Shaun, do you want to start us off?
QUESTION: All right. Rafah?
MR MILLER: Sure.
QUESTION: Sure. Very different —
MR MILLER: Sorry, Humeyra. You look – I was just trying to go in order from the usual way we go. Shaun, go ahead.
QUESTION: Just a – could I ask you about the operation in Rafah that the Israelis had? First of all, if the United States has an opinion on this – I mean, there was – there were quite a few – over a hundred civilian casualties, apparently. The President has publicly called for Israel to have a plan for civilians there. Are you under the impression that this is part of a larger operation? Was this a specific thing to get hostages? To what extent are you okay with this going ahead right after the President’s conversation with the prime minister?
MR MILLER: So a few things about that. One, I will say with respect to this specific set of air strikes, I will let the Israeli Government speak to what they were, what they were intended to do, what they were intended to accomplish. That’s appropriate for them to speak to.
I will say that as the President made clear, as the Secretary made clear in his conversation with the prime minister and other members of the Israeli Government on the trip last week, we do not support any military campaign in Rafah going forward as long as they cannot properly account for the 1.1 million people, by some estimates, who are in Rafah today, some of whom have already been displaced, some of whom have been displaced multiple times. We think there needs to be a credible plan that they can actually execute before they undertake any military campaign in Rafah.
Now that said, they have conducted air strikes against Rafah really since going back to the original days of the campaign. It is not our assessment that this air strike is the launch of a full-scale offensive happening in Rafah. We just saw, obviously, the order from the prime minister last week to the Israeli military to develop a plan for dealing with Rafah. We look forward to reviewing that plan. We look forward to being briefed on it. And we will make clear, as we did last week and as the President did in his conversation over the weekend, that without such a plan that is credible and that they can execute, we do not support a full-scale military operation there going ahead.
QUESTION: And just could I just pursue that – the – when you say you would not support it, and this is of course the language of the White House as well, what does that actually mean? Does that mean you say no, don’t do it, it’s not a good idea, or does that mean there are actual repercussions or that the – to the relationship?
MR MILLER: Look, I don’t want to get ahead of the events as they currently stand today. They have said that they will implement – they will develop and they will implement a humanitarian plan. We have made clear that we think it is imperative that they do so, and we’re going to look and see what they develop.
QUESTION: On the – on Rafah, you said it’s not the U.S. assessment that the air strikes are the start of a full-scale offensive there. Is it your assessment that they will soon launch the full-scale offensive there?
MR MILLER: Again – so first of all, with regard to this air strike, as I said, they have conducted air strikes against military targets going – in Rafah, going back to the beginning of the campaign. But it is our assessment this is not part of a – the full – a full-scale military operation there, because we heard what the prime minister said over the weekend, which he has just tasked the military with developing that humanitarian plan. It has not been developed yet, let alone executed, and it is our expectation that a plan should be developed, it should be credible, it should be executed before they launch such a military offensive.
QUESTION: Right. But did you get any assurances from the Israelis that they’re not going to proceed with a Rafah offensive unless they get that plan in there? Because I mean, the humanitarian plans for everywhere else in Rafah was not very robust and sound either. It wouldn’t have led to this civilian death toll and humanitarian crisis that the enclave is facing right now.
MR MILLER: I am not going to speak for the Israeli Government. I will speak for the United States and make clear what our expectation is. And the expectation is as I have outlined it, and we have communicated that quite clearly with them.
QUESTION: Okay. To push a little bit more on Shaun’s question, like EU’s foreign policy chief Borrell, for example, said the U.S. should consider cutting aid to Israel. And we know that there is growing frustration with Netanyahu’s government. Is that at all a possibility that the administration is considering if it would not have any success in the coming days in terms of moving Israel?
MR MILLER: So let me say a few things about that, the most important of which is that we have pursued the policy that we think gives us the maximum ability to be successful in influencing how Israel conducts its military campaign.
QUESTION: And —
MR MILLER: And how —
QUESTION: Were you happy with the results of that?
MR MILLER: And – in many cases, no, absolutely we are not. We are happy with the fact that we have been able to get humanitarian assistance into Israel. That is the direct result of —
QUESTION: Gaza.
MR MILLER: I’m sorry, into Gaza. That is the direct result of U.S. intervention. But at the same time, there has not been enough humanitarian assistance that has gotten in. We are happy with some of the deconfliction measures that Israel has put in place at our urging, at our specific urging, at the request of the Secretary and others in the administration. Those deconfliction measures have not been as successful as we would like them to be. We are happy that over the past month we have seen civilian casualties come down from the incredibly high rates that they were. They are still alarmingly high; they are still way too high.
So in all of this, it’s a process where we engage with the Israeli Government, look to use every bit of expertise that we have to communicate to them the steps that we ought to take, and we use all of the levers at our disposal to influence them to the best of our ability, and that will continue to be an ongoing process.
QUESTION: So you’re still ruling out cutting of any aid?
MR MILLER: I am not ruling anything out. I am saying we have not made the assessment. That is a decision – or that is a step that would be more impactful than the steps that we have already taken. And at the same time you have to look at the fact that such a step – how such a step would be received by Israel’s opponents, both inside Gaza and outside of the state of Israel.
QUESTION: So that – just like what levers have you used?
MR MILLER: So we have used diplomatic levers. The Secretary has —
QUESTION: That means that – that means the Secretary and the President and you and Kirby and whoever else standing up and saying – wagging your finger and saying – that’s not really leverage.
MR MILLER: We have engaged with them on a – at a multitude of levels at this administration, and —
QUESTION: A multitude —
MR MILLER: – and, as I – kind of if you look at the list that we just went through with Humeyra, we have seen them take steps at our urging that have had real —
QUESTION: Yeah —
MR MILLER: Have had real tangible impact. But they have not been enough.
QUESTION: But what levers have you actually —
MR MILLER: I think the – that when the United States of America stands up and says something publicly, it matters.
QUESTION: Yeah, but you —
MR MILLER: That’s a lever – and we – and we —
QUESTION: But you haven’t – but you haven’t said —
MR MILLER: No – and we – but to my point —
QUESTION: — that there’d be any consequences —
MR MILLER: To my – to my point, we have seen —
QUESTION: — in terms of money or military assistance, right?
MR MILLER: We – but we have seen – because of the policies we have pursued, we have seen improvements along these specific areas.
QUESTION: Okay, fine.
MR MILLER: We have seen tangible improvements. Again, not —
QUESTION: Okay, but I’m just asking you what leverage have you used?
MR MILLER: I – but also I —
QUESTION: What leverage have you brought to bear?
MR MILLER: I – I just went through it. I —
QUESTION: What have you gone —
MR MILLER: I think the words of the President United States, the words of the Secretary of State, matter. And we have seen —
QUESTION: To say —
MR MILLER: Hold on – we have —
QUESTION: Over the top, that’s leverage?
MR MILLER: And we have seen – and seen the Government of Israel respond to it, not always in the way that we want, not always to the degree that we want or to the level that we want, but the – our interventions, we believe, have had an impact, and we will continue to pursue them because we – we believe they do.
QUESTION: Okay. Well, look, I – I’m not – I’m not trying to take a position on what you have done so far is adequate or inadequate, but you seem to be taking the position that what you have done so far is inadequate. Because while you say you have seen some results from the quote/unquote “pressure” that you have applied, they’re not enough, and that the situation is still not good and not acceptable to you. Is that – is that a fair assessment of what you said?
MR MILLER: I will say I think that sometimes people pretend that the United States of America has a magic wand that it can wave to make any situation in the world roll out in exactly the way that we would want it to, and that is never the case. We use – we use —
QUESTION: Okay, well I would just – let me just say —
MR MILLER: We use the tools that are available —
QUESTION: — that there are other people – there were other —
MR MILLER: We use the tools that are available to try to influence policy. They are imperfect, and there are ways in which we have been able to show tangible results and more that we want to do. And that is why we continue to stay engaged.
QUESTION: Okay, but there are others who would say that you have a multitude of billions of things that you could use to —
MR MILLER: I’m aware.
QUESTION: Yeah, exactly. So – and you haven’t used those. That correct?
MR MILLER: As always, when we look at all of the tools in our – at our disposal, we have to look at the up sides of using them and we have to look at the down sides in making those determinations.
QUESTION: Matt –
QUESTION: So – but the answer is no, correct?
MR MILLER: It is not a determination we have made at this point. But we —
QUESTION: No, no, no, no, but have you gone to the Israelis and said, look, if you don’t do what we think you should do or at least take our position into account, there will be some kind of tangible consequence other than the finger-wagging and the President saying this is over the top? Is there any – is there any real oomph?
MR MILLER: I am not going to get into the private conversations that we have with the Government of Israel, but they are quite clear about our positions on these matters.
QUESTION: Okay.
QUESTION: Can I get a follow-up on this point? Can I follow on —
MR MILLER: Humeyra, were you done? Yeah, go ahead, Said.
QUESTION: Okay. If – with the indulgence of my colleagues. Now, to Matt’s point, the President of the United States of America went out and told the entire world Israel’s conduct is over the top. Israel’s conduct is over the top. So if it’s over the top, what are you willing to do to make it go under the top?
MR MILLER: We are going to engage with them to – on specific areas where we expect to see improvement.
QUESTION: What kind of improvement? I mean, we saw yesterday —
MR MILLER: We want —
QUESTION: — that they bombed – they killed 120 people, maybe a lot more; we don’t know how many injuries and so on or how many among the injured will die – will end up dying, and all these things. And you’re saying that this is – you – just what you said. You said that we have seen them bomb Rafah all throughout. Does that make it okay? Does that make it okay when everybody, including the Secretary of State, including the President of the United States of America, including many leaders in this country have said, you should not attack Rafah, period, or you can attack it by air. Is that it?
MR MILLER: We have – we have always said that they can attack legitimate military targets. And we want to see them take every step that they can to minimize civilian casualties. As I just said, we have seen civilian casualties come down, but as you and I have – as you and I have discussed many times in this room, Said, they face a very difficult situation in that Hamas continues to hide itself among the civilian population. If this was a war being fought on a battlefield where Hamas would come out and fight, it would be a much different scenario.
QUESTION: Right. Right.
MR MILLER: Unfortunately, it is not, so Israel faces a very difficult situation. That doesn’t lessen their need to do more. And that’s why we continue to engage with them on this question.
QUESTION: But the fact is that you do have a magic wand. You have a huge, big magic wand.
MR MILLER: I – I —
QUESTION: And that magic wand —
MR MILLER: I’m glad you think it’s a magic wand, Said. I don’t —
QUESTION: It is a magic wand. It is a magic wand, but it —
MR MILLER: I don’t think people share that assessment.
QUESTION: It’s real, it’s substantive.
QUESTION: But it is a wand.
QUESTION: It’s a wand. I mean, we’re talking about billions of dollars that are approved to make this war keep on going while, in fact, we have seen reports from the United Nations that – telling you: you are a shake away, Matt, from starvation in Gaza. Nothing is going in into Rafah, no aid. None of this is going on.
MR MILLER: So —
QUESTION: I mean, there are so many things that are going on at the same time that the United States can in fact use its magic wand.
MR MILLER: So Said, we have used a number of levers at our disposal, and that is why humanitarian assistance is going into Rafah. In fact, your contention is not true. There were nearly 200 trucks that – or I’m sorry – that are going into Gaza. There are nearly 200 trucks of humanitarian assistance that went into Gaza yesterday. If we want to go back to the beginning, it is because of the intervention of the United States that humanitarian assistance is going in. We continue to call for more. When the Secretary was there last week, he raised with – directly with the prime minister that we want to see Erez crossing open so that we can continue to do more. And it is that repeated, sustained engagement that we have shown over time has delivered results, and it’s why we’ll continue to stay engaged.
QUESTION: Do you expect – lastly, do you expect that Director Burns’ meeting tomorrow and – or scheduled meeting tomorrow in Cairo will produce anything? What is your – the feeling in this building on the ongoing discussions?
MR MILLER: So first of all, I’m going to look around and remind everyone that I’m the spokesperson for the State Department —
QUESTION: Yes, absolutely. I understand —
MR MILLER: — not any other agency. So I’m not going to – I’m not going to speak to the travel of members of —
QUESTION: Well, you’re the highest government spokesman in this room.
MR MILLER: Members of other – hold on – members of other agencies in the government. I will say that generally as it relates to engagement – engagement over the release of hostages, you heard the Secretary speak to this and say that we think progress can be made. There were a number of really untenable items in the proposal that came back from Hamas, but we do believe that a deal is possible. And we are going to continue to pursue it from this building as well as from others because we think the benefits of a pause and a deal for hostages are tremendous, not just obviously for the hostages who would be released but also for the humanitarian effort in Gaza and for our ability to begin to pursue a real and lasting sustainable resolution to this conflict.
QUESTION: Could I just follow up —
MR MILLER: Yeah.
QUESTION: — just briefly on that point? The – I mean, is there any – is there any contradiction in that – I mean, the Israelis taking military actions to free hostages? Do you think that that affects at all the deal that’s on the table or the deal that’s been negotiated for —
MR MILLER: I don’t think it should, and I think the Israelis are well within their rights to do everything in their power to try to get back the hostages that were taken from Israel and continue to be held – have been held for far too long now – and it should in no way impact the negotiations.
Olivia, go ahead. Oh, sorry, Jen – Olivia, go ahead and we’ll come to Jen.
QUESTION: Just one point of clarification, because our understanding is that there’s not yet a clear commitment from the Israeli Government to have representation at these talks in Cairo. Understanding you’re not their spokesperson, are you relaying to the Israelis the importance of participating in these talks in order to achieve any outcome?
MR MILLER: I am not going to – obviously not speak for them, but I’m also not going to speak to our private negotiations. But obviously we do believe that these discussions are important. We believe that it’s important that we continue to engage around the need to secure these hostages and obtain a humanitarian pause, and we will continue to pursue that with the Government of Israel as well as with the Governments of Egypt and Qatar.
QUESTION: And you believe these activities in Rafah – your view is not that it is not the unspooling of a campaign, but do you believe they’re counterproductive to hostage talks?
MR MILLER: I just can’t speak to what the intent of these particular strikes last night were. But look, Israel has had an ongoing military campaign, so I don’t know why a new set of strikes would change the nature of these negotiations. They have been conducting a military campaign since – shortly after the immediate hours after October 7th, so there’s nothing really there that should have an impact on these talks.
QUESTION: But this happens to target a city center where 1.2 million Palestinian civilians are concentrated in a way that —
MR MILLER: Correct, but I am not sure why that would have an impact on the hostage talks. If Hamas – I mean, if Hamas was going to pull out of these talks, maybe Hamas should stop hiding – but – it’s Hamas that continues to hide behind those civilians.
QUESTION: Well, with respect, I mean, it’s – to the Secretary’s line that not forgetting a common humanity here is what I thought was top of mind for the administration.
MR MILLER: Of course it is top of mind for the administration. Israel does still have the need – or have the ability and the need and the right to carry out legitimate military campaigns that target members of Hamas, Hamas leadership, Hamas battalions. We support their right to do so, but we want to see them conducted in full compliance with international humanitarian law, and we want to see them minimize civilian casualties. And when we see reports of civilian casualties, we raise those directly with the Government of Israel and seek more information about them.
QUESTION: And the U.S. does concur that there’s a legitimate military reason in order to conduct these strikes in Rafah. I understand you can’t get into the details —
MR MILLER: There are Hamas battalions in Rafah; that is an undisputed fact.
QUESTION: Well, I just have two other separate questions. One is on whether you can tell us anything about the Americans who have been detained by the IDF in both the West Bank and Gaza. Do you have clarity on the circumstances of their detention? Have you been requesting and gotten offered consular access to them?
MR MILLER: We don’t have clarity on the situation. I can say that with respect to both of these situations, I think, as you know, because of privacy considerations, that lots of times in these cases we’re not allowed – we’re not able to speak to the details. But in both cases, we are aware of the matter and are seeking – are engaged with the families and seeking more information from the Government of Israel.
QUESTION: Is there a preliminary level of concern involved in any of these cases?
MR MILLER: Until we have been able to acquire more information, I don’t think I should offer a preliminary assessment.
QUESTION: Okay, last one, sorry. I’m sure you’ve seen the reports of Hamas having a command center underneath UNRWA’s headquarters. Does that alter the U.S.’s thinking in terms of the potential resumption of funding down the line? Is it being linked at all to the issue of the 12 employees who are alleged to have involvement in October 7th?
MR MILLER: So we believe that’s a matter that needs to be investigated, and we have sought further information from both the Government of Israel and from UNRWA itself. We’ll continue to engage with them to seek out more information. With respect to the investigation that the UN is conducting, clearly this is the type of thing that they ought to look at. Their investigation ought to look at both the circumstances of the 12 individuals who are reported to have participated in the October 7th attacks as well as any other Hamas infiltration or involvement with UNRWA.
QUESTION: Thank you, sir.
MR MILLER: Yeah, go ahead. Then we’ll go to Jenny. Yeah.
QUESTION: Yes, Matt. Have you gotten any information from the IDF on these three American citizens that they acknowledge that they are detaining them?
MR MILLER: Again, as I said, I have to speak with some generality here because of the privacy considerations. As you know, we’re just restricted by law from what we can say due to privacy law. I’m just not able to say any more other than that we’re seeking more information from the Government of Israel.
QUESTION: Sorry. How about a follow-on on the UNRWA headquarters? Are you saying that you accept – that you believe, you have no reason to doubt the Israeli claims that there were?
MR MILLER: No, I said we’re seeking more information from both the Government of Israel and UNRWA about the matter.
QUESTION: So you’re not entirely sure yet?
MR MILLER: The point of seeking information is to get that information and make an assessment.
QUESTION: Well I — fair enough. But I just wanted to make sure I understood your —
MR MILLER: Yeah.
QUESTION: — response. Thank you.
QUESTION: And then on the Rafah situation.
MR MILLER: Yeah, go ahead.
QUESTION: The Egyptians have reportedly threatened to pull out of the Camp David Accords if Israel is to move forward with this full-scale operation in Rafah. Is this something that’s been conveyed to the U.S.? How concerned are you about the collapse of this kind of a deal?
MR MILLER: Look, I just think that gets several steps beyond where we are today. I think where we are today is that we have said we want to see a credible humanitarian plan developed, one that’s – that can be executed before any operation proceeds. The prime minister has asked the Israeli military to develop such a plan. We are a long – we are a long ways – we are a long way ahead of being able to talk to what potential ramifications are, and I don’t think I – it’s appropriate for me to speculate on those today.
QUESTION: And then I have one on a non-Middle East topic, if you want to come back.
MR MILLER: Okay. I’ll come back to you. Go ahead.
QUESTION: There are some reportings that the plan that Israelis are working on for Rafah is to build a tent city by Egypt and funded by the United States and some of your GCC allies. Are you aware of this reporting? And is this something – is this something that you can support?
MR MILLER: I’m not aware of that reporting. I would say that the – again, we’re – it’s not quite – maybe not quite far down the road as Jenny’s question, but a little further down the road than where we are today. The prime minister has just asked for this humanitarian plan to be developed yet; our understanding is it’s not yet been developed. We certainly haven’t seen it. So we will look to see what the Government of Israel develops and be prepared to react to that, but I don’t think I’m ready to react to any reports.
QUESTION: But what plan – in your assessment, what this plan will look like?
MR MILLER: I don’t know what the plan is going to look like, because I am not the one —
QUESTION: No, no.
MR MILLER: We are not the ones developing.
QUESTION: Something will be acceptable to you?
MR MILLER: I will say what we would expect for any plan is that it have a credible means for dealing with the hundreds of thousands, probably over a million people, who are currently in Rafah, something that puts civilian protections first and decides – or ensures that civilians are protected, that they have a chance to get out of harm’s way, that they have access to food and water and medicine. All of those are the elements of any type of plan that we would find credible, but importantly it has to be a plan – I keep using this word because I make – want to make sure everyone hears me – not just a credible plan but one that can actually be executed.
QUESTION: So just to make a fine point on this, so are you saying that you are not opposed or would not be opposed to paying for whatever Israel’s plan is to – that whenever it comes in?
MR MILLER: I was —
QUESTION: And do they have to pay for anything? I mean, they’re the ones who are doing this. Do they – are you and the —
MR MILLER: So we are giving —
QUESTION: You and the GCC are going to pick up the tab for all of this?
MR MILLER: I am not aware of any proposal for the United States to —
QUESTION: No, I know, but are you opposed to – are you opposed to paying for —
MR MILLER: Matt, I don’t even know what the report he’s referring to is. I have heard —
QUESTION: Forget about a report he’s referring to.
MR MILLER: Hold on. Hold on. Hold on. I know, but you can —
QUESTION: Is the United States prepared to pay for the plan that Israel may or may not come up with —
MR MILLER: So that is —
QUESTION: — for the evacuation of civilians in Rafah?
MR MILLER: That has not been the role of the United States in this conflict. I do not foresee it being the role of the United States.
QUESTION: Okay.
MR MILLER: That said, the reason why it’s hard to answer any kind of thing definitively, we provide money to humanitarian partners in the region.
QUESTION: Yes.
MR MILLER: And they do things like provide food and water —
QUESTION: Yeah.
MR MILLER: — to people who are in Gaza, so that you could see how that kind of funding could be used in that regard, but not specifically to the way you proposed it.
QUESTION: Can I just —
QUESTION: Can I ask a quick one —
MR MILLER: Go ahead.
QUESTION: — before we close the loop on the hostages? What is your understanding or, like, do you have a – do you have a timeline on when you’re expecting a response from Israel on the Hamas counterproposal?
MR MILLER: I don’t want to – I don’t want to put any kind of timeline on it. No.
QUESTION: Right. But you are expecting them to come back with a response to the Hamas counterproposal, so that this would —
MR MILLER: We want to —
QUESTION: So that you can proceed in Rafah?
MR MILLER: We want to see these discussions proceed. We believe that progress can be made, and I will leave it at that.
QUESTION: Okay, one more: If the Israeli side somehow doesn’t show up tomorrow, will that meeting go ahead? Will those conversations still go ahead?
MR MILLER: You know I don’t answer “if” questions, Humeyra.
QUESTION: Well, you know I try. We all try.
MR MILLER: I do, I do.
Michel, go ahead.
QUESTION: Yeah. Do you have any updates on U.S. efforts to push forward the two-state solutions – solution and the normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel?
MR MILLER: I don’t have any updates beyond what the Secretary said, but if you tuned in to his remarks in the region last week, he made very clear that this was the subject of conversation between him and his Arab counterparts when we traveled to Saudi Arabia and to Qatar and to Egypt, and it was also the subject of our conversations with the Government of Israel. He has been engaging with partners in the region to talk about plans for Gaza, for the reconstruction and the rebuilding and governance of Gaza after this conflict, and one of the things that we have heard from partners in the region, including most notably from Saudi Arabia, is that a path to two states has to be a part of that. And I say “most notably” because the crown prince of Saudi Arabia has made clear that in order to pursue normalization, they expect to see a time-bound, irrevocable path to two states. And so we had those conversations last week and we had them with the Government of Israel, and we will continue to have them in the weeks ahead.
QUESTION: Thank you.
QUESTION: Thank you, sir. One quick question.
MR MILLER: Yeah, go ahead.
QUESTION: I wanted to ask you about the decision of Qatar to release eight former Indian navy personnel to India. Have you seen that reports and what’s your part in that?
MR MILLER: I’ll have to take that back and get you an answer.
Yeah, go ahead.
QUESTION: Thank you. Two questions, one on Gaza and one on Türkiye, if I may. On the killing of six-year-old Hind Rajab after an Israeli tank targeted their family car in Gaza, the Geneva-based nonprofit Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor determined that the IDF is responsible for the bombing of the ambulance that attempted to rescue Hind, and it also reported that American-made weapons was found at the bombed ambulance. Have you seen that report, and do you have any response?
MR MILLER: Yeah, we – we are devastated about the reports of the death of Hind Rajab. I will tell you that I have a little girl that’s about to turn six myself, and so it is just a devastating account, a heartbreaking account for this child. And, of course, there have been thousands of other children who have died as a result of this conflict, and every one of them is a tragedy that I know I can tell you everyone in the United States Government feels quite deeply.
We have asked the Israeli authorities to investigate this incident on an urgent basis. We understand that they are doing so. We expect to see those results on a timely fashion, and they should include accountability measures as appropriate.
QUESTION: And do you have anything to say on that American-made weapons were found at the site?
MR MILLER: I just don’t – I’m not able to verify that.
QUESTION: Is the U.S. assessing whether or not Israel is using that weapons in accordance with the laws of war?
MR MILLER: We always expect that they use all weapons, whether they be provided by the United States or —
QUESTION: But are you making an assessment of that?
MR MILLER: No, hold on, let me just say – but – I think this is an important distinction, because we get asked this question. Whether weapons are provided by the United States or that they have acquired through some other method or that they manufacture them theirselves, it is our expectation that they use them in full compliance with the laws of war, and we engage with them on that matter. But I don’t think I – but I don’t think I can offer you an assessment on this particular one because, as I have said, we’ve asked them to investigate and they have said that they would do so. We want to see them do it as quickly as possible. And I don’t think I should speak to it before that investigation is completed.
QUESTION: Just a quick one on Türkiye. The F-16 sale has been approved over the weekend, as there was no objections from Congress. Do you have any comments on that?
MR MILLER: I don’t. I’ll have to – I’ll have to check that and get back with you. Obviously we have made quite clear our position that this sale should move forward, but —
QUESTION: On its investigations, have you heard back from the Israelis yet about the demolition of the university in Gaza?
MR MILLER: Let me check and get back – and get you an answer to that.
QUESTION: Or any of the other investigations?
MR MILLER: We have heard back from them on a number of different things that we raise with them, but with respect to this —
QUESTION: Well, have you gotten anything definitive or —
MR MILLER: With respect to this specific one, let me find out and get you an answer.
QUESTION: Thank you.
QUESTION: Thank you, sir. On the —
MR MILLER: Go ahead.
QUESTION: Thank you, sir. So what is your oral analysis on Pakistani election? Despite all efforts of rigging, Imran Khan came out as the winner. What is your oral analysis on the elections?
MR MILLER: I guess you didn’t read my statement that I – we put out on Friday, where I spoke to our analysis —
QUESTION: Yeah, but it – yeah.
MR MILLER: — analysis of this.
QUESTION: But now there’s also a – yeah.
MR MILLER: Sure. Let me say that we congratulate the Pakistani people, first of all, for participating in the election on Thursday. That includes poll workers, civil society members, journalists, and election observers who have protected Pakistan’s democratic and electoral institutions. We did express concerns publicly – we also expressed those concerns privately and joined the EU, the UK, and other countries in doing so – with some irregularities that we saw in the process. We’ve conveyed the need for the Pakistani Government to respect the will of the election.
We emphasize – you heard us from – you heard me from this podium, certainly, repeatedly but also across the government emphasize that we want to see the rule of law, respect for constitution, free press, vibrant civil society respected in the run-up to the election. We continue to believe that’s the case. We condemn political and election-related violence and restrictions on internet and cell phone service. Those negatively impacted the electoral service. The claims of interference and fraud that we have seen raised we want to ensure are fully investigated by Pakistan’s legal system, and we will be continuing to monitor that in the days ahead.
QUESTION: Sir, you said that you are ready to work with the new Pakistani Government, but this new Pakistani Government came in with the allegations of fraud and irregularities. What is your opinion?
MR MILLER: Well, I don’t think there is a new Pakistani Government yet. I believe there are still discussions going on about formation of a government. But one of the things that we have said leading up to the election and we’ll continue to make clear is that whoever the Pakistani people choose to represent them, we will work with that government. And as to the claims of fraud, we want to see those fully investigated.
QUESTION: (Off-mike.)
MR MILLER: Yeah, go ahead.
QUESTION: On the – I know you said there isn’t a Pakistani Government yet, but certainly former Prime Minister Khan’s faction of – some of them are – independents came in ahead. Is there any concern about the legitimacy of whoever actually becomes the leader of Pakistan sooner or later?
MR MILLER: I will say that – let me just reiterate that we do think that the claims of fraud need to be fully investigated. That said, it was clearly a competitive election in which people were able to exercise their choice. Now, that said, there were irregularities; we want to see them investigated. But ultimately, we respect the democratic process and we’re ready to work with the government once it’s formed.
QUESTION: And just one more on Pakistan. The authorities have had a ban on assembly. Some of Imran Khan’s supporters have called for protests on this. Is there any concern about freedom of assembly right now in Pakistan?
MR MILLER: Certainly, we want to see the freedom of assembly respected anywhere in the world.
Alex, go ahead.
QUESTION: Thank you, Matt. A couple of questions. Europe. EU chancellor today approved a regulation allowing profits from frozen Russian assets to be used in Ukraine. Do you endorse that decision or support it, don’t like it? What is your feeling about that?
MR MILLER: So we are encouraged by any action the EU may take to use Russian assets for the benefit of Ukrainians. We continue to be in active conversations with our allies and partners, including the G7, on what additional steps may be possible within respective legal systems and under international law to make Russia cease its aggression against Ukraine and to ensure Russia pays for the damage it has caused.
QUESTION: Is the United States considering to follow suit?
MR MILLER: So we are supportive of having domestic legislative authorities. We made that clear in the past that it will give us flexibility as we continue these discussions with our allies and our partners. Ultimately, we want to see Russia pay for the damage it’s caused, and we continue to pursue all appropriate vehicles to do so.
QUESTION: Speaking of allies and partners in Europe, any reaction to shockwaves we have seen over the weekend among allies in reaction to suggestions coming out of this town – and also there’s a presidential election going on, but in general pushback against suggestions that United States might not support its allies in case of Russian attack?
MR MILLER: So you heard the President speak to this over the weekend and make clear that any suggestion that encouraging Russia to invade our allies and partners are dangerous, and I would obviously echo that from here. And I would just say, as we often say, that the NATO Alliance provides actual security to the American people. This isn’t just a benefit – this isn’t just an Alliance that the United States puts into; we also get a lot out of this Alliance. And the only time that NATO has ever come to the defense of one of its member countries, it was coming to the defense of the United States after 9/11. And so we have been heartened by the broad support for NATO from the American people. We have been supported – been heartened by the broad support for NATO from Congress. And I think I’ll leave it at that.
QUESTION: How much has the former president’s statement damaged your relationship?
MR MILLER: I don’t think I should comment on remarks made in the political context.
QUESTION: Move to Central Asia if possible. Kyrgyzstan today responded harshly to the Secretary’s criticism of a Russia-backed NGO law that they’re trying to pass through the parliament, and they are referring to the U.S. FARA law. Any reaction? Any response?
MR MILLER: Let me take that back and —
QUESTION: And final —
MR MILLER: — and get you a comment.
QUESTION: And finally, if I may, on South Caucasus – Azerbaijan and Armenia. Looks like they are trying to move along through negotiation process without any mediator. Where do you stand on this?
MR MILLER: I don’t – I don’t want to comment on that specifically, but I’ll say that we do obviously support continued dialogue around that issue. We believe it’s the best way to reach a sustainable end to the conflict, and we will continue to pursue it.
QUESTION: And Azerbaijan has —
QUESTION: You say – you said several times that you want Russia to pay for the damage that it’s caused. Is that because you – they were – they are the – you see them as the aggressor here, or they are the aggressor?
MR MILLER: They very much are the aggressor, yeah.
QUESTION: Okay. Well, so what about in other cases? Like after World War II, the Japanese attacked us but then the Germans declared war on us, so we were – went in and we – the Marshall Plan paid for huge amounts of reconstruction in Europe, and the United States also paid for the reconstruction of Japan after the war. So does that same – and recognizing that the situations are not exactly similar, but does Israel bear any responsibility for paying for the reconstruction of Gaza?
MR MILLER: So the —
QUESTION: Or do they get to foist it off on others?
MR MILLER: So the situations are not at all – are not at all —
QUESTION: Well, but they’re all conflicts and —
MR MILLER: But let – but —
QUESTION: And I realize that World War II is over and the Ukraine war is not over.
MR MILLER: Yeah.
QUESTION: But neither is the Gaza war. And you’re saying that Russia right now has to pay for the damage that it caused in Ukraine. So I’m just wondering: Would you say the same, that Israel should pay for at least some of the damage that it has caused in Gaza, even though it’s fighting what you say is a completely justifiable – or what is a completely justifiable war?
MR MILLER: So I would say on that matter is that one of the things that we have heard as – through the Secretary’s diplomacy in the region is that there are countries who are ready to step up and help pay for the reconstruction of Gaza. I don’t mean Israel. Other countries who are willing to step up and help with the reconstruction of Gaza and put real money into the game as well as real political credibility, but that’s another matter on another track. But just with respect to reconstruction, there are other countries who are willing to recontribute or contribute to the —
QUESTION: No, no, recontribute is right because they’ve already rebuilt Gaza like three times, right?
MR MILLER: Who are – fair point.
QUESTION: And so but —
MR MILLER: Let me just finish.
QUESTION: But Israel is not one of those countries.
MR MILLER: Let me – Matt, let me just finish. Our discussions have been about other countries who are willing to contribute to the rebuilding of Gaza, but they expect something from Israel in return, and that’s – we’ve talked about this path to two states.
QUESTION: But what about money? What about actual reconstruction?
MR MILLER: So I’m not going to get into the hypothetical because we think the policy that we ought to pursue —
QUESTION: All right.
MR MILLER: — is this path that the Secretary has laid out that would lead to the rebuilding of Gaza and would avoid the question that you are putting on the table.
QUESTION: Well, no, it – that wouldn’t avoid the question.
MR MILLER: I’m saying —
QUESTION: Someone’s got to pay for it.
MR MILLER: No, no, I’m saying it avoids the question of Israel having to pay for it. The path that we think forward is the one that we’ve put on the table.
QUESTION: So you think that path would —
MR MILLER: Well, I should —
QUESTION: — relieve Israel of any obligation for paying for —
MR MILLER: It would certainly – I do not want to say any – we are – we are fully well down the path that we have not – hardly even started walking at this point. But certainly —
QUESTION: Fine. But the same – the same thing – you could say the same thing about Ukraine. That war is not over yet either.
MR MILLER: It would bring other – it would bring other countries to the table.
QUESTION: Yeah, but – okay. But how about Israel? Do they —
MR MILLER: Again, I said we are not at that point yet in these conversations.
QUESTION: All right.
MR MILLER: Go ahead.
QUESTION: Sorry, question on a separate topic, and I don’t want to overlap with (inaudible).
MR MILLER: Yeah. Sorry, I didn’t see you.
QUESTION: Mine is on this flurry of mixed reports that an American being held hostage by the Taliban, Ryan Corbett, may be released in the coming days. Have you looked into those reports? Is there any merit to them? And —
MR MILLER: None that I’m aware of.
QUESTION: There’s no – there’s no —
MR MILLER: No, there are no plans that we’re aware of for him to be released. It is obviously a matter we continue to engage on. We continue to seek his release. I’ve seen some reports incorrectly linking his release or potential release to the release of two former Guantanamo detainees in Oman. Those reports are completely meritless. There is no linkage at all between the two. My understanding is that the release of those two former detainees in Oman had – was the result of the expiration of security conditions or security restrictions that were a condition of their transfer, and there – is no way linked to Ryan Corbett’s case.
That said, we continue to engage on this. It continues to be a top priority for us to see the release of Ryan Corbett, and we will continue to work on it. But the reports that I’ve seen are just not based on anything.
QUESTION: Thank you.
QUESTION: Do you mind (inaudible)?
MR MILLER: Yeah.
QUESTION: The – leaving aside whether they’re connected indeed to the release of the two former Guantanamo prisoners or the transfer from Oman to Afghanistan, is that the cause of any concern, or is that sort of not the U.S.’s problem anymore? Does the U.S. have any take on that?
MR MILLER: I will have to take it and get back with you. I’m not – I just – I’m not aware of the conditions under which they were transferred in the first place, which would impact on how – it would bear on the answer to that question.
QUESTION: Sure.
MR MILLER: So go ahead, Jenny.
QUESTION: On the – another detained American, Putin seemed to indicate that he would be open to a prisoner swap for Evan Gershkovich. Does the U.S. see any significance in him publicly making these comments, and what’s the latest on talks for him and Paul Whelan?
MR MILLER: So we have always made clear that not only do we want to see the release of Paul Whelan and Evan Gershkovich, but that we have put a significant offer on the table. In fact, more than once we have put offers on the table to secure their release. And we will continue to engage to try to pursue or try to obtain their release, and I just don’t want to comment on President Putin’s comments.
QUESTION: Is the most recent significant proposal the one that you raised from the podium a couple months ago?
MR MILLER: I don’t want to comment on any further developments in that case. From time to time we make the decision to make things public, but ultimately we declined – we decided to do most of that quietly behind the scenes.
QUESTION: And did that proposal include Krasikov, who Putin seems to want?
MR MILLER: I think you know I’m never going to comment on what those – what those –
QUESTION: I think you know we’re going to –
MR MILLER: — proposals might include.
Go ahead, Willy.
QUESTION: I just wanted to circle back to the two Americans taken by the IDF in Gaza. Family members say the only communication they’ve had with the U.S. Government is a confirmation of receipt. Is that normal, for five days into this to not have had kind of more communication with State Department or anyone in this government?
MR MILLER: I really wish there was more that I could say. There are privacy rules that can only be waived by the individuals themselves, not by family members. This is not true – I’m not speaking with respect to this case. I’m speaking with respect to cases in general that prohibit us from talking about the cases. So unfortunately, I can’t say any more other than that we are aware of the matter and we are engaged with the Government of Israel to try and learn more information.
And Ryan, go ahead, and then we’ll wrap for the day.
QUESTION: Yeah. I wanted to pick up – pick up real quickly on your Pakistan comment. And correct me if I’m wrong; I think you said that you were – the State Department hopes that the Pakistan – Pakistani courts will take a close look at this matter. You’ve also heard from a lot of members of Congress who have said there should be an independent investigation of the fraud before the U.S. recognizes any new government. The high – and I’m not sure if you saw this. The high court in Pakistan just tossed out most of the challenges despite the fact that the media there has seen 100 percent of the returns and the challenges are entirely legitimate. It’s like not even a he-said/she-said. So the court process seems to already have played out. Does the State Department want to see an independent investigation, as members of Congress are calling for?
MR MILLER: So I don’t know which – what – what – venue is not the right word, but what body they are proposing to conduct an independent investigation would be. I’m happy to look at that, if there’s a specific proposal. Right now we think as a matter of first course, it’s that the legal system play itself out in Pakistan. That’s a – that’s the appropriate first step to take, and we think that’s the step that should be taken. If there are additional steps that ought to be entertained, we’re happy to look at them at that time.
QUESTION: Same question on Hind Rajab, though, to follow up on I think what – the point Matt was trying to make. You’ve said you’ve urged Israel to investigate her killing, respond very quickly, and take accountability if they find something’s wrong. I think Matt’s point, though, is that you’ve urged a lot of accountability, a lot of investigations, and we don’t have evidence of them coming back with accountability. Should there be a second-level investigation into her killing —
MR MILLER: Again, it’s hard to —
QUESTION: — if you’re not satisfied with what they come back with?
MR MILLER: Again, it’s hard to comment on a second level before you’ve concluded the first level. We want to see the Government of Israel investigate this matter. If they find that somebody behaved inappropriately or in violation of law, we want to see accountability. And I wouldn’t want to speculate on what further measures might be appropriate before that first step has been completed.
With that, we’ll wrap for the day. Thanks, everyone.
(The briefing was concluded at 1:29 p.m.)
# # #
Tags
Afghanistan Armenia Azerbaijan Israel Office of the Spokesperson Pakistan Palestinian Territories Russia Ukraine
Call for Recommendations: 2024 Secretary of State’s Award for Corporate Excellence
02/12/2024
Call for Recommendations: 2024 Secretary of State’s Award for Corporate Excellence
02/12/2024 05:25 PM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
On behalf of Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, the Office of Commercial and Business Affairs is soliciting public input for recommendations for the 2024 Secretary of State’s Award for Corporate Excellence (ACE). Now in its 25th year, the ACE honors U.S. companies who exemplify American values, the American brand, and the positive impact U.S. enterprises can have on local communities worldwide. Recommendations are due to U.S. embassies and consulates by March 17, 2024.
The 2024 ACE categories are:
Award for Corporate Excellence in Innovation to Strengthen CommunitiesThis category honors companies that promote social welfare in countries where they operate through innovative solutions addressing critical issues like digital inclusion, healthcare, education, combatting food insecurity, and building sustainable infrastructure. Candidate companies are finding innovative solutions that provide affordable access to digital technology and internet connectivity, improve healthcare accessibility and quality, increase access to quality education, promote sustainable agriculture practices, and build sustainable infrastructure projects, particularly in underserved areas and populations.
Award for Corporate Excellence in Women’s Economic Security This category honors companies that are committed to supporting women’s economic security through its values, strategies, policies and procedures, and operational practices. Candidate companies excelling in this field enact organizational strategies that provide training programs for women in entrepreneurship or sectors where women are traditionally underrepresented. Such activities may include investment in women-owned businesses, implementation of policies that advance worker rights in their supply chains, support for domestic and care workers and championing women’s professional advancement and empowerment in corporate environments, labor unions, and international negotiations.
Award for Corporate Excellence in Climate ResilienceThis category honors companies that havedemonstrated leadership in building resilience to climate change impacts, such as flooding, drought, sea level rise, and heat waves. Candidate companies are taking proactive and innovative actions to manage the risks and opportunities associated with climate change impacts in alignment with the President’s Emergency Plan for Adaptation and Resilience (PREPARE) . Candidate companies excelling in this field invest in climate-smart technologies, develop adaptive management strategies that incorporate climate risk into decision-making processes, build resilience across the entire value chain, and/or promote ecosystem- and nature-based adaptation.
Details on Submitting a Recommendation
ACE nominations should focus on the company’s exemplary operations in a specific country and are officially submitted by Chiefs of Mission from U.S. embassies and consulates. Recommendations should be directed to a specific U.S embassy or consulate, for the operations of a U.S. firm in that country.
Stakeholders should contact the embassy or consulate switchboard during normal business hours and ask to speak with the economic section regarding the ACE. Contact information can be obtained on the website of the respective embassy or consulate, a directory of which can be found at www.usembassy.gov. Chiefs of Mission will ultimately decide which recommendations to submit as nominations to the Secretary of State and retain final decision-making on such matters. Stakeholders are asked to put forward recommendations to embassies and consulates for their consideration and should refrain from lobbying for a particular recommendation once submitted.
Compelling recommendations will include proof of positive impact, particularly with metrics when available, show alignment of core business operations with the category for which the company is being nominated, and demonstrate commitment to the communities where a company does business. Nominations of small and medium-sized firms and underserved- and women-owned firms are encouraged.
For more information visit www.state.gov/ace and on Twitter @EconAtState .
Secretary Blinken Makes His Fifth Trip to the Middle East
02/12/2024
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The Week at State | February 5-11
In “The Week at State,” Secretary Antony Blinken visited the Middle East to meet with leaders from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Also this week, Kurt Campbell was confirmed by the U.S. Senate to become the next Deputy Secretary of State.
Secretary Blinken Visits the Middle East
Saudi Arabia
Secretary Blinken met with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud in Riyadh. The Secretary underscored the importance of addressing humanitarian needs in Gaza and preventing further spread of the conflict.
“We will continue to engage in diplomacy in the region to prevent the further spread of the conflict,” the Secretary stated on Twitter/X.
Egypt
In Cairo, Secretary Blinken expressed appreciation for Egypt’s leadership role in facilitating the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in Gaza during a meeting with Egyptian President El-Sisi.
“We also discussed shared regional stability objectives, including halting threats to Red Sea security by the Houthis,” the Secretary stated on Twitter/X.
Qatar
In Doha, the Secretary and Amir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani of Qatar agreed to continue close coordination to increase humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza and to urge the protection of civilians consistent with humanitarian law.They also discussed efforts to secure the release of all remaining hostages held by Hamas.
“We appreciate Qatar’s partnership and indispensable role in mediating,” the Secretary said on Twitter/X.
Israel
The Secretary met with Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu and other senior Israeli leaders to discuss the latest efforts to secure the release of all hostages and ensure the events of October 7 are never repeated.
He also stressed the importance of protecting civilians in Gaza and ensuring more humanitarian aid gets to people in need.
Palestinian Authority
In Ramallah, Secretary Blinken met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. The Secretary reiterated U.S. support for reforming the Palestinian Authority and establishing an independent Palestinian state.
Throughout his trip, the Secretary discussed the work to pursue a real pathway toward enduring peace and security for Israelis, Palestinians, and everyone in the region.
Our Workforce
State Department Welcomes New Deputy Secretary of State
Kurt Campbell was confirmed by the U.S. Senate to begin his tenure at the State Department. He recently served as Deputy Assistant to the President and Coordinator for Indo-Pacific Affairs on the National Security Council.
“I congratulate Kurt Campbell on his confirmation to serve as our new Deputy Secretary of State, and thank Toria Nuland who has been serving in an acting capacity,” the Secretary said on Twitter/X. “The Department and the nation will benefit from his diplomatic expertise and leadership at this critical time.”
Alliances and Partnerships
Greece Signs the Artemis Accords
The Secretary met with Greek Foreign Minister Gerapetritis at the fifth U.S.-Greece Strategic Dialogue. Greece signed the Artemis Accords that promote peaceful and responsible space exploration.
“Our bilateral relationship with our NATO Ally continues to expand as we welcome Greece to the Artemis Accords,” the Secretary said on Twitter/X.
Human Rights
Supporting Disability Rights
Special Advisor for Disability Rights Sara Minkara visited a school in Cuba to promote the need for inclusive education for children with disabilities in Cuba.
Minkara emphasized the importance of dismantling physical and cultural barriers for persons with disabilities during her visit to the University of Havana.
“I look forward to when society demands the inclusion of persons with disabilities,” Minkara said on Twitter/X.
Education and Culture
Football, American Style, In Brazil
American football sports envoys visited São Paulo, Brazil, to engage Brazilian youth from underserved communities. The program, a partnership between the Department of State, the NFL, and USA Football, celebrated the bicentennial of U.S.-Brazil diplomatic relations.
Brennan Scarlett, an eight-year NFL linebacker and Ashlea Klam, a member of the USA Football’s Women’s Flag Football National Team, led sports clinics with Brazilian players of flag and tackle football.
Later this year, São Paulo will host the first-ever NFL regular season football game in South America. Flag football will debut as an Olympic sport at the 2028 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Apply for a Fulbright Award
Are you a K-12 teacher in the U.S. interested in professional development abroad? Apply today for the Fulbright Program Distinguished Awards in Teaching Research Program. Interested candidates can view programs and apply.
This WeekFebruary 13: Secretary Blinken delivers keynote remarks on hostage diplomacy at the Wilson Center
February 14-17: Secretary Blinken travels to Albania and Germany, where he will attend the Munich Security Conference
Looking AheadFebruary 19: President's Day
February 21: International Mother Language Day
February 20-22: G20 Summit in Argentina
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Senior Coordinator for Atlantic Cooperation Lapenn’s Travel to Belize
02/12/2024
Senior Coordinator for Atlantic Cooperation Lapenn’s Travel to Belize
02/12/2024 05:36 PM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
Ambassador Jessye Lapenn, Senior Coordinator for Atlantic Cooperation, will travel February 13-14 to Belmopan, Belize for discussions on the Partnership for Atlantic Cooperation. She will meet with government officials and non-governmental organizations to discuss how the Partnership can advance shared goals on sustainable economic development, scientific collaboration, and environmental conservation.
The Partnership for Atlantic Cooperation connects 37 coastal Atlantic countries in the Americas, Africa, Europe, and the Caribbean to collaborate on collective problem-solving and uphold a set of shared principles for Atlantic cooperation. For more information, visit the Partnership website.
Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara Before Their Meeting
02/12/2024
Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara Before Their Meeting
02/12/2024 06:30 PM EST
Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State
Washington, D.C.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Well, good afternoon, everyone, and Mr. Minister, welcome. It’s wonderful to have you here. We celebrate 190 years of diplomatic relations between Thailand and the United States, and a longstanding alliance. But even as we celebrate the past, we are relentlessly focused on today and the future, a present and a future that join us together in our alliance, in a determination, I believe, to strengthen it even more, to work together on the many challenges we face, whether it’s in the region or even globally when it comes to security, when it comes to climate change, when it comes also to deepening our own economic relationship. And so much of the work that you’ve done in that area I look forward to discussing.
So we have – we have a number of challenges, mutual challenges before us, but we’re grateful to have a partnership, to have an alliance that can effectively address them together. So welcome.
MINISTER BAHIDDHA-NUKARA: I’m very delighted to be here in Washington and at the invitation of the Secretary. My visit underscores our desire to reinvigorate our strategic alliance and partnership. As a democratically elected government, we firmly believe that our shared values of democratic principles, human rights, and human security will play a pivotal role in our partnership and bind our countries even closer together.
The Thai Government is focusing on promoting Thailand’s economic growth and transiting its economy to its green and digital economy, which will open up new opportunities to enhance our economic partnership. We also seek to enhance our longstanding security ties with the U.S. At the regional level, we see ourselves as an important anchor for your engagement in the region to advance common peace, security, and prosperity. In this regard, we hope to continue working closely with the U.S., including through ASEAN, development of Mekong subregion, and the U.S.-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, IPEF.
Thank you, Excellency.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you, Minister. Thanks, everyone.
Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara Before Their Meeting
02/12/2024
Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara Before Their Meeting
02/12/2024 06:30 PM EST
Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State
Washington, D.C.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Well, good afternoon, everyone, and Mr. Minister, welcome. It’s wonderful to have you here. We celebrate 190 years of diplomatic relations between Thailand and the United States, and a longstanding alliance. But even as we celebrate the past, we are relentlessly focused on today and the future, a present and a future that join us together in our alliance, in a determination, I believe, to strengthen it even more, to work together on the many challenges we face, whether it’s in the region or even globally when it comes to security, when it comes to climate change, when it comes also to deepening our own economic relationship. And so much of the work that you’ve done in that area I look forward to discussing.
So we have – we have a number of challenges, mutual challenges before us, but we’re grateful to have a partnership, to have an alliance that can effectively address them together. So welcome.
MINISTER BAHIDDHA-NUKARA: I’m very delighted to be here in Washington and at the invitation of the Secretary. My visit underscores our desire to reinvigorate our strategic alliance and partnership. As a democratically elected government, we firmly believe that our shared values of democratic principles, human rights, and human security will play a pivotal role in our partnership and bind our countries even closer together.
The Thai Government is focusing on promoting Thailand’s economic growth and transiting its economy to its green and digital economy, which will open up new opportunities to enhance our economic partnership. We also seek to enhance our longstanding security ties with the U.S. At the regional level, we see ourselves as an important anchor for your engagement in the region to advance common peace, security, and prosperity. In this regard, we hope to continue working closely with the U.S., including through ASEAN, development of Mekong subregion, and the U.S.-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, IPEF.
Thank you, Excellency.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you, Minister. Thanks, everyone.
Assistant Secretary Pyatt’s Travel to Paris for the IEA 2024 Ministerial and 50th Anniversary
02/12/2024
Assistant Secretary Pyatt’s Travel to Paris for the IEA 2024 Ministerial and 50th Anniversary
02/12/2024 08:48 PM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Energy Resources Geoffrey R. Pyatt will travel to Paris on February 13 for the International Energy Agency (IEA) 2024 Ministerial and 50th anniversary celebration as part of a U.S. interagency delegation including Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry and Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm. Assistant Secretary Pyatt will engage with international energy officials, private sector leaders, academia, and representatives from international organizations to advance policy solutions to address pressing issues related to energy security, energy access, and decarbonization.
The IEA traces its founding to the Washington Energy Conference, hosted by former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger to address the oil shocks of 1973 and 1974. Since that first meeting at the Department of State fifty years ago, the IEA has grown to ensure secure and sustainable energy supplies to the global economy.
Marking this milestone anniversary, Assistant Secretary Pyatt will join high-level dialogues on energy policy, fortifying global supply chains, and the imperative of advancing the energy transition. In these engagements, he will emphasize the United States’ enduring commitment to Ukraine and the energy security of partners and allies.
For further media information, please contact ENR-PD-Clearances@state.gov.
Assistant Secretary Pyatt’s Travel to Prague and the Munich Security Conference
02/12/2024
Assistant Secretary Pyatt’s Travel to Prague and the Munich Security Conference
02/12/2024 08:56 PM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
Assistant Secretary for Energy Resources Geoffrey R. Pyatt will travel to the Czech Republic and Germany on February 15 and 16. In Prague, Assistant Secretary Pyatt will meet with government and energy sector representatives to discuss U.S.-Czech cooperation on supporting Ukraine’s emergency energy sector needs and long-term reconstruction. They will also discuss furthering the U.S.-Czech energy partnership, including the deployment of nuclear energy including small modular reactors in Europe. His engagements will emphasize the need for diverse clean energy supply chains and the global clean energy transition.
On February 16, Assistant Secretary Pyatt will participate in the 60th Munich Security Conference, joining the U.S. delegation including Vice President Kamala Harris, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, and Special Representative for Ukraine Reconstruction and Economic Recovery Penny Pritzker.
Assistant Secretary Pyatt’s engagements will center on critical minerals, energy security for U.S. allies and partners in ongoing response to Russia’s brutal and illegal invasion of Ukraine, and the United States’ enduring commitment to Ukraine’s economic recovery and European integration. His discussions will also emphasize the need for diverse clean energy supply chains, accelerating decarbonization, and the global clean energy transition.
For further media information, please contact ENR-PD-Clearances@state.gov.
Assistant Secretary Pyatt’s Travel to Prague and the Munich Security Conference
02/12/2024
Assistant Secretary Pyatt’s Travel to Prague and the Munich Security Conference
02/12/2024 08:56 PM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
Assistant Secretary for Energy Resources Geoffrey R. Pyatt will travel to the Czech Republic and Germany on February 15 and 16. In Prague, Assistant Secretary Pyatt will meet with government and energy sector representatives to discuss U.S.-Czech cooperation on supporting Ukraine’s emergency energy sector needs and long-term reconstruction. They will also discuss furthering the U.S.-Czech energy partnership, including the deployment of nuclear energy including small modular reactors in Europe. His engagements will emphasize the need for diverse clean energy supply chains and the global clean energy transition.
On February 16, Assistant Secretary Pyatt will participate in the 60th Munich Security Conference, joining the U.S. delegation including Vice President Kamala Harris, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, and Special Representative for Ukraine Reconstruction and Economic Recovery Penny Pritzker.
Assistant Secretary Pyatt’s engagements will center on critical minerals, energy security for U.S. allies and partners in ongoing response to Russia’s brutal and illegal invasion of Ukraine, and the United States’ enduring commitment to Ukraine’s economic recovery and European integration. His discussions will also emphasize the need for diverse clean energy supply chains, accelerating decarbonization, and the global clean energy transition.
For further media information, please contact ENR-PD-Clearances@state.gov.
Assistant Secretary Pyatt’s Travel to Paris for the IEA 2024 Ministerial and 50th Anniversary
02/12/2024
Assistant Secretary Pyatt’s Travel to Paris for the IEA 2024 Ministerial and 50th Anniversary
02/12/2024 08:48 PM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Energy Resources Geoffrey R. Pyatt will travel to Paris on February 13 for the International Energy Agency (IEA) 2024 Ministerial and 50th anniversary celebration as part of a U.S. interagency delegation including Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry and Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm. Assistant Secretary Pyatt will engage with international energy officials, private sector leaders, academia, and representatives from international organizations to advance policy solutions to address pressing issues related to energy security, energy access, and decarbonization.
The IEA traces its founding to the Washington Energy Conference, hosted by former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger to address the oil shocks of 1973 and 1974. Since that first meeting at the Department of State fifty years ago, the IEA has grown to ensure secure and sustainable energy supplies to the global economy.
Marking this milestone anniversary, Assistant Secretary Pyatt will join high-level dialogues on energy policy, fortifying global supply chains, and the imperative of advancing the energy transition. In these engagements, he will emphasize the United States’ enduring commitment to Ukraine and the energy security of partners and allies.
For further media information, please contact ENR-PD-Clearances@state.gov.
Assistant Secretary Pyatt’s Travel to Paris for the IEA 2024 Ministerial and 50th Anniversary
02/12/2024
Assistant Secretary Pyatt’s Travel to Paris for the IEA 2024 Ministerial and 50th Anniversary
02/12/2024 08:48 PM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Energy Resources Geoffrey R. Pyatt will travel to Paris on February 13 for the International Energy Agency (IEA) 2024 Ministerial and 50th anniversary celebration as part of a U.S. interagency delegation including Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry and Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm. Assistant Secretary Pyatt will engage with international energy officials, private sector leaders, academia, and representatives from international organizations to advance policy solutions to address pressing issues related to energy security, energy access, and decarbonization.
The IEA traces its founding to the Washington Energy Conference, hosted by former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger to address the oil shocks of 1973 and 1974. Since that first meeting at the Department of State fifty years ago, the IEA has grown to ensure secure and sustainable energy supplies to the global economy.
Marking this milestone anniversary, Assistant Secretary Pyatt will join high-level dialogues on energy policy, fortifying global supply chains, and the imperative of advancing the energy transition. In these engagements, he will emphasize the United States’ enduring commitment to Ukraine and the energy security of partners and allies.
For further media information, please contact ENR-PD-Clearances@state.gov.
Assistant Secretary Pyatt’s Travel to Prague and the Munich Security Conference
02/12/2024
Assistant Secretary Pyatt’s Travel to Prague and the Munich Security Conference
02/12/2024 08:56 PM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
Assistant Secretary for Energy Resources Geoffrey R. Pyatt will travel to the Czech Republic and Germany on February 15 and 16. In Prague, Assistant Secretary Pyatt will meet with government and energy sector representatives to discuss U.S.-Czech cooperation on supporting Ukraine’s emergency energy sector needs and long-term reconstruction. They will also discuss furthering the U.S.-Czech energy partnership, including the deployment of nuclear energy including small modular reactors in Europe. His engagements will emphasize the need for diverse clean energy supply chains and the global clean energy transition.
On February 16, Assistant Secretary Pyatt will participate in the 60th Munich Security Conference, joining the U.S. delegation including Vice President Kamala Harris, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, and Special Representative for Ukraine Reconstruction and Economic Recovery Penny Pritzker.
Assistant Secretary Pyatt’s engagements will center on critical minerals, energy security for U.S. allies and partners in ongoing response to Russia’s brutal and illegal invasion of Ukraine, and the United States’ enduring commitment to Ukraine’s economic recovery and European integration. His discussions will also emphasize the need for diverse clean energy supply chains, accelerating decarbonization, and the global clean energy transition.
For further media information, please contact ENR-PD-Clearances@state.gov.
Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Parnpree
02/12/2024
Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Parnpree
02/12/2024 09:11 PM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, D.C.
The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller:
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met with Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara today in Washington, D.C. Secretary Blinken reaffirmed the importance of the U.S.-Thailand alliance, and the two sides discussed opportunities to strengthen cooperation across a range of bilateral and global issues.
Secretary Blinken emphasized U.S. commitment to increasing collaboration on trade and investment, broadening our security cooperation as we promote a free and open Indo-Pacific, and deepening people-to-people ties, including through new academic partnerships and enhanced existing institutional relationships. He affirmed the United States’ unwavering commitment to ASEAN centrality and implementation of the U.S.-ASEAN Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The two sides spoke about the importance of democracy, the protection of human rights, and the need to ensure that all citizens can freely participate in the political process.
Secretary Blinken also discussed regional and global issues, including efforts with Thailand and ASEAN to address the worsening crisis in Burma. They emphasized the urgent need to expand humanitarian assistance to displaced people in Burma and in the region and urged the regime to pursue inclusive dialogue among all stakeholders, release all those unjustly detained, end the violence, and put Burma back on a path to democratic civilian governance. Secretary Blinken stressed U.S. commitment to secure the release of all remaining hostages held by Hamas. Lastly, Secretary Blinken welcomed the increase in high-level engagements between the United States and Thailand, pointing to the U.S.-Thailand Strategic and Defense Dialogue on February 28-29 as another example through which U.S. and Thai officials will build upon 190 years of diplomatic relations to further strengthen our alliance and partnership.
Special Advisor on International Disability Rights Minkara Travels to France, Germany, Italy, The Holy See, and Austria
02/13/2024
Special Advisor on International Disability Rights Minkara Travels to France, Germany, Italy, The Holy See, and Austria
02/13/2024 08:57 AM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
U.S. Department of State Special Advisor on International Disability Rights (SAIDR) Sara Minkara will travel to France, Germany, Italy, the Holy See, and Austria from February 13 to 24. In Paris, SAIDR Minkara will discuss accessibility for the Paralympics. In Munich, she will attend the Munich Security Conference to promote the integration of disability rights within the framework of security cooperation. In Rome, she will meet with officials to discuss Italy’s launch of the first-ever G7 Ministerial level Political track on Inclusion and Disability. In Vatican City, she will discuss creating spaces for persons with disabilities to engage in faith-based communities freely and equally. In Vienna, she will attend the Zero Project Conference with other disability leaders to highlight the importance of partnership to advance respect for disability rights across all sectors.
Follow Special Advisor Minkara on the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor’s Facebook and Twitter @StateDRL and Instagram @usa_humanrights. For media inquiries, please contact DRL-Press@state.gov.
Special Advisor on International Disability Rights Minkara Travels to France, Germany, Italy, The Holy See, and Austria
02/13/2024
Special Advisor on International Disability Rights Minkara Travels to France, Germany, Italy, The Holy See, and Austria
02/13/2024 08:57 AM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
U.S. Department of State Special Advisor on International Disability Rights (SAIDR) Sara Minkara will travel to France, Germany, Italy, the Holy See, and Austria from February 13 to 24. In Paris, SAIDR Minkara will discuss accessibility for the Paralympics. In Munich, she will attend the Munich Security Conference to promote the integration of disability rights within the framework of security cooperation. In Rome, she will meet with officials to discuss Italy’s launch of the first-ever G7 Ministerial level Political track on Inclusion and Disability. In Vatican City, she will discuss creating spaces for persons with disabilities to engage in faith-based communities freely and equally. In Vienna, she will attend the Zero Project Conference with other disability leaders to highlight the importance of partnership to advance respect for disability rights across all sectors.
Follow Special Advisor Minkara on the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor’s Facebook and Twitter @StateDRL and Instagram @usa_humanrights. For media inquiries, please contact DRL-Press@state.gov.
U.S. Department of State Announces the 2023-2024 Top Producing U.S. Colleges and Universities of Fulbright Students and Scholars
02/13/2024
U.S. Department of State Announces the 2023-2024 Top Producing U.S. Colleges and Universities of Fulbright Students and Scholars
02/13/2024 09:31 AM EST
HomeOffice of the SpokespersonPress Releases…U.S. Department of State Announces the 2023-2024 Top Producing U.S. Colleges and Universities of Fulbright Students and Scholars
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U.S. Department of State Announces the 2023-2024 Top Producing U.S. Colleges and Universities of Fulbright Students and Scholars
Media Note
February 13, 2024
In support of the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to higher education and study abroad, the U.S. Department of State has recognized 170 higher education institutions in 37 states and the District of Columbia that have the highest number of candidates selected for the Fulbright U.S. Student and Scholar Programs for the 2023-2024 academic year. Fulbright Top Producing Institutions are diverse institutions that engage with the Fulbright Program, ensuring its broad impact on American communities across the country.
The institutions with the highest number of U.S. Scholars within their classification were California State Polytechnic University (Pomona, California), Kirkwood Community College (Cedar Rapids, Iowa), Middlebury College (Middlebury, Vermont), the Pennsylvania State University (State College, Pennsylvania), Salem State University (Salem, Massachusetts), and Western Washington University (Bellingham, Washington). Oregon Health & Science University (Portland, Oregon), and Chief Dull Knife College (Lame Deer, Montana) were also recognized as top producers among special focus institutions and tribal colleges, respectively. Fulbright U.S. Scholars are faculty, researchers, administrators, and established professionals who teach or conduct research in affiliation with institutions abroad.
The institutions with the highest number of U.S. Students within their classification were Bowdoin College (Brunswick, Maine), Georgetown University (Washington, D.C.), School of the Art Institute of Chicago (Chicago, Illinois), and the University of North Georgia (Dahlonega, Georgia). Fulbright U.S. Students are recent college graduates, graduate students, and early career professionals who participate in study/research exchanges or serve as English teaching assistants in local educational institutions abroad.
Twelve U.S. institutions had the distinction of being a top producer of both Fulbright U.S. Students and U.S. Scholars: Arizona State University (Tempe, Arizona), Bowdoin College (Brunswick, Maine), the George Washington University (Washington, D.C.), Middlebury College (Middlebury, Vermont), North Carolina State University at Raleigh (Raleigh, North Carolina), Reed College (Portland, Oregon), Rollins College (Winter Park, Florida), School of the Art Institute of Chicago (Chicago, Illinois), the University of Alabama (Tuscaloosa, Alabama), University of Maryland – College Park (College Park, Maryland), University of Massachusetts – Amherst (Amherst, Massachusetts), and University of Southern California (Los Angeles, California).
For more information and stories about the Fulbright Top Producing Institutions, and to view the full list of institutions, visit the Fulbright Top Producing Institutions website.
Since 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided over 400,000 talented and accomplished students, scholars, teachers, artists, and professionals of all backgrounds with the opportunity to study, teach, and conduct research abroad. Fulbrighters exchange ideas, build people-to-people connections, and work to address complex global challenges.
Interested media may contact the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at eca-press@state.gov.
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Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Education Education Programs Fulbright Fulbright Program Office of the Spokesperson
Ambassador Murray’s Travel to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore
02/13/2024
Ambassador Murray’s Travel to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore
02/13/2024 10:13 AM EST
HomeOffice of the SpokespersonPress Releases…Ambassador Murray’s Travel to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore
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Ambassador Murray’s Travel to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore
Media Note
February 13, 2024
U.S. Senior Official for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ambassador Matt Murray will travel to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, February 14-17 and to Singapore, February 17-21. In both cities Ambassador Murray will meet with government counterparts and the American business community to highlight broad U.S. economic engagement with the region as outlined in the Indo-Pacific Strategy Prosperity pillar.
In Kuala Lumpur, Ambassador Murray will participate in the first APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) meeting of the year and help lay the groundwork for expanded public-private collaboration during APEC 2024. The ABAC meeting will be chaired by Peru ABAC 2024 Chair Mrs. Julia Torreblanca and will explore ways to advance the APEC agenda, including through the annual dialogue between ABAC and APEC Senior Officials.
In Singapore, Ambassador Murray will participate in the APEC Outcomes 2023/Outlook 2024 event hosted by the APEC Secretariat focusing on the U.S. and Peru host years. During this event, he will highlight key outcomes from the U.S. APEC Host Year, along with insights from the 2023 APEC Economic Leaders’ Week and their implications for the future of the APEC region.
For further information, please contact the U.S. APEC Team at DOSAPEC@state.gov.
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Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs Economic Prosperity and Trade Policy Indo-Pacific Indo-Pacific Strategy Malaysia Office of the Spokesperson Official International Travel Singapore
Ambassador Murray’s Travel to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore
02/13/2024
Ambassador Murray’s Travel to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore
02/13/2024 10:13 AM EST
HomeOffice of the SpokespersonPress Releases…Ambassador Murray’s Travel to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore
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Ambassador Murray’s Travel to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore
Media Note
February 13, 2024
U.S. Senior Official for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ambassador Matt Murray will travel to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, February 14-17 and to Singapore, February 17-21. In both cities Ambassador Murray will meet with government counterparts and the American business community to highlight broad U.S. economic engagement with the region as outlined in the Indo-Pacific Strategy Prosperity pillar.
In Kuala Lumpur, Ambassador Murray will participate in the first APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) meeting of the year and help lay the groundwork for expanded public-private collaboration during APEC 2024. The ABAC meeting will be chaired by Peru ABAC 2024 Chair Mrs. Julia Torreblanca and will explore ways to advance the APEC agenda, including through the annual dialogue between ABAC and APEC Senior Officials.
In Singapore, Ambassador Murray will participate in the APEC Outcomes 2023/Outlook 2024 event hosted by the APEC Secretariat focusing on the U.S. and Peru host years. During this event, he will highlight key outcomes from the U.S. APEC Host Year, along with insights from the 2023 APEC Economic Leaders’ Week and their implications for the future of the APEC region.
For further information, please contact the U.S. APEC Team at DOSAPEC@state.gov.
Tags
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs Economic Prosperity and Trade Policy Indo-Pacific Indo-Pacific Strategy Malaysia Office of the Spokesperson Official International Travel Singapore
Secretary Antony J. Blinken at “Hostage Diplomacy as an International Security Threat: Strengthening Our Collective Action, Deterrence, and Response”
02/13/2024
Secretary Antony J. Blinken at “Hostage Diplomacy as an International Security Threat: Strengthening Our Collective Action, Deterrence, and Response”
02/13/2024 03:38 PM EST
HomeOffice of the SpokespersonPress Releases…Secretary Antony J. Blinken at “Hostage Diplomacy as an International Security Threat: Strengthening Our Collective Action, Deterrence, and Response”
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Secretary Antony J. Blinken at “Hostage Diplomacy as an International Security Threat: Strengthening Our Collective Action, Deterrence, and Response”
Remarks
February 13, 2024
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you very, very much. And the board meeting is now convened. (Laughter.)
Bishop, thank you for your powerful words, and very appropriate words. I think you pointed to something that is perhaps most significant of all in the moment that we’re all living, and is the greatest poison in the human well, and that is dehumanization – the inability to see the humanity in each other. When that happens, when our hearts harden, then it’s very, very difficult to move forward.
And so I hope that both your words and the work that we’re all doing together on this particular aspect of dehumanization – and that is arbitrary detention – will resonate.
Mark, thank you for your leadership over so many years in so many different ways. It’s particularly good to be here back at the Wilson Center. I’ve had the opportunity to be here over the years on many occasions. But this is an institution that is doing consequential work on the most significant challenges of our time. We’re grateful for it because, needless to say, there is no monopoly on ideas, never mind good ideas. And we certainly need them and welcome them.
I’m very grateful to our co-hosts as well from the Center for Strategic and International Studies – and I have a little bit of history with that wonderful institution, having been a senior fellow there some years ago – and Global Affairs Canada, as well as the experts, the journalists, and other partners from civil society who are here with us today. Each of you is critical to ending this practice of wrongful detention.
And I’d particularly like to recognize the formerly detained individuals and their families who are here today and that Mark’s already referenced. Not only extraordinary advocates, but indispensable partners. And the fact that having been through an experience that’s almost impossible for anyone who’s not been through it to fully describe or appreciate, the fact that you continue to lend your time, your efforts, your passion, your hearts to helping to end this practice and to helping others means a lot.
And last but not least, to my colleague and to my friend, Mélanie Joly, the foreign minister of Canada. Mélanie’s personal commitment to this issue – bringing arbitrarily detained people home, supporting their families, strengthening our international response – this builds on decades of Canadian leadership, and it’s been instrumental in getting us to the place we’re at today.
And then finally finally, as we’re doing thanks – Mark’s mentioned this, but I have to give a special tip of the hat to my friend and colleague, Roger Carstens, our Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs. Now, Roger’s office is lined with photographs of unjustly held Americans. He, his team, are constantly traveling the country, constantly traveling the world to visit with families, to try to find ways forward. And what I’ve seen over these past three years is a leader and a team that lead especially with extraordinary empathy and absolute determination, so that we can look families in the eye and say, we are doing everything possible to bring your loved ones home. I carry with me and have in my office a card where I have the names of every arbitrarily detained American around the world. And of all the things that I get some pleasure from doing in this job, none gives me greater pleasure than crossing a name off of that list.
Thanks to the work of Roger, his team; thanks to the very difficult decisions that President Biden has made over the course of the last three years, we have been able to cross out 45 names since 2021, including just in December when we brought home six American citizens, the last Americans wrongfully held in Venezuela.
But there are still too many people on that list. And I know that homecomings are bittersweet things, even painful things, for the families whose loved ones remain detained. I mean, on the one hand it’s a reminder that everything is possible, and that, yes, we are going to bring their loved one home. But until that day happens, it’s also painful.
Yesterday, as it happens, I spoke on the phone with Paul Whelan. Our intensive efforts to bring Paul home continue every single day, and they will until he and Evan Gershkovich and every other American wrongfully detained is back with their loved ones.
We’re also working to bring home the remaining hostages in Gaza, who’ve now been held for more than 130 days. We’re working intensely with Egypt, with Qatar, on a proposal to bring about their release. I’ve also met with their families multiple times. They’re being supported by our SPEHA team. The agony that they face – simply not knowing, not knowing the fate of their loved ones – is beyond our imaginations.
And here’s the truly heartbreaking part: Unfortunately, this is part of a rising trend. Increasingly, states – but also non-state actors – are wrongfully detaining people, often as political pawns. This practice threatens the safety of everyone who travels, conducts business, who lives abroad. It’s, of course, a brazen violation of individual human rights of the victims, a violation of international law, a violation of state sovereignty – and first and foremost, a violation of their basic humanity.
Back in July of 2022, President Biden declared that hostage-taking and wrongful detention are a national emergency. That declaration – building on the bipartisan Robert Levinson Act – has expanded the toolkit that we can use to help get our people home, with sanctions, with visa restrictions, with greater coordination across our own government.
Now, bringing people home is our primary focus. But it is not, in and of itself and alone, enough to resolve what is genuinely a crisis. The international community has to join together to deter future detentions – so that we can actually put an end to this practice once and for all. And the most effective way to do that is through collective action. For all that any one of our individual countries can bring to the table, we can bring so much more – and this is at the heart of the Canadian initiative – when we’re actually acting together.
That’s the spirit behind the Declaration Against Arbitrary Detention in State-to-State Relations. Now 74 countries plus the European Union have signed on to this initiative. And we’re proud to have endorsed the declaration back in January of 2021.
This coalition is raising the financial and reputational costs of arbitrary detention, and strengthening global pressure against it. We’re synchronizing best practices for deterrence. We’re building out a global network of hostage affairs envoys like Roger – and I’m happy to see that Canada’s first senior official for hostage affairs, Julie Sunday, is also with us today.
We’re working with partners outside of government, like Global Affairs Canada independent international panel on arbitrary detention and CSIS’s bipartisan Hostage Commission, to better use existing legal frameworks to target this practice.
Together, we’re sending a clear message: Our citizens are not human bargaining chips. They are not political pawns. If any country wrongfully holds any of our people, we will hold them accountable.
Working with our Canadian friends, we’re trying to expand this partnership to make it more inclusive. The declaration’s first ministerial, held at the United Nations General Assembly last fall co-hosted by Malawi and Costa Rica, welcomed representatives from every part of the world. We’re also engaging the private sector to raise awareness of this threat and develop resources to make employees safe while abroad.
Now, keep in mind, countries that engage in this practice are also increasingly isolating themselves. Who in their right minds would want to travel to a country, engage in business in a country, work in a country, live in a country that engages in the practice of arbitrary detention? So this is a sure path to pariah status. Now, unfortunately, a number of the countries engaged in this practice are already in that category, but it should be a reminder to each and every one that this is a path that leads to nowhere for them and for all engaged.
Now, as Mark mentioned, we’re joined today, among others, by Siamak Namazi. Before his release last September, Siamak was the longest wrongfully detained American in Iran. When he was released, he wrote that, in prison, and I quote, he “experienced the worst of humanity every day. But outside of those walls, there were countless people who reminded of the best of humanity.” And a number of those people are in this room.
Family members. Lawyers. Neighbors. Colleagues. Fellow prisoners. Strangers from around the world who ensured that he was not forgotten. And through their advocacy, helping him reunite with his loved ones and, ultimately, return home.
Our single most powerful tool to bring people home and deter future detentions is our collective will and our collective action, rooted in our common humanity.
Today, that’s clearly on display. So I simply want to say I’m grateful to everyone who’s here, not just for being here today but for this ongoing commitment to a singular and important mission. And I am convinced that through the work that you’re doing, through the work that we’re doing together, we will not stop until every family is made whole and until this practice stops once and for all.
Thank you very much. (Applause.)
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Arms Control and Nonproliferation Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation International Security Office of the Spokesperson The Secretary of State
Secretary Antony J. Blinken at “Hostage Diplomacy as an International Security Threat: Strengthening Our Collective Action, Deterrence, and Response”
02/13/2024
Secretary Antony J. Blinken at “Hostage Diplomacy as an International Security Threat: Strengthening Our Collective Action, Deterrence, and Response”
02/13/2024 03:38 PM EST
HomeOffice of the SpokespersonPress Releases…Secretary Antony J. Blinken at “Hostage Diplomacy as an International Security Threat: Strengthening Our Collective Action, Deterrence, and Response”
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Secretary Antony J. Blinken at “Hostage Diplomacy as an International Security Threat: Strengthening Our Collective Action, Deterrence, and Response”
Remarks
February 13, 2024
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you very, very much. And the board meeting is now convened. (Laughter.)
Bishop, thank you for your powerful words, and very appropriate words. I think you pointed to something that is perhaps most significant of all in the moment that we’re all living, and is the greatest poison in the human well, and that is dehumanization – the inability to see the humanity in each other. When that happens, when our hearts harden, then it’s very, very difficult to move forward.
And so I hope that both your words and the work that we’re all doing together on this particular aspect of dehumanization – and that is arbitrary detention – will resonate.
Mark, thank you for your leadership over so many years in so many different ways. It’s particularly good to be here back at the Wilson Center. I’ve had the opportunity to be here over the years on many occasions. But this is an institution that is doing consequential work on the most significant challenges of our time. We’re grateful for it because, needless to say, there is no monopoly on ideas, never mind good ideas. And we certainly need them and welcome them.
I’m very grateful to our co-hosts as well from the Center for Strategic and International Studies – and I have a little bit of history with that wonderful institution, having been a senior fellow there some years ago – and Global Affairs Canada, as well as the experts, the journalists, and other partners from civil society who are here with us today. Each of you is critical to ending this practice of wrongful detention.
And I’d particularly like to recognize the formerly detained individuals and their families who are here today and that Mark’s already referenced. Not only extraordinary advocates, but indispensable partners. And the fact that having been through an experience that’s almost impossible for anyone who’s not been through it to fully describe or appreciate, the fact that you continue to lend your time, your efforts, your passion, your hearts to helping to end this practice and to helping others means a lot.
And last but not least, to my colleague and to my friend, Mélanie Joly, the foreign minister of Canada. Mélanie’s personal commitment to this issue – bringing arbitrarily detained people home, supporting their families, strengthening our international response – this builds on decades of Canadian leadership, and it’s been instrumental in getting us to the place we’re at today.
And then finally finally, as we’re doing thanks – Mark’s mentioned this, but I have to give a special tip of the hat to my friend and colleague, Roger Carstens, our Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs. Now, Roger’s office is lined with photographs of unjustly held Americans. He, his team, are constantly traveling the country, constantly traveling the world to visit with families, to try to find ways forward. And what I’ve seen over these past three years is a leader and a team that lead especially with extraordinary empathy and absolute determination, so that we can look families in the eye and say, we are doing everything possible to bring your loved ones home. I carry with me and have in my office a card where I have the names of every arbitrarily detained American around the world. And of all the things that I get some pleasure from doing in this job, none gives me greater pleasure than crossing a name off of that list.
Thanks to the work of Roger, his team; thanks to the very difficult decisions that President Biden has made over the course of the last three years, we have been able to cross out 45 names since 2021, including just in December when we brought home six American citizens, the last Americans wrongfully held in Venezuela.
But there are still too many people on that list. And I know that homecomings are bittersweet things, even painful things, for the families whose loved ones remain detained. I mean, on the one hand it’s a reminder that everything is possible, and that, yes, we are going to bring their loved one home. But until that day happens, it’s also painful.
Yesterday, as it happens, I spoke on the phone with Paul Whelan. Our intensive efforts to bring Paul home continue every single day, and they will until he and Evan Gershkovich and every other American wrongfully detained is back with their loved ones.
We’re also working to bring home the remaining hostages in Gaza, who’ve now been held for more than 130 days. We’re working intensely with Egypt, with Qatar, on a proposal to bring about their release. I’ve also met with their families multiple times. They’re being supported by our SPEHA team. The agony that they face – simply not knowing, not knowing the fate of their loved ones – is beyond our imaginations.
And here’s the truly heartbreaking part: Unfortunately, this is part of a rising trend. Increasingly, states – but also non-state actors – are wrongfully detaining people, often as political pawns. This practice threatens the safety of everyone who travels, conducts business, who lives abroad. It’s, of course, a brazen violation of individual human rights of the victims, a violation of international law, a violation of state sovereignty – and first and foremost, a violation of their basic humanity.
Back in July of 2022, President Biden declared that hostage-taking and wrongful detention are a national emergency. That declaration – building on the bipartisan Robert Levinson Act – has expanded the toolkit that we can use to help get our people home, with sanctions, with visa restrictions, with greater coordination across our own government.
Now, bringing people home is our primary focus. But it is not, in and of itself and alone, enough to resolve what is genuinely a crisis. The international community has to join together to deter future detentions – so that we can actually put an end to this practice once and for all. And the most effective way to do that is through collective action. For all that any one of our individual countries can bring to the table, we can bring so much more – and this is at the heart of the Canadian initiative – when we’re actually acting together.
That’s the spirit behind the Declaration Against Arbitrary Detention in State-to-State Relations. Now 74 countries plus the European Union have signed on to this initiative. And we’re proud to have endorsed the declaration back in January of 2021.
This coalition is raising the financial and reputational costs of arbitrary detention, and strengthening global pressure against it. We’re synchronizing best practices for deterrence. We’re building out a global network of hostage affairs envoys like Roger – and I’m happy to see that Canada’s first senior official for hostage affairs, Julie Sunday, is also with us today.
We’re working with partners outside of government, like Global Affairs Canada independent international panel on arbitrary detention and CSIS’s bipartisan Hostage Commission, to better use existing legal frameworks to target this practice.
Together, we’re sending a clear message: Our citizens are not human bargaining chips. They are not political pawns. If any country wrongfully holds any of our people, we will hold them accountable.
Working with our Canadian friends, we’re trying to expand this partnership to make it more inclusive. The declaration’s first ministerial, held at the United Nations General Assembly last fall co-hosted by Malawi and Costa Rica, welcomed representatives from every part of the world. We’re also engaging the private sector to raise awareness of this threat and develop resources to make employees safe while abroad.
Now, keep in mind, countries that engage in this practice are also increasingly isolating themselves. Who in their right minds would want to travel to a country, engage in business in a country, work in a country, live in a country that engages in the practice of arbitrary detention? So this is a sure path to pariah status. Now, unfortunately, a number of the countries engaged in this practice are already in that category, but it should be a reminder to each and every one that this is a path that leads to nowhere for them and for all engaged.
Now, as Mark mentioned, we’re joined today, among others, by Siamak Namazi. Before his release last September, Siamak was the longest wrongfully detained American in Iran. When he was released, he wrote that, in prison, and I quote, he “experienced the worst of humanity every day. But outside of those walls, there were countless people who reminded of the best of humanity.” And a number of those people are in this room.
Family members. Lawyers. Neighbors. Colleagues. Fellow prisoners. Strangers from around the world who ensured that he was not forgotten. And through their advocacy, helping him reunite with his loved ones and, ultimately, return home.
Our single most powerful tool to bring people home and deter future detentions is our collective will and our collective action, rooted in our common humanity.
Today, that’s clearly on display. So I simply want to say I’m grateful to everyone who’s here, not just for being here today but for this ongoing commitment to a singular and important mission. And I am convinced that through the work that you’re doing, through the work that we’re doing together, we will not stop until every family is made whole and until this practice stops once and for all.
Thank you very much. (Applause.)
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Arms Control and Nonproliferation Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation International Security Office of the Spokesperson
Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with Jordanian King Abdullah II
02/13/2024
Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with Jordanian King Abdullah II
02/13/2024 03:45 PM EST
HomeOffice of the SpokespersonPress Releases…Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with Jordanian King Abdullah II
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Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with Jordanian King Abdullah II
Readout
February 13, 2024
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met today with His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan in Washington. The Secretary expressed gratitude for the longstanding partnership between the two nations, acknowledging the 75th anniversary of U.S.-Jordan diplomatic relations. The Secretary emphasized the importance of the U.S.-Jordan partnership as a pillar of stability in the region and underlined the U.S. commitment to working with our Jordanian partners to further regional peace and security. He thanked King Abdullah for Jordan’s continued efforts to bring critical humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians in Gaza and they discussed ways to expedite the flow of additional aid to Gaza from Jordan.
Secretary Blinken and King Abdullah continued discussions about achieving an enduring end to the crisis in Gaza that provides lasting peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians alike, and Secretary Blinken underscored the U.S. commitment to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with security guarantees for Israel.
As the holy month of Ramadan approaches, Secretary Blinken also underlined the need to preserve the historic status quo at Jerusalem’s Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount and recognized the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan’s special role in the Muslim holy shrines in Jerusalem.
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Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration Human Rights and Democracy Jordan Office of the Spokesperson Refugee and Humanitarian Assistance The Secretary of State
Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly before Their Meeting
02/13/2024ian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly before Their Meeting
02/13/2024 04:33 PM EST
HomeOffice of the SpokespersonPress Releases…Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly before Their Meeting
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Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly before Their Meeting
Remarks
February 13, 2024
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Well, good afternoon, everyone. Mélanie, it’s a wonderful pleasure to have you here, my friend, my colleague of several years now, and particularly good to have you here today at the State Department. We have a lot of work that we’re doing together on a regular basis. On a – on bilateral issues, regional issues, global issues, the United States and Canada are the closest of partners.
And when it comes to our bilateral issues, we have a shared responsibility to manage the Columbia River, and we’ve been working on an agreement to modernize the work that we do together, and hope very much that we can bring that to conclusion soon.
Regionally, of course, we’ve been doing so much in the context of the North American Leaders’ Summit, as well as beyond. I think very good work by our teams with our Mexican colleagues as well on issues that matter profoundly to our people, including, for example, synthetic opioids, fentanyl and others.
And then of course, on a global basis, the United States and Canada are joined in trying to deal with many of the challenges of this moment, whether it’s the ongoing Russian aggression against Ukraine, whether it’s the war between Israel and Hamas, and whether, closer to home, it’s the challenges in Haiti. So I look very much forward, Mélanie, to talking about all of that with you.
And then this afternoon, we also have an opportunity to speak together about something that is near and dear to both of our hearts, where Canada has been leading these past years, and that’s the whole question of arbitrary detention, citizens of our countries and many others who are arbitrarily detained and used as political pawns. Canada has been leading an effort to bring countries around the world together to face that challenge, to meet that challenge, and to make sure that we see real change in the conduct of countries that would engage in it.
Welcome.
FOREIGN MINISTER JOLY: Thank you, Tony. It’s a pleasure to be here and to be at the State Department and to meet all of your team again. Indeed, Canada and the U.S. have worked over the years to make sure that we live in a more secure world and that people on both side of our border are safe and secure as well.
I look forward to talking to you about many bilateral important aspects that are dear to our people, including, of course, the Columbia River Treaty, but also working on energy security together.
And we know that there are many important regional issues, including Haiti, that we will be talking about, as well as international security issues, as we’re dealing with an international security crisis. Of course, Ukraine – I was just in Ukraine, looking forward to debriefing you on it – as well as long-term peace in the Middle East, including a two-state solution process.
(In French.)
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Merci.
FOREIGN MINISTER JOLY: Thank you.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Merci, tout le monde.
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Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs Canada Climate and Environment Economic Prosperity and Trade Policy International Security Office of the Spokesperson The Secretary of State Treaties and International Agreements Water
Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly before Their Meeting
02/13/2024
Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly before Their Meeting
02/13/2024 04:33 PM EST
HomeOffice of the SpokespersonPress Releases…Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly before Their Meeting
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Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly before Their Meeting
Remarks
February 13, 2024
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Well, good afternoon, everyone. Mélanie, it’s a wonderful pleasure to have you here, my friend, my colleague of several years now, and particularly good to have you here today at the State Department. We have a lot of work that we’re doing together on a regular basis. On a – on bilateral issues, regional issues, global issues, the United States and Canada are the closest of partners.
And when it comes to our bilateral issues, we have a shared responsibility to manage the Columbia River, and we’ve been working on an agreement to modernize the work that we do together, and hope very much that we can bring that to conclusion soon.
Regionally, of course, we’ve been doing so much in the context of the North American Leaders’ Summit, as well as beyond. I think very good work by our teams with our Mexican colleagues as well on issues that matter profoundly to our people, including, for example, synthetic opioids, fentanyl and others.
And then of course, on a global basis, the United States and Canada are joined in trying to deal with many of the challenges of this moment, whether it’s the ongoing Russian aggression against Ukraine, whether it’s the war between Israel and Hamas, and whether, closer to home, it’s the challenges in Haiti. So I look very much forward, Mélanie, to talking about all of that with you.
And then this afternoon, we also have an opportunity to speak together about something that is near and dear to both of our hearts, where Canada has been leading these past years, and that’s the whole question of arbitrary detention, citizens of our countries and many others who are arbitrarily detained and used as political pawns. Canada has been leading an effort to bring countries around the world together to face that challenge, to meet that challenge, and to make sure that we see real change in the conduct of countries that would engage in it.
Welcome.
FOREIGN MINISTER JOLY: Thank you, Tony. It’s a pleasure to be here and to be at the State Department and to meet all of your team again. Indeed, Canada and the U.S. have worked over the years to make sure that we live in a more secure world and that people on both side of our border are safe and secure as well.
I look forward to talking to you about many bilateral important aspects that are dear to our people, including, of course, the Columbia River Treaty, but also working on energy security together.
And we know that there are many important regional issues, including Haiti, that we will be talking about, as well as international security issues, as we’re dealing with an international security crisis. Of course, Ukraine – I was just in Ukraine, looking forward to debriefing you on it – as well as long-term peace in the Middle East, including a two-state solution process.
(In French.)
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Merci.
FOREIGN MINISTER JOLY: Thank you.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Merci, tout le monde.
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Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs Canada Climate and Environment Economic Prosperity and Trade Policy International Security Office of the Spokesperson The Secretary of State Treaties and International Agreements Water
Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with Canadian Foreign Minister Joly
02/13/2024
Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with Canadian Foreign Minister Joly
02/13/2024 06:05 PM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller:
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met with Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly today in Washington, D.C. Secretary Blinken and Foreign Minister Joly discussed the urgent need to reach agreement on a modernized Columbia River Treaty regime. The Secretary and the Foreign Minister also reaffirmed their joint commitment to support Ukraine, achieve a durable peace in the Middle East, and enable a Multinational Security Support mission to Haiti.
Secretary Blinken’s Call with Senegalese President Sall
02/13/2024
Secretary Blinken’s Call with Senegalese President Sall
02/13/2024 06:01 PM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller:
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with Senegalese President Macky Sall to convey the United States’ serious concerns about Senegal’s current political situation following actions to postpone the presidential election. The Secretary urged President Sall to restore Senegal’s electoral calendar and timeline for presidential transition in accordance with Senegal’s constitution. Secretary Blinken also voiced concern about heightened political tensions and the potential for further domestic and regional instability as a result of recent events.
Department Press Briefing – February 13, 2024
02/13/2024
Department Press Briefing – February 13, 2024
02/13/2024 06:21 PM EST
HomeDepartment Press Briefing – February 13, 2024
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Department Press Briefing – February 13, 2024
February 13, 2024
2:30 p.m. EST
MR MILLER: Good afternoon, everyone. Sorry to be a little late, or a lot late actually. I’m going to start with some opening comments about travel.
Secretary Blinken will leave tomorrow for travel to Tirana, Albania, and Munich, Germany. This will be the Secretary’s first trip to Albania and while there, he will reaffirm the strength of the United States’ relationship with Albania.
Albania has been a strong voice in support of Ukraine’s defense of its sovereignty and freedom against Russia’s brutal aggression. Albania was a principled leader during its tenure on the UN Security Council and as the 2020 OSCE Chair, and is a key partner for stability and progress in the Western Balkans.
The Secretary will then travel to the Munich Security Conference as part of the delegation led by Vice President Harris. While in Munich, Secretary Blinken will hold bilateral meetings with global leaders and underscore the importance of the enduring U.S. commitment to the NATO Alliance. The NATO Alliance has secured a historic peace for both the United States and Europe for the past 75 years and is helping the United States maintain an edge over our adversaries for the future.
The Secretary will also reaffirm the United States’ enduring support for the people of Ukraine, continue discussions with partners on how to achieve lasting peace and security in the Middle East, and highlight our steadfast commitment to transatlantic security. We will have more announcements about his individual meetings in Munich over the course of the trip.
And with that, I will take your questions. Humeyra, you want to start?
QUESTION: Hi, Matt. So —
MR MILLER: You’re in a different seat today. I didn’t know people were allowed to change seats.
QUESTION: I think we can – we can have some mobility here.
QUESTION: (Inaudible.)
MR MILLER: You’re not allowed; you can only sit there. It’d be confusing.
Humeyra.
QUESTION: And Matt is not here, so I just want to —
MR MILLER: I noticed, yeah.
QUESTION: I just wanted to ask a little bit about UNRWA given that the supplemental passed in the Senate, although we know it has a long way in the House and all that. But there is a provision – a provision has been added recently basically barring United States from resuming its funding for UNRWA. I just want to sort of a little bit do fact checking. Does that mean that the question of whether or not the United States will resume its funding to UNRWA, when and if the investigation is concluded, is in a way irrelevant and this provision makes it almost impossible for the administration to resume its funding for the agency?
MR MILLER: So I think it’s hard to answer the question because the high degree of uncertainty that you kind of got at the intro to your question, which is this is a law that has passed on chamber of Congress. We don’t know what will happen in the House, but as you heard the President just say, we very much urge that Congress – that the House take up the legislation and pass it.
That being said, we don’t know what the final provision will be, but of course we will comply with the law whatever it ultimately looks like.
QUESTION: But the way the provision has been added, it looks like there was quite a lot of bipartisan support from Congress. So do you think that that would mean even if this supplemental fails, there is going to be another legislation and this provision will likely be put in there? How concerned are you, basically, that the administration by law will be barred from resuming its funding for UNRWA, and what alternatives are you looking at?
MR MILLER: So I just don’t want to get into trying to speculate about what Congress might do. As you know, that is always somewhat of an unpredictable situation, and I think it’s an incredibly unpredictable situation right now if you just look at the back and forth over this very piece of legislation between the House and the Senate over the past few weeks. I will say, as a general principle, we support the work that UNRWA does. We support delivering humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people in Gaza. The United States has been the largest funder of humanitarian assistance to Palestinians, and we expect to continue funding humanitarian assistance to Palestinians.
We, of course, have suspended our funding to UNRWA while the investigation is ongoing. We don’t know what Congress ultimately will do, but we will explore any and all available alternatives to ensure that humanitarian assistance can continue to flow from the United States to innocent civilians who need it.
QUESTION: And are you already looking at options – those options, like rerouting this money to alternative, like, humanitarian organizations on the ground? And are you encouraging other countries to resume their funding or even, like, increase their funding?
MR MILLER: I don’t want to get too much into internal deliberations, and I certainly don’t want to get into the conversations that we’re having with other countries. As you know, we have suspended our funding. I know other countries have done the same. I know we’ve done that in good faith because we think it’s important to see the results of the investigation, and it’s a legitimate thing for other countries to want to wait and see the results of the investigation and how UNRWA responds to that investigation as well.
But of course, we are always looking at all available alternatives. We see the legislation that has passed in one branch of Congress. It is certainly possible that that could pass through another branch and ultimately be the law. Also, of course we look at all available alternatives because, as I said, it is our priority to ensure that innocent civilians in Gaza can continue to get humanitarian assistance from the United States and from other countries who want to provide it to them.
QUESTION: Okay. Final thing is, like, the end of February is a critical date for UNRWA. So do you have, like, anything concrete planning towards that date? It’s not too distant in the future.
MR MILLER: As I said, we are engaging in conversations with the United Nations and with our international partners about the importance of ensuring that humanitarian assistance is not interrupted. We’ll continue to do that. There’s nothing I can provide you in terms of specifics today, but those are conversations that are ongoing. And I would also say this does highlight why it’s important that the United Nations investigation proceed as quickly as possible, because of this very real challenge.
QUESTION: Could I – could I – oh, that’s fine.
MR MILLER: Yeah, go ahead.
QUESTION: Suppose that the investigation comes satisfactory and so on. Will the U.S. make a commitment that – to continue to —
MR MILLER: So Said, whenever you start a question with “suppose,” it’s like starting with a question with “if.”
QUESTION: Okay. Well —
MR MILLER: You get to a hypothetical; I don’t want to engage in a hypothetical. We will wait and see what the —
QUESTION: Right, okay. No, I mean, you are – you are (inaudible) —
MR MILLER: Let me – let me just finish my answer. We will wait and see what the results of the investigation show, and importantly, how the United Nations and how UNRWA respond to the results of that investigation. That is as important. But both the backward-looking aspect of it – the backward-looking aspect of it is important; so is the forward-looking aspect in terms of how they respond, how they impose accountability for any employees who are shown to have engaged in wrongdoing, and how they put in place any measures to ensure this can’t be repeated in the future.
QUESTION: Okay. Now, we know that UNRWA is not only in Gaza. It is in the West Bank; it is in Jordan; it is in Lebanon; it is in Syria. I mean, it takes care of millions of Palestinians. I mean, do you see an alternative to UNRWA after so many decades of being there, knowing exactly what to do, making sure that Palestinians in these refugee – awful refugee places are able to eat and go to school, get medical care?
MR MILLER: So Said, we support the work that UNRWA does.
QUESTION: Right.
MR MILLER: So I just – but this is —
QUESTION: You’re the biggest donor.
MR MILLER: I just – I want to make sure that is very clear. We support —
QUESTION: Yeah. You are the largest donor.
MR MILLER: I know. We support – that is exactly right. And that is why we think it’s so important that they conduct this investigation. And that is – I mean, this is just kind of – we’re speaking with this in relation to UNRWA, but this is always true when you see credible allegations of wrongdoing at any organization, whether it be a government entity, whether it be a nonprofit, whether it be a private corporation. It’s important that that organization take action to ensure that people are held accountable, that they implement reforms as necessary. And that is all the more so – more true at an organization that depends on funding from donors, as UNRWA does.
QUESTION: Okay. But I don’t want to belabor the issue —
MR MILLER: Please do.
QUESTION: — obviously that you – (laughter) – yeah, okay, I will belabor the issue. (Laughter.)
MR MILLER: Don’t say things that aren’t true, Said. (Laughter.)
QUESTION: Okay. Exactly. But this is the thing. I mean, we are all expecting this investigation to conclude, and this investigation either can conclude positively or negatively. They say okay, this is it, we are going to take one measure, one, two, three, four, five measures. So at least hypothetically, if you’ll allow me – (laughter) – if these – if and when – I mean, one would expect that the results would be satisfactory to all the donors. If they are, then one should expect that UNRWA would continue to function.
MR MILLER: When this investigation concludes, we will have a response to it. But I don’t want, for obvious reasons, to offer what that response might be while the investigation is very much going – is very much underway. But as I said, we support the work that UNRWA does, not just in Gaza but everywhere else where it operates, because it provides humanitarian assistance that is critical.
QUESTION: This is what I mean. Even if you get a satisfactory result from the investigation, but the Congress is barring you from, like —
QUESTION: Yes, exactly.
QUESTION: They’re going ahead with – they’re prohibiting you to fund UNRWA, then what are you going to do? What’s your solution?
MR MILLER: As I said, we will explore all available alternatives to deliver humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people. We will follow the law, however. We don’t have any choice to do that, and, of course, that’s what we’ll do.
QUESTION: Could there be an executive waiver in this case?
MR MILLER: I’ll come to you next.
QUESTION: I’m sorry. Yeah.
MR MILLER: You are now asking me to speculate about a law that has not yet been passed, so I do —
QUESTION: No, I’m not. Because this has been done before many times.
MR MILLER: I do not know what provision, if any, will ultimately pass Congress.
QUESTION: I have some more questions that are —
MR MILLER: There’s no – there’s just no way to answer that question. I’ll come back to you.
QUESTION: I’ll wait.
MR MILLER: Yeah.
QUESTION: No, no, just to follow up on that.
MR MILLER: Yeah.
QUESTION: I mean, you say you support UNRWA, but you’re effectively dropping UNRWA. You support that language in the supplemental. We’ll see if it passes, whatever. But at the moment, you do support that language.
MR MILLER: Look, when it —
QUESTION: And that language cuts funding for UNRWA.
MR MILLER: When it comes to —
QUESTION: So how can you say on one hand you support UNRWA and on the other you say but we won’t give you any money.
MR MILLER: So —
QUESTION: That’s a little bit – an easy way —
MR MILLER: So when it comes to dealing with Congress, you always have to make difficult choices.
QUESTION: Yeah.
MR MILLER: And this bill contains funding for Ukraine, it contains funding for Israel, contains funding for our troops in the region, and it also contains funding for humanitarian assistance for innocent Palestinians. And we think that funding is important to obtain from Congress.
But Congress gets a say in how this works. They’re a co-equal branch of government, and we engage in a back and forth with them, and ultimately you have to make kind of difficult decisions about whether you are willing to support a bill or not, and we made the decision that ultimately this bill is worthy of support because of all the good things it does.
QUESTION: Can I ask about the Cairo talks today? Do you have any sort of readout of how the conversations are going?
MR MILLER: I do not.
QUESTION: Do you expect a counterproposal to the counterproposal vehicle you guys —
MR MILLER: I do not have a readout of how the conversations are going. I think even if I did, I would probably decline to give it from here. I can restate what we said going into these conversations, which is we do believe a deal is possible. We believe a deal is important to achieve. We’re going to continue to push for a deal because we think it’s important to get the hostages out and allow for a pause in the fighting to get more humanitarian assistance in and allow people to get to safety, but I don’t have any update on the talks.
QUESTION: There are reports that a shipment of flour from the U.S. is being blocked at Ashdod by some of the more extremist members of the Netanyahu government. Do you have any confirmation of this and what kind of message —
MR MILLER: So I have seen those reports. There’s flour – U.S. flour that has gone into Gaza through Ashdod – not through Ashdod – goes into Israel through Ashdod and then it ultimately makes its way into Gaza – previously. We have funded flour that would provide food for 1.5 million Gazans for five months. It is critical that this flour make it to Gaza. It is critical that people have access to the nourishment that it would provide. And we are engaging with the Government of Israel to try and make sure, not – that flour can continue to get in, not just as a one-off shipment, but over – for a sustained period over months. We had a commitment from the Government of Israel to let that flour go through, and we expect them to deliver on that commitment.
QUESTION: And then there were a couple cases of Americans being detained by the IDF. One of the families – Samaher Esmail – says that she was beaten in Israeli custody, has been denied her medications, and has also not been granted consular access. Can you confirm any of this? I know there are privacy considerations, but —
MR MILLER: Yeah. I mean, I am, unfortunately, not able to talk specifically about it. I can say that, as is the case anywhere in the world, we have no higher priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens overseas in any of these circumstances, whether it be in Israel or elsewhere. We seek consular access. We seek access to the individual, and we talk to their family when appropriate. We try to ensure that detainees or people who are arrested are treated fairly, are treated humanely, have full access to due process, have access to counsel. But as is often the case, due to privacy considerations that are just in the law that don’t give me any wiggle room at all, I’m unable to speak in detail about this specific case.
QUESTION: What about the two who were detained in Gaza last week?
MR MILLER: Unfortunately, for the same reason, I’m not able to speak in detail about their case because of the privacy rules. But I would just say in general, just because of this provision in the law that prohibits me from speaking about what we’re doing when it comes to any specific case, you should not interpret that as a lack of activity by the United States Government. In any case when there is an American that is detained overseas, as I said, we first seek for information. We seek information about their case. Then we seek to ensure that they are treated fairly, that they are treated humanely, that they are given due process. And that’s true whether it be in Israel or anywhere else in the world.
QUESTION: And then —
QUESTION: Just to follow on (inaudible).
MR MILLER: Said, let me – just let me – Said, don’t interrupt – please don’t interrupt your colleagues. Yeah.
QUESTION: (Inaudible.)
QUESTION: On this same trend, there was —
MR MILLER: Yeah, just – just take a beat.
QUESTION: — another American who was reportedly shot by Israeli forces over the weekend, an American teenager. Do you have any information about the circumstances of his death and are you concerned this is becoming a trend? We’ve seen two American teens shot in the past month by Israeli forces.
MR MILLER: We are aware of this case. We are seeking more information about this. I would say there is – has been another case, and in that case, we called for an investigation. There is an investigation that’s ongoing, and in that previous case what we’ve said – and I would reiterate today – is if that investigation finds that there should be accountability, we expect there to be accountability. We are still at the information-gathering process with this second case. But as is always the case, if the information leads us to believe there should be further investigation or accountability measures, we will, of course, call for those, both publicly and privately.
QUESTION: I have another unrelated to this.
MR MILLER: Okay. Go ahead.
QUESTION: I wanted to follow up on Jenny’s question about the talks in Cairo. I understand you’re limited in what you can say, and without getting into the details or the tenor of the talks, can you confirm that the Israeli delegation arrived with something in hand to discuss?
MR MILLER: I think I should let the Israeli delegation speak for matters that pertain to the Government of Israel.
QUESTION: Okay. Did you ever receive an explanation as to why there was a delay in confirming that the Israelis would take part in these talks?
MR MILLER: Again, that’s a matter I think best addressed to the Government of Israel, not to me.
QUESTION: Okay. Let me ask you about Rafah. There was an investigation completed by Amnesty International that evaluated four strikes that took place last year in Rafah and found that those were not legitimate military targets. So, one, do you have a response to the findings of that investigation? And two, does that alter the United States thinking as the Israeli Government weighs the possibility of an incursion into Rafah?
MR MILLER: I don’t have any response to that specific investigation. Obviously, we are monitoring the evolving situation in Gaza. We examine the facts as they are available to us, but I don’t have any assessment about those particular strikes. But it would in no way change our conclusion, which is that the Government of Israel before it launches any military operation in Gaza – or I’m sorry – in Rafah needs to have a plan to deal with the humanitarian situation there. We’ve seen the Government of Israel ask for such a plan to be developed. We think that’s appropriate. And we think that once that plan is developed, it needs to be credible, and it needs to be one that they can actually execute.
QUESTION: And to confirm, you have not yet heard back on a plan that is credible or executable from the Israelis?
MR MILLER: No. It’s my understanding that the – that I think the prime minister only directed the creation of this plan Thursday, Friday, so no.
QUESTION: One more. The status of the UN mission that the Secretary of State announced over a month ago now, is it any closer to happening in northern Gaza? What prospects do Gazans have to return to their homes?
MR MILLER: So we want that mission to happen as soon as possible. The initial steps of it happened week before last, which was a two-day reconnaissance mission that went into northern Gaza. That reconnaissance mission had been delayed because of fighting on the ground in northern Gaza. They were able to get in, not see all of northern Gaza but see parts of it, and then made the decision that it was not safe for the full-blown assessment mission to go forward.
We want that assessment mission to go forward as soon as possible. We’re engaged with the UN about how it can go forward, whether it goes and surveys the entire north, or whether there are places that they can go that is safe. This is not just a question of unexploded ordnance, although that’s a real question, but it’s a question of actual live fighting going on on the ground in Gaza.
As I said previously, there are Hamas fighters who had gone underground – and in this case, I don’t mean necessarily legitimately underground into tunnels – but had gone underground that have now come out and have resumed fighting and resumed taking shots at the Israeli military. We want to see when this – we want to see this UN mission happen as soon as possible, but I think it’s in everyone’s interest, including the UN’s, that the mission be safe and that people be able to conduct the mission without being put in harm’s way themselves. And so we’ll continue to engage with the UN to try to get that off the ground really just as soon as we can.
QUESTION: So just to – I mean, from the U.S.’s perspective, from what you know about the mission and those circumstances on the ground, there’s no near-term prospect for Gazan civilians to return to their homes?
MR MILLER: So I don’t want to – I mean, to answer that question, you’d have to be able to know what the findings of the mission are, and the mission hasn’t launched yet. But certainly we don’t expect Gazans really to be able to return to their homes until this mission is completed, and we know the circumstances. Because you don’t, again, want people to go into homes that are unsafe, into buildings that are unsafe, into buildings that are boobytrapped, into buildings where Hamas has left IEDs or where there is unexploded ordnance. So the mission is critically important, but I can’t put a timetable on it.
Yeah, go ahead.
QUESTION: I have two questions, Matt, first about protecting journalists in war zones. Last night, our colleague in Al Jazeera in Gaza got targeted. Our correspondent lost his leg, and our cameraman also suffered severe injuries in Gaza. Are you still in contact with the Israelis pressing them to make everything possible to avoid targeting journalists?
And my second question is just if you have —
MR MILLER: Let me do the first one first, and then I’ll come back for the second one.
QUESTION: Okay.
MR MILLER: So first of all, let me offer, of course, condolences to your colleagues who have been injured, and I know they are not the first Al Jazeera journalists to have been harmed during this conflict. So they have our sincere condolences as do their families and as do all of you at Al Jazeera.
Yes, we continue to engage with the Government of Israel to make clear that journalists ought to be protected. We understand, of course, that this is an active war zone. Journalists are doing – are putting themselves in harm’s way to bring us the truth, and we support their work in bringing us the truth, and we want to see that they’re protected to the maximum extent possible.
So go ahead with your second.
QUESTION: My second question, if you have any comments on what Borrell was – statements yesterday or day before yesterday when he said that if the United States wants to see – to minimize civilian casualties in Gaza, they should stop supporting Israel with arms shipments or with arm ammunitions. And he compared that to what the United States did in 2006 in the war on Lebanon when they put a pause on supplying Israel with arms and ammunition.
MR MILLER: So just as a factual matter, I’ve checked with people here about the pause in 2006, and no one is aware of that actually being the case. So just as first a factual matter.
Secondly, with respect to the question about ongoing support, this is where we just have a fundamental disagreement, where we think it is in our national security interest and it is in – that we continue to support Israel’s right to ensure that the October 7th attacks cannot be repeated. We want to see them have the ability to go after Hamas, to defeat Hamas. We know that Hamas wants to continue to target Israel.
Hamas has been very clear about what their goals are, and they have not changed since October 7th. They want to continue to launch terrorist attacks. They are committed to the full-scale destruction of Israel, and we want to see Israel to be able to answer that. We want to see Israel be able to answer the attacks from Hizballah in the north. We want to see Israel be able to deter attacks from Iran and malign activities from Iran, which continues to fund other proxies that are hostile to the state of Israel. So that is true.
And it’s also true that we want to see Israel do more to protect civilians from harm. And so I know sometimes it is difficult for people to understand that two things can be true, but those are the two things that we believe in. And so the obvious tension is trying to ensure that Israel can accomplish that first objective while doing everything in its power to ensure that civilian harm is minimized. And so we engage with them on that second question, offer them ideas and expertise and ways to minimize civilian harm. We have seen civilian deaths come down from the levels they are. They are nowhere near where they should be. They are still far too high. There are still far too many Palestinians that continue to die. It’s why we continue to engage to try to achieve a humanitarian pause and why we continue to work to try to bring a durable end to this conflict, and that’s what we’ll continue to do.
Yeah, go ahead.
QUESTION: Moving to another region and topic, Senegal.
MR MILLER: Yeah.
QUESTION: Could you just speak to us a little bit about that in the sense of how you perceive things? The internet has been cut again. The protests are getting actually deadly. The government banned a march that was planned for today, and it looks like there potentially could be a march for this weekend if it’s not banned again. The situation is getting worse and worse every day. What is your take on that? What is the U.S. concerned about there?
MR MILLER: We are extremely concerned about the situation in Senegal, the political situation in Senegal. In fact, the Secretary spoke to the president of Senegal this morning to reiterate our concern about the situation there and to make quite clear that we want to see elections continued as they were scheduled. We want to see them take place as soon as possible.
QUESTION: As they were scheduled. They were scheduled for February 25th.
MR MILLER: Yeah, we want to see – we want to see a return to elections. We’d like to see them February 25th. If they don’t take place on February 25th, we want to see them take place as soon as realistically possible after that.
QUESTION: Okay. And so he spoke to the president this morning?
MR MILLER: Today, today.
QUESTION: Thank you.
MR MILLER: Yeah, Alex.
QUESTION: Thank you, Matt. I want to go back to your opening statement. Before that, is it your understanding that Russia already has the upper hand in the war due to delay?
MR MILLER: I would not say that they have the upper hand. I mean, we’ve had a lot of people make assessments about this conflict going back to the beginning that turned out to be wrong when they assessed that Russia had the upper hand, and I would never want to underestimate both the bravery of the Ukrainian military and the skill that the Ukrainian military has shown, and I should add to the skill, the innovation that they have shown, in bringing new weapons to this conflict.
But we have already seen an impact because of Congress’s failure to act. We have already seen shortages on the battlefield. We’ve seen depleted stocks on the battlefield. And that has affected the Ukrainian military’s ability to answer the ongoing attacks from Russia and why it’s – it’s why we think it’s so important and it is why you just heard from the President in the last hour that the House act as soon as possible without delay to pass the funding request that the President put forward.
QUESTION: The President made his point about the importance of U.S. leadership and you also amplified that. My question is let’s talk about the damage that’s already done. The Secretary is headed to Munich. Other than explaining to allies how Washington works, what is he going to say to make the case about the U.S. leadership and the current state of U.S. leadership?
MR MILLER: He’s going to make the case that the President made, that as long as Joe Biden is president we will continue to support NATO, we will continue to support our European allies, and we will continue to stand with Ukraine. You just heard that from the President a moment ago.
And I think you will also hear him say what I said from this podium yesterday, which is that one of the hallmarks of this country is our enduring bipartisan support for NATO. If you look at polls, and we don’t usually do polls from this podium, but this isn’t a political poll. It’s an issue poll. There is broad standing – broad widespread support from the American people for NATO. There is also broad widespread support for NATO in Congress, and we expect that support to continue.
QUESTION: Thank you. I have two more, if I may. Can I get your comment on Russia today’s – Russia’s decision to put Estonian PM and other political leaders to a blacklist?
MR MILLER: Let me take that one back and get you an answer.
QUESTION: And finally on Azerbaijan-Armenia, last year the Secretary when he was in Munich, he put together a trilateral meeting. Now there’s a tension going on the few past two days. Is he planning to meet with the leaders, and also what is your reaction to what’s going on?
MR MILLER: So we are concerned by the reports of deadly military-to-military clashes which resulted in several casualties. We offer our heartfelt condolences to the families of those killed and injured. The use of force undermines negotiations. The only way to a sustainable peace is at the negotiating table. Any ceasefire violations should be investigated and properly addressed. As the Secretary continually emphasizes, the United States is committed to Armenia-Azerbaijan peace negotiations. And as it perhaps to the Secretary’s schedule, I don’t t think you were listening very closely to my opening remarks where I said we will make further – we will make further announcements about his schedule in Munich as we get closer to the date.
QUESTION: And will Special Advisor Bono accompany him on the trip at some time?
MR MILLER: I just don’t have any further comments about who will be traveling or where we – with whom we will be meeting while in Munich.
Go ahead.
QUESTION: Thank you. Circling back to the Gaza hostage negotiations, it’s been reported that a major sticking point that’s emerged is Hamas’ demands that prisoners again be released as part of any deal, this time including individuals who have been convicted of very serious offenses. Would the U.S. see the release of any convicted terrorists as potentially detrimental to U.S. national security?
MR MILLER: I just don’t think I should negotiate from this podium about what is obviously a very sensitive and delicate question.
QUESTION: So does that to imply that it’s something that could be negotiated?
MR MILLER: It is not to imply anything other than that these are sensitive negotiations going on that do not just involve the United States but involve the Government of Israel, which is ultimately the country that would have to make that decision, as well as the governments of Qatar and Egypt. And I don’t think I should say anything from this podium that could be seen in any way to impact those negotiations one way or the other.
QUESTION: And one follow: Does the U.S. still assess that Israel is negotiating in this as in good faith and that it shares the administration’s interest in reaching a deal?
MR MILLER: We have seen public statements from the Government of Israel that they want to secure the release of hostages. When we were in Israel last week, the prime minister reiterated that desire directly to Secretary Blinken, that it is a top priority for him to secure the release of these hostages. So yes, we do believe they’re acting in good faith.
Go ahead, Said.
QUESTION: I just want to go back to Jennifer’s question. I know you answered on the young Palestinian American that was shot dead last Saturday, Mohammad Ahmed Khuda. But like a month before or less than a month before, another Palestinian American was shot dead, Tawfic Abdel Jabbar. Anything new on his case?
MR MILLER: I spoke – in fact, I spoke to that in her response. I said when that – when – after that incident, after we gathered initial information, we called for an investigation. That – hold on, Said; just let me finish. That investigation is ongoing, and we will wait to see what the results of that investigation show because that’s obviously appropriate, and if the investigation shows there ought to be further accountability measures taken, we will not hesitate to call for them.
QUESTION: But does Israel have a good record in investigating the killing of Palestinian Americans? Do you —
MR MILLER: Said, I want to wait —
QUESTION: Okay. But we have – we have – we have done —
MR MILLER: Before I speak to that, I want to wait – I do not want to prejudge the outcome of an investigation that is underway.
Humeyra, you sound like you had something else.
QUESTION: So just a few things on that. So you said if the investigation yields to some sort of wrongdoing, we will call for accountability measures.
MR MILLER: If it shows that accountability is appropriate, we will call for it.
QUESTION: Right. So then it’s again going to be the Israelis to take those accountability measures?
MR MILLER: I do not want to —
QUESTION: So not (inaudible) U.S. —
MR MILLER: You’re asking me to go a little far down a hypothetical path that we are not yet —
QUESTION: I’m just trying to – I’m just trying —
MR MILLER: I understand what you’re trying to get – I’m not —
QUESTION: I’m just trying to understand, like, what exactly the accountability measure will be if there would be one.
MR MILLER: I do – there were two ifs there, and I do not – they get back to the – they were —
QUESTION: Yeah, yeah, but —
MR MILLER: Hold on. It gets back to the place that I do not know what the investigation will show, so I’m not prepared to speculate on what our response might be.
QUESTION: Yeah, because you guys are calling for investigations. There are now like a lot of different incidents, right – some of them are involving American citizens, some of them are Palestinians. There are like a wide range of video footage showing the detonation of a university, for example. So assuming that you have flagged many, if not all, of these incidents and asked questions about the conduct here, you have a lot of possible investigations or at least questions asked to IDF. I guess what I’m trying to get at is: What makes you think – what is the path to accountability here from the U.S. side? How will you ensure the accountability? And what makes you think that, given the cases of, for example, Shireen Abu Akleh, who was an American Palestinian journalist – what makes you think that there will be accountability?
MR MILLER: So we deal with the Government of Israel in the same way we deal with every country in the world when it comes to treatment of United States citizens, which is when we see reports of U.S. citizens that have been detained, have been arrested, that have been killed, have been in any way potentially mistreated, we first gather information. If it’s appropriate, we ask for a full investigation. If that investigation shows that there ought to be accountability, we call for accountability measures.
I will also state that when it comes to activity in Israel, we – the United States has shown that it is willing to impose its own accountability measures when we think it’s appropriate. You’ve seen us roll out visa bans with respect to extremist settlers in the West Bank. You’ve seen us impose financial sanctions when it comes to extremist settlers in the West Bank. So when it comes to accountability, it is always appropriate that the host – that the government in question have the responsibility to take the first actions. That is the right, that is the responsibility that we expect any government to take. But we have shown that, when we think more needs to be done, we are willing to take further action.
QUESTION: Right. And are you satisfied with the answers and the level of response that you’re getting from Israeli authorities and IDF when you raise these incidents? Are they, like —
MR MILLER: So we’re a little bit mixing apples and – we’re mixing a little bit —
QUESTION: No, it’s just like – no, it’s a side thing, like – I’m —
MR MILLER: Just – hold on, just let me say – you’re mixing consular issues and actions in Gaza, which are —
QUESTION: No, no, not consular issues necessarily, no.
MR MILLER: I know, but there’s a —
QUESTION: I’m just trying to get a sense of like how responsive they are when you raise these issues with them.
MR MILLER: We have the ability to get answers from the Government of Israel when we raise them.
QUESTION: Great. And my final thing is Chris Van Hollen, Senator Chris Van Hollen, in his floor speech accused Israel of, quote, “textbook war crime,” quote, in remarks sort of detailing a lack of access to food in Gaza, which gives me another excuse to ask a previous question from other briefings. Is there any ongoing atrocity determination process within this building looking at whether there has been breaches in Israel’s – breaches of international rules of war in Israel’s military conduct?
MR MILLER: So, as I’ve said before, we are monitoring the evolving situation in Gaza and are examining facts as they develop as part of our regular work and normal process. I’m not going to get into what the internal deliberations look like. We do seek to thoroughly assess reports of civilian harm by authorized recipients of U.S.-provided defense articles around the world, including under the Civilian Harm Incident Response Guidance, the CHIRG. We can’t comment on the specifics of ongoing reviews, but as we have said before, we are reviewing incidents in the current conflict according to the process set out in the CHIRG. That process is not intended to function as a rapid response mechanism. Rather, it is designed to systematically assess civilian harm incidents and develop appropriate policy responses to reduce the risk of such incidents occurring in the future, and to drive partners to conduct military operations in accordance with international humanitarian law.
QUESTION: So you do have CHIRG processes looking into Israel’s military conduct ongoing?
MR MILLER: We do – we have said that before, yes.
QUESTION: Thanks.
MR MILLER: Janne, go ahead.
QUESTION: Thank you, Matt. On Russia, North Korea, China, North Korean delegation visited Russia today at the invitation of the Russian parliament. And Kim Su-gil, who head of the North Korean delegation, is on the U.S. and South Korea sanctions list against North Korea. And Kim Su-gil is also involvement in the development of ballistic missiles and weapons of mass destruction while he was director of the military’s general political bureau. How would you comment?
MR MILLER: I don’t have any specific comment other than that we will always seek to appropriately enforce our sanctions.
QUESTION: Okay. Secondly, China is also violating sanctions against North Korea. How do you think Russia and China violation of sanctions against North Korea will affect UN Security Council?
MR MILLER: Again, we will always appropriately enforce all of our sanctions.
Go ahead.
QUESTION: Thanks, Matthew. Today Secretary Blinken hosted King Abdullah. What is the State Department doing to get Jordan to extradite Ahlam Tamimi, a terrorist wanted by the U.S. for a bombing that killed two Americans in 2001?
And then do you think Democrats and Republicans in the House should use the discharge petition to bypass Speaker Johnson in passing the Senate supplemental?
MR MILLER: So as it pertains to your first question, I’m going to defer comment to the Department of Justice, as we always do when it pertains to matters of extradition. And with respect to your second, I certainly don’t want to comment on internal legislative dynamics in the House.
QUESTION: Thank you.
MR MILLER: Guita, go ahead.
QUESTION: Thanks, Matt. As you’re working towards release of the Israeli hostages and sending humanitarian aid into Gaza and everything related to that war, Iran today test-launched two ballistic missiles, and it seems like they have just converted a container ship into some ship to carry weaponry in. Do you feel – does the Biden administration feel pressured in expediting, settling, and putting an end, bringing an end to the conflict in the Gaza Strip?
MR MILLER: So we want to bring an end to the conflict in Gaza as soon as possible for a host of reasons. One is to stop the suffering of the – of innocent civilians in Gaza. One is to find a way to ensure Israel’s lasting security. You’ve seen the Secretary engage in diplomacy around this question, where he’s traveled the region to coordinate with partner countries about a way to find a durable and lasting peace. And of course, it’s very much to end the risk of instability and end the risk of further conflict. That has always been the case.
QUESTION: And what Iran is doing, including what its proxies are doing, that’s not – is – that’s not adding to the pressure?
MR MILLER: No, not – look, Iran’s proxies have engaged in destabilizing activity before October 7th. And of course don’t forget that Hamas is one of Iran’s proxy groups that it funds and has funded for years – that is the – that is the instigator of October 7th and who is responsible for the attacks of October 7th and is responsible for this entire conflict in the first place. So we have long seen destabilizing activities from Iran, and we have held Iran accountable for those activities, and we will continue to hold them accountable for those activities going forward.
QUESTION: Matt, another subject that has been a concern of the U.S. regarding Iran: its nuclear program. For the umpteenth time now, IAEA director general today has again expressed concern saying that Iran’s nuclear program is not transparent. Where does that fit in? Where – isn’t that a matter of concern, that while you’re busy in the Middle East that Iran could go further than where it is right now?
MR MILLER: We – it remains the policy of the United States to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon; that has not changed and it will not change. And we will continue to engage with the IAEA as well as with our partner countries in the region and beyond to ensure that it cannot achieve such a weapon.
Go over here.
QUESTION: Thank you, Matt. According to media reports on Monday, a group of 20 unidentified individual seized Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus offices. And as you are aware that Bangladesh regime has taken control over one-sided parliament, judiciary, media, and anti-corruption, now the entity like Grameen. So what is your perspectives on this situation?
MR MILLER: So I would say regarding the multiple criminal cases filed against Dr. Muhammad Yunus, we note that the labor case was tried with unusual speed. The anti-corruption commission has approved a charge sheet for additional cases. Those have drawn widespread condemnation from around the world. We share the concerns voiced by other international observers that these cases may represent a misuse of Bangladesh’s labor laws to harass and intimidate Dr. Yunus. We worry the perceived misuse of labor and anti-corruption laws could raise questions about the rule of law and dissuade future foreign direct investment, and we encourage the Bangladeshi Government to ensure a fair and transparent legal process for Dr. Yunus as the appeals process continues.
Go ahead.
QUESTION: First, (inaudible) and Taliban announced that two Taliban detainees from Guantanamo have released previously and were kept in Oman, they went back to Kabul and received red-carpet reception. At the meanwhile, there are some report that Mr. Rahim Haqmal, who were assistant to Osama bin Laden, have released by the U.S. agency. Isn’t the U.S. Government worried about releasing this high-profile terrorist and if they pose any direct attack or threat to the United States?
MR PRICE: So with respect to the detainees that were released in Oman, we were not involved in that release. It occurred after the expiration of security guarantees made by Oman during their initial transfer in 2017.
QUESTION: Okay, another question —
MR PRICE: Yeah.
QUESTION: — about the Doha summit. What’s the United States sense in the upcoming UN conference in the Doha about Afghanistan?
MR PRICE: So Special Representative for Afghanistan Tom West and Special Envoy for Women, Girls, and Human Rights in Afghanistan Rina Amiri attended the last UN secretary-general’s meeting of Afghanistan envoys in May of last year, and they do plan to attend the next one this month in Doha. The meeting follows the UN Security Council resolution on Afghanistan adopted in December. The United States strongly supports the resolution’s call for a UN special envoy for Afghanistan, and urges the secretary-general to appoint a special envoy as soon as possible. A special envoy will be well-positioned to coordinate international engagement on Afghanistan to achieve the objectives laid out in this resolution.
Go back there. Yeah.
QUESTION: It’s me. I have a couple questions, one about Egypt. Have you spoke with Egypt about their roles during the Rafah operation that we are expect? And are you going to, like, support Egypt financially if they have any future roles in Erez or during the Rafah operation? Like, during the trip that you traveled with Mr. Blinken to Egypt, have you discussed any roles from Egypt? Because we see the far-right wing in Israel accusing Egypt that they are accomplice or, like, they are involved in 7th of October somehow. Do you agree or disagree with this? And what is the role of Egypt that you see in the future during the Rafah operation after that?
The second question —
MR PRICE: First let me – there were, like, five questions in that one, so let me —
QUESTION: Yeah, there is —
MR PRICE: Hold on. Let me answer that one before you go on to the second one.
First, with respect to October 7th, no, of course there was no Egyptian involvement in October 7th. There’s been no evidence presented to support that. I will say that we have found Egypt to be a great partner in both getting humanitarian assistance into Gaza to help innocent civilians there and helping to get American citizens and others out of Gaza, including wounded Palestinians who needed to leave Gaza to seek medical treatment. And we have found them a productive partner in helping to secure the release of hostages. And of course, they are involved in the ongoing talks to secure the release of hostages and a humanitarian pause.
Now, second – second one.
QUESTION: Yeah, last one. Like, we have read that USA warned Israel or urged Israel to no conduct any big operation during Ramadan. You know Ramadan is a holy month for Muslims, and it’s like now we are less one month to Ramadan. It’s going to start at March 10th. And do you support, like, this idea that, like, pausing or, like, not permanent but, like, at least ceasing fire, suspending any operation during the Ramadan? As you know, it’s, like, holy months for Muslims and, like, we have 1.4 million in Rafah?
MR PRICE: Yeah, I – I don’t want to answer that question about what may happen a month from now, because before we even get to that we are trying to achieve a humanitarian pause and a release of hostages that would extend for some time, including through that period. So that is our – that is the goal that we’re trying to achieve at this point.
Jen, go ahead, and then we’ll wrap.
QUESTION: Yeah. The Secretary revealed that he spoke with Paul Whelan yesterday. Do you have any more details about their call?
MR PRICE: Only in that it was I think now the third – I may have that wrong, maybe. He’s had a number of calls with Paul Whelan, who of course is speaking from prison. He assured Paul Whelan, as he has in his previous calls, that we’re with you, we have not forgotten you, we continue to work to try to secure your release, and we will continue to work to try to secure your release. It is the top priority not just of the Secretary but of President Biden as well.
QUESTION: And can I follow up on what you told me yesterday about the proposals? Has Russia rejected them outright, these significant proposals?
MR PRICE: The proposal that we – the last proposal that we spoke about publicly they did not accept. And I think I don’t want to talk in any further – any —
QUESTION: Is there one that you haven’t spoken about?
MR PRICE: I don’t want to – I don’t want to speak in any further – you should not interpret that one way or the other, but we decide when we’re going to make things public, and we have not made – given you a further update.
QUESTION: A question on —
MR PRICE: I’m going to wrap for today. Thanks, everyone.
(The briefing was concluded at 3:15 p.m.)
Tags
Afghanistan Armenia Azerbaijan Bangladesh China Egypt Iran Israel North Korea Office of the Spokesperson Palestinian Territories Russia Senegal Ukraine
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