Part 1:https://politikinewsaaa.blogspot.com/2024/03/us-department-of-stateupdate-part-1.html
 MS HARBUNOVA: (Via interpreter) Greetings, everyone. It’s a great honor for me to be here. Also, receiving this award and being here is a source of great pride. I’m also immensely grateful to you because you recognized that I was a courageous woman way before I did. I’m still getting used to that thought. (Laughter and applause.) Two years ago today I was in a pretrial detention center, having been detained for taking part in peaceful protest. I was put in a cell for six months only for speaking out. There, I was subjected to violence, to torture, and they threatened to take my parental rights from me. They tortured all of us with cold, with lack of medical care. I didn’t receive a single letter from my daughter, even though she wrote to me every single day. Political prisoners in Belarus are made to wear a yellow tag like this, like the one I’m wearing. It’s not a badge. Five people have already died in custody. Six people have disappeared; we don’t know where they are. They are held incommunicado. After an unfair trial, I was sentenced to three years of house arrest. In fear of further criminal prosecution, I was forced to leave my home. I was desperate. I feared for my life, and saying goodbye to my family was extremely difficult. In the middle of the night, I had to climb over a tall fence at the international border between Belarus and Lithuania and ask for political asylum. It made me very angry, and I did not give up. I became the representative for social policy at the United Transitional Cabinet of Belarus, which is working in exile. Every day I work to help political prisoners and their families. Every day I look for work – for ways to secure their release. I am extremely happy to meet all of you, and I’m very happy to have met my fellow awardees, my dear sisters. During this time we’ve gained so much energy from each other, so much knowledge, so much new – so many new contacts. During this program we’ve discussed the issues that our countries are facing. We look for solutions. We discussed different options. You are my inspiration. Because of you I am not going to give up. You shine like a diamond in my heart. (Applause.) Women and girls in Belarus often think, “I am not anybody. I am not anything special. There are people who are more worthy than me. I don’t deserve any award.” This is how we’re being brought up by patriarchy and dictatorship in Belarus. We’re taught that we’re nobody. For them, March 8th is just about celebrating the spring and beauty, and women are considered a mere decoration at a workplace and just homekeepers. We’re never told that we should fight for our rights. They never talk about equal opportunities and equal rights. They never let us be heard. There is no law against domestic violence in Belarus. There is a list of 88 jobs that women are banned from holding, and currently there are at least 187 female political prisoners in custody in Belarus, where they are subjected to torture and violence. I am not the first woman from Belarus to receive this prestigious award. There was Nasta Dashkevich before me and Maria Kolesnikova. They have both been subjected to persecution, and Maria Kolesnikova, a 2021 IWOC awardee, is now in custody and is being held incommunicado. For over a year, her family have not heard from her. She has been deprived of an attorney, of a right to receive letters and visits, and we must do everything to find out where she is and to secure her release and the release of all political prisoners. (Applause.) Since 2020, over 8,000 women have been put through detentions and unfair trials; 1,033 of them have faced criminal charges, and repressions do not stop. Courage for women in Belarus is not a manifestation of bravery. It’s a necessary condition of survival in a totalitarian and patriarchal country. Two years ago today, they shut down a shelter for domestic violence victims that I had worked at for over 20 years. We helped thousands of women who were beaten, sexually assaulted, persecuted online, sold into slavery, and had their children kidnapped from them. But the Lukashenka government keeps turning a blind eye to this issue. Moreover, in the last two years, over 1,500 NGOs have been shut down, and thousands of women and girls have been left without any support. He threw the most courageous and rebellious among us in prison – Palina Sharenda-Panasiuk, Halina Dzerbysh. They kicked the most unpredictable and resilient among us out of the country – Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Svetlana Alexievich. And they still can’t find the most cautious and daring among us, because we’re everywhere. We’re in every city, town, and village in Belarus. (Applause.) I know that all political prisoners will be released and we will all return home, and I will return home. Belarus will be free, and there will be true gender equality there. (Applause.) Thank you and Happy International Women’s Day to all of you. (Cheers and applause.) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Secretary Blinken Welcomes Sweden as NATO’s 32nd Member | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Department Press Briefing – March 11, 2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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03/11/2024 06:18 PM EDT Department Press Briefing – March 11, 2024March 11, 2024 1:17 p.m. EDT MR MILLER: Good afternoon, everyone. We have a couple of guests today who are going to give opening comments. Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Rich Verma will start, followed by Deputy Administrator of USAID for Management and Resources Paloma Adams-Allen. They will give opening comments, they’ll be happy to take a few questions, and then we’ll resume the usual briefing after they finish. With that. DEPUTY SECRETARY VERMA: Thank you. Matt, thank you. Good afternoon, everyone. Nice to see you, and I want to thank my friend and colleague, USAID Deputy Administrator for Management and Resources Paloma Adams-Allen, for being here with us today. I also want to thank our Director of Bureau of Planning and Resources Doug Pitkin and our new Director of Foreign Assistance Tracy Carson, as well our USAID Budget Lead Roman Napoli, for being with us here as we walk through our FY25 budget with all of you. The budget request we are sending to Congress today will allow the Department of State and USAID to continue advancing the Biden administration’s vision of a free, open, secure, and prosperous world while delivering on issues that matter most to the lives and livelihoods of the American people. The President’s FY25 budget request includes 58.8 billion for the State Department and USAID. This is a $718 million or 1 percent increase above FY23. We are grateful for Congress’ partnership in resourcing State and USAID to meet the many challenges that we face today. U.S. diplomacy and development are more essential than ever to ensure American security and prosperity to solve global challenges and uphold universal values. Over the past year, the United States, with our friends and colleagues and allies around the world, have faced a range of significant challenges – from the conflict in the Middle East, to Russia’s ongoing brutal war against Ukraine, to historic levels of irregular migration and forced displacement, to unprecedented and growing global humanitarian needs. Our budget request invests in the personnel, the programs, and assistance that the State Department and USAID need as we stand at the front lines of these issues. Just allow me to outline some of our highest-priority areas in the request. First, we must employ all the tools at our disposal to outcompete China wherever possible. The FY25 request will allow us to continue to invest in the foundations of our strength at home aligned with likeminded partners to strengthen our shared interests and address the challenges posed by the PRC and harness those assets to compete with the PRC and defend our interests. We are aligning our foreign assistance to advance U.S. values by building a network of likeminded allies and partners both globally and with concerted focus on the Indo-Pacific as a region of vital importance to the U.S. and global security and prosperity. The $4 billion discretionary request across foreign assistance and diplomatic engagement for the Indo-Pacific Strategy represents our ironclad commitment to advancing an affirmative vision of U.S. values for the region. While many aspects of the discretionary request help advance this goal, discretionary resources alone cannot meet this need. It is imperative to our national security that we also have mandatory, reliable funding to outcompete China, and that is why the request also includes $4 billion over five years in mandatory funding to enable the United States to invest in new ways to outcompete China and focus on new and critical investments split between two important funds. We are requesting $2 billion to create a new international infrastructure fund which will outcompete China by providing a credible, reliable alternative to PRC options while also expanding markets and opportunities for U.S. businesses. This fund will support transformative, quality, and sustainable hard infrastructure projects. Additionally, we are seeking $2 billion to make game-changing investments in the Indo-Pacific to strengthen partner economies, improve good governance and the rule of law, bolster connectivity between partner countries, and support their efforts, including through multilateral fora, in building resilience and pushing back against predatory efforts. Our second key priority in this request is ensuring Russia’s war in Ukraine remains a strategic failure. We are requesting 482 million, which would sustain crucial support for Ukraine in its resolute defense of its people and independence from Russia. Our request also provides the resources needed to deliver critical economic development and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine’s brave and resilient citizens. Let me be clear, though. These funds are in addition to the October 2023 National Security Supplemental Request. The FY25 resources start re-establishing a base budget for core and enduring programs for Ukraine but cannot replace the funds requested as part of the supplemental. Third, advancing peace and security in the Middle East remains a top priority for us, including working with our partners to end the conflict between Israel and Hamas and deliver lifesaving assistance to Palestinians. The President’s request of 7.6 billion maintains our longstanding investments to support key partners in the Middle East and North Africa and their security against growing violence by extremists and Iran-linked malign actors. The funds would unlock resources to partner with citizens of the region, foster economic growth, and advance good governance and respect for human rights. Fourth, delivering solutions to shared global challenges such as irregular migration and forced displacement, countering synthetic drugs, a rapidly changing climate, and growing humanitarian crises. Now, to do this we are mobilizing resources to promote economic prosperity, grow energy sectors, strengthen health systems, invest in food security, and to mitigate the impacts of the climate crisis. Our partnerships are crucial to tackling these global challenges, and ones that affect our own hemisphere, including irregular migration, forced displacement, and the illegal synthetic drug crisis in the United States. These additional resources will allow us to work together with key allies and partners on these challenges and towards a free, open, and secure, prosperous world. Fifth, we will continue to work – continue our work to ensure U.S. interests and values are protected in the digital and emerging technology sector, including through the CHIPS Act. We are grateful to Congress for providing 500 million over five years to work with our partners and allies to secure and expand our critical semiconductor supply chains and promote the adoption of trustworthy telecommunication technologies. Now, success in all of these policy areas is not possible if we do not have the people, the platforms, and the tools to achieve these objectives while being responsible stewards of taxpayer resources. So to that end, with FY25 funds, we must also continue the Secretary of State’s ambitious agenda to modernize American diplomacy, to ensure we are equipped to seize the opportunities of the 21st century. These resources will strengthen the department by improving the morale, recruitment, and retention of our global workforce, which spans the Foreign Service, the Civil Service, and our locally employed staff at embassies around the world. And to meet these global challenges and to fulfill the President’s priorities, we need a growing workforce empowered by more training and greater flexibility. Our request expands State’s and USAID’s workforce by establishing nearly 350 new positions, and also filling 200 of State’s existing Foreign Service vacancies. We will focus on expanding our engagement in the Indo-Pacific region, increasing professional development and training options, and establishing a new diplomatic reserve auxiliary corps to meet future crises. We will also continue to advance diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility initiatives, to include broader recruitment and retention. We’ve requested 5.6 billion to keep our people, our buildings, and information around the globe safe and secure, including for an expanded presence in the Indo-Pacific, in Libya, and the Eastern Caribbean. In addition, the United States multilateral contributions are indispensable to shaping international institutions and partnerships critical to our national security interests. Therefore, our request includes 1.7 billion for contributions to international organizations such as the UN, WHO, NATO, and UNESCO, as well as 1.2 billion for contributions to UN international peacekeeping. Finally, I would also like to emphasize what we are doing to provide better services to the American people. Our request will enhance the department’s consular services for passports, visas, and U.S. citizen services overseas. Increased staffing and IT capacity will reduce wait times and improve customer service that many Americans and visitors to the United States count on. Now, as I said at the outset, this budget will advance the Biden administration’s vision of a free, open, secure, and prosperous world, but it also delivers on issues that matter to the lives and livelihoods of Americans. Better, faster, and more convenient services from our consular services is one area. But so is reducing the flow of fentanyl, promoting greater economic opportunity, ensuring global health security, and creating jobs. And these are all other examples of how the department will deliver on things that matter most to Americans. Now, with that, let me hand the floor to Deputy Administrator Paloma Adams-Allen, who will address the key USAID elements of the FY25 budget request, and then we would look forward to a few of your questions as well. Paloma. MS ADAMS-ALLEN: Thank you, Rich. Thanks so much, Rich. Thank you, Matt. Good morning. Good afternoon. As Rich has just described, we really find ourselves at another decisive juncture, where U.S. leadership on the global stage is critical for continued growth and prosperity here at home, for our national security, and for extending the reach of dignity around the world. The President’s FY25 budget request calls for 28 billion for USAID, a request that reflects our commitment to responding to the historic conflict and climate-driven disasters that continue to wreak havoc globally, while also advancing longer-term development objectives like strengthening democracy, global economic resilience, and our systems for the response and prevention of climate and health shocks. This request also assumes the appropriation of the critical humanitarian and economic support funds we’ve been fighting for in the National Security Supplemental. So before I take questions alongside Rich, I just wanted to highlight a few of the areas that are critical for USAID. On the humanitarian assistance front: In the last three years alone, due to natural disasters and ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and beyond, the number of people in need of assistance has grown to 300 million, an increase of 64 million from 2021. For the U.S. to continue to lead, to support our partners and allies, and to save lives amidst some of the world’s toughest challenges, this year’s budget requests 6.3 billion for USAID’s humanitarian assistance efforts, which cover an average of 75 crises per year, including ongoing emergencies in Gaza, Haiti, and Afghanistan. It also includes 1.1 billion for USAID’s Feed the Future programs to address the global food crisis driven by climate-induced shocks and exacerbated by Russia’s war in Ukraine. Ukraine’s long-term economic stability depends on its ability to continue generating revenue, so this year’s request includes 321 million to bolster its economy, including building up its energy infrastructure and increasing agricultural exports. It also includes funding to continue the support that the government provides in terms of basic social services as well as the Ukrainian people’s work to strengthen democracy. In terms of our economic and democracy-strengthening priorities, we know that leveraging private sector capital and business expertise is critical to closing the gap between the current levels of development assistance and the increasing need. So we’re requesting 50 billion for USAID’s EDGE Fund, which is already generating partnerships and attracting the additional resources needed to promote sustainable business practices, market-based innovations, and inclusive entrepreneurship. And we’re asking for another 50 million to boost the economic resilience of countries facing mounting debt, slowing growth, high inflation, declining investment, and widening inequality, all of which we know can undermine democratic gains. To meet the urgency and magnitude of the digital threats to development progress, the request includes 94 million to scale USAID’s digital, cyber, and emerging technology programming, including our work to build and strengthen open, inclusive, and secure digital ecosystems, and leverage proven technology for better development outcomes. To meet our commitment to tackle the global climate crisis, this year’s budget requests 2.8 billion for USAID-managed climate programs that lay the foundation for the modernization and expansion of the energy infrastructure needed to power schools, hospitals, and economic growth. We will also continue to increase food and water security by providing people with access to lifesaving early warning systems and more resilient agriculture and conservation practices. To reaffirm the U.S. global health leadership, the budget request includes 4 billion for USAID-managed accounts to prevent child and maternal deaths, bolster nutrition, control the HIV/AIDS epidemic, protect the global health workforce through the President’s Global Health Worker initiative, and it includes 650 million for USAID to sustain global health security programs to help detect, respond to, and prevent future infectious disease threats. And last but not least, as Rich noted, we’re supporting our people. Beyond our critical programmatic funding, this request also reflects our commitment to strengthening and investing in our global workforce. With our $2.2 billion request, we are prioritizing the recruitment, retention, and training of the personnel with the skills and experience needed in a modern development and humanitarian enterprise. So an additional 145 positions will help us grow our ranks of career humanitarians, contracting and AI specialists, economists, engineers, and others. And it will position us to better address the compensation and other concerns of our local staff who serve our missions overseas, ensuring that we live up to our values but are also able to compete for much-needed talent. So, to wrap up, from day one the Biden-Harris administration – of the Biden-Harris administration, the United States has confronted and led the world to respond to complex threats and the most pressing global challenges of the day. We look forward to continuing this work with the support of the American people. Thank you. MR MILLER: Okay. Take a few questions. Matt. QUESTION: Thanks. I guess these are to both of you, and I don’t know, Rich, do we call you ambassador or a deputy secretary? DEPUTY SECRETARY VERMA: Whatever you want. QUESTION: What do you prefer? DEPUTY SECRETARY VERMA: Rich is great. (Laughter.) QUESTION: Okay. I have a couple, but I think they’ll be really quick. And the reason that I have a couple is because we have not actually seen the Function 150 justification. We’ve only seen a couple fact sheets that were sent out. DEPUTY SECRETARY VERMA: I think it came out just — QUESTION: Well, I haven’t seen it. It’s not been in my email, so anyway – but I think these will be real quick. DEPUTY SECRETARY VERMA: Correct. QUESTION: And then – and – but that’s on top of what is in the supplemental, which has not yet been approved already. DEPUTY SECRETARY VERMA: That’s correct. QUESTION: Which is – how much is that? That’s part of the 60 billion? MS ADAMS-ALLEN: It is 16.3 billion. QUESTION: 16.3? DEPUTY SECRETARY VERMA: Yes. QUESTION: Okay. So of the – all right. And then – okay, I just wanted to make sure that was right. DEPUTY SECRETARY VERMA: And Matt, just – maybe I’ll just make the point that I made that this base budget in FY25 is not a substitute for that supplemental, and that supplemental is growing more and more important every day. QUESTION: Right. Okay. And then also part of that supplemental is some stuff for the Middle East, but in the 2025 request, you have 7.6 billion, right? Is it correct that about half of that, roughly – a little less than half, 3.3 billion – is for Israel alone? DEPUTY SECRETARY VERMA: Correct. Yes. QUESTION: And then on Taiwan, you mentioned – the Indo-Pacific, you say – in one of these fact sheets that we got a little while ago, it says that you’re making a historic investment in Taiwan’s military. DEPUTY SECRETARY VERMA: Think it’s $100 million in security assistance. QUESTION: Yeah, but you know what? I’ve seen individual arms sales to Taiwan that you guys have put out to TECRO that are more than 100 million, so I don’t understand how this is historic. Can you explain that? And then I’ve got one last one which is about embassies and consulates. I don’t know if you want to take those. DEPUTY SECRETARY VERMA: Happy to take that. Look, we break out Taiwan for the first time and have a specific line item for it. It reaffirms our commitment to security assistance for Taiwan and to a free and open Indo-Pacific. I think it’s very clear. I think it stands on its own. QUESTION: Okay. But, I mean, it is not in itself historic because – the size of it is not historic. I mean, you guys have sold them — DEPUTY SECRETARY VERMA: I think – yeah, here’s what I would say — QUESTION: You guys have – there have been many, numerous, transfers to the Taiwanese over the years that have exceeded 100 million at a time. DEPUTY SECRETARY VERMA: That’s true. That’s true, and we’re very proud of the longstanding security assistance we’ve provided. I’d also say take a look at our Indo-Pacific Strategy more broadly and the new kind of funding requests that have gone in, including mandatory spending and new accounts. QUESTION: Okay. Last one – and this is just on – you said 5.6 billion for supporting the staff or – and improving and expanding the diplomatic presence abroad. Does that include funding for the new embassy in the Seychelles, which I know that you were there to announce? The Maldives, which former Secretary Pompeo was there to announce? And is there any funding for the consulate in Western Sahara that was announced by the previous administration? And is there any funding for a consulate in Jerusalem? DEPUTY SECRETARY VERMA: So I was in Seychelles. I was also in Maldives, so glad to see the progress there. And we are kind of – Doug, why don’t you jump up? Yeah. MR PITKIN: On Western Sahara – Western Sahara, not at this time. I think that some of the planning is still ongoing for the appropriate presence, given the security conditions. And then at this point – no additional funding for Jerusalem at this point, but that still remains in a planning stage. QUESTION: All right. Then you mentioned Libya and the eastern Caribbean, so in Libya where? Back in Tripoli? MR PITKIN: Libya — QUESTION: Because you had an embassy that you closed down. I mean, it was in a hotel room, basically, but it was an embassy. MR PITKIN: We’re in active negotiations for an interim facility that would provide appropriate security and staffing support adjacent to other international — QUESTION: In Tripoli? MR PITKIN: Yeah. Yeah. QUESTION: All right. And then you mentioned, Rich, the eastern Caribbean. QUESTION: For where? MR PITKIN: The Secretary has not made a final determination on which specific islands. That planning is ongoing, but would enable two very small, focused posts. DEPUTY SECRETARY VERMA: This would build on the Vice President’s trip where she made the initial announcement, and the planning actually does continue. And I think what you’ll see is a very strategic focus on key areas where we believe having a diplomatic presence is important – the Indo-Pacific, eastern Caribbean, coming back to Libya – so these are again, I think, reflective of the need to be where the greatest kind of urgency and some of our crises are, but also just to kind of regularize our diplomatic presence in places. QUESTION: Thank you. DEPUTY SECRETARY VERMA: Paloma, you want to add anything? MS ADAMS-ALLEN: No, I’m good. DEPUTY SECRETARY VERMA: Okay. MR MILLER: Humeyra. QUESTION: Hi, thank you very much. DEPUTY SECRETARY VERMA: Thank you. QUESTION: Can I follow up super quickly on Western Sahara? I think, if I got it right, you said there’s still ongoing for the appropriate presence given the security conditions. Do you have at all a timeline on when you might move on opening this consulate in Western Sahara? MR PITKIN: I think we’d have to come back on the specifics for that, so we can follow up. QUESTION: You don’t have any timeline? MR PITKIN: Not at this point. QUESTION: But you have – can you confirm you have the political will to open it within this administration? MR PITKIN: All those elements are part of the decision process, both the political will, the security, the appropriate resources. So at this point I think we’d have to take that for the – a more specific timeline. QUESTION: Okay, understand. Thank you. And I just want to ask something about UNRWA, and please correct me if I missed it somewhere, but in the bullet points that are sent out and in the fact sheet, I did not see any funding for UNRWA. I do believe it falls under State Department/USAID. So does that – I mean, is it somewhere that’s hidden or we don’t – we haven’t seen or — DEPUTY SECRETARY VERMA: No, it’s not hidden. We have – as has been discussed here, I think, multiple times, we have a pause on our funding — QUESTION: Right. DEPUTY SECRETARY VERMA: — to UNRWA until the investigation is complete. That doesn’t mean we are not providing funding for Gaza, for the West Bank, for the humanitarian needs, and there’s a significant commitment in here. But until that particular investigation concludes itself, we’re going to look to other organizations as we do today: World Food Program, UNICEF, other outlets. QUESTION: Right. And so it’s – it would be wrong to say that U.S. has written off the possibility to resume funding for UNRWA. DEPUTY SECRETARY VERMA: I think what I would say is there is a pause pending the outcome of the investigation. QUESTION: And you said there is significant commitment for Palestinian people. I’ve seen 3.3 for Israel. Does that number include for West Bank or Gaza? DEPUTY SECRETARY VERMA: No, there’s an additional amount of funding. I think it’s around – Tracy, do you want to take that? Yeah. MS CARSON: There’s 10.3 billion in humanitarian assistance, and those are the sources we would use to support Palestinian refugees. QUESTION: Okay. And in terms of the agencies, the WFP, did you say? DEPUTY SECRETARY VERMA: Yeah, I think – look, we work with a range of partner agencies, and that’s what we do today to deliver the assistance, and we’ll continue to do that. QUESTION: Thank you. MS ADAMS-ALLEN: Thank you. No, that’s it. DEPUTY SECRETARY VERMA: Okay. MR MILLER: Alex, go ahead. QUESTION: Thank you so much. I appreciate that. A couple of questions, if I may. On Eurasia – Central Asia and Europe – what I have written there, line 199 – you mentioned some portion will go to Armenia’s economic and democratic resilience. Can you just give us the numbers? How much of that portion will go to — DEPUTY SECRETARY VERMA: Sorry, you said on Armenia? MS ADAMS-ALLEN: Armenia. QUESTION: Yes. DEPUTY SECRETARY VERMA: Okay. You got it. MS CARSON: I’ll get back to you on that. DEPUTY SECRETARY VERMA: In one – we have it broken out, but we’ll make sure we get that to you. QUESTION: I appreciate it. On democracy programming, I didn’t see any funding for a summit, democratic – democracy summit for 2025. Do you guys not expect a summit for 2025? DEPUTY SECRETARY VERMA: Again, if — MS CARSON: There is. There’s $3 billion in democracy, and of that we’re assuming roughly $345 million will support the work that we’ve been doing related to the democracy summit. QUESTION: In the summit. Yeah. And finally, well, Madam Deputy Administrator, can you speak to how much past couple of months impacted the capabilities in terms of delivery of humanitarian assistance in Ukraine? I see funding for upcoming year, but if you don’t – if you don’t have a lot of partners who will help you in Ukraine to deliver that assistance, do you – how much past couple of months have impacted your capabilities? MS ADAMS-ALLEN: So we’re still providing assistance in Ukraine. We provided about 14.6 – up to 14.6 thousand – million folks. So we still have ongoing funding. The challenge will be if we don’t get the supplemental funding, that’s where we will have to cut off 400 or so health centers that are providing support, food assistance that’s going out to folks. So we are currently providing assistance, but that is ramping down, and that’s why we need the supplemental. Roman, do you have a figure in terms of numbers of folks who have received assistance? Sorry for — MR NAPOLI: Tracy might, I think. MS CARSON: I’ll get back. MR NAPOLI: Yeah. MS ADAMS-ALLEN: Yeah. MR MILLER: Okay. MR NAPOLI: Go ahead. MR MILLER: We’ll take one — MS ADAMS-ALLEN: So — MR MILLER: Oh, sorry. MS ADAMS-ALLEN: That continues our issue, and this is why the supplemental is so urgent. QUESTION: Thanks. MR MILLER: One more from Nike, and then we’ll wrap, and I’ll take questions. QUESTION: Thank you. This question is to follow and to clarify to both of you. The fact sheet mentioned “100.0 million for an historic investment in Taiwan’s security including new bilateral Foreign Military Financing request, to strengthen deterrence and maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.” Can we please have a breakdown? Does that include a permanent training mission by the U.S. Special Forces, troops in Taiwan, Republic of China? Thank you. DEPUTY SECRETARY VERMA: I don’t – I don’t believe so. I think this is the traditional security assistance. There’s also IMET assistance. And again, you have to read that together with the totality of our assistance in the Indo-Pacific Strategy and the new mandatory funding we’ve also added. So I think that’s how I would describe that particular — MS CARSON: Yeah, it’s Foreign Military Financing grant-based assistance that we would provide to Taiwan. DEPUTY SECRETARY VERMA: Yeah. MR MILLER: Okay. DEPUTY SECRETARY VERMA: Okay. MR MILLER: Thank you both. DEPUTY SECRETARY VERMA: Thank you. MS ADAMS-ALLEN: Thank you. DEPUTY SECRETARY VERMA: Thank you, Matt. Thanks, everybody. MS ADAMS-ALLEN: Thanks, everyone. QUESTION: Thank you. MS ADAMS-ALLEN: Thank you. QUESTION: Thank you. MR MILLER: Okay. Just get situated here. All right. Who wants to go first? I don’t know if I have to call on Matt first and if he’s already a first question, or I go to somebody else. QUESTION: You can go to someone else. I want to — MR MILLER: It doesn’t matter. I just want to – I just want to follow the rules, formal or informal. QUESTION: I don’t think there are any rules. I think you can – you can go to someone — MR MILLER: So we’ll go to somebody who hasn’t asked — QUESTION: I wanted to ask about Haiti. QUESTION: I mean, I also wanted to ask about Haiti. MR MILLER: We’ll go to somebody who hasn’t asked a question. QUESTION: What can you tell us about the expectations for the meeting in Jamaica today? MR MILLER: So the Secretary is in Kingston, Jamaica today to attend the CARICOM High-Level Meeting on Haiti to advance a compromise on the – to the ongoing political stalemate threatening the country’s citizens and security. The proposal that is on the table that CARICOM has developed over the past several days in consultation with Haitian stakeholders, in consultation with the United States, would expedite a political transition through the creation of a broad-based, independent presidential college to steer the country towards the deployment of a Multinational Security Support Mission and free and fair elections, and that’s what I expect the Secretary will be discussing with his colleagues. QUESTION: Will Prime Minister Henry have any presence there, virtually or other? MR MILLER: I am not aware of any, but as always, I will defer to him speak to his travels. QUESTION: And is it your understanding he’s still in Puerto Rico? MR MILLER: Again, I’m going to defer to him to speak to his travels. QUESTION: And then can you tell us any more about the decision to evacuate some embassy personnel over the weekend? MR MILLER: So as you may aware, we have been on ordered departure status since last July, where we have ordered a certain number of embassy personnel to leave. Since we went to that status last July, there have been embassy personnel that have left at different times, and at times we have moved additional personnel in. So we had a number of embassy personnel that left over the weekend. We had additional security forces that deployed to the mission because of the security situation there. And we’ll continue to assess the situation and what – make whatever appropriate decisions we need to protect our staff and personnel there. Camilla. QUESTION: Can you get – can you say anything further about any American passport holders in Haiti, if there’s any American citizens reaching out to the embassy hoping for assistance, given the – the precariousness of flights in and out of Haiti and things that are developing quickly? MR MILLER: So – yeah, so we are in contact with a number of American citizens in Haiti. I do want to reiterate that we have had a Level 4 travel alert for Haiti for more than four years now, making very clear to American citizens that, number one, they should not travel to Haiti, that it is not safe to travel to Haiti; and number two, that they are – if they’re in Haiti, they should leave as soon as it’s safe for them to do so. Now, obviously, that’s a warning that has been in place for four years. It’s not safe for a number of them to leave right now, and they’re not able to leave right now because the airport has been damaged and commercial carriers have suspended flights. So what we are asking U.S. citizens to do today is to register through our crisis intake form, which you can get to through the embassy’s website, and we will communicate with them the best information we have when we have it. Said – oh, Humeyra, go ahead. I will – let’s — QUESTION: If it’s on Haiti — MR MILLER: Let’s finish up on Haiti. QUESTION: Mine is about Palestine – yeah. MR MILLER: Yeah, we’ll finish up on Haiti and then go – yeah, Nike. QUESTION: MSS – the United States has placed $200 million assistance to the Multinational Security Support Mission to Haiti. Can you provide more details on MSS? What are the exact plans? And is the United States able to execute the assistance under current security circumstance? MR MILLER: So we are committed to the success of the MSS. You have seen not only the United States commit money to the MSS, but also the Secretary has met with his foreign counterparts to seek to raise funds from additional countries to fund the MSS. Secretary spoke to the president of Kenya on Friday to discuss the deployment of the MSS, and we continue to look to expedite that mission as soon as possible. And so that’s something we’re in the – in conversation with the Government of Kenya about, and something we’re in conversation with other countries around the world. And I can assure you that the United States will do its part to fund that important mission. QUESTION: Can I please follow up? MR MILLER: Sure. QUESTION: No offense here, but just for example, it’s fair to assume the Kenya forces do not speak Creole. So my question is: How are they going to communicate with the Haitians National Police? How are they going to tell who is good cop, who is bad cop? And same thing goes with other multinational forces. MR MILLER: So I will defer ultimately to the Government of Kenya to speak to how that mission will operate. We are there in a support function by – with providing them financial assistance and providing them logistic support. But obviously, there are translators that you can bring to bear, there are other resources you can bring to bear to work through those issues, and it’s something that we will look to do in the coming weeks. QUESTION: The bureau – State Department’s Bureau for INL used to have a – some teams on the ground to help with Haitian police – National Police forces to fight drugs, illegal – I mean, illegal drugs and crimes, and to help maintain security. Are they still there on the ground, or where are they when this violence happened? MR MILLER: I’ll have to take that back and follow up. I’m happy to look into it and follow up with you. Anything else on Haiti before we move on? Hands go up; hands go down. Go ahead, Tom. (Laughter.) QUESTION: We’re okay to move on now? Why is the United States building a port off the coast Gaza when there’s a perfectly good one that — MR MILLER: Wait, I thought we – let me just – I thought we were still on Haiti. Nothing else on Haiti? QUESTION: We’re still on Haiti? MR MILLER: Okay, we are moving on. Yeah, let me just – let me just – I’ll come to you — QUESTION: Yeah, no, that’s fine. It’s fine. MR MILLER: Let me just – let me just make – let me – I want to close out Haiti before we move on. QUESTION: Yeah, yeah. MR MILLER: Go ahead. QUESTION: Thank you. So what’s going to happen with U.S. citizens who are still in Haiti? Are there any evacuation plans? And then second, how does this affect the southern border in terms of migrants and also drugs? MR MILLER: So I had spoke to the question with respect to American citizens a moment ago, which is that they should register with our crisis intake form. We will provide them information to the extent that we are able to do so at – the airport is – currently has been damaged, and the commercial carriers have suspended flights. And I just want to reiterate that we have made very clear for more than four years that United States citizens should not travel to Haiti. With respect to the question about the border, I would defer ultimately to other agencies to speak to this. Now, Haiti or something else? QUESTION: No – Gaza. MR MILLER: I promised Tom I’d come to him first, and then I’ll — QUESTION: Thanks. Why is the United States building a port off the coast of Gaza when there’s a perfectly good one about a 30-mile drive further north, in fact a major international container port? MR MILLER: So we are looking to build or looking to – or exploring a maritime option to get humanitarian assistance into Gaza because the other options have not proven sufficient so far, is the bottom-line answer to that question. So we are – have provided air drops. We’ve been providing those over the past – a little over a week to get emergency assistance in, and we are exploring a maritime option to get additional assistance in. But I should be clear – and you’ve heard me say this and others in the administration say that – that there – it is no substitute for assistance continuing to come in over land. And so we’ll continue to push for it to come over land. Now, whether that comes through Ashdod Port and then travels over land, or it comes through Jordan, or comes from Egypt, ultimately doesn’t actually matter. It matters how it gets – it matters that it gets into Gaza, whether it comes through a port or another means. So we’re going to push to see the land routes expanded. What we are doing is to supplement that, not replace it. QUESTION: But, I mean, it’s turned what is a political issue into a logistical one. This is not about trying to get into some remote region of the world with a natural disaster. This is a place that is very easily accessible. And you talked about the current situation you haven’t been able to get to sufficiently. That means you haven’t been able to persuade the Israelis to let enough aid in over land and to secure its distribution. So why is that still a problem? MR MILLER: So I will say that, first of all, we have seen some modest improvements in the humanitarian situation and the distribution of aid over the past few days. We’ve seen trucks able to move around the southern part of Gaza with more freedom than they were able to do, say, a week or 10 days ago. We’ve seen additional trucks move to the north of Gaza from the south. We saw for the first time flour released from Ashdod and make its way into Gaza, something we have been supporting for some time. And we saw the Government of Israel agree to open additional crossings. So yes, they need to do more. We’ve seen an improvement but we think they need to continue to do more, and so that’s what we’re going to continue to push them to do. QUESTION: I mean, it does just come back to this fundamental point about leverage. And when you’re providing the amount of military aid that you are providing, in fact, there’s a – the 1961 Foreign Assistance Act says that humanitarian aid should not be blocked by countries that are recipients of military aid from the United States. And it would seem extraordinary still that leverage cannot be brought to bear when the UN is now saying malnutrition is so severe, they’re quoting that 25 people have died now. MR MILLER: Well, first of all, it is the intervention of the United States that has led humanitarian assistance to go into Gaza in the first place. Secretary Blinken has engaged on this consistently in his meetings and his phone calls with leaders of the Government of Israel. The President of the United States has been involved in this. The President of the United States traveled to Israel and cemented a deal that Secretary Blinken initially reached to allow Rafah to open in the first place; and it was our intervention that allowed – that got Kerem Shalom to open; and it is our intervention that has led to the Government of Israel agree – to agree to open additional crossings into Gaza. So it is the work of the United States that has led to an improvement in the humanitarian assistance situation. Now, that improvement hasn’t been enough, and that’s why we continue to engage consistently at the highest levels of the Government of Israel, and that’s why the President continues to speak out on this and that’s why the Secretary continues to speak out on this, and that’s what we’ll continue – that’s what we will keep doing. QUESTION: Matthew? MR MILLER: Humeyra, go ahead. QUESTION: Thank you, Matt. Has the Israeli Government presented Biden administration with a humanitarian and/or military plan for Rafah? MR MILLER: They have not. QUESTION: What is your latest assessment, based on your conversations with them, whether or not they would go ahead without the humanitarian plan? MR MILLER: So I won’t speak to the conversations that we have had with them, but we have made clear, both in those private conversations and as you have heard us say publicly a number of times, that it is our judgment that they cannot, should not, go into Rafah without a humanitarian assistance plan that is credible and that they can actually implement. QUESTION: Right. And Netanyahu, we’ve heard him say multiple times, I think, over the past couple of days that the Rafah operation will happen one way or the other. And the President said in the MSNBC interview that Rafah is a red line, although he then quickly said he will continue to support Israel. So I guess I’m asking, what is the U.S. prepared to do when and if Israel goes ahead with the Rafah offensive? MR MILLER: So the “if” there – I think you know – triggered my answer that I’m not going to — QUESTION: But it’s not – it’s not — MR MILLER: Well, you – no, no, no, hold up. Well, you said that — QUESTION: What — MR MILLER: But the – no, because the “if” I — QUESTION: But the prime minister said that. QUESTION: I think the – well, no. Here’s the – here’s what I’m going to say. The “if,” I think, does make it a hypothetical, because we have said what we need to see to be able to support a Rafah operation, and that is a credible and implementable humanitarian assistance plan. The Government of Israel has said that they will implement a humanitarian assistance plan. They haven’t just said that to us; they have said that publicly. We haven’t seen such a plan yet. So I think before we either pass judgment on whether this is possible or whether any such plan is credible and can be implemented, and whether we talk about what we would do next, I think let’s wait and see what it is that they come up with. QUESTION: (Off-mike.) MR MILLER: Said, go ahead. QUESTION: Thank you. Yeah, just a couple of things on the Rafah thing because we’re talking about 1.4 million people. It’s a lot of people. It’s crowded and so on. And, in fact, the Israelis have been bombing it, so they’re reducing the area in which people can live. So what, in your view or in your discussion – what methods, what methodology is Israel – will Israel use to basically move these people and get them out of harm’s way? MR MILLER: So, Said, I can’t — QUESTION: What is conceivable? MR MILLER: Sorry. I can’t answer that question because I haven’t seen the plan. It is incumbent upon them, not us, to develop that plan. We will wait and look at it and pass judgment on it when we see it. QUESTION: But can you see that you can actually move that many number of people to — MR MILLER: I — QUESTION: — let’s say either south or north and so on? MR MILLER: I think I want to — QUESTION: Will they be allowed to go north? MR MILLER: I think I want to wait and see what any plan looks like before I pass judgment on it — QUESTION: (Off-mike.) MR MILLER: — which should be obvious. QUESTION: Yeah, one more question. Now, isn’t – doesn’t U.S. law call for stopping shipments of arms to a country that prevents the distribution of American aid, humanitarian aid, as we have seen with the flour? MR MILLER: So that is the law and we have seen the Government of Israel take steps to allow humanitarian assistance in, including to allow humanitarian assistance in. Now, they haven’t done enough — QUESTION: Right. MR MILLER: — but we’ve seen them take steps. And because it’s our judgment that they haven’t done enough, that’s why we’re pushing them to do more. QUESTION: But they are still holding flour that you guys have sent to Gaza. MR MILLER: No, that’s not accurate. QUESTION: That’s not – okay. QUESTION: Can I follow up on Gaza? QUESTION: All right, let me just follow up on a couple of things. MR MILLER: Just hold on. Let me just – one at a time. QUESTION: On UNRWA, I wanted to ask about UNRWA. Now, today I think Canada and Sweden said that they will resume aid to UNRWA. They – basically they paused because of the very same reason, so they must be convinced that the evidence is enough, sufficient to allow the resumption of aid. Why not with the United States? MR MILLER: So every country has to make its own determination. But again, we’ve laid out a very clear standard that we’re going to apply, which is we are going to await the outcome of the investigations that the United Nations is conducting. I think it’s important to remember, Said, it’s not Israel that’s conducting this investigation, it’s not another body. It’s the United Nations itself, which of course administers all of this aid, that is conducting the investigation. Despite the number of times you have asked me this, we are going to wait until the outcome of that investigation before making any determinations, which I think is obviously the appropriate step to take. QUESTION: I fully understand, but it’s the same set of evidence and the same set of investigators and the same set of investigations that other countries are privy to, like you are. MR MILLER: It’s — QUESTION: If they can arrive — MR MILLER: I don’t – hold on. Said, I don’t believe anyone is privy to the outcome of this investigation because it’s not been completed, let alone briefed to us yet or to any other country, for that matter. QUESTION: I just am saying they’re not different sets of investigations. It’s the same investigations. MR MILLER: Correct. And every country will have to make its own determinations. QUESTION: And one last thing. Have you – are you aware that UNRWA reports says that Israel coerced some agency employees to falsely admit Hamas links? Were you aware of — MR MILLER: I have seen those reports. I don’t have any independent — QUESTION: You haven’t — MR MILLER: I don’t have any independent ability to assess them. Michel, go ahead. QUESTION: Do you still expect a truce to be announced during Ramadan, and is there any progress in the talks that the U.S. is doing? MR MILLER: So I am not going to make any forecasts one way or the other. We continue to believe that an agreement to achieve a ceasefire and secure the release of hostages is important. We’re continuing to work on it, we’re continuing to pursue it, but I wouldn’t want to offer any kind of assessment. Go ahead. QUESTION: Thank you, Matt. Can you just – like I’m trying to understand when President Biden said that entering Rafah is a red line, and the same time he will say we’re going to keep sending weapons and support Israel. I mean, just in English wording, how does it work? Red line, don’t enter Rafah; and the same time we’re going to give you weapons if you enter Rafah or not. Is that right? MR MILLER: So I think the President’s remarks were very clear. But again, as I said, with respect to Rafah, let’s just wait and see what the plan that Israel develops looks like before we pass any judgment either on whether it’s credible, whether it can be implemented, or what the United States will and will not do. But as the President said in that interview and as you’ve heard the Secretary say and me and others from the administration say a number of times, we support Israel’s right to continue to defend itself, and that’s what we’ll – that will be our policy. QUESTION: And so what about – did you watch the report on CNN inside Gaza hospital and see the starvation of children? Images we used to see in Uganda, some images we see in African countries like 20 years ago, now we’re seeing it in 2024. Kids are starving to death. MR MILLER: So I didn’t see that specific report, but obviously we’ve seen multiple reports of incredibly dire humanitarian conditions on the ground in Gaza. And that’s why we not only have been pushing the Government of Israel to do more – and as I’ve said, we’ve seen some modest improvements but not enough – but it’s why the United States has air dropped its own humanitarian assistance in and is working on a maritime option to get assistance in. Go ahead. QUESTION: A last question. Just last — MR MILLER: Last one. Last one, then I’m going to go to – go ahead. QUESTION: So basically, we experienced like dramatically the changing of tone of this administration. I mean, from this podium, Israel has a right to defend itself. People are dying day after day. Today the tonality changed. We saw the primary election. Some voters decided to stay uncommitted votes. President Biden in his speech changes tonality toward the – what’s happening in Gaza. Who is going to hold accountability for all the crimes that Israel committed for the past five months? MR MILLER: So first of all, I don’t think that’s an — QUESTION: Do you still think it’s — MR MILLER: Let me just say I don’t think that’s an accurate assessment of the situation. We have made our judgments based on the facts on the ground, and that is what has driven our policy and what will continue to drive our – to — QUESTION: (Off-mike.) MR MILLER: Hold on. I said I was going to go to Matt next. Matt, go ahead. QUESTION: I just want to ask one brief thing about what you said in response there. You said let’s wait until we’ve seen the plan before we pass judgment on whether it is credible or implementable, correct? MR MILLER: Correct. Correct. QUESTION: So does that – does that mean that you are going to pass judgment on the plan when you see it? MR MILLER: I would expect that — QUESTION: So when – when the Israelis – so when the Israelis put out the plan, we’ll get the U.S. perspective? MR MILLER: I would expect that — QUESTION: Judgment up, down? Needs improvement? MR MILLER: I’m not going to say exactly the outcome, but I would expect that ultimately we will have a view on that plan, yes. QUESTION: Well, ultimately. MR MILLER: But I mean — QUESTION: After they finish, after they – if they’re done? MR MILLER: We are waiting to be briefed on that plan, but yes, we will obviously have a view on what it looks like. QUESTION: Okay. So if you don’t like it or if you do like it, we can expect to hear? MR MILLER: I’m going to wait to see what it looks like, but I am sure that — QUESTION: But you’re going to say — MR MILLER: Hold on. Hold on, Matt. Just to say I am – QUESTION: You’re going to pass judgment on it? MR MILLER: I am sure that I will be here and you will have questions, and I will answer those questions about the plan. QUESTION: All right. QUESTION: Matt, sorry. Just on that. QUESTION: Can I — MR MILLER: Whoa, whoa, everyone. I’ll get to you. Go ahead. QUESTION: Just on that — MR MILLER: Humeyra, then – and then Nadia third. QUESTION: Can I — MR MILLER: Nadia, I’m going to get to you. QUESTION: All right. MR MILLER: Go ahead. QUESTION: You seem to be putting a lot of hope on that plan, but do you – does the administration have any indication or any knowledge that the plan is being indeed developed? MR MILLER: The Government of Israel has said privately to us that they’re developing such a plan, and they — QUESTION: Have they said so in recent days? MR MILLER: Hold on. And they have said publicly that they are developing a plan. QUESTION: Right, that was a little while ago. Like, I mean, this moves really, really fast, and we have seen Netanyahu sort of say things that they’re going to go ahead with Rafah regardless. MR MILLER: I cannot speak — QUESTION: So do you still – you’re still certain they’re developing this plan? MR MILLER: I cannot speak for any government but my own, and I can tell you that they have told us that privately and they have said it publicly. QUESTION: And just one last thing, because I think – I’m just going through your answer to Tom’s question. You talk about how U.S. has pushed a lot Israel on the humanitarian aid and made progress even though incremental or sort of bigger in some other things. But what he was asking you – I think – was specifically related to 1961 Foreign Assistance Act that says humanitarian aid should not be blocked by countries that are recipients of military aid from the United States. So we have heard you a lot from this podium saying Israel should do more. So based on that, does the United States consider Israel to be impeding the flow of U.S. aid into Gaza or not? MR MILLER: That is not a judgment that we have made. Go ahead. QUESTION: Thank you. Thank you, Matt. Two questions on Turkish foreign minister’s – Fidan’s meeting with Secretary Blinken last week. First, the joint statement mentions a commitment to a result-oriented and a positive bilateral agenda. I was wondering if you could elaborate more on the specific areas of positive agenda between the two countries. MR MILLER: So we continue to work closely with Türkiye on a number of issues. They’re an important NATO Ally. We have worked with them on the Black Sea Grain Initiative and ensuring that Ukraine can continue to export grain through the Black Sea, and have worked with them on a number of regional security matters both in Europe and in the Middle East. And as you know, we have discussed with them post-conflict governance and issues related to Gaza. QUESTION: Thank you. And on the fight against terrorism, the – according to the joint statement, the two countries relaunched counterterrorism consultations to expand fight against terrorism. What steps will be taken in this regard? And additionally, what are the steps that the U.S. plan to take in order to overcome disagreements with Türkiye regarding its approach to defeating ISIS or Daesh in Syria, as Türkiye sees the U.S. support to YPG as the biggest obstacle to relations? MR MILLER: So I don’t have any additional steps with regard to your first question to announce other than that we will be working with our Turkish allies on this question very intently over the coming weeks and months. And when it comes to disagreements that we have with the Government of Türkiye, we will raise them directly and candidly, as we have done on a number of occasions, and seek to work through those. QUESTION: And was that discussed during the meetings, the U.S. support to YPG in Syria? MR MILLER: I don’t have any readout on the meetings other than the one that we put out on Friday. I promised Nadia I’d go – and she’s going to really get angry at me if I don’t, if I break that promise. (Laughter.) She’s already interrupting like everybody else, so — QUESTION: Okay. Okay, thank you. So in addition to the questions asked by my colleagues, I have two more. So the President said that he – we cannot afford to have 30,000 more Palestinian dead, indicating a red line if Israel carries on with the plan to go to Rafah. So 60,000 Palestinian dead is a red line and 30,000 was not a red line? MR MILLER: So you are – hold on. QUESTION: And if your answer – just one second. If your answer is we don’t want to see any civilian Palestinians dead, which is the usual answer you give us, what did you do in the last five month to make sure that Israel avoid killing civilians, which we know as a fact 70 percent are women and children? MR MILLER: So first of all, I think you’re completely distorting the President’s remarks. That was not what he said. It’s not the intention of his remarks and I don’t think is a fair reading of his remarks. What he was saying is consistent with what we have always said, which is we don’t want to see a single civilian die in this conflict. Now, as we have talked about at length both in this room and in other rooms here in Washington, from other podiums and in other forums from – on behalf of the United States, this is a difficult situation precisely because of the way Hamas chose to conduct this war. Hamas launched this war on October 7th, went into Israel, then immediately fled back into Gaza, and not only hid behind hostages that they took – Israeli citizens, but hid behind Palestinian civilians. And so Hamas bears a great deal of responsibility for putting civilians in harm’s way. But that said, when you ask what it is that we have done, we have consistently engaged with the Government of Israel to encourage them to take steps to minimize civilian casualties. That has been the hallmark of our engagement with the Government of Israel since day one. But just the very tragic fact of the matter is that they are engaging in an urban environment where Hamas hides its tunnels under schools, under mosques, under apartment buildings. We see Hamas leaders embed themselves in apartment buildings with civilians, including children, including women. And so it is a very difficult situation. And that is – so I will say finally that because of that incredible human toll and because of the incredibly dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, it is why we have been so intensely engaged on trying to achieve a ceasefire that would see a cessation of hostilities, an alleviation of suffering of the Palestinian people, and an increase in humanitarian assistance coming in. QUESTION: Okay. But Hamas is not your ally, is not your partner. You designate it as a terrorist organization. I’m asking on the other side, which is you share the same value with them, which is Israel. So my question to you is not about Hamas and how the war was started, because we passed that stage. MR MILLER: No, no, but — QUESTION: Not to take away from what happened on October 7th. But my point to you is: What the – does this administration do — MR MILLER: yeah. QUESTION: — to use the leverage that Israel – that you have over Israel to make sure that no more civilians are dead? MR MILLER: But – but Nadia, my point is you can’t answer the question about Israel’s conduct without giving an accurate assessment of the situation that they are in of trying to conduct legitimate military and counter-terrorism operations against an enemy that has sworn the destruction of Israel – sworn that they would destroy Israel and kill Israeli civilians – and hides behind civilians. So this isn’t a situation – a traditional battle situation where Hamas troops are out in a field or deployed in a military garrison sometime and you conduct a – you can conduct a military operation where you have a simple target and you know there’s going to be no civilian harm. That’s just not the situation that Israel faces in Gaza because of the way Hamas is – has decided to quite cowardly hide behind civilians. So we will continue to press Israel to do everything it can to minimize civilian casualties, and everything I have said about the situation that they face doesn’t in a bit minimize their responsibility to do so. And that’s why we’ll continue to engage with them. QUESTION: Is — QUESTION: Okay. Yes — MR MILLER: Hold on, hold on – I’m going to move on, only because we’ve – QUESTION: No, just – just — MR MILLER: Hold on. We’ve been here an hour already, and I’ve got other people I have to get to before we break. QUESTION: Matt, there’s a video — MR MILLER: So – go ahead. QUESTION: — that shows how Israel — MR MILLER: I – as I’ve said, we’ve been here an hour and I’ve got other people I got to get to before I cut this short. Go ahead. QUESTION: Thank you. Thank you, Matt. Two questions – China and North Korea. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said at a press conference that U.S. and South Korea are more responsible for causing security anxiety to North Korea by mentioning the war on Korean Peninsula. How do you react to Wang Yi’s statement that the U.S. and South Korea are responsible? MR MILLER: So obviously we don’t agree with that comment. It is the – it is North Korea’s repeated reckless and provocative acts that have brought instability and continue to bring instability to the Korean Peninsula, and it’s why we stand with our South Korean allies. QUESTION: Second question. And the – the Chinese Government is forcibly sending North Korean defectors back to North Korea. What message is the United States taking in response to this? MR MILLER: Let me take that back and get you an answer. QUESTION: Thank you. MR MILLER: Go ahead. Guita, I’ll come to you next. Behind – and then — QUESTION: Thank you, Matt. Ramadan Kareem; today is the first day of the Ramadan. QUESTION: Yes, it’s holy month for the Muslim. QUESTION: The Bangladesh Anti-Corruption Commission attorney accused and sought legal action against the U.S. ambassador to Bangladesh, Peter Haas, for his comments in favor of Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammud Yunus. As you’re aware, the ruling regime is harassing Professor Yunus in a political manner and worldwide criticism is mounting against the regime’s action. Could you please share your thoughts? MR MILLER: So we are aware of the comments in question. You have heard me speak before about the U.S. Government’s concerns surrounding the cases against Muhammad Yunus, including that they could represent a potential misuse of Bangladesh’s laws to harass and intimidate the doctor. Ambassador Haas simply reiterated those comments, acting in his capacity as the U.S. Government’s highest ranking representative in Bangladesh. QUESTION: One more, Matt. According to media reports, the “India out” campaign is growing larger in the region. Following the one-sided sham elections in Bangladesh, people are promoting a boycott of goods made in neighboring India, suspecting Indian authorities of covertly wanting to keep Sheikh Hasina in power. How do you read this situation? MR MILLER: So we are aware of the reports of this campaign. I’m obviously not going to comment on any individual consumers’ decisions, whether it’s in Bangladesh or anywhere around the world. But we value our relationship with both Bangladesh and India. We will continue to work with both countries’ governments to pursue our shared interests, including to ensure a free, open, secure, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region. QUESTION: Thank you. MR MILLER: Guita, go ahead. QUESTION: Thank you, Matt. A lawsuit filed in Iran against the U.S. Government and a U.S.-based Iranian opposition group headed by Jamshid Sharmahd has ended, and the verdict is a – the payment of almost $2.5 billion in damages to the plaintiffs. Now, the incident – it was a bombing; it happened in 2008. Over 2,000 – 200 people were killed or wounded. And as you recall, Mr. Sharmahd is a dual citizen who is still in prison in Iran. I was wondering – I know it wasn’t during the Biden administration’s time, but does the U.S. Government in general back any opposition groups, any dissident groups living outside of Iran or their country of origin, and condone violent approach to a struggle for democracy? MR MILLER: So ultimately it is – we back the Iranian people in their expression of their democratic – legitimate democratic political aspirations, and we will continue to do that. We don’t endorse violence in any instance. QUESTION: How do you see the trials recently that Iranian judiciaries just putting on trials against – bringing lawsuits against the U.S. Government? See, they’re asking also for reparations in each of them. When the Iranian Government or even the plaintiffs don’t have any way of collecting, then what do you think these trials are for? MR MILLER: So I think we – it is safe to say that we have long had concerns about the rule of law in Iran, including the independence of its judiciary system. QUESTION: Matt? MR MILLER: Go ahead. Alex, you’ve already had one. I’m not sure I’m going to get back to you today. Go ahead. Yeah, go ahead. QUESTION: Oh. MR MILLER: Yeah. QUESTION: So India today has tested the – a missile with the MRV technology. Since India is such an important partner in the Indo-Pacific, what does this really mean for the stability of the region? MR MILLER: So let me take that question and come back to you. Go ahead. QUESTION: Thank you, Matt. I’m going back to the question about your meetings with Turkish counterparts. Have you raised the concern – your concern about the Turkish military operation in Kurdistan region of Iraq and also northwest Syria? MR MILLER: Again, I don’t have any comments other than that we put out – about that meeting other than we put out in the readout. Other than that, I’ll keep the diplomatic conversations private. QUESTION: One more question on the – on Iraq. Is there any unannounced truce between you and the Iraqi militia groups through Iraqi Government, which they stopped the attacks on your forces in Iraq? MR MILLER: Certainly we welcome any decrease in hostilities against our forces. We have made clear that the attacks on our forces were unacceptable and that we would take action to defend U.S. interests and U.S. personnel, and we will continue to do so if appropriate. Go ahead, and then we’ll wrap there. QUESTION: So I’m sure you’ve seen that Pope Francis has called on Ukraine to have the courage to raise a white flag and negotiate with Russia. I’m curious about your response to that. MR MILLER: Sorry. So I have seen that the Vatican has subsequently clarified those comments. Obviously, we support Ukraine’s right to defend itself. We have said time and time again that nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine. We support its peace formula, and we would support its efforts to peacefully end this war, but that requires Vladimir Putin to stop attacking, to stop trying to take and claim and hold Ukrainian territory, and to agree to negotiations – and he has so far not been willing to do so. QUESTION: And — QUESTION: A follow-up? MR MILLER: Go ahead. QUESTION: — one thing that ahead of his White House meeting Polish President Duda said in a Washington Post op-ed, that he will propose that NATO should raise the pledge of defense spending, the minimum defense spending from 3 – 2 to 3 percent. Would the U.S. support that? MR MILLER: I think the first step is to get every country meeting the 2 percent threshold, and we’ve seen improvement in that where nearly two-thirds of them now are, but I think that’s the first step before we start talking about additional proposals. QUESTION: Just a follow-up? MR MILLER: And then I’m going to wrap for today because I’ve got to run. Thanks, everyone. QUESTION: Thank you, Matt. (The briefing was concluded at 2:20 p.m.) # # # | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness Before Their Meeting | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/11/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/11/2024 06:32 PM EDT Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State Kingston, Jamaica Pegasus Hotel PRIME MINISTER HOLNESS: Secretary, though we have met so may times before, I have not had the privilege to say welcome to Jamaica. SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you. PRIME MINISTER HOLNESS: And we are very, very pleased to have you here today. Many important matters to discuss – Haiti high on the agenda, but of course there are bilateral issues which we will discuss. The United States continues to be a very strong partner, development partner for Jamaica. We have very strong ties culturally, economically, to people-to-people. We value those ties and we look forward to the conversation which will go on (inaudible). SECRETARY BLINKEN: Prime Minister, thank you very much. It’s wonderful to be here in Jamaica, to be back in Jamaica. I’ve been here a number of times in the past but not in this – not in this job. It was so good to have you in Washington (inaudible). I think today’s meeting on Haiti is so critical. Bringing CARICOM together is a testament to Jamaica’s leadership – leadership in the hemisphere that we share, leadership at a critical moment, a critical moment for Haiti but also a critical moment for all of us. But as you said, we also have many important issues on our bilateral agenda. For us, Jamaica is a critical partner – an economic partner, a security partner, and a diplomatic partner. And so the opportunity today as well to work through and talk through some of those issues is very, very valuable. And as you said, the ties between our countries every single day are extraordinary. There are millions of Americans of Jamaican descent. Every day (inaudible) our country and carry it forward. We’re so grateful for that, but especially the day-in, day-out work that our countries do together that we want to deepen and strengthen. I’m grateful, Prime Minister, to you for your leadership and for bringing all of us together today on (inaudible) and we hope progress will be made on this. Thank you. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness Before Their Meeting | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/11/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/11/2024 06:32 PM EDT Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State Kingston, Jamaica Pegasus Hotel PRIME MINISTER HOLNESS: Secretary, though we have met so may times before, I have not had the privilege to say welcome to Jamaica. SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you. PRIME MINISTER HOLNESS: And we are very, very pleased to have you here today. Many important matters to discuss – Haiti high on the agenda, but of course there are bilateral issues which we will discuss. The United States continues to be a very strong partner, development partner for Jamaica. We have very strong ties culturally, economically, to people-to-people. We value those ties and we look forward to the conversation which will go on (inaudible). SECRETARY BLINKEN: Prime Minister, thank you very much. It’s wonderful to be here in Jamaica, to be back in Jamaica. I’ve been here a number of times in the past but not in this – not in this job. It was so good to have you in Washington (inaudible). I think today’s meeting on Haiti is so critical. Bringing CARICOM together is a testament to Jamaica’s leadership – leadership in the hemisphere that we share, leadership at a critical moment, a critical moment for Haiti but also a critical moment for all of us. But as you said, we also have many important issues on our bilateral agenda. For us, Jamaica is a critical partner – an economic partner, a security partner, and a diplomatic partner. And so the opportunity today as well to work through and talk through some of those issues is very, very valuable. And as you said, the ties between our countries every single day are extraordinary. There are millions of Americans of Jamaican descent. Every day (inaudible) our country and carry it forward. We’re so grateful for that, but especially the day-in, day-out work that our countries do together that we want to deepen and strengthen. I’m grateful, Prime Minister, to you for your leadership and for bringing all of us together today on (inaudible) and we hope progress will be made on this. Thank you. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Secretary Antony J. Blinken at a High-Level Meeting on Haiti | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/11/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/11/2024 08:27 PM EDT Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State Kingston, Jamaica Pegasus Hotel SECRETARY BLINKEN: Mr. President, thank you. Thank you for your leadership today, but thank you for your leadership every day, along with Prime Minister Holness for bringing us together today, all of the CARICOM heads of government for organizing the meeting, but also – and more important – for the sustained commitment that we’ve seen from everyone from around this table and people beyond this table to helping Haiti and its people in what is an extraordinarily difficult time. And both the president and the prime minister have very eloquently shared what that challenge is for the people of Haiti. That’s what brings us together today: a political crisis, escalating violence, unrest. This has created an untenable situation for the Haitian people. And we all know that urgent action is needed on both the political and security tracks to help move things in a better direction, to help do right by the people of Haiti. We’re here in Kingston today to listen – to listen to your ideas, but also to provide our concrete support for the way forward, and in particular, the joint proposal that was developed by CARICOM and all of the Haitian stakeholders to expedite a political transition. We support the plan to create a broad-based, inclusive, independent presidential college that would, in particular, first, take concrete steps to meet the immediate needs of the Haitian people; second, enable the swift deployment of the Multinational Security Support Mission; and third, through that deployment, through a reinforced Haitian National Police, create the security conditions that are necessary to hold free and fair elections, to allow humanitarian assistance to get to people who need it, and to help put Haiti back on a path to economic opportunity and growth. Now, we’ve spent the day – and in fact, the last several days – in intense conversations on the phone, by video conference, here in Kingston to work this path forward – one that, as you’ve heard from both the president and the prime minister, is Haitian-led, Haitian-conceived, but with the critical support of countries around this table. Today’s work that I’m also confident, along with my colleagues, is now sketching that path forward is an opportunity to continue the work toward consensus on an enduring, inclusive, and representative transition. What we’ve seen in recent days, again, should remind us that the already challenging and difficult security situation has now deteriorated even further and makes the Multinational Support Mission even more important than ever. The United Nations Security Council has reaffirmed that and reaffirmed a collective commitment to deploy it as quickly as possible. Given this increasingly urgent need, I’m announcing today that the United States Department of Defense is doubling its approved support for the mission from $100 million to $200 million, and that brings the total U.S. support – (applause) – to $300 million for this effort. I’m also announcing additional humanitarian assistance for the people of Haiti: $33 million to further support their health and food security. Now, all of us know that only the Haitian people can, only the Haitian people should determine their own future – not anyone else. But all of us here – CARICOM, the United States, our other partners – we can help. We can help restore a foundation of security that can address the tremendous suffering that innocent Haitians are experiencing, and help create the conditions that will enable them to have that opportunity. So I think we’ve had an intense and good day today already. This is coming together in a positive direction, and I hope the discussions we’ll continue to have can now finalize a plan that will move us forward. Again, thank you very much, Mr. President and Mr. Prime Minister. (Applause.) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Secretary Antony J. Blinken at a High-Level Meeting on Haiti | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/11/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/11/2024 08:27 PM EDT Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State Kingston, Jamaica Pegasus Hotel SECRETARY BLINKEN: Mr. President, thank you. Thank you for your leadership today, but thank you for your leadership every day, along with Prime Minister Holness for bringing us together today, all of the CARICOM heads of government for organizing the meeting, but also – and more important – for the sustained commitment that we’ve seen from everyone from around this table and people beyond this table to helping Haiti and its people in what is an extraordinarily difficult time. And both the president and the prime minister have very eloquently shared what that challenge is for the people of Haiti. That’s what brings us together today: a political crisis, escalating violence, unrest. This has created an untenable situation for the Haitian people. And we all know that urgent action is needed on both the political and security tracks to help move things in a better direction, to help do right by the people of Haiti. We’re here in Kingston today to listen – to listen to your ideas, but also to provide our concrete support for the way forward, and in particular, the joint proposal that was developed by CARICOM and all of the Haitian stakeholders to expedite a political transition. We support the plan to create a broad-based, inclusive, independent presidential college that would, in particular, first, take concrete steps to meet the immediate needs of the Haitian people; second, enable the swift deployment of the Multinational Security Support Mission; and third, through that deployment, through a reinforced Haitian National Police, create the security conditions that are necessary to hold free and fair elections, to allow humanitarian assistance to get to people who need it, and to help put Haiti back on a path to economic opportunity and growth. Now, we’ve spent the day – and in fact, the last several days – in intense conversations on the phone, by video conference, here in Kingston to work this path forward – one that, as you’ve heard from both the president and the prime minister, is Haitian-led, Haitian-conceived, but with the critical support of countries around this table. Today’s work that I’m also confident, along with my colleagues, is now sketching that path forward is an opportunity to continue the work toward consensus on an enduring, inclusive, and representative transition. What we’ve seen in recent days, again, should remind us that the already challenging and difficult security situation has now deteriorated even further and makes the Multinational Support Mission even more important than ever. The United Nations Security Council has reaffirmed that and reaffirmed a collective commitment to deploy it as quickly as possible. Given this increasingly urgent need, I’m announcing today that the United States Department of Defense is doubling its approved support for the mission from $100 million to $200 million, and that brings the total U.S. support – (applause) – to $300 million for this effort. I’m also announcing additional humanitarian assistance for the people of Haiti: $33 million to further support their health and food security. Now, all of us know that only the Haitian people can, only the Haitian people should determine their own future – not anyone else. But all of us here – CARICOM, the United States, our other partners – we can help. We can help restore a foundation of security that can address the tremendous suffering that innocent Haitians are experiencing, and help create the conditions that will enable them to have that opportunity. So I think we’ve had an intense and good day today already. This is coming together in a positive direction, and I hope the discussions we’ll continue to have can now finalize a plan that will move us forward. Again, thank you very much, Mr. President and Mr. Prime Minister. (Applause.) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with Jamaican Prime Minister Holness | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/11/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/11/2024 09:16 PM EDT Office of the Spokesperson The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met with Jamaican | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NATO Accession Anniversary for Czechia, Hungary, and Poland | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/12/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/12/2024 07:35 AM EDT Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State On behalf of the United States, I want to congratulate Czechia, Hungary, and Poland on the 25th anniversary of your accession to NATO. As then-Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said to mark your accession in 1999, “NATO is joined by three proud democracies – countries that have proven their ability to meet Alliance responsibilities, uphold Alliance values, and defend Alliance interests.” For 25 years, we have stood together as Allies – united and fully committed to our collective security. Today, NATO stands as the most successful and enduring alliance in history. As we adapt to address the evolving challenges of the future and uphold our ironclad commitment to defend every inch of NATO territory, our Alliance is stronger than ever. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Under Secretary Nuland’s Travel to Italy | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/12/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/12/2024 07:44 AM EDT Office of the Spokesperson Under Secretary for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland will travel to Rome and Tuscany, Italy March 13-15 for bilateral meetings with Italian officials and thinkers as well as to participate in meetings with G7 Political Directors from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the European Union, and the United Kingdom. Discussions will cover all the key global challenges including support for Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Under Secretary Nuland’s Travel to Italy | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/12/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/12/2024 07:44 AM EDT Office of the Spokesperson Under Secretary for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland will travel to Rome and Tuscany, Italy March 13-15 for bilateral meetings with Italian officials and thinkers as well as to participate in meetings with G7 Political Directors from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the European Union, and the United Kingdom. Discussions will cover all the key global challenges including support for Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| LGBTQI+ Special Envoy Stern’s Travel to New York | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/12/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/12/2024 08:28 AM EDT Office of the Spokesperson From March 12-15, Special Envoy to Advance the Human Rights of LGBTQI+ Persons Jessica Stern will travel to New York to attend the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women at the United Nations. While in New York, Special Envoy Stern will meet with representatives of governments and human rights defenders to discuss how the rights of women are being eroded around the world, as well as strategies for collaboration to ensure that these rights are respected and defended. For further information, please follow SE Stern on X at @US_SE_LGBTQI and contact DRL-Press@state.gov. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| On the Occasion of Ramadan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/12/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/12/2024 10:13 AM EDT Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State On the Occasion of RamadanPress Statement March 12, 2024 As the month of Ramadan begins, I wish Ramadan Kareem to the more than 1.8 billion Muslims around the world. This year, this season of peace comes at a time of conflict and pain for many Muslim communities, including Uyghurs in Xinjiang, Rohingya in Burma and Bangladesh, and Palestinians in Gaza. This pain is felt acutely by Muslims around the world, and so this year, Ramadan feels different. The humanitarian situation in Gaza is heartbreaking. As we deliver additional aid to Gaza, we will continue to work non-stop to establish an immediate and sustained ceasefire for at least six weeks as part of a deal that releases hostages. We will also continue to pursue a two-state solution to ensure Palestinians and Israelis share equal measures of freedom, dignity, security, and prosperity. Peace is possible, it is necessary, and it is urgent. Many of our fellow Americans – including U.S. diplomats – will also celebrate Ramadan this year. For us, it is an occasion to acknowledge the role that religious diversity plays in strengthening our country and the importance of freedom of religion or belief both at home and abroad. The United States remains committed to ensuring that this freedom extends to everyone around the world. To those observing Ramadan—I wish you a Ramadan Kareem as you gather with your families and friends to set intentions and prepare for this blessed month. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| On the Occasion of Ramadan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/12/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/12/2024 10:13 AM EDT Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State On the Occasion of RamadanPress Statement March 12, 2024 As the month of Ramadan begins, I wish Ramadan Kareem to the more than 1.8 billion Muslims around the world. This year, this season of peace comes at a time of conflict and pain for many Muslim communities, including Uyghurs in Xinjiang, Rohingya in Burma and Bangladesh, and Palestinians in Gaza. This pain is felt acutely by Muslims around the world, and so this year, Ramadan feels different. The humanitarian situation in Gaza is heartbreaking. As we deliver additional aid to Gaza, we will continue to work non-stop to establish an immediate and sustained ceasefire for at least six weeks as part of a deal that releases hostages. We will also continue to pursue a two-state solution to ensure Palestinians and Israelis share equal measures of freedom, dignity, security, and prosperity. Peace is possible, it is necessary, and it is urgent. Many of our fellow Americans – including U.S. diplomats – will also celebrate Ramadan this year. For us, it is an occasion to acknowledge the role that religious diversity plays in strengthening our country and the importance of freedom of religion or belief both at home and abroad. The United States remains committed to ensuring that this freedom extends to everyone around the world. To those observing Ramadan—I wish you a Ramadan Kareem as you gather with your families and friends to set intentions and prepare for this blessed month. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Taking Coordinated Actions with Bahrain against Supporters of Al-Ashtar Brigades | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/12/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/12/2024 10:46 AM EDT Matthew Miller, Department Spokesperson Taking Coordinated Actions with Bahrain against Supporters of Al-Ashtar BrigadesPress Statement March 12, 2024 In coordination with the Kingdom of Bahrain, the United States is today designating three Iran- based operatives and a financial facilitator linked to Al-Ashtar Brigades, a U.S.-designated terrorist group. Today’s action underscores the U.S. government’s commitment to target destabilizing forces and threats emanating from Iran, including those threatening our regional partners. We will continue to target Al-Ashtar Brigades operatives and financial sources wherever they are located. These designations highlight the critical role Iran plays in providing support to Al-Ashtar Brigades. In 2018, the government of Bahrain prosecuted numerous individuals for terrorism-related activities. A number of these individuals fled Bahrain to evade prison sentences and settled in Iran, which has long supported and continues to serve as a safe haven for terrorist groups. The Department of State designated Al-Ashtar Brigades as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist in 2018. The Department of the Treasury designations were taken pursuant to Executive Order 13224, as amended, which targets terrorist groups and their supporters. For more information on today’s action, see Treasury’s press release. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| U.S. Officials Travel to Niger | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/12/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/12/2024 12:17 PM EDT Office of the Spokesperson U.S. Officials Travel to NigerMedia Note March 12, 2024 Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Molly Phee, Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs Celeste Wallander, and AFRICOM Commander General Michael Langley will travel to Niger March 12-13 to continue ongoing discussions since August with leaders of the National Council for Safeguarding the Homeland (CNSP) regarding Niger’s return to a democratic path and the future of our security and development partnership. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Deputy Secretary Campbell’s Meeting with Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Okano | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/12/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/12/2024 01:12 PM EDT Office of the Spokesperson The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller: Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell met in Washington, D.C. with Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Okano Masataka and reaffirmed the indispensable role of the U.S.-Japan Alliance in promoting global peace, security, and prosperity. They discussed the importance of trilateral cooperation with other partners such as the Republic of Korea, Australia, and the Philippines in advancing regional stability and security. The Deputy Secretary and Vice Minister reaffirmed their lasting commitment to the peace and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific and pledged to continue close cooperation on regional and global challenges. Deputy Secretary Campbell described the enthusiasm with which President Biden and the U.S. government were preparing to host Japanese Pime Minister Fumio Kishida’s visit to the United States in April, and discussed with the Vice Minister how the visit will showcase the enduring friendship, trust, and global partnership that exists between the United States and Japan. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The FY 2025 Budget Request Modernizes and Bolsters the Workforce | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/12/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/12/2024 02:52 PM EDT Office of the Spokesperson The FY 2025 Budget Request Modernizes and Bolsters the WorkforceFact Sheet March 12, 2024 This Budget Request will drive forward an ambitious modernization of American diplomacy and development to ensure we are equipped to meet the challenges and seize upon the opportunities of our time. Modernizing diplomacy depends on sustained investments in our people to build capacity and expertise. The Request advances our presence in the Indo-Pacific, reduces Foreign Service vacancies, enhances workplace flexibilities, seeks to improve compensation for our Locally Employed (LE) staff around the world, and invests in critical mission areas. It also sustains ongoing initiatives to advance Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) across the foreign affairs workforce. Breakdown of Request for Workforce
For a copy of the Department of State and USAID Congressional Budget Justification, please click here. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Economic and Health Dialogue of the Americas High-level Meeting Outcomes for 2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/12/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/12/2024 05:26 PM EDT Office of the Spokesperson The Economic and Health Dialogue of the Americas (EHA) was launched on the margins of the 9th Summit of the Americas in June 2022 by the U.S. Department of State. In 2023, the EHA held its first high-level meeting to establish the governance structure and approve scope of work. Since then, countries have organized 11 technical meetings and a first in person encounter in Uruguay at the end of 2023. On the 11th of March of 2024, the 2nd annual high-level meeting of the EHA was held in the Dominican Republic with representation from 17 countries. Ministers and Vice Ministers from health, finance, economy, foreign affairs, and commerce agencies participated to include Ministerial-level participation from of the United States, Dominican Republic, Uruguay, Mexico, Bahamas, Costa Rica, Guyana, Guatemala, Suriname, Panama, Colombia, and Paraguay, in addition to high-level representatives from Brazil, Chile, Argentina, and Ecuador. In addition to government representatives, leadership from regional technical organizations participated, including IDB Executive Vice President Jordan Schwartz and PAHO Deputy Director Mary Lou Valdez. Representatives from ECLAC, USAID, USTDA, U.S. Department of Commerce, and CDC were also in attendance. What were the main agreements and outcomes of the 2nd Annual EHA High-Level Meeting in the Dominican Republic?
For further information, please contact E_Commmunications@state.gov, or visit the EHA website: https://www.iadb.org/en/home/ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Economic and Health Dialogue of the Americas Advances Through a Second Annual High-level Meeting in the Dominican Republic | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/12/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/12/2024 05:32 PM EDT Office of the Spokesperson On March 10, 2024, Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment, Jose W. Fernandez, kicked off the Second Annual High-Level Meetings of the Economic and Health Dialogue of the Americas (EHA) alongside PAHO Deputy Director Mary Lou Valdez, Department of Commerce Deputy Under Secretary Diane Farrell, Executive Vice President of the Inter-American Development Bank, Mr. Jordan Schwartz, and Minister of Health for the Dominican Republic Víctor Atallah at the welcoming reception. Official government meetings were held the next day on March 11, where ministers and vice ministers from 17 countries across ministries of finance, economy, health, foreign affairs and social development were in attendance. Several countries were represented by ministries of health, as well as ministries of finance, economy, foreign affairs, and commerce given the whole-of-government approach the EHA takes through multisectoral workstreams. EHA co-chairs, the United States and Panama, made remarks at the event along with the country host of the meeting, the Dominican Republic. EHA members focused discussions on smart spending, prioritization of health-sector transformation, responsive social protections, technology and health, workforce development, and foundations of resilient supply chains. EHA co-lead countries Brazil, Paraguay, Bahamas, Costa Rica, Argentina, Peru, Uruguay, Chile and the United States affirmed leadership roles for 2024, and members approved the workplan for the coming year. Several USG agencies were in attendance, including USAID, CDC, USTDA and Commerce. USAID and the Department of State made several announcements along with several EHA members. Learn more about the EHA on the main webpage: https://www.iadb.org/ To stay up to date, follow Under Secretary Fernandez on X: @State_E, LinkedIn: @State-E, and Facebook: @StateDeptE. For further media information, please contact E_Communications@ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| United States Announces Additional Military Assistance for Ukraine | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/12/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/12/2024 07:14 PM EDT Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State The United States is today announcing an additional package of weapons and equipment for Ukraine to support the brave Ukrainian people as they defend their country and their freedom against Russia’s aggression. This package provides up to $300 million of arms and equipment under previously directed drawdowns for Ukraine. Capabilities provided in today’s package include Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), artillery shells, anti-tank weapons, demolitions, and small arms ammunition, and spare parts and other ancillary equipment. The coalition of more than 50 countries we have assembled continues to provide critical support for Ukraine’s forces. We look forward to providing additional U.S. support, if Congress acts on the President’s request. We urge the House to pass the supplemental as soon as possible to allow us to continue sending vital security assistance to Ukraine, replenish the U.S. military’s munition stocks, and invest in our industrial base. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| United States Announces Additional Military Assistance for Ukraine | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/12/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/12/2024 07:14 PM EDT Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State The United States is today announcing an additional package of weapons and equipment for Ukraine to support the brave Ukrainian people as they defend their country and their freedom against Russia’s aggression. This package provides up to $300 million of arms and equipment under previously directed drawdowns for Ukraine. Capabilities provided in today’s package include Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), artillery shells, anti-tank weapons, demolitions, and small arms ammunition, and spare parts and other ancillary equipment. The coalition of more than 50 countries we have assembled continues to provide critical support for Ukraine’s forces. We look forward to providing additional U.S. support, if Congress acts on the President’s request. We urge the House to pass the supplemental as soon as possible to allow us to continue sending vital security assistance to Ukraine, replenish the U.S. military’s munition stocks, and invest in our industrial base. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Background Briefing with Senior State Department Official on the Situation in Haiti | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/12/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/12/2024 07:27 PM EDT Office of the Spokesperson Via Teleconference MODERATOR: Good afternoon, everyone, and welcome to our background call on the situation in Haiti. As a reminder, today’s call will be on background, attributable to a senior State Department official, and is embargoed until its conclusion. For your information only and not for reporting, joining us today is . We will now turn the floor over to to provide some opening remarks, then we’ll take your questions. , over to you. SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL: Thanks very much, , and a pleasure to be with you. This is a crucial moment in Haiti. We in the United States remain deeply concerned about the security situation and the challenges to the safety and well-being of the Haitian people have to confront with on a daily basis. The events of the last few days have been the culmination of an inclusive, Haitian-intensive-led process to find a broader political consensus around a new transitional government. Thirty-nine different Haitian stakeholders participated in scores of conversations over the course of the preceding days around the formation of a new presidential council that will select a new interim prime minister and pave the pathway for elections, as well as the deployment of the Multinational Security Support Mission. This process was facilitated by intensive work from CARICOM heads of government. They were engaged both at the head level themselves, particularly Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley, but also the Eminent Persons Group of retired prime ministers from CARICOM countries. The United States, from Secretary Blinken on down, was actively engaged in this process to support Haitian stakeholders in reaching agreement, outreach to some of those key stakeholders directly, intensive coordination with CARICOM leaders, day and night for the better part of 10 days, really going back to the meeting in Georgetown, Guyana. We’ve been in regular contact directly as well as in support of CARICOM leaders with outgoing Prime Minister or former Prime Minister Ariel Henry as he reached a decision to step down from his role. And we want to commend Prime Minister Henry for his statesmanship in putting his country first and agreeing to step down when the transitional presidential council is formally established. We’re also in contact with the acting interim Prime Minister Michel Boisvert, who’s normally the finance minister. He’s in Port-au-Prince now, and we’re in regular contact with him as well. The Secretary of State and other senior U.S. officials are also in contact with diplomatic partners from outside the region – Canada, Mexico, France. Kenya attended the meeting yesterday virtually; Benin was represented at the meeting, the UN. And while the achievement of reaching an agreement after seven hours of on-the-ground talks in Kingston, Jamaica around a new presidential council is a tremendous step forward, we recognize that there is much work left to be done to secure a better future for the Haitian people. I would note that the agreement that was reached yesterday specifically excludes individuals who are charged or indicted or convicted of crimes, individuals who’ve been sanctioned by the United Nations, individuals intending to compete in the next election, and individuals who oppose the UN Security Council Resolution 2699 authorizing the Multinational Security Support Mission. Those characteristics mean that the continuity of governance and the agreement between Haiti, in terms of its request both to the United Nations would authorize this mission as well as with the contributing nations to the mission, remains firm. And we will have pledged an additional $100 million to facilitate the deployment of the MSS, bringing the total U.S. contribution thus far to $300 million – 200 from the Department of Defense, $100 million commitment from the Department of State. Yesterday, Secretary Blinken also announced an additional contribution of $33 million in humanitarian assistance to help the Haitian people at this difficult time. The – as I said, the challenges ahead are many, but I think this is an incredibly important milestone in broadening Haitian governance and addressing the concerns of the Haitian people going forward. And I’d be happy to take any questions that you have at this point. Thank you. MODERATOR: Great. Thank you so much. AT&T moderator, would you mind please sharing the instructions for joining the question queue? AT&T moderator, would you mind – can you hear me? OPERATOR: I can. Thank you very much. If you wish to ask a question, please press 1 followed by 0 – 1 followed by 0. You’ll hear a tone indicating you’ve been placed in queue. You can take yourself out of the queue by simply pressing the 1-0 command again. One moment, please, for our first question. MODERATOR: Can we go to Vivian Salama from The Wall Street Journal? OPERATOR: Yes. One second, please. Give me one second; I’m so sorry. Okay. From The Wall Street Journal, please, go ahead. Your line is open. QUESTION: Can you hear me, guys? Hi, can you hear me? OPERATOR: We can. QUESTION: Okay, excellent. Thanks so much, gentlemen, for doing the call. I’ve got two questions. One of them – Jake Sullivan was just at the White House podium, and he mentioned the fact that – the U.S. hopes that allies would be willing to contribute to the security efforts of the multinational force, and so if you could just talk a little bit about sort of what the challenges to that have been. Are you struggling to convince certain allies to join, and how are you incentivizing participation in that multinational force to others? And then separately, there was a BBC report floating around that said that the – that Kenya’s mission has been suspended because of Henry’s resignation. Kenyan media in particular was saying that the mission was delayed, but then there were reports saying that it was suspended, and so I’m wondering if you have any clarity on what the situation is there, if you could kind of share. Thanks. SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL: So we’ve been in regular contact with President Ruto and other senior officials in Kenya, and the – certainly the legal framework for the deployment remains in place, as I said in my opening remarks. The Government of Haiti has made a both formal request to the Security Council, which has authorized this mission under Chapter VII. There’s no further action required by the Government of Haiti. And during his recent trip to Nairobi, former Prime Minister Henry did sign a formal agreement with – or, excuse me, he supervised the signature. It was signed by the acting security minister at that time between Kenya and the United States around deployment. And in our conversations with Kenyan officials, we’ve stressed the – I think on both sides have stressed the importance of moving to deploy as quickly as practicable. The conversations certainly that we’ve had have been much more focused on the lines of, given the changes in the security circumstances, what additional assessment or procedures or equipment might be required, given the change in circumstances from the initial assessments that Kenyan officials have carried out. But we remain confident that the mission will go forward and that – in all the conversations we’ve had, Kenyan officials have said that they intend to go forward and they intend to lead this mission. The – and I would note that both the interim prime minister right now – normally Finance Minister Michel Boisvert – has reiterated his support for the MSS, and all of the actors who had formed part of the new presidential council have stated – as a prerequisite have accepted that the – their support for Security Council Resolution 2699 authorizing the MSS. The – in terms of contributions to the MSS, the – certainly Kenya, Benin, CARICOM countries, countries in Latin America have offered their assistance to the MSS in terms of the on-the-ground force contribution. Other countries have pledged financial resources or in-kind equipment. The challenge at this moment is this is a time of unprecedented global crises; the ongoing conflict in Ukraine provoked by Russia’s further invasion, the incredibly challenging humanitarian situation in Gaza have meant that donors are stretched. And that’s not to forget a number of other challenges in Africa and in other parts of the world. So the donor community really is facing an unprecedented level of requirements on them. That being said, the humanitarian crisis and the security crisis in Haiti is as great as any other crisis around the world. The – our efforts have been toward encouraging other nations to make robust contributions, and that’s why Secretary Blinken hosted the Haiti Ministerial on the margins of the G20 at the end of February, and we continue to urge all nations to make robust contributions, both financial and in terms of troop or police contributions, logistical contributions, equipment, to the MSS as urgently as possible. MODERATOR: Can we please go to Daphne Psaledakis from Reuters. QUESTION: Hi, thank you so much for doing this. Guy Phillippe has said he wants the presidency. Would the U.S. accept him having a seat at the table? Would he need to be excluded from the council, given he’s been charged in the past and has said he wants to become president? And then if you don’t mind, given that Kenya has said it would like to be paid the costs of the deployment for the mission up front, can you just say concretely whether any of the U.S. 300 million for the MSS would be provided to Kenya directly up front or to the UN fund, or if it’s all being disbursed in a different way? Thank you. SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL: So the – I think your first question was about Guy Phillippe, and certainly for participation in the presidential council, the requirements there state that it excludes individuals charged, indicted, or convicted of crimes. The – with regard to the payment for deployment, it’s a – let me just note that the U.S. funds will go to prepare the facilities on the ground in Haiti in terms of the DOD contribution. And the Department of State contribution can go to the reimbursement or even forward funding of some salaries and other activities. Training activities is something that we’re already working on reimbursing Kenya on. They’ve already carried out a lot of training. But there need to be a variety of funding mechanisms. The UN multidonor trust fund for the Haiti MSS, in terms of reference, are still being refined. The – and how that trust fund will work and whether or not there’ll be a mechanism to pay for costs for contributing nations in advance is still being debated. But there’s also other donors who have pledged to contribute. Canada has pledged 91 million U.S. dollars for their contribution, and some of those funds, as well as other donors, may be able to be used in advance. The issue of pre-deployment funding was something that we’re very cognizant of. It’s been part of conversations we’ve had with many of the contributors in terms of the force, and we’re going to continue to refine that. Thank you. MODERATOR: Thank you so much. Can we please go to Jacqueline Charles from the Miami Herald? OPERATOR: I am so sorry. I do not see that one queued up. MODERATOR: She must have dropped. That’s okay. OPERATOR: She dropped. Yeah, no problem. MODERATOR: Can we go to Lydia Polgreen from The New York Times? Is she still on? OPERATOR: Yes. Please go ahead. QUESTION: Hi. Thanks so much for organizing this call. So I’m curious about timelines here. I mean, obviously the security situation, particularly in the capital, is very serious and untenable, and it’s going to take some time for the international force to be stood up. How do you anticipate the next days and weeks unfolding? And how will the provisional government deal with the security situation until that force can be deployed? SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL: Well, we continue to work closely with the Haitian National Police. The United States is the largest donor to the Haitian National Police. We work to ensure that they continue to have the equipment and resources and ammunition and personal protective equipment to do their jobs under these incredibly trying circumstances. The process of deciding the interim prime minister, new interim prime minister and cabinet, is probably the most immediate task that this new presidential council will have, and I don’t want to in any way take away their agency in making decisions about how they’re going to approach security issues. We will need to work with stakeholders throughout the international community, do all we can to resource the MSS to get the equipment in place that they will need when they deploy and have that ready to go forward. We hope that the political agreement that was announced yesterday will provide a much-needed sense of a political way forward and a greater calm among the population. But whether or not that happens or not, we still believe we have to be supportive of the ongoing Haitian National Police effort as well as to prepare the MSS for urgent deployment. That’s going to involve intensive diplomacy going forward, and making sure that Haitian stakeholders are able to be the captains of their own fate. MODERATOR: Thank you. Can we please go to Michael Wilner from McClatchy, if he’s still on? QUESTION: Hi. Can everyone hear me? MODERATOR: Yes, hi. QUESTION: Hi, thanks for doing this. Yesterday, as part of the Secretary’s announcement of additional funds, he mentioned a doubling of Defense Department support. What exactly is that money going to go to? And does that allow you to expedite the plan of the MSS even though you have the 40 million that’s still caught up in – on the Hill from State Department funding? Or is that a conflation of the two? Can you just sort of break down whether or not this new funding can help expedite the deployment? SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL: Yes, it can. The funds that were announced yesterday by the Secretary of State are funds authorized by the Secretary of Defense pursuant to an authority that he notified to Congress last fall. The requirements for that are that once the intent to use funds for this purpose has been notified, it’s up to the Secretary of Defense to determine the level of funding that is provided. The ability to move forward in the contracting, construction, equipping of facilities for the MSS is all encompassed in the funds that were announced yesterday, so that $200 million can go to that process. So yes, it absolutely will help expedite this process. The State Department funds that you’re talking about and those funds that have been held are separate authorities within the State Department and under – operating under separate congressional notification rules. MODERATOR: Thank you. Josh Goodman from the AP, please. QUESTION: (Inaudible) go on the record for some of this; maybe afterwards you would consider that. Two questions. One, a clarification: The agreement, as I read it, was that Prime Minister Henry would resign upon the appointment of the interim prime minister, but when you began your remarks you mentioned that you are now dealing directly with the acting prime minister, Michel Boisvert. I just want to know if you can clarify, is – I know this could be a question of hours, but is – to your understanding, is Henry no longer the prime minister and that the actual authority in the country is Michel Boisvert? And then my second question on Guy Philippe, again, I know you were clear that he would not qualify to serve on the presidential council. But if he were to win a free and fair democratic election, would the U.S. be willing to work with him given that he does have a pretty substantial criminal record in the United States? Thank you. SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL: So let me sort of take the second part first. I think not just the United States but very many countries in the international community would consider having someone who’s been convicted of a variety of crimes (inaudible) — OPERATOR: Hello? MODERATOR: Sorry, did we lose ? OPERATOR: Yeah, I think he’s – you just dropped off. MODERATOR: Apologies for the technical issues here. We’ll wait until dials back in. Apologies. Stand by, please. OPERATOR: Thank you. I’ll let you know. We’re trying to dial out again, just to let everybody know. , are you back? MODERATOR: , are you back on the line? OPERATOR: The operator says he keeps dropping as soon as they call him. MODERATOR: Okay. OPERATOR: We – I even tried myself. MODERATOR: Okay. OPERATOR: I apologize, but every time I call it just drops. She’s trying again. , do you hear us now? SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL: Yes, I hear you. OPERATOR: Okay. MODERATOR: Great. Apologies for the technical issues, everyone. Sir, if you want to just resume your question – I’m happy to repeat it if you need, but you were cut off in the middle of your answer. SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL: What was the last thing you heard me say? MODERATOR: About the concerns about an individual convicted of crimes being elected. SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL: Yeah. So certainly I note that I question whether or not Haiti’s own legal framework would allow that, but I refer you to Haitian authorities on that point. But I think the United States and the vast majority of the international community would find that deeply worrisome, and we would have serious concerns about that. The – with regard to the status of Ariel Henry, he – in his statement of last night, he said that he was – he would turn over the government to this new presidential council once it is created. He’s not in Haiti now, and there’s been an acting prime minister, normally a finance minister, Michel Boisvert, who’s been exercising day-to-day administration while Prime Minister Henry is out of the country already, and he’s signaled his willingness to facilitate the orderly transfer of function to a new prime minister and cabinet once the presidential council names those individuals. And that’s our understanding of the status. Over. MODERATOR: Okay, excellent. , do you have time for another question since we got disconnected, or do you have to run? SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL: I can take another question. MODERATOR: Okay. We’ll take one more quick question, please, from Fraser Jackson from France 24 – from France 24. QUESTION: Hi, can you guys hear me? MODERATOR: Yes. QUESTION: Thank you. Thank you for taking my question as well; thank you for doing this. , Haitians are wary of international actors given the history of the cholera epidemic and sexual abuse scandals that took place in the country. How do you assuage Haitian concerns about international intervention in the country? And I’ve got a follow-up, if that’s okay. MODERATOR: We don’t have time for follow-ups, so we’ll just take this question and then we have to run. Thank you. QUESTION: Okay, thank you. SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL: So polling indicates that the vast majority of Haitians support an international mission to provide security in Haiti. The resolution of the UN Security Council that created the Multinational Security Support Mission includes provisions that address the issues of concern that people have had in the past. It includes provisions for an ombuds. It includes provisions to ensure the prevention of sexual and gender-based violence and any abuse of authority by members of the mission. It includes a recording requirement to the council on the mission’s activities, and that will include any complaints that are filed. There’s an extensive human rights training requirement. There is a sanitation and health training and strategy requirement included for this mission. There will be specialized training on those issues before deployment for members of the force, and that’s already been ongoing for Kenyan as well as Jamaicans who are training to deploy. So those issues have been, I think, treated with the utmost seriousness, and the international community, as well as Haitian stakeholders, are very cognizant of the mistakes of the past. And they’re taking active measures to ensure that they are never repeated. I would just note that the framework for this mission is one that really is focused on supporting Haitian leadership. This mission calls upon the MSS to support the Haitian National Police and Haitian authorities in carrying out their tasks. That is something that I know that the force-contributing countries are very much focused on and supportive of, and they see a crucial difference between this mission and past missions in that it is really going to be integrated into the Haitian fabric of policing and security, rather than operating outside of that context. And I just want to reiterate that over the course of the last few days in particular, the engagement that regional authorities in CARICOM, the United States, Secretary Blinken, other senior U.S. officials have had with Haitian stakeholders in finding a way forward has been as intensive a diplomacy as I have ever seen. And I will note that numerous stakeholders who had reserved their judgment on the issue of an MSS deployment in Haiti have said that they support it now as a result of that engagement as well. So these are all very positive developments. We have many challenges ahead, but we’ve made incredible progress. And I think some of the outcomes that we had yesterday are things that few people thought were achievable. And we’ve been able to help birth broad-based agreement among Haitians as a way forward, and we’re certainly very proud of that regional and global effort to do so. MODERATOR: Thank you very much. That does unfortunately conclude our call for today. As a reminder, today’s call was on background to a senior State Department official, and the embargo has now lifted. Thank you all so much for joining us and have a great day. Thank you. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| On the Anniversary of the Election of His Holiness Pope Francis | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/13/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/13/2024 12:01 AM EDT Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State On behalf of the Government of the United States of America, I offer heartfelt congratulations to His Holiness Pope Francis on the eleventh anniversary of his election to the See of Rome. The United States and the Holy See are united by common values such as respect for human rights, including freedom of religion or belief and freedom of expression, as well as dignity for all. We continue to work together to address the challenges of climate change, human trafficking, food security, and the humanitarian effects of conflicts in the Middle East, Ukraine, and elsewhere. Today, I join millions of Americans in congratulating the Holy Father on this anniversary as he continues his work of leading the Catholic Church and inspiring people around the globe to seek peace, charity, and compassion. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| On the Anniversary of the Election of His Holiness Pope Francis | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/13/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/13/2024 12:01 AM EDT Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State On behalf of the Government of the United States of America, I offer heartfelt congratulations to His Holiness Pope Francis on the eleventh anniversary of his election to the See of Rome. The United States and the Holy See are united by common values such as respect for human rights, including freedom of religion or belief and freedom of expression, as well as dignity for all. We continue to work together to address the challenges of climate change, human trafficking, food security, and the humanitarian effects of conflicts in the Middle East, Ukraine, and elsewhere. Today, I join millions of Americans in congratulating the Holy Father on this anniversary as he continues his work of leading the Catholic Church and inspiring people around the globe to seek peace, charity, and compassion. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| On the Anniversary of the Election of His Holiness Pope Francis | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/13/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/13/2024 12:01 AM EDT Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State On behalf of the Government of the United States of America, I offer heartfelt congratulations to His Holiness Pope Francis on the eleventh anniversary of his election to the See of Rome. The United States and the Holy See are united by common values such as respect for human rights, including freedom of religion or belief and freedom of expression, as well as dignity for all. We continue to work together to address the challenges of climate change, human trafficking, food security, and the humanitarian effects of conflicts in the Middle East, Ukraine, and elsewhere. Today, I join millions of Americans in congratulating the Holy Father on this anniversary as he continues his work of leading the Catholic Church and inspiring people around the globe to seek peace, charity, and compassion. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Under Secretary Fernandez’s Meeting with President Abinader of the Dominican Republic | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/13/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/13/2024 08:40 AM EDT Office of the Spokesperson Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Jose W. Fernandez met with President Luis Abinader of the Dominican Republic (DR) on March 12 in Punta Cana. The Under Secretary applauded the DR for hosting the United States and Alliance for Development in Democracy (ADD) country members to discuss shared foreign policy priorities and complimentary initiatives for the region, including their support on the Economic and Health Dialogue of the Americas, the ADD Consultative Dialogue on Supply Chain Partnerships, and ongoing efforts to advance key goals for the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity. Under Secretary Fernandez underscored the United States’ interest in deepening economic ties with the DR and working together to address key supply chain issues, including medical supply chains and semiconductor supply chains. The Under Secretary discussed the Dominican Republic’s interest in plugging into semiconductor supply chains and ongoing studies and strategies to develop the infrastructure, human capital and policies needed for a thriving semiconductor supply industry. The Dominican Republic’s successful experience building a thriving manufacturing sector for apparel, medical devices and electrical products shows its potential to progress into more advanced electronics, as discussed in a recent report from the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation. Their meeting emphasized the importance of strengthening U.S.-DR bilateral ties to drive inclusive and equitable economic growth in the DR and across the Western Hemisphere. To stay up to date, follow Under Secretary Fernandez on X: @State_E , LinkedIn: @State-E , and Facebook: @StateDeptE . For further media information, please contact E_Communications@ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Announcement of the 2024 Cohort of U.S. Science Envoys | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/13/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/13/2024 09:18 AM EDT Office of the Spokesperson The U.S. Department of State has selected four distinguished scientists to serve as new U.S. Science Envoys in 2024: Dr. Rumman Chowdhury; Dr. Stephanie “Steffi” Diem; Dr. Sian Proctor; and Dr. Dawn Wright. Through the U.S. Science Envoy Program, eminent U.S. scientists and engineers leverage their expertise and networks to forge connections and identify opportunities for sustained international cooperation to advance solutions to shared challenges, champion innovation, and demonstrate America’s scientific leadership and technical ingenuity. The scientists selected to participate in 2024 make up the first all-female cohort in the history of the U.S. Science Envoy Program. The U.S. Science Envoy program was established by the Secretary of State in 2010. Like their 30 predecessors, the 2024 Cohort will travel as private U.S. citizens to engage internationally with civil society as well as government interlocutors. Science Envoys help inform the Department of State, other U.S. government agencies, and the scientific community about opportunities for science and technology cooperation. The Department selected the 2024 cohort to take advantage of their expertise in key issues facing the world today: Artificial Intelligence; Fusion Energy; Civil Use of Space; and Ocean Sustainability. Dr. Rumman Chowdhury is a data scientist and social scientist. She is the CEO of Humane Intelligence, a technology nonprofit that builds a community of practice around evaluations of artificial intelligence (AI) models. Dr. Chowdhury is also a Responsible AI Fellow at Harvard University’s Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society. Previously, Dr. Chowdhury served as Director of the Machine Learning Ethics, Transparency, and Accountability (META) team at Twitter, as well as the Global Lead for Responsible AI at Accenture Applied Intelligence. She has earned numerous awards and accolades, including Time Magazine’s 100 most Influential People in AI, BBC’s 100 Women, Worthy Magazine’s top 100, the Bay Area’s top 40 under 40, and Forbes’ labeled her one of Five Who are Shaping AI. Dr. Chowdhury holds two undergraduate degrees from MIT, a M.S. in Quantitative Methods of the Social Sciences from Columbia University, and a Ph.D. in political science from the University of California, San Diego. Dr. Stephanie “Steffi” Diem is an Assistant Professor in Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison). Her experimental plasma physics research focuses on using microwaves to heat and drive current in magnetically confined, high-temperature plasmas for fusion energy development. Dr. Diem is the Principal Investigator of the new Pegasus-III experiment that is developing innovative ways to start up future fusion power plants. She is a member of the New Voices of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), and was a speaker at the White House Summit on Developing a Bold Decadal Vision for Commercial Fusion Energy. Prior to joining UW-Madison, she worked as a R&D Scientist in the Fusion Energy Division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and served a long-term assignment at the DIII-D National Fusion Facility at General Atomics in San Diego, CA. Dr. Diem received her B.S. in Nuclear Engineering at UW-Madison and Ph.D. in Astrophysical Sciences from Princeton University. Dr. Sian Proctor is a Geoscience Professor at the Maricopa Community Colleges, an Afrofuturism Space Artist, and an Astronaut. She is the Chief Inspiration Astronaut of Space2inspire and founder of The Proctor Foundation for Art and Science. In 2021, she was the mission pilot for SpaceX Inspiration4, the first all-civilian orbital mission. Dr. Proctor is the first female commercial astronaut spaceship pilot and the only African American woman to ever be a space mission pilot. She is also the first African-American commercial astronaut, and the first African-American to paint in space. She is currently serving as a member of the National Space Council Users’ Advisory Group, representing the Maricopa Community Colleges. Her motto is “Space2inspire,” where she encourages people to use their unique strengths and passion to inspire themselves and those within their reach. She believes that we need to actively strive for a just, equitable, diverse, and inclusive (J.E.D.I.) space both on Earth and beyond. Dr. Proctor holds a B.S. in Environmental Science, an M.S. in Geology, and a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction: Science Education from Arizona State University. Dr. Dawn Wright is a geographer and oceanographer, Chief Scientist of the Environmental Systems Research Institute (Esri), and Courtesy Professor at Oregon State University. Her work has focused on mapping the ocean floor in locations all over the world. Dr. Wright has also assisted with several outreach and policy programs, hoping to encourage more minority and female students to consider a career in the sciences. In 1991, Dr. Wright became the first African-American woman to dive to the ocean floor in Alvin, a deep-sea submersible vehicle, and in 2022 she became the first, and only, African-American to dive to Challenger Deep, the deepest point on Earth. An elected member of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering, as well as the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, Dr. Wright earned a Ph.D. in Physical Geography and Marine Geology from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Dr. Wright also holds a B.S. cum laude in Geology from Wheaton College (Illinois), and an M.S. in Oceanography from Texas A&M. In 2024, the U.S. Science Envoy Program is also extending the work of three members from the 2023 Cohort: Dr. Jessica Gephart from the University of Washington, Dr. Prineha Narang from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Dr. Kyle Whyte from the University of Michigan. These Science Envoys will continue their terrific S&T cooperation in the areas of: illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing; quantum information science and technology; and the nexus of environmental science and Indigenous knowledge. For more information, contact OES-Press@state.gov or follow @SciDiplomacyUSA and #USScienceEnvoy on X. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assistant Secretary of State Satterfield Travels to New Orleans for the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board Quarterly Meeting | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/13/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/13/2024 09:29 AM EDT Office of the Spokesperson Assistant Secretary of State Satterfield Travels to New Orleans for the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board Quarterly MeetingMedia Note March 13, 2024 From March 13-14, 2024, Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs Lee Satterfield will travel to New Orleans to give remarks at the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board’s 302nd Quarterly Meeting, hosted by Tulane University. The Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board consists of 12 presidentially appointed members who supervise the Fulbright Program and select participants both from the United States and abroad for Fulbright exchanges. The Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board Chair, Donna Brazile, and Vice Chair, Michael Trager, lead quarterly meetings to enable Board members to receive program updates, discuss Fulbright Program policies, and meet program participants. The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s flagship international academic exchange program, and aims to increase mutual understanding and foster friendly, peaceful relations between the people of the United States and those of other countries. The program annually supports more than 8,000 students, scholars, artists, and professionals from the United States and more than 160 countries in their exchange. For further information, please contact ECA Press at ECA-Press@state.gov or visit ECA’s website. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Meeting of the Alliance for Development in Democracy’s Consultative Dialogue on Supply Chain Partnerships in the Dominican Republic | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/13/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/13/2024 10:09 AM EDT Office of the Spokesperson Meeting of the Alliance for Development in Democracy’s Consultative Dialogue on Supply Chain Partnerships in the Dominican RepublicMedia Note March 13, 2024 On March 12, in Punta Cana, the Dominican Republic, Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Jose W. Fernandez joined his Excellency Luis Abinader Corona, President of the Dominican Republic, and Ministers of Trade and Senior Officials of the Alliance for Development in Democracy (ADD) — from Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, and Panama — together with key stakeholders from the private sector and various governmental and international organizations for a meeting of the U.S.-ADD Joint Consultative Dialogue on Supply Chain Partnerships. This meeting is the result of a memorandum of understanding signed in 2022 by the United States and the ADD countries and it represents their joint efforts along with the private sector to strengthen the resilience of supply chains and the competitiveness of all countries involved. The meeting aimed to develop implementation plans based on the recommendations from the Inter-American Development Bank’s (IDB) studies on health sector supply chains and medical product regulatory convergence for the ADD countries. The partners discussed key action items for the medical devices and pharmaceutical sectors that ADD countries could undertake to strengthen the regional supply chain. The working group meeting included presentations from the ADD Business Council and the Americas Business Dialogue Health Working Group and key stakeholders from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the IDB, Americas RISE, and the World Bank. Partners agreed to continue working under this collaborative dynamic between democratic countries seeking to improve the investment climate and, consequently, the quality of life for their citizens. To stay up to date, follow Under Secretary Fernandez on X: @State_E, LinkedIn: @State-E, and Facebook: @StateDeptE. For further media information, please contact E_Communications@ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Under Secretary Jenkins Travels to Atlanta, GA | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/13/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/13/2024 11:35 AM EDT Office of the Spokesperson On March 14, 2024, Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Ambassador Bonnie D. Jenkins will travel to Atlanta, Georgia to meet with academia and civil society, including the Atlanta Council on International Relations and the Georgia Institute of Technology, and participate in discussions ranging from artificial intelligence to emerging technologies and capacity building. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Secretary Blinken’s Call with Czech Foreign Minister Lipavský | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/13/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/13/2024 12:47 PM EDT Office of the Spokesperson Secretary Blinken’s Call with Czech Foreign Minister LipavskýReadout March 13, 2024 The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller: Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke with Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský today. The Secretary and the Foreign Minister reaffirmed our countries’ resolute support for Ukraine as it defends itself from Russia’s aggression and discussed coordination on Czechia’s defense modernization. They discussed the importance of our shared democratic values, the strong U.S.-Czech relationship, and continued humanitarian support to Palestinian civilians. The Secretary and the Foreign Minister also explored deeper cooperation on energy issues and on supporting Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international fora. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Secretary Blinken’s Call with Czech Foreign Minister Lipavský | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/13/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/13/2024 12:47 PM EDT Office of the Spokesperson Secretary Blinken’s Call with Czech Foreign Minister LipavskýReadout March 13, 2024 The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller: Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke with Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský today. The Secretary and the Foreign Minister reaffirmed our countries’ resolute support for Ukraine as it defends itself from Russia’s aggression and discussed coordination on Czechia’s defense modernization. They discussed the importance of our shared democratic values, the strong U.S.-Czech relationship, and continued humanitarian support to Palestinian civilians. The Secretary and the Foreign Minister also explored deeper cooperation on energy issues and on supporting Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international fora. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Secretary Antony J. Blinken And European Union High Representative Josep Borrell Before Their Meeting | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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03/13/2024 02:05 PM EDT Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State Secretary Antony J. Blinken And European Union High Representative Josep Borrell Before Their MeetingRemarks March 13, 2024 SECRETARY BLINKEN: Good morning, everyone. It’s, as always, a great pleasure to see High Representative Borrell, my friend Josep, here in Washington and at the State Department. As I’ve said before, the European Union is our partner of first resort when it comes to meeting the challenges of our time, whether that’s in the transatlantic space or whether that’s in the global space. And we’re grateful for the partnership, the strength of that partnership, and the fact that on so many of the critical issues that we have to face, there’s extraordinary convergence between the United States and the European Union. I know we’ll have an opportunity, Josep, today to discuss our unrelenting support for Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression; the crisis in the Middle East and in Gaza; some challenges closer to home in the Western Balkans; and as well, the common approach that we put together when it comes to relations with China. These and so many other issues are front and center in the work that the United States and the EU are doing day in and day out, and it’s very good to have you here to continue that work. Welcome. HIGH REPRESENTATIVE BORRELL: Thank you. Thank you very much, my dear friend, Secretary of State, for receiving me and my delegation. I very much appreciate our regular dialogue between the U.S. and European Union, especially in those extraordinary, difficult times. The world is becoming darker and darker – that’s how I told the Security Council yesterday – and the developments around us makes our security inseparable and only prove the need for the U.S. and UE to work together. We are facing an aggressive Russia, who will not stop; an assertive China, who will become more and more assertive; military takeovers in Sahel – I know that you have a delegation in Niger today; criminal gangs challenging the authorities in Haiti – once again you have been playing an important role in this part of the world; and Central and South America in big trouble. Ukraine – Ukraine is our biggest and immediate worry for us Europeans, and for you too, for our common security. And the Russia aggressor will not stop. We have to stop it. You are doing a lot; we are doing a lot. Both, I think, we can do still more – in order to support Ukrainians in this very challenging time. And then this war is something – what’s happening in Gaza. Thank you very much for your efforts in order to try to diminish the humanitarian sufferances of the people in Gaza. We deplore the current situation, but we have to do more than just deplore, which we both agree. But I think that we need to act – the very survival of the population in Gaza is at stake today. And once again, thank you for your personal efforts. And then, we need to clear the humanitarian access through sea, by air – that’s good. That’s not enough. You cannot replace hundreds of trucks by sending parachutes. The most important thing is to open the borders by land and continue working – or start working on the two-state solution that both of us, U.S. and EU, endorse. It is the only way for a lasting peace. I hope that we can join our efforts in order to make that a reality. Thank you very much, Secretary of State. SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thanks, everyone. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Secretary Antony J. Blinken And European Union High Representative Josep Borrell Before Their Meeting | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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03/13/2024 02:05 PM EDT Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State Secretary Antony J. Blinken And European Union High Representative Josep Borrell Before Their MeetingRemarks March 13, 2024 SECRETARY BLINKEN: Good morning, everyone. It’s, as always, a great pleasure to see High Representative Borrell, my friend Josep, here in Washington and at the State Department. As I’ve said before, the European Union is our partner of first resort when it comes to meeting the challenges of our time, whether that’s in the transatlantic space or whether that’s in the global space. And we’re grateful for the partnership, the strength of that partnership, and the fact that on so many of the critical issues that we have to face, there’s extraordinary convergence between the United States and the European Union. I know we’ll have an opportunity, Josep, today to discuss our unrelenting support for Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression; the crisis in the Middle East and in Gaza; some challenges closer to home in the Western Balkans; and as well, the common approach that we put together when it comes to relations with China. These and so many other issues are front and center in the work that the United States and the EU are doing day in and day out, and it’s very good to have you here to continue that work. Welcome. HIGH REPRESENTATIVE BORRELL: Thank you. Thank you very much, my dear friend, Secretary of State, for receiving me and my delegation. I very much appreciate our regular dialogue between the U.S. and European Union, especially in those extraordinary, difficult times. The world is becoming darker and darker – that’s how I told the Security Council yesterday – and the developments around us makes our security inseparable and only prove the need for the U.S. and UE to work together. We are facing an aggressive Russia, who will not stop; an assertive China, who will become more and more assertive; military takeovers in Sahel – I know that you have a delegation in Niger today; criminal gangs challenging the authorities in Haiti – once again you have been playing an important role in this part of the world; and Central and South America in big trouble. Ukraine – Ukraine is our biggest and immediate worry for us Europeans, and for you too, for our common security. And the Russia aggressor will not stop. We have to stop it. You are doing a lot; we are doing a lot. Both, I think, we can do still more – in order to support Ukrainians in this very challenging time. And then this war is something – what’s happening in Gaza. Thank you very much for your efforts in order to try to diminish the humanitarian sufferances of the people in Gaza. We deplore the current situation, but we have to do more than just deplore, which we both agree. But I think that we need to act – the very survival of the population in Gaza is at stake today. And once again, thank you for your personal efforts. And then, we need to clear the humanitarian access through sea, by air – that’s good. That’s not enough. You cannot replace hundreds of trucks by sending parachutes. The most important thing is to open the borders by land and continue working – or start working on the two-state solution that both of us, U.S. and EU, endorse. It is the only way for a lasting peace. I hope that we can join our efforts in order to make that a reality. Thank you very much, Secretary of State. SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thanks, everyone. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Secretary Antony J. Blinken And European Union High Representative Josep Borrell Before Their Meeting | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/13/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/13/2024 02:05 PM EDT Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State Secretary Antony J. Blinken And European Union High Representative Josep Borrell Before Their MeetingRemarks March 13, 2024 SECRETARY BLINKEN: Good morning, everyone. It’s, as always, a great pleasure to see High Representative Borrell, my friend Josep, here in Washington and at the State Department. As I’ve said before, the European Union is our partner of first resort when it comes to meeting the challenges of our time, whether that’s in the transatlantic space or whether that’s in the global space. And we’re grateful for the partnership, the strength of that partnership, and the fact that on so many of the critical issues that we have to face, there’s extraordinary convergence between the United States and the European Union. I know we’ll have an opportunity, Josep, today to discuss our unrelenting support for Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression; the crisis in the Middle East and in Gaza; some challenges closer to home in the Western Balkans; and as well, the common approach that we put together when it comes to relations with China. These and so many other issues are front and center in the work that the United States and the EU are doing day in and day out, and it’s very good to have you here to continue that work. Welcome. HIGH REPRESENTATIVE BORRELL: Thank you. Thank you very much, my dear friend, Secretary of State, for receiving me and my delegation. I very much appreciate our regular dialogue between the U.S. and European Union, especially in those extraordinary, difficult times. The world is becoming darker and darker – that’s how I told the Security Council yesterday – and the developments around us makes our security inseparable and only prove the need for the U.S. and UE to work together. We are facing an aggressive Russia, who will not stop; an assertive China, who will become more and more assertive; military takeovers in Sahel – I know that you have a delegation in Niger today; criminal gangs challenging the authorities in Haiti – once again you have been playing an important role in this part of the world; and Central and South America in big trouble. Ukraine – Ukraine is our biggest and immediate worry for us Europeans, and for you too, for our common security. And the Russia aggressor will not stop. We have to stop it. You are doing a lot; we are doing a lot. Both, I think, we can do still more – in order to support Ukrainians in this very challenging time. And then this war is something – what’s happening in Gaza. Thank you very much for your efforts in order to try to diminish the humanitarian sufferances of the people in Gaza. We deplore the current situation, but we have to do more than just deplore, which we both agree. But I think that we need to act – the very survival of the population in Gaza is at stake today. And once again, thank you for your personal efforts. And then, we need to clear the humanitarian access through sea, by air – that’s good. That’s not enough. You cannot replace hundreds of trucks by sending parachutes. The most important thing is to open the borders by land and continue working – or start working on the two-state solution that both of us, U.S. and EU, endorse. It is the only way for a lasting peace. I hope that we can join our efforts in order to make that a reality. Thank you very much, Secretary of State. SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thanks, everyone. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| United States and Vietnam Sign a Memorandum of Cooperation on Culture and People-to-People Ties | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/13/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/13/2024 03:48 PM EDT United States and Vietnam Sign a Memorandum of Cooperation on Culture and People-to-People TiesMedia Note March 13, 2024 Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy Liz Allen and Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs Lee Satterfield met with Vietnamese Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan and Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Trinh Thi Thuy in Washington, DC on March 13. In their meeting, Under Secretary Allen and Vice President Xuan expressed support for expanding people-to-people ties – the foundation of our enduring partnership with Vietnam – as part of the U.S.-Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. To reaffirm this commitment, Assistant Secretary Satterfield and Deputy Minister Thuy signed a memorandum of cooperation pledging further cooperation on cultural exchanges and people-to-people ties in areas such as art, sports, and tourism. This Memorandum of Cooperation on Culture and People-to-People Ties builds on a November 2023 agreement that promotes further two-way academic exchange and education cooperation, including expanding educational partnerships between higher education institutions in both countries, and paves the way for even more connections and partnerships between the people of Vietnam and the United States. Following the establishment of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Vietnam, the United States is developing a range of programs to promote STEM education by expanding Fulbright Student scholarships to STEM fields, supporting English training for STEM students, and increasing engagement with Vietnamese college administrators on workforce development. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Promoting Accountability for Corruption that Fuels South Sudan’s Conflict | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/13/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/13/2024 03:46 PM EDT Matthew Miller, Department Spokesperson Nearly thirteen years after declaring its independence, South Sudan remains a precariously fragile state beset by insecurity and poverty. The nation’s leaders continually fail to exhibit the political will necessary to create the conditions for sustainable peace, democratic governance, the rule of law, and prosperity for the South Sudanese people. They have yet to demonstrate the political will to establish an environment conducive to free and fair elections taking place, as scheduled, in December 2024. Leaders of all parties share responsibility for this failure and for the elite capture of the nation’s riches, at the expense of the country’s peace and the general wellbeing. Widespread corruption perpetuates the suffering and, directly and indirectly, supports conflict, thereby undermining the progress South Sudanese envisioned when they declared statehood. The United States remains committed to supporting the South Sudanese peoples’ long unmet expectations for peace, democracy, human rights, and a government that uses public resources for the common good. Today, we are announcing steps to impose visa restrictions on multiple individuals in South Sudan for undermining or impeding a sustainable peace by engaging in corruption that fuels conflict in South Sudan. Under Section 212(a)(3)C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, these individuals will be generally ineligible for visas to the United States. Certain family members of such persons may also be subject to these restrictions. These visa restrictions are specific to certain individuals and are not directed at the South Sudanese people or the Government of South Sudan. The decision to pursue visa restrictions reflects the commitment of the United States to support South Sudanese aspirations to combat corruption, strengthen democracy and the rule of law, and live in peace. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Secretary Blinken’s Remarks to the Press | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/13/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/13/2024 05:29 PM EDT Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State Washington, D.C. Secretary Blinken’s Remarks to the PressRemarks to the Press March 13, 2024 SECRETARY BLINKEN: Well, good afternoon, everyone. Last week in his State of the Union address, the President directed the United States military to build a temporary pier in Gaza to enable us to help surge humanitarian assistance to those who so desperately need it. A short while ago, I did a video conference with colleagues from Cyprus, from the United Kingdom, the UAE, Qatar, the European Union, and the United Nations to coordinate our efforts in getting this maritime corridor up and running. We’re also of course working with Israel on this. When established, this corridor will enable the distribution of up to 2 million meals every single day as well as medicine, water, and other critical humanitarian supplies. Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Canada are also supporting this effort. Now, this is something that’s going to take time to actually put in place, although we’re working on it as expeditiously as possible. And I want to emphasize: It is a complement to – not a substitute for – other ways of getting humanitarian assistance into Gaza. And, in particular, overland routes remain the most critical way to get assistance in and then to people who need it. But this will help close the gap, and it’s part of our all-of-the-above strategy to make sure that we’re doing everything possible by every means possible to surge support to those who need it – by land, by sea, by air. As you know, the United States has been leading efforts from the very beginning to try to ensure that assistance gets to those who need it. We’ve had significant ups and downs, periods of interruption, disruption. And having said that, we’re also seeing right now humanitarian assistance through Rafah and through Kerem Shalom getting back to levels that we’d gotten it to some weeks ago – about 200 trucks a day. Yesterday, for the first time, the World Food Program was able to resume aid delivery to Gaza. Morocco made its first humanitarian assistance delivery through Kerem Shalom. This week the first shipments to north Gaza through a new crossing at the 96th gate began. We have flour that flowed from Ashdod Port. We’re working to make sure that inspections are accelerated and road repairs move forward, so that we can also increase the flow that’s going from Jordan into Gaza. That’s a critical route for supplies. So, there’s movement, and we’ve – and it’s positive, but it remains insufficient. Israel still needs to open as many access points as possible and keep them open to make sure that things are flowing in a sustainable way: increase the scanning capacity, the inspection capacity, particularly at Kerem Shalom, where more can be done to get more aid in more quickly; easing unnecessary restrictions on key products; having greater clarity and predictability on what can get in and what can’t. There’s a legitimate issue here about dual-use items, but we need to see much greater clarity, much greater consistency on what these are. And of course, as we’ve said all along, while it’s vital to make sure that things are getting into Gaza, once they’re in, they have to get to the people who need them. And so, distribution within Gaza remains a critical function. There, improving communication, improving deconfliction with humanitarians – particularly with the United Nations – with local community leaders remains important work and work that is still in progress. The bottom line is we need to see – as we’ve described it, we need to see flooding the zone when it comes to humanitarian assistance for Gaza. This will have a number of, I think, important merits to it. First and foremost, it will bring comfort to people who so desperately need it. But beyond that, one of the challenges that we have now and that you’re seeing now is that lawlessness, insecurity – all of that pervades in Gaza, combined with desperation. When you put those things together, you have situations where aid goes in and then people immediately charge at the trucks, and you see looting, you see criminal gangs get in the act, and again, just ordinary civilians who – and in the absence of sufficient aid – may believe that their only chance to get a piece of bread is to go at the one truck that they see coming in. When you have a sustainable, predictable, confident supply of assistance going in, that will give people confidence that food is there, it’ll keep coming, they can rely on it. That will also decrease both the overall insecurity, sense of lawlessness – prices will come down for goods that are being looted and then sold on the black market, and that’ll undercut the gangs that are engaged in that practice. Having said all of that, even as we work to surge humanitarian assistance by every means necessary, the most effective way to really get that done is with a ceasefire and having an environment much more conducive to getting the aid through. There’s a very strong proposal on the table right now. The question is, will Hamas take it? Does Hamas want to end the suffering that it’s provoked? The question is there, but I can tell you that we’re intensely engaged every single day, almost every single hour with Qatar, with Egypt to see if we can get a ceasefire agreement that will get the hostages out, get more aid in, and create a pathway perhaps for a more lasting, secure solution. Hostages remain front and center on our minds and in our hearts. We just learned that one of the dual U.S.-Israeli citizens who we believe was taken on October 7th – Itay Chen – was in fact killed on October 7th. I met with his family multiple times over the last several months. I spoke to them yesterday – to Ruby, to Hagit. There are no good words. No one should have to go through what they’ve gone through and what the other hostage families continue to go through. It’s another reason why getting the ceasefire would be so crucial to enable us to bring the hostages home. The President has made clear that ensuring the supply of humanitarian assistance, doing everything possible to protect civilians, has to be a priority. It can’t be a secondary consideration. So, to that end, I would simply say where there’s a will, there’s a way. We look to the Government of Israel to make sure that this is a priority: protecting civilians, getting people the assistance they need. That has to be job number one even as they do what is necessary to defend the country and to deal with the threat posed by Hamas. Happy to take some questions. MR MILLER: Matt. QUESTION: Thank you. Thanks, Matt. SECRETARY BLINKEN: Matt. QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, hello. How are you? So, I – two things very briefly. One, you guys have been talking for a long time, months and months and months now, about the need to get more aid into Gaza. So, I’m just curious about what this meeting today was. Did it accomplish anything or did any – were any decisions made about speeding up the maritime corridor? Or what was the – was this a broader that had more – broader thing that had more to do with that? And the secondly, it’s no secret that the differences between President Biden and his administration and Prime Minister Netanyahu and his government have gotten bigger, larger over the course of the past couple of months, but particularly over the course of the last several weeks or days. And I’m curious to – you are unhappy with the pace of the aid deliveries and what Israel has done in terms of speeding assistance into Gaza, but you combine that with the actual combat that’s going on, on the ground. Can you see a point where it comes – where the United States, where the Biden administration says, look, enough is enough? And then, if that does happen, what would that mean? Thanks. SECRETARY BLINKEN: Matt, thanks. In terms of the meeting today, the focus was on the maritime corridor and the pier, the dock that we’ll be building that the President announced in the State of the Union. So, what we were talking about today was with the countries that are directly participating in both helping to establish that pier, that dock, but also putting in place the system to collect assistance and then to send it off by sea to the dock that we’ll be building. So that’s what this was about, and it was really following up on the President’s State of the Union message – following up in very concrete ways to get this moving, to get this off the ground. And as I said, the military is also working intensely on this. We want to get this up and running as quickly as possible, but it demands tremendous coordination among the donor countries, among the participating countries, and of course with Israel. So, that’s what we were focused on today. And again, I want to emphasize that this effort is vital but it’s, again, a complement to, not a substitute for, other means of access for humanitarian assistance to Gaza and, notably, the overland access. As to the second part of your question, I’m not going to engage in hypotheticals. We’ve been working closely with the Government of Israel but also many other countries to try to make sure to the best of our ability that aid can get in, that it can get to people who need it, and that civilians are better protected. That remains an ongoing effort. And as I said, we need to see efforts in that direction maximized. The President’s been very clear: This has to be a priority, and it has to be a priority for Israel. It’s the right thing to do; it’s also, I think, profoundly in Israel’s interests to do it. And that’s what we’re working on. QUESTION: Thanks. MR MILLER: Andrea. SECRETARY BLINKEN: Andrea. QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, thank you. I wanted to follow up on that, and also ask a second about Haiti, but first about Gaza and the disaster that this has become. The U.S. is weaponizing the war. We’re the leading – we are the leading supplier of weapons to Israel. At the same time, you are leading an international rescue effort to get this aid in – despite the obstacles from members of the cabinet in Israel, which have delayed the opening of more land access, and still are. And as you point out, these sea routes are slow – they’re slower than they should be, even, because not all the ports are open – and they’re not a substitute for the hundreds of trucks that could get in by land. So, can you explain to the American people this incompatible policy? These policies are in conflict. And have you received any plan, as requested from Israel, for a plan to take care of the people in Rafah, if – as the prime minister has said, he’s determined to go in after those last four – what he says are those last four battalions? Secondly, on Haiti, there’s the same disaster emerging there on a different scale. But is there a U.S. plan to help with relief? It’s already been five months since the UN authorized the Kenyan multinational force. The supreme court there has objected. It’s going to be a while until they get in, and even if they agree to go in. What emergency relief can we provide to the people of Haiti to try to resolve the growing disaster there? Thank you. SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thanks, Andrea. So, coming back to the first question, we have been focused all along on two things: One, making sure that Israel can effectively defend itself, and that’s an enduring commitment that’s not going to go away; and also to try to make sure that October 7th never happens again. And in doing that, we’re there as Israel’s ally, as Israel’s partner. We’ve also been determined, from day one, that as Israel takes the steps necessary to defend itself to ensure that October 7th doesn’t happen again, that civilians are protected, humanitarian assistance gets to those who need it. And these two objectives are not in conflict. The question is whether Israel, on the one hand, is and can effectively deal with its security needs in defending the country, while at the same time maximizing every possible effort to ensure that civilians are not harmed and that assistance gets to those who need it. And as I’ve said for some time, we see a gap between the intent and the result that we’re determined – every single day – to close. We want to see the violence end. We want to see this get to a point where civilians are fully protected, and people get what they need to get by and ultimately to rebuild their lives. The best path forward right now would be, of course, getting an agreement on hostages. That’s what we’re working on intensely every single day. With regard to Rafah, the President’s been very clear about this, repeatedly. What we’ve said to Israel is this: Given the large number of civilians that are now in Rafah, many of them displaced from other parts of Gaza, about 1.4 million, we need to see a plan that will get civilians out of harm’s way if there’s to be a military operation in Rafah – and not only gets them out of harm’s way but also ensures that they have what they need – that they have shelter, that they have food, that they have medicine. We’ve not yet seen such a plan. On Haiti, as you know, this has been a long-unfolding story. The heart of the story is the suffering of the Haitian people, and we want to see that brought to an end. That requires a few things. It requires a more stable political system so that the country can function, and function democratically. And for that we need to see a transition to elections, to a clear return to a democratic path. We need assistance – humanitarian assistance, development assistance – so the economy can get built up, people can have opportunity. And fundamentally, we need to see security because it’s very hard to do either of the first two things in an environment that is profoundly insecure. And right now, you have in Haiti profound insecurity that is being driven largely by the action of gangs who control big parts of the capital city, critical infrastructure, et cetera. So, we’ve been working on all these fronts. And as you know, the United Nations endorsed some months ago a Multinational Security Support Mission to help the Haitian police regain control of security. As we’re putting that together – and Kenya stepped up to say that it would lead this mission; we’ve brought together other countries that are going to contribute to the mission; we ourselves are contributing significant resources to it – in parallel, we’ve also been trying – with the CARICOM countries, the Caribbean countries, other interested countries – to help Haitians get back on a better political path. I was in Jamaica just a couple of days ago, with all of the countries from the Caribbean, CARICOM, with other partners – including Canada, including France, including Mexico – all of this in support of Haitian-led efforts to find a political path forward, to get a political transition. And that’s’ exactly what was agreed the other day. The prime minister – Prime Minister Henry – stepped down, along with his government. A transitional presidential council – or college, as they call it – is being stood up. It’s inclusive; it brings together most of the major parties in Haiti as well as other key stakeholders like the private sector, like the interfaith community, and civil society. That council has as its mandate – again, agreed to by the Haitians – to choose a new prime minister, an interim prime minister, to establish a national security council, and to put in place an electoral commission. That creates the pathway, the transition, to elections and to a constitutionally mandated government. That also creates a better environment in which the Multinational Security Support Mission can go forward. I was on the phone this morning with President Ruto of Kenya, who confirmed Kenya’s preparedness to lead that mission as soon as the – this new council is stood up, which we believe will happen in the next couple of days, and an interim prime minister selected. That mission can move forward. I announced as well when I was in Jamaica that the Department of Defense is doubling its contribution to this effort. So, we now have $200 million coming from DOD, another $100 million coming from the rest of the United States Government, in support of the Multinational Security Support Mission. We have another almost $100 million that’s been raised from other countries around the world, and notably from Canada. So, my anticipation – it’s a long answer to your question – is having done all this work, we should be in a place where that mission can go forward. It can, we believe, help reestablish security, take back control of the country from the gangs. Meanwhile, the political transition is moving forward with this interim presidential council, with an interim prime minister, with these new bodies that are stood up tracking toward elections. And that, in turn, creates a better environment in which we can actually get assistance in, get it to people who need it, get development moving again, and create some opportunity for people. None of this is easy. None of this is going to happen from one day to the next. But at least there is a plan, a process in place to do that. It’s Haitian-designed. It’s Haitian-led. But it’s supported by many countries, not only in this hemisphere but around the world. MR MILLER: Humeyra. QUESTION: Hello, Mr. Secretary. SECRETARY BLINKEN: Humeyra. QUESTION: Let me try to push you a little bit more on these issues, in the hope of getting an answer. President Biden in his interview also said he wouldn’t suspend any military aid to Israel in a way that would impact, for example, the Iron Dome. Does that mean United States would consider putting conditions on offensive weapons to Israel? Secondly, you met with EU foreign policy chief Josep Burrell today. He said at UN Israel is using starvation as a weapon of war. Do you agree with that? And if you don’t, who do you think is responsible for the manmade famine in Gaza? And lastly, there has been an Israeli air strike today on an UNRWA aid distribution center in Rafah. The agency said at least one staff has been killed. It also said that they’ve shared the coordinates of this facility with the Israeli army in the hopes that it would be protected. What can you tell us about this incident? Thank you. SECRETARY BLINKEN: So, let me take those questions – actually, let me start with the last one. So, I saw the reports of the strike today on the UNRWA facility, and first and foremost our condolences go out to the families, the loved ones of those who apparently lost their lives in this strike. I don’t know the details of what happened. I do know, based on what we’ve heard from the Israeli Government, that the IDF is investigating. The Israeli Defense Forces are investigating this incident. And of course, we will look closely to see what that investigation produces. Without getting into the specifics of this incident – because again, I don’t know the facts – I think it does, as a general matter, underscore something I talked about a few minutes ago, and that’s the imperative of having much better and much more consistent deconfliction. Humanitarian workers, the agencies, they need to be able to do their jobs in – with as much security and as much confidence as is possible. And look, you’re in a war zone. You have a terrorist group that is firing from hospitals, from schools, from apartment buildings. But the Israeli military, the Israeli Government, have a responsibility and an obligation to do everything possible to ensure that the humanitarians can do their jobs. And among other things, that means making sure that if there’s a humanitarian facility that’s clearly identified, it’s not struck. It means making sure that if there’s a supply mission, a convoy, trucks going to a particular place at a particular time, that the Israeli military does everything in – possible to ensure its secure passage. So, this is an ongoing process. It’s made, again, incredibly difficult by the environment in which it’s being conducted. But it is a responsibility and an imperative for the Israelis. What we’ve seen in terms of food as well as other supplies, going to your – the second part of your question, is of course the Israelis have been not only allowing food in, they have been working to make sure that it gets in and gets to people who need it. We’ve seen throughout this process, first, the opening of Rafah back in October. After my first visit to Israel, many hours of discussion, Rafah opened. Assistance began to get in. We went back some weeks later. We got agreement to open Kerem Shalom. During the first pause, the hostage pause, one week, the amount of assistance that was then going in doubled during that period of time. Since then, we’ve pressed them on doing things like getting flour in from Ashdod; I mentioned that a short while ago. The flour that is now getting into Gaza is enough to produce bread to last for six months in Gaza. We have a new opening that was just put in place that will facilitate more assistance going in. And of course, I talked about the maritime corridor that we’re building. We’ve been doing air drops. The bottom line is food is getting in, but it’s insufficient. That’s why we’re talking about doing everything possible to maximize not only what gets in but what gets to people. But I think that answers the second part of the question. And finally, look, let me just say this about our commitment. Our commitment is to make sure that Israel has the means to defend itself, to provide for its own security, and that’s an enduring commitment. MR MILLER: We’ll take one more. Kylie. QUESTION: Thank you. Hi, Secretary. SECRETARY BLINKEN: Welcome back. QUESTION: Thank you. I appreciate it. You just said now, and the Biden administration has been saying for a while, that the onus is essentially on Israel to come up with a plan to protect the civilians in Rafah if they’re going to conduct this operation. I just wonder if you guys think it’s even possible for such a plan to be developed. Can they come – given how many civilians are there and what an operation would look like, do you think that’s in the realm of possibility? And then my second question, just in this same vein, is: Right now, without seeing that plan from Israel, is the administration considering conditioning some U.S. military support for Israel on whether or not they go ahead with this operation in Rafah? SECRETARY BLINKEN: I mentioned a few minutes ago the tremendous challenge in conducting a military operation in Rafah with 1.4 million civilians there. And the imperative, as we see it and as President Biden has clearly expressed it, that there has to be – if there are going to be military operations in Rafah – a clear and implementable plan to get the civilians out of harm’s way and to provide for them once out of harm’s way, we have not seen that plan. Is it – is it possible? Yes, it’s possible, but we haven’t seen it, and the most important thing is to see it and to make sure that it’s something that can be implemented in a way that accomplishes what has to be accomplished, which is protecting people and supporting people. But right now, that’s all in the realm of hypothetical because we haven’t seen a plan, so we look to that. Beyond that, I’m not going to get into any other hypotheticals about Rafah or where that goes. All I can say is we need to see a plan for the civilians, and we’ll wait for that. Thank you. MR MILLER: Thank you all. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Secretary Blinken’s Remarks to the Press | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/13/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/13/2024 05:29 PM EDT Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State Washington, D.C. Secretary Blinken’s Remarks to the PressRemarks to the Press March 13, 2024 SECRETARY BLINKEN: Well, good afternoon, everyone. Last week in his State of the Union address, the President directed the United States military to build a temporary pier in Gaza to enable us to help surge humanitarian assistance to those who so desperately need it. A short while ago, I did a video conference with colleagues from Cyprus, from the United Kingdom, the UAE, Qatar, the European Union, and the United Nations to coordinate our efforts in getting this maritime corridor up and running. We’re also of course working with Israel on this. When established, this corridor will enable the distribution of up to 2 million meals every single day as well as medicine, water, and other critical humanitarian supplies. Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Canada are also supporting this effort. Now, this is something that’s going to take time to actually put in place, although we’re working on it as expeditiously as possible. And I want to emphasize: It is a complement to – not a substitute for – other ways of getting humanitarian assistance into Gaza. And, in particular, overland routes remain the most critical way to get assistance in and then to people who need it. But this will help close the gap, and it’s part of our all-of-the-above strategy to make sure that we’re doing everything possible by every means possible to surge support to those who need it – by land, by sea, by air. As you know, the United States has been leading efforts from the very beginning to try to ensure that assistance gets to those who need it. We’ve had significant ups and downs, periods of interruption, disruption. And having said that, we’re also seeing right now humanitarian assistance through Rafah and through Kerem Shalom getting back to levels that we’d gotten it to some weeks ago – about 200 trucks a day. Yesterday, for the first time, the World Food Program was able to resume aid delivery to Gaza. Morocco made its first humanitarian assistance delivery through Kerem Shalom. This week the first shipments to north Gaza through a new crossing at the 96th gate began. We have flour that flowed from Ashdod Port. We’re working to make sure that inspections are accelerated and road repairs move forward, so that we can also increase the flow that’s going from Jordan into Gaza. That’s a critical route for supplies. So, there’s movement, and we’ve – and it’s positive, but it remains insufficient. Israel still needs to open as many access points as possible and keep them open to make sure that things are flowing in a sustainable way: increase the scanning capacity, the inspection capacity, particularly at Kerem Shalom, where more can be done to get more aid in more quickly; easing unnecessary restrictions on key products; having greater clarity and predictability on what can get in and what can’t. There’s a legitimate issue here about dual-use items, but we need to see much greater clarity, much greater consistency on what these are. And of course, as we’ve said all along, while it’s vital to make sure that things are getting into Gaza, once they’re in, they have to get to the people who need them. And so, distribution within Gaza remains a critical function. There, improving communication, improving deconfliction with humanitarians – particularly with the United Nations – with local community leaders remains important work and work that is still in progress. The bottom line is we need to see – as we’ve described it, we need to see flooding the zone when it comes to humanitarian assistance for Gaza. This will have a number of, I think, important merits to it. First and foremost, it will bring comfort to people who so desperately need it. But beyond that, one of the challenges that we have now and that you’re seeing now is that lawlessness, insecurity – all of that pervades in Gaza, combined with desperation. When you put those things together, you have situations where aid goes in and then people immediately charge at the trucks, and you see looting, you see criminal gangs get in the act, and again, just ordinary civilians who – and in the absence of sufficient aid – may believe that their only chance to get a piece of bread is to go at the one truck that they see coming in. When you have a sustainable, predictable, confident supply of assistance going in, that will give people confidence that food is there, it’ll keep coming, they can rely on it. That will also decrease both the overall insecurity, sense of lawlessness – prices will come down for goods that are being looted and then sold on the black market, and that’ll undercut the gangs that are engaged in that practice. Having said all of that, even as we work to surge humanitarian assistance by every means necessary, the most effective way to really get that done is with a ceasefire and having an environment much more conducive to getting the aid through. There’s a very strong proposal on the table right now. The question is, will Hamas take it? Does Hamas want to end the suffering that it’s provoked? The question is there, but I can tell you that we’re intensely engaged every single day, almost every single hour with Qatar, with Egypt to see if we can get a ceasefire agreement that will get the hostages out, get more aid in, and create a pathway perhaps for a more lasting, secure solution. Hostages remain front and center on our minds and in our hearts. We just learned that one of the dual U.S.-Israeli citizens who we believe was taken on October 7th – Itay Chen – was in fact killed on October 7th. I met with his family multiple times over the last several months. I spoke to them yesterday – to Ruby, to Hagit. There are no good words. No one should have to go through what they’ve gone through and what the other hostage families continue to go through. It’s another reason why getting the ceasefire would be so crucial to enable us to bring the hostages home. The President has made clear that ensuring the supply of humanitarian assistance, doing everything possible to protect civilians, has to be a priority. It can’t be a secondary consideration. So, to that end, I would simply say where there’s a will, there’s a way. We look to the Government of Israel to make sure that this is a priority: protecting civilians, getting people the assistance they need. That has to be job number one even as they do what is necessary to defend the country and to deal with the threat posed by Hamas. Happy to take some questions. MR MILLER: Matt. QUESTION: Thank you. Thanks, Matt. SECRETARY BLINKEN: Matt. QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, hello. How are you? So, I – two things very briefly. One, you guys have been talking for a long time, months and months and months now, about the need to get more aid into Gaza. So, I’m just curious about what this meeting today was. Did it accomplish anything or did any – were any decisions made about speeding up the maritime corridor? Or what was the – was this a broader that had more – broader thing that had more to do with that? And the secondly, it’s no secret that the differences between President Biden and his administration and Prime Minister Netanyahu and his government have gotten bigger, larger over the course of the past couple of months, but particularly over the course of the last several weeks or days. And I’m curious to – you are unhappy with the pace of the aid deliveries and what Israel has done in terms of speeding assistance into Gaza, but you combine that with the actual combat that’s going on, on the ground. Can you see a point where it comes – where the United States, where the Biden administration says, look, enough is enough? And then, if that does happen, what would that mean? Thanks. SECRETARY BLINKEN: Matt, thanks. In terms of the meeting today, the focus was on the maritime corridor and the pier, the dock that we’ll be building that the President announced in the State of the Union. So, what we were talking about today was with the countries that are directly participating in both helping to establish that pier, that dock, but also putting in place the system to collect assistance and then to send it off by sea to the dock that we’ll be building. So that’s what this was about, and it was really following up on the President’s State of the Union message – following up in very concrete ways to get this moving, to get this off the ground. And as I said, the military is also working intensely on this. We want to get this up and running as quickly as possible, but it demands tremendous coordination among the donor countries, among the participating countries, and of course with Israel. So, that’s what we were focused on today. And again, I want to emphasize that this effort is vital but it’s, again, a complement to, not a substitute for, other means of access for humanitarian assistance to Gaza and, notably, the overland access. As to the second part of your question, I’m not going to engage in hypotheticals. We’ve been working closely with the Government of Israel but also many other countries to try to make sure to the best of our ability that aid can get in, that it can get to people who need it, and that civilians are better protected. That remains an ongoing effort. And as I said, we need to see efforts in that direction maximized. The President’s been very clear: This has to be a priority, and it has to be a priority for Israel. It’s the right thing to do; it’s also, I think, profoundly in Israel’s interests to do it. And that’s what we’re working on. QUESTION: Thanks. MR MILLER: Andrea. SECRETARY BLINKEN: Andrea. QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, thank you. I wanted to follow up on that, and also ask a second about Haiti, but first about Gaza and the disaster that this has become. The U.S. is weaponizing the war. We’re the leading – we are the leading supplier of weapons to Israel. At the same time, you are leading an international rescue effort to get this aid in – despite the obstacles from members of the cabinet in Israel, which have delayed the opening of more land access, and still are. And as you point out, these sea routes are slow – they’re slower than they should be, even, because not all the ports are open – and they’re not a substitute for the hundreds of trucks that could get in by land. So, can you explain to the American people this incompatible policy? These policies are in conflict. And have you received any plan, as requested from Israel, for a plan to take care of the people in Rafah, if – as the prime minister has said, he’s determined to go in after those last four – what he says are those last four battalions? Secondly, on Haiti, there’s the same disaster emerging there on a different scale. But is there a U.S. plan to help with relief? It’s already been five months since the UN authorized the Kenyan multinational force. The supreme court there has objected. It’s going to be a while until they get in, and even if they agree to go in. What emergency relief can we provide to the people of Haiti to try to resolve the growing disaster there? Thank you. SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thanks, Andrea. So, coming back to the first question, we have been focused all along on two things: One, making sure that Israel can effectively defend itself, and that’s an enduring commitment that’s not going to go away; and also to try to make sure that October 7th never happens again. And in doing that, we’re there as Israel’s ally, as Israel’s partner. We’ve also been determined, from day one, that as Israel takes the steps necessary to defend itself to ensure that October 7th doesn’t happen again, that civilians are protected, humanitarian assistance gets to those who need it. And these two objectives are not in conflict. The question is whether Israel, on the one hand, is and can effectively deal with its security needs in defending the country, while at the same time maximizing every possible effort to ensure that civilians are not harmed and that assistance gets to those who need it. And as I’ve said for some time, we see a gap between the intent and the result that we’re determined – every single day – to close. We want to see the violence end. We want to see this get to a point where civilians are fully protected, and people get what they need to get by and ultimately to rebuild their lives. The best path forward right now would be, of course, getting an agreement on hostages. That’s what we’re working on intensely every single day. With regard to Rafah, the President’s been very clear about this, repeatedly. What we’ve said to Israel is this: Given the large number of civilians that are now in Rafah, many of them displaced from other parts of Gaza, about 1.4 million, we need to see a plan that will get civilians out of harm’s way if there’s to be a military operation in Rafah – and not only gets them out of harm’s way but also ensures that they have what they need – that they have shelter, that they have food, that they have medicine. We’ve not yet seen such a plan. On Haiti, as you know, this has been a long-unfolding story. The heart of the story is the suffering of the Haitian people, and we want to see that brought to an end. That requires a few things. It requires a more stable political system so that the country can function, and function democratically. And for that we need to see a transition to elections, to a clear return to a democratic path. We need assistance – humanitarian assistance, development assistance – so the economy can get built up, people can have opportunity. And fundamentally, we need to see security because it’s very hard to do either of the first two things in an environment that is profoundly insecure. And right now, you have in Haiti profound insecurity that is being driven largely by the action of gangs who control big parts of the capital city, critical infrastructure, et cetera. So, we’ve been working on all these fronts. And as you know, the United Nations endorsed some months ago a Multinational Security Support Mission to help the Haitian police regain control of security. As we’re putting that together – and Kenya stepped up to say that it would lead this mission; we’ve brought together other countries that are going to contribute to the mission; we ourselves are contributing significant resources to it – in parallel, we’ve also been trying – with the CARICOM countries, the Caribbean countries, other interested countries – to help Haitians get back on a better political path. I was in Jamaica just a couple of days ago, with all of the countries from the Caribbean, CARICOM, with other partners – including Canada, including France, including Mexico – all of this in support of Haitian-led efforts to find a political path forward, to get a political transition. And that’s’ exactly what was agreed the other day. The prime minister – Prime Minister Henry – stepped down, along with his government. A transitional presidential council – or college, as they call it – is being stood up. It’s inclusive; it brings together most of the major parties in Haiti as well as other key stakeholders like the private sector, like the interfaith community, and civil society. That council has as its mandate – again, agreed to by the Haitians – to choose a new prime minister, an interim prime minister, to establish a national security council, and to put in place an electoral commission. That creates the pathway, the transition, to elections and to a constitutionally mandated government. That also creates a better environment in which the Multinational Security Support Mission can go forward. I was on the phone this morning with President Ruto of Kenya, who confirmed Kenya’s preparedness to lead that mission as soon as the – this new council is stood up, which we believe will happen in the next couple of days, and an interim prime minister selected. That mission can move forward. I announced as well when I was in Jamaica that the Department of Defense is doubling its contribution to this effort. So, we now have $200 million coming from DOD, another $100 million coming from the rest of the United States Government, in support of the Multinational Security Support Mission. We have another almost $100 million that’s been raised from other countries around the world, and notably from Canada. So, my anticipation – it’s a long answer to your question – is having done all this work, we should be in a place where that mission can go forward. It can, we believe, help reestablish security, take back control of the country from the gangs. Meanwhile, the political transition is moving forward with this interim presidential council, with an interim prime minister, with these new bodies that are stood up tracking toward elections. And that, in turn, creates a better environment in which we can actually get assistance in, get it to people who need it, get development moving again, and create some opportunity for people. None of this is easy. None of this is going to happen from one day to the next. But at least there is a plan, a process in place to do that. It’s Haitian-designed. It’s Haitian-led. But it’s supported by many countries, not only in this hemisphere but around the world. MR MILLER: Humeyra. QUESTION: Hello, Mr. Secretary. SECRETARY BLINKEN: Humeyra. QUESTION: Let me try to push you a little bit more on these issues, in the hope of getting an answer. President Biden in his interview also said he wouldn’t suspend any military aid to Israel in a way that would impact, for example, the Iron Dome. Does that mean United States would consider putting conditions on offensive weapons to Israel? Secondly, you met with EU foreign policy chief Josep Burrell today. He said at UN Israel is using starvation as a weapon of war. Do you agree with that? And if you don’t, who do you think is responsible for the manmade famine in Gaza? And lastly, there has been an Israeli air strike today on an UNRWA aid distribution center in Rafah. The agency said at least one staff has been killed. It also said that they’ve shared the coordinates of this facility with the Israeli army in the hopes that it would be protected. What can you tell us about this incident? Thank you. SECRETARY BLINKEN: So, let me take those questions – actually, let me start with the last one. So, I saw the reports of the strike today on the UNRWA facility, and first and foremost our condolences go out to the families, the loved ones of those who apparently lost their lives in this strike. I don’t know the details of what happened. I do know, based on what we’ve heard from the Israeli Government, that the IDF is investigating. The Israeli Defense Forces are investigating this incident. And of course, we will look closely to see what that investigation produces. Without getting into the specifics of this incident – because again, I don’t know the facts – I think it does, as a general matter, underscore something I talked about a few minutes ago, and that’s the imperative of having much better and much more consistent deconfliction. Humanitarian workers, the agencies, they need to be able to do their jobs in – with as much security and as much confidence as is possible. And look, you’re in a war zone. You have a terrorist group that is firing from hospitals, from schools, from apartment buildings. But the Israeli military, the Israeli Government, have a responsibility and an obligation to do everything possible to ensure that the humanitarians can do their jobs. And among other things, that means making sure that if there’s a humanitarian facility that’s clearly identified, it’s not struck. It means making sure that if there’s a supply mission, a convoy, trucks going to a particular place at a particular time, that the Israeli military does everything in – possible to ensure its secure passage. So, this is an ongoing process. It’s made, again, incredibly difficult by the environment in which it’s being conducted. But it is a responsibility and an imperative for the Israelis. What we’ve seen in terms of food as well as other supplies, going to your – the second part of your question, is of course the Israelis have been not only allowing food in, they have been working to make sure that it gets in and gets to people who need it. We’ve seen throughout this process, first, the opening of Rafah back in October. After my first visit to Israel, many hours of discussion, Rafah opened. Assistance began to get in. We went back some weeks later. We got agreement to open Kerem Shalom. During the first pause, the hostage pause, one week, the amount of assistance that was then going in doubled during that period of time. Since then, we’ve pressed them on doing things like getting flour in from Ashdod; I mentioned that a short while ago. The flour that is now getting into Gaza is enough to produce bread to last for six months in Gaza. We have a new opening that was just put in place that will facilitate more assistance going in. And of course, I talked about the maritime corridor that we’re building. We’ve been doing air drops. The bottom line is food is getting in, but it’s insufficient. That’s why we’re talking about doing everything possible to maximize not only what gets in but what gets to people. But I think that answers the second part of the question. And finally, look, let me just say this about our commitment. Our commitment is to make sure that Israel has the means to defend itself, to provide for its own security, and that’s an enduring commitment. MR MILLER: We’ll take one more. Kylie. QUESTION: Thank you. Hi, Secretary. SECRETARY BLINKEN: Welcome back. QUESTION: Thank you. I appreciate it. You just said now, and the Biden administration has been saying for a while, that the onus is essentially on Israel to come up with a plan to protect the civilians in Rafah if they’re going to conduct this operation. I just wonder if you guys think it’s even possible for such a plan to be developed. Can they come – given how many civilians are there and what an operation would look like, do you think that’s in the realm of possibility? And then my second question, just in this same vein, is: Right now, without seeing that plan from Israel, is the administration considering conditioning some U.S. military support for Israel on whether or not they go ahead with this operation in Rafah? SECRETARY BLINKEN: I mentioned a few minutes ago the tremendous challenge in conducting a military operation in Rafah with 1.4 million civilians there. And the imperative, as we see it and as President Biden has clearly expressed it, that there has to be – if there are going to be military operations in Rafah – a clear and implementable plan to get the civilians out of harm’s way and to provide for them once out of harm’s way, we have not seen that plan. Is it – is it possible? Yes, it’s possible, but we haven’t seen it, and the most important thing is to see it and to make sure that it’s something that can be implemented in a way that accomplishes what has to be accomplished, which is protecting people and supporting people. But right now, that’s all in the realm of hypothetical because we haven’t seen a plan, so we look to that. Beyond that, I’m not going to get into any other hypotheticals about Rafah or where that goes. All I can say is we need to see a plan for the civilians, and we’ll wait for that. Thank you. MR MILLER: Thank you all. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Secretary Blinken’s Call with President Ruto | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/13/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/13/2024 05:25 PM EDT Office of the Spokesperson The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller: Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke with Kenyan President William Ruto today to discuss the expeditious deployment of the Multinational Security Support mission to provide security and stability to the Haitian people, including immediate next steps to facilitate deployment. Secretary Blinken and President Ruto underscored the United Nations Security Council’s stated expectation that the Multinational Security Support mission to Haiti deploy as soon as possible to provide support to the Haitian National Police. Secretary Blinken updated President Ruto on commitments by the United States and other international partners to support the mission. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with European Union High Representative Borrell | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/13/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/13/2024 06:26 PM EDT Office of the Spokesperson Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with European Union High Representative BorrellReadout March 13, 2024 The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller: Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met today with High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the European Commission Josep Borrell to reaffirm the unique strength of the U.S.-EU partnership and to continue close cooperation on key foreign policy and security issues. They underscored steadfast transatlantic unity to support Ukraine as it defends itself against Russian aggression. The Secretary and High Representative/Vice President discussed the ongoing conflict in Gaza and the actions we are taking to increase humanitarian aid. They also discussed our mutual interest in upholding freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, as well as the importance of transatlantic unity on shared challenges with regard to the PRC, including concerns regarding transfers from the PRC that help rebuild Russia’s defense-industrial base. They discussed close cooperation on the Western Balkans and the EU. The Secretary and High Representative/Vice President discussed shared priorities for transatlantic energy security, including in view of the upcoming U.S.-EU Energy Council. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with European Union High Representative Borrell | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/13/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/13/2024 06:26 PM EDT Office of the Spokesperson Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with European Union High Representative BorrellReadout March 13, 2024 The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller: Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met today with High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the European Commission Josep Borrell to reaffirm the unique strength of the U.S.-EU partnership and to continue close cooperation on key foreign policy and security issues. They underscored steadfast transatlantic unity to support Ukraine as it defends itself against Russian aggression. The Secretary and High Representative/Vice President discussed the ongoing conflict in Gaza and the actions we are taking to increase humanitarian aid. They also discussed our mutual interest in upholding freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, as well as the importance of transatlantic unity on shared challenges with regard to the PRC, including concerns regarding transfers from the PRC that help rebuild Russia’s defense-industrial base. They discussed close cooperation on the Western Balkans and the EU. The Secretary and High Representative/Vice President discussed shared priorities for transatlantic energy security, including in view of the upcoming U.S.-EU Energy Council. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Joint Statement on Advancing a Maritime Corridor to Deliver Humanitarian Assistance to Gaza Ministerial Consultations | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/13/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/13/2024 07:50 PM EDT Joint Statement on Advancing a Maritime Corridor to Deliver Humanitarian Assistance to Gaza Ministerial ConsultationsMedia Note March 13, 2024 The text of the following statement was released by the Governments of the United States of America, the Republic of Cyprus, the European Commission, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar on Ministerial Consultations to Advance a Maritime Corridor to Deliver Humanitarian Assistance to Gaza. Begin Text On March 13, Republic of Cyprus Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Constantinos Kombos hosted U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken; European Union Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič; UK Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs David Cameron; UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan; Qatar Minister of State Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi, and UN Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza Sigrid Kaag for a virtual ministerial to advance planning to open a maritime corridor to deliver much-needed additional humanitarian assistance to Gaza by sea. The ministers agreed that there is no substitute to land routes via Egypt and Jordan and entry points from Israel into Gaza for aid delivery at scale. The ministers also agreed that opening Ashdod port to humanitarian assistance would be a welcome and significant complement to the corridor. The ministers committed to continue their engagement and send senior officials to the Republic of Cyprus during the week of March 18 for in-depth briefings on the further activation of the corridor, including U.S. military planning efforts to establish a temporary pier able to receive significant quantities of humanitarian assistance. Senior officials will also undertake consultations on the possibility of establishing a common fund to support the maritime corridor, and coordinate in-kind and financial contributions to its sustainment. The ministers reaffirmed that this maritime corridor can — and must — be part of a sustained effort to increase the flow of humanitarian aid and commercial commodities into Gaza through all possible routes — including expanded land routes and continued aerial delivery, working closely with Coordinator Sigrid Kaag — who is charged with facilitating, coordinating, monitoring, and verifying the flow of aid into Gaza under UN Security Council Resolution 2720. The ministers underscored the need for Israel to open additional crossings so more aid can reach Gaza, including the North, and to ease overall customs restrictions to facilitate an increased flow of life-saving humanitarian assistance. End Text | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Joint Statement on Advancing a Maritime Corridor to Deliver Humanitarian Assistance to Gaza Ministerial Consultations | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/13/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/13/2024 07:50 PM EDT Joint Statement on Advancing a Maritime Corridor to Deliver Humanitarian Assistance to Gaza Ministerial ConsultationsMedia Note March 13, 2024 The text of the following statement was released by the Governments of the United States of America, the Republic of Cyprus, the European Commission, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar on Ministerial Consultations to Advance a Maritime Corridor to Deliver Humanitarian Assistance to Gaza. Begin Text On March 13, Republic of Cyprus Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Constantinos Kombos hosted U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken; European Union Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič; UK Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs David Cameron; UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan; Qatar Minister of State Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi, and UN Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza Sigrid Kaag for a virtual ministerial to advance planning to open a maritime corridor to deliver much-needed additional humanitarian assistance to Gaza by sea. The ministers agreed that there is no substitute to land routes via Egypt and Jordan and entry points from Israel into Gaza for aid delivery at scale. The ministers also agreed that opening Ashdod port to humanitarian assistance would be a welcome and significant complement to the corridor. The ministers committed to continue their engagement and send senior officials to the Republic of Cyprus during the week of March 18 for in-depth briefings on the further activation of the corridor, including U.S. military planning efforts to establish a temporary pier able to receive significant quantities of humanitarian assistance. Senior officials will also undertake consultations on the possibility of establishing a common fund to support the maritime corridor, and coordinate in-kind and financial contributions to its sustainment. The ministers reaffirmed that this maritime corridor can — and must — be part of a sustained effort to increase the flow of humanitarian aid and commercial commodities into Gaza through all possible routes — including expanded land routes and continued aerial delivery, working closely with Coordinator Sigrid Kaag — who is charged with facilitating, coordinating, monitoring, and verifying the flow of aid into Gaza under UN Security Council Resolution 2720. The ministers underscored the need for Israel to open additional crossings so more aid can reach Gaza, including the North, and to ease overall customs restrictions to facilitate an increased flow of life-saving humanitarian assistance. End Text | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| U.S. Arms Restrictions on Nicaragua | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/14/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/14/2024 09:04 AM EDT U.S. Arms Restrictions on NicaraguaPress Statement March 14, 2024 The United States is today imposing restrictions on the import and export of U.S. origin defense articles and defense services destined for or originating in Nicaragua. The Department of State has amended the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) to update the defense trade policy toward Nicaragua. The United States remains deeply concerned about continuing brutal repression by Ortega-Murillo authorities against the people of Nicaragua, to include recent sham elections on the Caribbean coast populated mainly by Indigenous individuals and Afro-descendants. The United States will continue to use all available diplomatic and economic tools to promote accountability for the Ortega-Murillo regime and to support the human rights and fundamental freedoms of Nicaraguans as they pursue a more just and prosperous future. Accordingly, the Department published a Federal Register notice amending § 126.1 of the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) to include Nicaragua as a proscribed destination. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| United States Hosts Launch of Foreign Ministry Channel for Global Health Security | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/14/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/14/2024 09:56 AM EDT Office of the Spokesperson On March 14, Ambassador Dr. John Nkengasong – U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator and Senior Bureau Official for Global Health Security and Diplomacy, overseeing the Department’s Bureau for Global Health Security and Diplomacy – is hosting a day-long discussion to plan priorities and review lines of effort for the new Foreign Ministry Channel for Global Health Security. Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Richard R. Verma will open the discussion. Participants in the meeting include representatives from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Bangladesh, Cameroon, Canada, European Union, Finland, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Morocco, Norway, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The Channel builds on the 2022-2023 COVID-19 Pandemic Prioritized Global Action Plan for Enhanced Engagement (GAP). The meeting is the first in a series of regular engagements between senior officials within Ministries of Foreign Affairs to focus diplomatic attention and action on critical global health security priorities. The foreign ministries, and participants from other ministries, will build on progress in this first meeting to elevate global health security issues as a national security imperative, enhance pandemic preparedness, and advance concrete global health security deliverables. Participants will collaborate on global efforts to:
For media inquiries, please contact GHSD_publicaffairs@ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Imposing Further Sanctions to Promote Peace, Security, and Stability in the West Bank | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/14/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/14/2024 10:30 AM EDT Office of the Spokesperson The United States continues to take action against those who undermine peace, security, and stability in the West Bank, which undermine the national security and foreign policy objectives of the United States, including the viability of a two-state solution, ensuring Israelis and Palestinians can attain equal measures of security, prosperity, and freedom, and reducing the risk of regional destabilization. There is no justification for extremist violence against civilians, whatever their national origin, ethnicity, race, or religion. The Department of State is imposing additional sanctions, pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 14115, to promote accountability for individuals and entities associated with actions that undermine peace, security, and stability in the West Bank. This follows the State Department’s announcement of a related visa restriction policy on December 5, 2023, as well as its first sanctions actions under E.O. 14115, on February 1, 2024. These individuals and entities are being designated pursuant to E.O. 14115, which authorizes sanctions against those involved in certain actions, including violence or threats of violence targeting civilians, efforts to place civilians in reasonable fear of violence with the purpose or effect of necessitating a change of residence to avoid such violence, destruction of property, seizure or dispossession of property by private actors, or terrorist activity, affecting the West Bank. Today’s action further underscores our commitment to promoting peace, security, and stability for civilians in the West Bank and accountability for the individuals and entities involved in these actions. The Department is designating the following individual pursuant to section 1(a)(i)(B)(1) for being responsible for or complicit in, or for having directly or indirectly engaged or attempted to engage in planning, ordering, otherwise directing, or participating in an act of violence or threat of violence targeting civilians, affecting the West Bank:
Pursuant to section 1(a)(iv), the following entity is being designated for being owned or controlled by, or for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, BAR YOSEF:
Pursuant to section 1(a)(iv), the following entity is being designated for being owned or controlled by, or for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, SHARVIT: o MOSHES FARM is owned and was founded by SHARVIT in 2021. SHARVIT uses the outpost as a base from which he perpetrates violence against Palestinians. Pursuant to section 1(a)(i)(B)(4), the following individual is being designated for being responsible for or complicit in, or for having directly or indirectly engaged or attempted to engage in planning, ordering, otherwise directing, or participating in seizure or dispossession of property by private actors, affecting the West Bank:
Sanctions ImplicationsAs a result of today’s action, and in accordance with E.O. 14115, all property and interests in property of the designated persons described above that are in the United States or in possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). Additionally, all individuals or entities that have ownership, either directly or indirectly, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked. All transactions by U.S. persons or within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of designated or otherwise blocked persons are prohibited unless authorized by a general or specific license issued by OFAC or exempt. These prohibitions include the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any blocked person and the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person. Additionally, the entry of designated individuals into the United States is suspended pursuant to Presidential Proclamation 8693. The power and integrity of U.S. government sanctions derive not only from the U.S. government’s ability to designate and add persons to the SDN List, but also from its willingness to remove persons from the SDN List consistent with the law. The ultimate goal of sanctions is not to punish, but to bring about a positive change in behavior. Petitions for removal from the SDN List may be sent to: For more information on E.O. 14115, see full text . | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Taking Further Measures to Promote Peace, Security, and Stability in the West Bank | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/14/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/14/2024 10:46 AM EDT Taking Further Measures to Promote Peace, Security, and Stability in the West BankPress Statement March 14, 2024 Since the horrific terrorist attacks on Israel on October 7, violence in the West Bank has increased sharply. Extremist settler violence against Palestinian and Israeli civilians and forced displacement of farmers and villages is a serious threat to the peace, security, and stability of West Bank, Israel, and the broader region. In February, President Biden issued an executive order giving the Department of State new authorities to impose sanctions on those responsible for undermining peace, security, and stability in the West Bank, and the Department imposed sanctions on four individuals. Today, we are taking further action to promote accountability for those perpetuating violence and causing turmoil in the West Bank by imposing sanctions on three Israeli individuals and two associated entities involved in undermining stability in the West Bank. There is no justification for extremist violence against civilians or forcing families from their homes, whatever their national origin, ethnicity, race, or religion. The United States is committed to enduring peace and prosperity for Palestinians and Israelis alike and will continue to use all available tools to promote accountability for those engaging in actions that threaten the peace, security, and stability of the West Bank. Today’s sanctions designations were taken pursuant to Executive Order 14115, which authorizes sanctions on persons undermining peace, security, and stability in the West Bank. For more information on today’s action, please see the Department of State’s fact sheet and Frequently Asked Questions. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Secretary Blinken’s Call with Mauritanian President Ghazouani | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/14/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/14/2024 12:56 PM EDT Secretary Blinken’s Call with Mauritanian President GhazouaniReadout March 14, 2024 Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke with Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani today. Secretary Blinken congratulated President Ghazouani on his election as Chairperson of the African Union (AU) for 2024 and highlighted our commitment to work together to address global issues including democracy and governance, peace and security, climate, and food security in line with AU Agenda 2063 Goals and Aspirations. They discussed President Ghazouani’s AU priorities for the coming year and the U.S.-Mauritania bilateral relationship. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Secretary Antony J. Blinken And Peruvian Foreign Minister Javier González-Olaechea Before Their Meeting | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/14/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/14/2024 12:46 PM EDT Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State Washington, D.C. Thomas Jefferson Room SECRETARY BLINKEN: Well, good morning, everyone. And it’s a distinct pleasure to have my friend, my colleague, the foreign minister of Peru here today with us at the State Department. We just had a wonderful moment where it was a great honor for the United States to be able to return to Peru some extraordinary documents dating to the 16th century that document the very first theater troupe in the Americas – quite remarkable. And thanks to very good work between our governments, we were able to return these documents to make sure that the extraordinary cultural heritage of Peru is further reinforced. So thank you Mr. Minister, Javier, for this really wonderful moment. It shows the incredible, powerful connections between our countries, our hemisphere that goes back so many years, so many centuries, but is – continues to have powerful expression in the present. So I thank you for that. And I really want to thank the – in particular, our colleagues from the FBI, from the Justice Department for the many years of efforts that went into recovering what were stolen documents and now being able to return them to where they rightfully belong to Peru and in Peru. This is an important year in the relationship between our countries. We’re celebrating 15 years of our free trade agreement. Peru, of course, is hosting APEC, a very significant undertaking, and President Biden looks forward to that. In a couple of months’ time – in May – we will hold our formal high-level dialogue and the agenda is extremely important, particularly when it comes to economic and security issues, which we’ll be – also be discussing today. And, of course, Peru is a very valued member of the Americas Partnership. The bottom line is there are many opportunities that we seek to advance between the United States and Peru: the work that we’re doing together on security, on democracy, on economic cooperation and inclusive growth. In all these areas and many more, we’re joined as partners, and I really welcome the opportunity today with the foreign minister to pursue our conversations, to pursue our work in the spirit of deepening the partnership between our countries. Javier, the floor is yours. FOREIGN MINISTER GONZÁLEZ-OLAECHEA: (Via interpreter) A very good morning to you, Mr. Secretary of State, dear friend, Antony. First of all, on behalf of the Peruvian Government I would like to say to you that we are deeply appreciative for this demonstration of friendship shown by gifting us in practice – by returning this historic document with the help of the FBI and the Department of Justice. This simply underscores the work the U.S. does with friendly countries. This will be guarded in the most appropriate way possible in Peru once the document arrives back in Lima. And I would also like to thank you, Antony, for this third conversation that we’re having. The first one was in San Francisco officially. The second was at the table, where you were so kind as to invite me, and now for the third time in this wonderful room. I would like to thank you here for your cooperation, for our honest relationship, and for the dialogue that has been ongoing with Brian, who is a friend to Peru. Sometimes we don’t always agree, but the important thing is that we do share the same values and the same feelings, and I say this truly from the heart. This year obviously is a year of common challenges. We are waiting for confirmation of the President’s visit, which would be a wonderful opportunity to open our arms and offer everything that Peru can offer to leadership, leadership that you as Secretary – I believe you spend 80 hours a day on this in tackling the challenges that humankind is currently facing. And on this issue specifically, I wanted to highlight in this meeting the fact that we completely share your concern regarding Ukraine, regarding the crimes and the terrorism – not to use another word for it – that is being perpetrated in the Middle East. And I’ll take this time also to tell you that when I received the visit of our Israeli colleague in December, understanding perfectly well the reactions that had been seen, we said that our traditional, historic, and professional diplomacy could be a part of the solution, and we offered every capacity that our ministry has to offer so that the day after, when he thought there would be a group of friendly countries, that he could consider that Peru, although it is not so involved in that area, could have a role to play in support and facilitation. And I wanted you to know that directly. There are other concerns as well. I had mentioned to you in San Francisco what is happening in Venezuela. And on this point, what is happening in Venezuela, I shared this concern at that organization that was created without the United States, which is ECLAC. And I said specifically to Foreign Minister Mauro from Brazil, our friend, that they needed to be a part of the solution as well. We do not want countries in the region to act against democracy. I know that the press is here, but what I say privately I say publicly. And I think it is good for that to be known. That is how this friendly foreign minister acts. SECRETARY BLINKEN: Gracias. Thanks, everyone. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Secretary Blinken’s Travel to Vienna, Seoul, and Manila | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/14/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/14/2024 02:48 PM EDT Matthew Miller, Department Spokesperson Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken will travel to Vienna, Seoul, and Manila, from March 14 to 20, 2024. In Vienna, Secretary Blinken will attend the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) and serve as Head of Delegation for the United States during the High-Level Segment. At the CND, the Secretary will emphasize that illicitly manufactured synthetic drugs and their precursors are fueling a public health crisis that affects communities across the United States and around the globe. The United States looks to secure concrete commitments from countries to take domestic, regional, and international action to address synthetic drugs and their precursors. While in Vienna, Secretary Blinken will also meet with senior Austrian officials, as well as International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi to discuss nuclear safety, security, and safeguards issues. In Seoul, Secretary Blinken will head the U.S. delegation to the third Summit for Democracy, hosted by the Republic of Korea, bringing together hundreds of leaders from governments, civil society, and the private sector committed to strengthening democratic governance, protecting human rights, and advancing the fight against corruption. The Summit demonstrates how the United States and like-minded democracies organize to address the world’s most pressing challenges. The U.S. will also highlight progress made since the last Summit for Democracy to counter the proliferation and misuse of commercial spyware. The Secretary will also meet with Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and other ROK officials. In Manila, Secretary Blinken will meet with President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., and Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique Manalo to advance shared economic priorities and underscore the United States’ ironclad commitment to the U.S.-Philippine alliance. Secretary Blinken, President Marcos, and Secretary Manalo will discuss areas to deepen U.S.-Philippine cooperation on a range of bilateral and global issues, including on regional peace and stability, human rights and democracy, economic prosperity, health, clean energy, semiconductors, and the digital economy. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Secretary Blinken’s Travel to Vienna, Seoul, and Manila | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/14/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/14/2024 02:48 PM EDT Matthew Miller, Department Spokesperson Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken will travel to Vienna, Seoul, and Manila, from March 14 to 20, 2024. In Vienna, Secretary Blinken will attend the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) and serve as Head of Delegation for the United States during the High-Level Segment. At the CND, the Secretary will emphasize that illicitly manufactured synthetic drugs and their precursors are fueling a public health crisis that affects communities across the United States and around the globe. The United States looks to secure concrete commitments from countries to take domestic, regional, and international action to address synthetic drugs and their precursors. While in Vienna, Secretary Blinken will also meet with senior Austrian officials, as well as International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi to discuss nuclear safety, security, and safeguards issues. In Seoul, Secretary Blinken will head the U.S. delegation to the third Summit for Democracy, hosted by the Republic of Korea, bringing together hundreds of leaders from governments, civil society, and the private sector committed to strengthening democratic governance, protecting human rights, and advancing the fight against corruption. The Summit demonstrates how the United States and like-minded democracies organize to address the world’s most pressing challenges. The U.S. will also highlight progress made since the last Summit for Democracy to counter the proliferation and misuse of commercial spyware. The Secretary will also meet with Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and other ROK officials. In Manila, Secretary Blinken will meet with President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., and Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique Manalo to advance shared economic priorities and underscore the United States’ ironclad commitment to the U.S.-Philippine alliance. Secretary Blinken, President Marcos, and Secretary Manalo will discuss areas to deepen U.S.-Philippine cooperation on a range of bilateral and global issues, including on regional peace and stability, human rights and democracy, economic prosperity, health, clean energy, semiconductors, and the digital economy. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 67th Session of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/14/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/14/2024 03:32 PM EDT Office of the Spokesperson The United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) will convene in Vienna, Austria from March 14 – 22. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken will serve as Head of Delegation for the United States during the High-Level Segment from March 14 – 15 with support from Assistant Secretary for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) Todd D. Robinson and the White House Director of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Dr. Rahul Gupta. INL Deputy Assistant Secretary Maggie Nardi and Ambassador Laura Holgate will serve as the Co-Heads of Delegation for the Regular Session. The CND provides a unique opportunity for countries to work collectively to advance solutions to the most challenging drug issues. Synthetic drugs are fueling a public health crisis that affects communities across the United States and around the globe. The United States aims to set international action to address the threats posed by synthetic drugs as a top CND priority. The United States will work to place two additional fentanyl precursor chemicals under international control, advance the efforts of the U.S.-led Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug Threats, and drive concrete action to address synthetic drug-related challenges including overdose prevention and responses. For further information, please contact INL-PAPD@state.gov or follow @StateINL on Twitter/X. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Sixth U.S.-France Cyber Dialogue | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/14/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/14/2024 03:26 PM EDT The Sixth U.S.-France Cyber DialogueMedia Note March 14, 2024 On March 11-12, 2024, the United States and France held the sixth bilateral Cyber Dialogue in Washington, D.C., to reaffirm our ongoing partnership on cyberspace and digital policy issues. Our governments are both committed to promoting an open, interoperable, secure, and reliable cyberspace in which all states behave responsibly. At the bilateral meeting, the United States and France discussed efforts to advance stability in cyberspace; diplomatic progress in multilateral and regional security venues; cyber resilience and the protection of critical infrastructure; combatting cybercrime; critical and emerging technologies; and cyber capacity building in Ukraine, the Western Balkans, the Americas, and the Indo-Pacific. Both countries reaffirmed their support for the framework of responsible state behavior in cyberspace, based on respect for existing international law, adherence to non-binding peacetime norms of state behavior, and implementation of practical confidence building measures. The delegations also discussed cybersecurity deliverables for the NATO Washington Summit; increasing membership to the Budapest Convention; United Nations processes in the First and Third Committees as well as the future UN Cyber Programme of Action. Representatives discussed digital freedom priorities, including co-chairing the OECD DIS/MIS Resource Hub with France and the United States’ participation in France’s Children Online Protection Lab. On the margins of the dialogue, the two sides engaged with civil society and industry. Liesyl Franz, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for International Cyberspace Security, led the U.S. delegation that included representatives from the National Security Council, the Office of the National Cyber Director, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Federal Communications Commission, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Justice, and State. Henri Verdier, Ambassador for Digital Affairs, led France’s interagency delegation that included representatives from the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, the National Cybersecurity Agency, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of the Armed Forces, Ministry of Economy and Finance, and the Ministry of Justice. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Sixth U.S.-France Cyber Dialogue | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/14/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/14/2024 03:26 PM EDT The Sixth U.S.-France Cyber DialogueMedia Note March 14, 2024 On March 11-12, 2024, the United States and France held the sixth bilateral Cyber Dialogue in Washington, D.C., to reaffirm our ongoing partnership on cyberspace and digital policy issues. Our governments are both committed to promoting an open, interoperable, secure, and reliable cyberspace in which all states behave responsibly. At the bilateral meeting, the United States and France discussed efforts to advance stability in cyberspace; diplomatic progress in multilateral and regional security venues; cyber resilience and the protection of critical infrastructure; combatting cybercrime; critical and emerging technologies; and cyber capacity building in Ukraine, the Western Balkans, the Americas, and the Indo-Pacific. Both countries reaffirmed their support for the framework of responsible state behavior in cyberspace, based on respect for existing international law, adherence to non-binding peacetime norms of state behavior, and implementation of practical confidence building measures. The delegations also discussed cybersecurity deliverables for the NATO Washington Summit; increasing membership to the Budapest Convention; United Nations processes in the First and Third Committees as well as the future UN Cyber Programme of Action. Representatives discussed digital freedom priorities, including co-chairing the OECD DIS/MIS Resource Hub with France and the United States’ participation in France’s Children Online Protection Lab. On the margins of the dialogue, the two sides engaged with civil society and industry. Liesyl Franz, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for International Cyberspace Security, led the U.S. delegation that included representatives from the National Security Council, the Office of the National Cyber Director, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Federal Communications Commission, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Justice, and State. Henri Verdier, Ambassador for Digital Affairs, led France’s interagency delegation that included representatives from the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, the National Cybersecurity Agency, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of the Armed Forces, Ministry of Economy and Finance, and the Ministry of Justice. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The United States and Austria: Decades of Partnership | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/14/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/14/2024 06:12 PM EDT Office of the Spokesperson The United States and Austria have enjoyed diplomatic relations for more than 220 years. In the post-World War II era, the United States played an essential role in the country’s reconstruction and in the Austrian State Treaty which declared Austria to be a free, independent, and neutral state. Our nations share democratic values, including support for human rights and the rule of law, and a vision of peace and freedom for all. The two countries are bound together through myriad people-to-people contacts in business and entrepreneurship, the arts, education, science and technology, and a host of exchanges. The United States and Austria reaffirmed in 2023 our commitment to advancing our joint interests through the U.S.-Austria Strategic Dialogue, including on global and regional security issues; the importance of upholding the international rules-based order; condemning Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine; issues concerning the Middle East and the PRC; defending and advancing human rights and democracy; the fight against racism, antisemitism, and anti-Muslim hatred; support for Holocaust survivors; disarmament and non-proliferation; and the Western Balkans. Austria and the United States are partners in promoting global security, strengthening economic cooperation, and collaborating to promote and defend our shared values around the world. People to People ConnectionsAustria is one of 51 countries worldwide with a Fulbright educational exchange program managed by an autonomous binational commission. The State Department has provided opportunities for more than 4,000 Austrians to participate in U.S. government-funded exchange programs since 1951. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed in September 2020 creating an exchange program between the U.S. Naval Academy and the Theresian Military Academy, which already has a similar program with the United States Military Academy at West Point. In February 2024, a first of its kind Memorandum of Understanding was signed expanding professional development exchanges between the United States and Austria to include opportunities for technical and vocational students. Bilateral Economic RelationsAustria was one of the top ten fastest growing U.S. trade partners and foreign direct investors as of 2019, and the United States remains Austria’s second largest export destination after Germany. Austria is a member of the European Union and World Trade Organization, offering export opportunities for U.S. companies of all sizes with no significant trade barriers. The country represents a desirable, affluent market for U.S.-made products in Europe. The trade and investment relationship with Austria is robust and supports thousands of new jobs in both countries. Austria’s Membership in International OrganizationsAustrian leaders emphasize the country’s role as both an East-West hub and a moderator between industrialized and developing countries. Austria hosts the International Atomic Energy Agency and several other UN bodies, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Austria and the United States belong to a number of the same international organizations, including the UN, OSCE, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and World Trade Organization. Austria is not a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) but participates in its Partnership for Peace program and has military personnel embedded in NATO, EU, and UN peacekeeping operations worldwide. Austria also is an observer to the Organization of American States. It is a member of the Three Seas Initiative. Standing Together in Support for UkraineThe United States and Austria – in coordination with other Allies and partners – are collaborating to support Ukraine and its people in the face of Russia’s war of aggression. Austria has welcomed and assisted more than 85,000 refugees since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. In accordance with its status as a neutral country, Austria has focused its assistance on non-military support, including more than $200 million in humanitarian aid for the people of Ukraine, and donating 2 million Euros to the International Trust Fund to support demining efforts. Austria has also supported EU Russia sanctions and continues to collaborate with the EU on improving the integrity of the sanctions regime. RestitutionDuring the immediate postwar period Austrian authorities introduced certain restitution and compensation measures for Nazi victims, but Austrians later viewed these initial measures as inadequate and/or unjust. Beginning in 1995, the government set up several programs to address gaps and deficiencies in post-war restitution and compensation programs. It continues to work with partners on such Holocaust issues as compensation, restitution, education, and commemoration. Since 1994, Austria has committed to providing victims and heirs some $1 billion in restitution. In accordance with a September 2019 amendment to the Austrian Citizenship Act, as of September 1, 2020, direct descendants of victims of the Nazi regime previously resident in Austria can obtain dual Austrian citizenship. Austria helped draft the Best Practices for the Washington Principles on Nazi-Confiscated Art, which the Secretary of State welcomed on March 5, 2024 and 23 governments have endorsed to date. Austria is a partner in the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance and other international institutions. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The United States and Austria: Decades of Partnership | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/14/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/14/2024 06:12 PM EDT Office of the Spokesperson The United States and Austria have enjoyed diplomatic relations for more than 220 years. In the post-World War II era, the United States played an essential role in the country’s reconstruction and in the Austrian State Treaty which declared Austria to be a free, independent, and neutral state. Our nations share democratic values, including support for human rights and the rule of law, and a vision of peace and freedom for all. The two countries are bound together through myriad people-to-people contacts in business and entrepreneurship, the arts, education, science and technology, and a host of exchanges. The United States and Austria reaffirmed in 2023 our commitment to advancing our joint interests through the U.S.-Austria Strategic Dialogue, including on global and regional security issues; the importance of upholding the international rules-based order; condemning Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine; issues concerning the Middle East and the PRC; defending and advancing human rights and democracy; the fight against racism, antisemitism, and anti-Muslim hatred; support for Holocaust survivors; disarmament and non-proliferation; and the Western Balkans. Austria and the United States are partners in promoting global security, strengthening economic cooperation, and collaborating to promote and defend our shared values around the world. People to People ConnectionsAustria is one of 51 countries worldwide with a Fulbright educational exchange program managed by an autonomous binational commission. The State Department has provided opportunities for more than 4,000 Austrians to participate in U.S. government-funded exchange programs since 1951. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed in September 2020 creating an exchange program between the U.S. Naval Academy and the Theresian Military Academy, which already has a similar program with the United States Military Academy at West Point. In February 2024, a first of its kind Memorandum of Understanding was signed expanding professional development exchanges between the United States and Austria to include opportunities for technical and vocational students. Bilateral Economic RelationsAustria was one of the top ten fastest growing U.S. trade partners and foreign direct investors as of 2019, and the United States remains Austria’s second largest export destination after Germany. Austria is a member of the European Union and World Trade Organization, offering export opportunities for U.S. companies of all sizes with no significant trade barriers. The country represents a desirable, affluent market for U.S.-made products in Europe. The trade and investment relationship with Austria is robust and supports thousands of new jobs in both countries. Austria’s Membership in International OrganizationsAustrian leaders emphasize the country’s role as both an East-West hub and a moderator between industrialized and developing countries. Austria hosts the International Atomic Energy Agency and several other UN bodies, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Austria and the United States belong to a number of the same international organizations, including the UN, OSCE, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and World Trade Organization. Austria is not a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) but participates in its Partnership for Peace program and has military personnel embedded in NATO, EU, and UN peacekeeping operations worldwide. Austria also is an observer to the Organization of American States. It is a member of the Three Seas Initiative. Standing Together in Support for UkraineThe United States and Austria – in coordination with other Allies and partners – are collaborating to support Ukraine and its people in the face of Russia’s war of aggression. Austria has welcomed and assisted more than 85,000 refugees since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. In accordance with its status as a neutral country, Austria has focused its assistance on non-military support, including more than $200 million in humanitarian aid for the people of Ukraine, and donating 2 million Euros to the International Trust Fund to support demining efforts. Austria has also supported EU Russia sanctions and continues to collaborate with the EU on improving the integrity of the sanctions regime. RestitutionDuring the immediate postwar period Austrian authorities introduced certain restitution and compensation measures for Nazi victims, but Austrians later viewed these initial measures as inadequate and/or unjust. Beginning in 1995, the government set up several programs to address gaps and deficiencies in post-war restitution and compensation programs. It continues to work with partners on such Holocaust issues as compensation, restitution, education, and commemoration. Since 1994, Austria has committed to providing victims and heirs some $1 billion in restitution. In accordance with a September 2019 amendment to the Austrian Citizenship Act, as of September 1, 2020, direct descendants of victims of the Nazi regime previously resident in Austria can obtain dual Austrian citizenship. Austria helped draft the Best Practices for the Washington Principles on Nazi-Confiscated Art, which the Secretary of State welcomed on March 5, 2024 and 23 governments have endorsed to date. Austria is a partner in the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance and other international institutions. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Department Press Briefing – March 14, 2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/14/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/14/2024 07:33 PM EDT Department Press Briefing – March 14, 2024March 14, 2024 1:35 p.m. EDT MR MILLER: Good afternoon, everyone. Sorry to be late. I have a few things to start with, so I hope you’ll bear with me for a moment. Starting with — QUESTION: (Off-mike.) MR MILLER: Hi. Starting with – quite all right. Please continue. Starting with travel, Secretary Blinken will depart tonight for Vienna, Austria, where he will serve as head of delegation for the United States during the high-level segment of the 67th session of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs. The Secretary will be working to build on the momentum of the Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug Threats that he launched last summer, and which now has 149 countries and 14 international organizations participating. This administration has made it a top priority to address the fentanyl and synthetic drug crisis, and this will be the first time a U.S. secretary of state has attended a meeting of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs. While there, the Secretary will emphasize that illicitly manufactured synthetic drugs and their precursors pose a threat not just to the United States but to all nations. He will look to secure concrete commitments from countries to take domestic, regional, and international action to address synthetic drugs and their precursors, which are fueling the public health crisis both in communities across the United States and around the globe. Secretary Blinken will also meet with Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer and Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg during his time in Austria to reinforce our strong bilateral relationship. We are working together with the Government of Austria to meet humanitarian needs in Ukraine and ensure the integrity of EU Russia sanctions. The Secretary will then travel to Seoul to participate in the third Summit for Democracy, led by the Republic of Korea. The summit will demonstrate how democracies continue to deliver for their citizens and organize to address the world’s most pressing challenges. The Secretary will also meet with Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and other Korean officials to discuss a broad range of regional and global issues during his time in Seoul, underscoring the unwavering strength of the more than 70-year U.S.-Republic of Korea alliance. From there, Secretary Blinken will travel to Manila to reaffirm our unwavering commitment to our Philippine allies. He will meet with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique Manalo to discuss ways to advance economic prosperity, support clean and renewable energy development, and promote peace and stability in the South China Sea. The Secretary’s visit will also underscore the importance of our strong bilateral ties, which for 75 years have been critical to advancing our shared vision for a free and open, connected, prosperous, secure, and resilient Indo-Pacific region. Now, turning to Israel and the West Bank, extremist settler violence carried out with impunity in the West Bank has killed, injured, and threatened the livelihoods of countless Palestinian civilians. This violence risks destabilizing the West Bank and obstructs efforts to advance a pathway to peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians through a two-state solution. There is no justification for violence against civilians, no justification for forcing families from their homes. In February, President Biden issued an executive order giving the State Department new authorities to impose sanctions on those responsible for undermining peace, security, and stability in the West Bank, and the department imposed sanctions on four individuals. Today, we are imposing further targeted sanctions on three Israeli individuals involved in undermining stability in the West Bank. We have also designated two associated entities referred to as farms. These West Bank outposts are owned or controlled by designated individuals, have acted as a base from which to launch violent acts, and are illegal even under Israeli law. It is critical that Israel take additional action to stop settler violence and hold accountable those responsible for it, not just the sake – not just for the sake of the victims of this violence, but for Israel’s own security and standing in the world. But as we have made clear, the United States will continue to take its own actions to hold accountable those engaging in extremist violence and threatening the peace, security, and stability of the West Bank. This includes through actions like those taken today through the visa restriction policy announced by Secretary Blinken in December, under which the department has taken steps to impose visa restrictions on dozens of individuals. Finally, the United States condemns Russia’s continuing efforts to undermine Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political independence through sham elections held in occupied Ukrainian territories. The United States does not and will never recognize the legitimacy or outcome of these sham elections held in sovereign Ukraine as part of Russia’s presidential elections. To be clear, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhya, Kherson, and Crimea are Ukraine. The results of these Potemkin-style exercises will be dictated by Moscow and cannot reflect the free will of the citizens of Ukraine who are being compelled to vote in them. This spectacle only further demonstrates Russia’s blatant disregard for its obligations under international law. The United States will continue to use all available tools to hold accountable those individuals responsible for actions that undermine the sovereignty, territorial integrity, or political independence of free countries, including those who serve as election observers for the Kremlin’s sham elections in occupied parts of Ukraine. And with that, Matt. QUESTION: Right. Thanks. So — MR MILLER: But sorry, that was so long I only have time for two questions. QUESTION: Okay. Well, I’ll — MR MILLER: I was just kidding. (Laughter.) QUESTION: I’ll put it all into one question then (inaudible) decide. I’ll start with the 75-year relationship with the Philippines. Are you including the period when the U.S. actually occupied and controlled the Philippines in that? MR MILLER: I would have to go back and look at the exact history of that to give you a more precise answer. QUESTION: Yeah, yeah, I’m sure you would. Okay, on Gaza, you have seen, I’m sure, Senator Schumer’s comments. I know that you can’t speak for the senator or any member of Congress, but is there a concern in the administration at all that these remarks are going to make it more difficult to deal with Prime Minister Netanyahu and his government? MR MILLER: No. Obviously Congress is an independent branch of government. I think the Government of Israel understands quite well how the U.S. Government works. They interact frequently not just with members of the Executive Branch but with members of Congress, including Senator Schumer, who has traveled to Israel a number of times over the years. And I’m sure they fully understand that he speaks for himself. He’s obviously someone we’re in close contact with, but it’s not a statement from the Executive Branch. QUESTION: Well, fair enough, except that there are members of the Executive Branch who have said roughly similar if not exactly the same thing over the course of the last several months. And so I think there is a suspicion out there that Senator Schumer was putting out publicly what had been being said privately. MR MILLER: No, that is not the case. QUESTION: No? Absolutely not? MR MILLER: Those are – these are statements made by Senator Schumer, not by the Biden administration. QUESTION: Okay, so there’s no frustration in the administration with Prime Minister Netanyahu and his government? MR MILLER: Look, there are – there are a number of things that we want to see Israel do differently; we’ve made that quite clear. I’ve said it from this podium, as you know, a number of times, and we have that quite clear in direct conversations with the prime minister. But I don’t have anything beyond that. QUESTION: Okay, thanks. MR MILLER: Gillian. QUESTION: Haiti is okay? MR MILLER: Yeah, sure. QUESTION: You told us Tuesday, Matt, that you did not have an estimate on Americans trapped on the ground inside the country. Wondering if you have any information now on Americans there, also if there’s any plans to evacuate or otherwise help those who are. MR MILLER: So I don’t have an estimate of how many Americans are on the ground in Haiti. That’s always a difficult information – always difficult information for the State Department to have a precise number on because most Americans when they travel to a country – and certainly one like Haiti where we have close ties and there are people that go back and forth – they don’t register with the United States, they don’t register with our embassy to tell us that they are there. So it’s impossible for us to know for sure. There are several hundred Americans who have registered to receive more information when we can provide it to them, and we of course do provide that information to them. But that’s different than an overall number, which is – as is the case in most parts of the world, we just aren’t able to offer an estimate. With respect to your second question, we always plan for all sorts of contingencies. But no, we are not planning for any – we are not actively planning for any evacuation. And I would remind you and others that Haiti has been a Level 4 country with respect to our Travel Advisory since 2020. So what that means is for four years we have been telling Americans do not go to Haiti; do not travel there, it’s not safe to do so; and for those who are there, leave as soon as you can feasibly do so without putting yourself at risk. QUESTION: So you don’t anticipate – or put it this way, so no plans to evacuate as of now? Do you anticipate there may be some support for evacuation for those few hundred or however many there are who want to get out? MR MILLER: We will always provide information to American citizens that reach out to us when we can do so. For example, if there’s information about the operations of the airport that becomes available, we’ll make that known to Americans who reach out to us. But we are not actively planning for any evacuation, no. QUESTION: One last question, if I may. With the few hundred million dollars of new aid money that’s going to make its way to Haiti, does State have I guess guardrails in place to prevent any of that funding falling into the hands of these gangs that are now controlling the government building? MR MILLER: So let me – just to be clear – and I’m going to make sure I answer your question correctly – let me talk about the different types of aid and assistance that we are providing. So first of all, there is $33 million that the Secretary announced on Monday in humanitarian assistance that we are providing to help alleviate the humanitarian situation on the ground. And we always have guardrails in place, we always have monitoring programs in place to ensure that that money is used effectively. There is an additional $300 million that the United States is providing to support the Multinational Security Support Mission that Kenya will be launching in the coming days and weeks, which is a separate – a separate question from humanitarian assistance. And that is money that will be provided in some cases in kind through transfers of equipment, in some cases through provision of logistics, in some cases through direct financial support. But that is to the Government of Kenya to support the Multinational Support Mission, not to the Government of Haiti or entities on the ground in Haiti. QUESTION: Can you do the top-line numbers? What, so total 330 direct from the U.S. and then 300 — MR MILLER: Different – there’s 300 – it is two different things: $300 million in support for the Multinational Security Support Mission; $200 million of that is from the Pentagon; $100 million is from here. Separate and apart from that, not supporting the MSS Mission but supporting humanitarian assistance efforts, is the $33 million that the Secretary announced on Monday. Yeah. QUESTION: (Inaudible) back to Israel for a second. MR MILLER: Yeah. QUESTION: Gaza’s health ministry said today that six Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded in Israeli fire on crowds of residents waiting for aid trucks in Gaza City. Have you raised this with the Israelis? And do you have any information on this? MR MILLER: So I don’t have any information on this specific report. I just saw it today. I can tell you that this is the type of thing that we often raise with the Israelis, both to seek out more information and to make clear that we want to see effective deconfliction measures taken. We want to see them take steps to minimize civilian causalities; we want them to take steps to see that aid is effectively distributed to Palestinian civilians who need it and in no way jeopardized. QUESTION: And then just further on aid, the Secretary said yesterday when talking about the maritime corridor that it demands tremendous coordinating among donor countries. Is this for the U.S. military effort or the commercial maritime option? MR MILLER: This is with respect to the effort the President announced in the State of the Union, the effort that we are launching with – through the United States military and with which we are coordinating with other countries. And as you’ve heard us say, we are working through what that will look like right now, and part of the purpose of the Secretary’s ministerial meeting yesterday was to talk through exactly how we get that mission off the ground. QUESTION: And sorry, just quickly on the settler sanctions, what effects do these sanctions have on the farms? I realize it cuts them off from like the U.S. financial system. But like how will this impact their operations? MR MILLER: So I won’t speak to how – what the exact impact will be on their direct operations, but I can tell you what the – how the sanctions will be imposed and how they will be enforced. So for both the individuals we sanctioned today and the two entities, any property that they have in the United States or in United States financial accounts is blocked. They no longer will have access to it, and they no longer have the ability to transact with the U.S. financial system. And then on top of that, any entities that transact with the United States financial transaction system – which, of course, is most entities in the world, banks and other entities – put themselves at risk of further sanctions and further enforcement activities from the United States if they transact with these farms and with these entities. So what we’ve seen when we announced our first round of sanctions under this new executive order last month is in Israel, Israeli banks freezing the accounts of the four previously designated individuals. And I won’t make any predications what will happen going forward, but I know that every entity around the world takes these sanctions very seriously. QUESTION: And why go ahead with them now? Is it because there’s not been progress in talks for a temporary ceasefire? MR MILLER: This is completely independent of the ongoing effort to achieve a temporary ceasefire and release of the hostages. We continue to pursue that. There continues to be ongoing work inside the United States Government and with our partners in the region to try to achieve an agreement. But this work is independent of that. We have made clear for some time that we wanted to see Israel take additional action to, number one, stop extremist settler violence and, number two, hold those responsible for it accountable. And we made clear that if we didn’t see sufficient steps, we were ready to take action. And that’s why you saw us first impose visa bans in December. Next, the President issued this executive order in February, and now us continuing to add designated entities to the list of those that we have sanctioned. And I will just say this is an area where we are going to continue to remain vigilant. And if additional actions are appropriate, we will not hesitate to take them. QUESTION: On Israel. Thank you, Matt. I just wanted to follow up on something that Matt raised. Separately from Senator Schumer’s remarks, there was this week released an unclassified American Intelligence Community assessment that indicated that Israel was likely to face lingering armed resistance from Hamas for years to come, that its military would struggle to secure the tunnel systems in Gaza. And it also said that the viability of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s leadership and coalition may be in jeopardy. Do those assessments comport with this department’s view of the situation? And if so, is the department going to reach for partners other than Netanyahu in its diplomatic efforts? MR MILLER: So a few things about that. Number one, with respect to any assessment offered by the Intelligence Community, I’m going to defer to the Intelligence Community to speak to those. That’s true here; it’s true with respect to any other intelligence assessment that they offer publicly. I will say that we have always made clear to Israel that it is important that they have not just a short-term tactical plan or a short-term plan to win the initial conflict, but that they have a long-term plan for dealing with the issues raised in this war, that they have a plan for governance in Gaza after the initial fighting stops, that they have a plan for security in Gaza after the fighting stops. Now, we have been working with Arab partners in the region to develop such a plan that would deal with security, that would deal with reconstruction, that would deal with a political path forward for the Palestinian people. And we have made it clear to Israel that these are incredibly important issues that they need to take seriously. QUESTION: And on the question of – first, let me ask – let me just push you on the intelligence front, because the State Department has its own intelligence arm in INR. So did the assessment draw an objection from within this building? Was there a differing view from within this building? MR MILLER: I am not going to speak to internal intelligence matters. I never would do. And you shouldn’t – yeah, you should — QUESTION: It’s an unclassified assessment. MR MILLER: I know, but you shouldn’t read that any – anything into it, other than it’s just a blanket rule that I’m going to talk to that. Obviously, we coordinate with others in the Intelligence Community, but this is an assessment offered initially by the DNI. And I’m not going to speak to the internal deliberations that went into it. QUESTION: So you want to address the Netanyahu’s coalition being potentially in jeopardy assessment view? MR MILLER: I just don’t have any comment on it from here. QUESTION: Just as an additional – I mean, unnamed officials as a result of these assessments within Israel have accused the U.S. Government of trying to oust the prime minister. Do you care to respond to those — MR MILLER: So with respect to that, I would say that this is an Intelligence Community assessment, similar to assessments that the Intelligence Community offers from time to time not about Israel but about countries all around the world. It has nothing to do with trying to take a position in internal Israeli matters or take a position in internal Israeli politics. We do not have a position on that. Who leads the Government of Israel is a matter for the Israeli public to decide, just as it is a matter for the residents of any country to decide with respect to the leadership of their country. We deal with the elected prime minister. We will always deal with the elected leadership of Israel. That will always be our policy. QUESTION: Okay. One last one on hostage talks, because you mentioned there was ongoing work. Is it the case that the stakeholders surrounding the talks are just waiting for a response from Hamas, or is there a revised offer being put on the table? MR MILLER: I’m not going to get into any level of detail, other than to say that there continues to be an offer on the table to Hamas – as you heard the Secretary say when he was at this podium yesterday – that we think they should accept. Kylie. QUESTION: Just — MR MILLER: And welcome back. I know the Secretary said it yesterday, but from me welcome back. QUESTION: Thank you. Appreciate it. It’s good to be here. Sorry to beat a dead horse, but I do have one more question on — MR MILLER: No, you’re not. QUESTION: — the Netanyahu remarks, specifically, what Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said. I understand that you’re not going to talk about if you guys coordinated or anything like that. The White House did say that they were given a heads-up ahead of those remarks, but — MR MILLER: No, I said we did not coordinate. We were given a heads-up, but we did not coordinate. QUESTION: Okay. But he did – he called for a new election in Israel. Can you just clearly say if the administration agrees that this is time for a new election or not in Israel? MR MILLER: That is just not a position that we have taken. QUESTION: So you won’t take a position either way as to — MR MILLER: There’s — QUESTION: — if you agree with those remarks or not. MR MILLER: No, they are remarks that he made, and he – as I said, Congress is an independent branch of government. QUESTION: But do you think that Prime Minister Netanyahu is in strong standing right now as the leader of Israel? MR MILLER: I’m not going to – I am not going to offer any type of assessment of that. He is the elected prime minister of Israel. QUESTION: Okay. QUESTION: Can I follow up? MR MILLER: Yeah. Said, go ahead. QUESTION: Thank you, Matt. Very quickly on the Netanyahu-Chuck Schumer thing. I know Congress is a separate entity and so on, but do you agree that Mr. Netanyahu is an obstacle to peace when it comes to the two-state solution, considering that he said that time and again? MR MILLER: I, once again, am just not going to offer any independent assessments about the Government of Israel. I think I’ve made that fairly clear. I will make clear what our positions are with respect to a two-state solution. We have made that very clear for some time. But with respect to assessments about the Government of Israel, that’s not something I’m going to do from this podium. QUESTION: All right. And now Israel says it plans – it’s been reported that Israel – in fact, it was reported by AP that Israel plans to direct Palestinians out of Rafah ahead of anticipated offensive. Is that really acceptable? I mean, every – are they a herd of cattle? You keep moving them north, south, and so on? You keep moving them from place to place? You’re going to put them in – like they call them “human islands” and so on? MR MILLER: So — QUESTION: Is that really acceptable to the Government of the United States? MR MILLER: So I saw the comments. What I have yet to see and what our government has yet to see is a plan from the Government of Israel. So before I pass any sort of judgement, we are going to continue to do what we have said we would do, which is look for the Government of Israel to provide a plan about how they would address the humanitarian situation in Rafah. Absent having seen such a plan and seeing that such a plan is credible and can be executed and implemented, that type of operation is not one that we could support. But while we saw the comments at a press conference, that’s a different from a plan, and we’ve yet to see a plan. QUESTION: Yeah. But in principle, I mean, the notion of moving people like this – keep moving them endlessly. I don’t know for how long. Maybe this war will take another six months and so on. Is that something that you – that’s fine with you? MR MILLER: So – with respect, I will wait to see a plan. QUESTION: Let me ask you on UNRWA, if I may. Can I ask you one more? MR MILLER: Yeah, of course. QUESTION: Okay. Yesterday, it was struck, and the Secretary mentioned that an UNRWA warehouse or whatever was struck and one person was killed. Now, it has also been reported that Israel is planning or has begun, in fact, to dismantle – I asked you about this a couple days ago – to dismantle UNRWA not only in Gaza, but also in the West Bank. Now, would the United States come out and say, look, we will have whatever punishment fit the crime; if there are – if it’s proven that members, staff members of UNRWA had participated in the October 7 attack then we will hold them accountable on that level, but you will continue – you make a commitment to continue to keep aiding UNRWA? MR MILLER: So, Said, I do appreciate your continued insistence that I put the cart before the horse and pass judgment on matters that remain open and on which we have not yet been provided the information we said we would have to have before we could pass judgment. But I – just as I would not pass judgment with respect to a Rafah plan that we have not seen, I’m not going to pass judgment on the outcome of an investigation that is still ongoing. What I will do is make clear what our principles are, which is that we think the allegations against UNRWA need to be investigated thoroughly. They are being investigated. We are waiting for the outcome of that investigation, but none of that changes the fact that right now UNRWA plays a critical role on the ground in distributing humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians. And we will await, with respect to our funding decisions, the outcome of that investigation before we make further ones. QUESTION: But you have been, all along, since its creation, you have been the major supporter of UNRWA. UNRWA would probably be – find it difficult to continue without U.S. support. Why can’t the U.S. say, we will continue to support? You keep saying — MR MILLER: Because we – because there is an investigation that is ongoing into very serious allegations, and we want to see what that investigation finds. QUESTION: Can I ask on that. QUESTION: Could I just follow up? MR MILLER: Yeah, go ahead. QUESTION: Thank you. Two questions: a follow-up on Said’s and a second question. But the UN said – and I’m just going to quote just to be accurate. So the UN said that the number of children reported killed in just over four months in Gaza is “higher than the number of children killed in four years of wars around the world combined.” That is a quote from the UN. So what will the U.S. do to make sure that this statistic is not going to get worse in the next few months? MR MILLER: So first of all, it is an almost unspeakable tragedy, the number of children that have died. It is an unacceptable outcome of the fighting of the past five months. And you heard the President speak to this over the weekend. We don’t want to see another child die. We didn’t want to see any children die, obviously, and that’s why we have been engaged with the Government of Israel to make clear that they need to do everything possible to minimize civilian casualties and why it’s – we have made clear that with respect to any operation in Rafah, we need to see a credible and executable humanitarian assistance plan before we can support one going forward. QUESTION: Okay. On UNRWA. Correct me if I’m wrong, but basically the U.S. is holding any funds or resuming the funds until the results of the investigation is concluded. Is that correct? MR MILLER: That’s correct. QUESTION: Okay. According to my information of talking to UN officials, they are saying basically that Israel never provided an evidence to show these 12 members are involved. And therefore, as long as Israel does not provide this evidence, the investigation is still open and can be open for years to come. So in a way, they are indicating it could be a political, actually, accusation more than an actual one, and even if it’s an actual one, it can be political. So where do we go from there, because following up with everything else that was said, UNRWA was created to cater for Palestinian refugees only, and the Israelis has always showed their contempt to UNRWA. And now, they’re saying that 12 members were involved without giving any evidence. My understanding is they gave only oral — MR MILLER: All right, so let me — QUESTION: — oral – orally they conveyed the message, but no evidence. MR MILLER: So a few things about that. So number one, I can’t speak for the United Nations with respect to its investigation. Only they can do so, obviously. But they have communicated directly to us that they have the ability to conduct a thorough investigation into this, and we have confidence in their ability to do that, especially with respect to former French – the former French foreign minister with whom the Secretary has a longstanding working relationship. And we have confidence in their ability to investigate these allegations. But second of all – and maybe even more importantly – I think you have to remember why we made our decision to pause funding in the first place. It was not because of allegations that the Government of Israel brought to us. We hadn’t heard from the Government of Israel about these allegations. It was about allegations that UNRWA brought to us. And when they brought us these allegations, they told us that they had investigated them and found them to be credible, and that’s why they had taken action to fire the employees in question. So I don’t know what your sources refer to with respect to the inability to get further information, but when we made our initial decision to pause funding – not a final decision, but initial – it was because UNRWA had come to us and told us they found these allegations to be credible, they had conducted an initial investigation, and they had taken action. So that seemed to us to be a pretty credible source. Not allegations from Israel, but UNRWA itself saying these allegations were serious enough to take action. But with respect to the ongoing investigation, we do have faith in their ability to get to the bottom of what happened. QUESTION: Sure, I really appreciate it. Just, like, finally, I really want to get to the bottom of this because, again, my understanding that UNRWA reported as a credible information just because a member-state of the UN, which is Israel, reported it, not because they found a credible evidence. MR MILLER: That – that is not – that is not — QUESTION: Because a member-state, and they have to investigate. MR MILLER: That is not what was communicated to the United States when they first brought it to us. But let me just come back to a broader question, which is something Said said, which is the United States has been the largest funder of UNRWA since – I don’t know if it’s since the beginning, but certainly going back for decades we have been the largest funder of UNRWA. We are the largest funder of humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people. That commitment on behalf of the United States to continue funding humanitarian assistance remains, and you can count on it from this administration. And you don’t just have to look at my words standing here at the podium, you don’t just have to look at what Secretary Blinken said when he was here yesterday, but look at the budgets that President Biden has submitted to Congress. In the supplemental budget that is pending right now in Congress, we have requested billions of dollars in humanitarian assistance that would be used to deliver food and water and medicine to the Palestinian people, and that’s because we believe it’s important. In the budget that was – request that was just submitted to Congress on Monday by this administration, we requested billions of dollars in humanitarian assistance to deliver items to the Palestinian people that they desperately need. So yes, there is a question with respect to UNRWA because of these allegations that UNRWA deemed credible and took action on, and because of the ongoing investigation. But when it comes to our commitment to providing humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people, there should be no question, because we have put our money where our mouth is. Alex, go ahead. QUESTION: Thank you, Matt. A couple of questions. I want to go back to your opening statement on Russian sham elections. You said — QUESTION: Can we stay in — MR MILLER: Yeah, let’s stay in the – let’s stay in the region. QUESTION: Okay. MR MILLER: Go ahead. QUESTION: Sorry (inaudible) Alex. MR MILLER: We’ll come back to you. QUESTION: Yeah. On the maritime corridor, Matthew, for how long will it be set in Gaza? And then, will it help in evacuating Palestinians from Gaza or its main goal is only to bring in aid to Gaza? MR MILLER: So the primary purpose of this maritime mechanism is to deliver humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people in Gaza. With respect to specific questions about how it will operate, what it will do, I would refer to the Department of Defense, which is the lead agency. It is a military – it is intended as a military mechanism at this time, being operated by the military to deliver humanitarian assistance. We are playing a diplomatic role in helping get it off the ground and secure support from allies and partners. But with respect to its specific operations, I would defer to the Pentagon. QUESTION: And secondly, on reports that the Palestinian president intends to appoint his economic advisor, Mohammad Mustafa, to the post of prime minister. Do you support such an appointment? MR MILLER: I don’t have any comment on those reports. We have not seen them take an official action, so I wouldn’t comment on speculative reports. QUESTION: And I have one more question on Iran, but maybe after. MR MILLER: We’ll go – let’s – we’ll finish up Israel and then we can do the broader region. Go ahead, if this is Israel-related. Yeah, you. QUESTION: Thank you. MR MILLER: Sorry, I know – yeah. QUESTION: Yeah. Well, happy Pi Day to all who celebrate. Question one is about the children in Gaza. Thousands of kids have been killed in Gaza. There’s reports of crippling mental health conditions among all Palestinians, kids no less – kids as young as five saying that they want to take their own lives. If a child in Gaza is still alive at this point, their development and education has been interrupted, their homes destroyed, their families and friends killed. So I’m wondering how the U.S. is thinking about supporting these kids who are still alive? And then secondly, I’m wondering if there’s any concern that this war may actually foment an entire generation to see Israel – and by virtue of its aid, the U.S. – as more negatively and as entities to resist? As in, is there a fear that this war and this suffering might make harmony more – harder to achieve? MR MILLER: So let me speak first to the impact on children, which obviously is a tragedy for those who have lost their lives and their family members. And I’m sure it will have dramatic impacts to those who do survive this war. And it’s one of the reasons we are trying to achieve a humanitarian ceasefire that would alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people, including children. I know that it’s important to everyone here, especially to the – especially to all of us who have our own kids and think about them when we see what happens in Gaza. And so we are going to continue to try to pursue it and achieve that kind of ceasefire, because it would be important to alleviate that suffering. In the long term – longer term, we will continue to try to get humanitarian assistance in to help the Palestinian people rebuild their lives. And then with respect to the broader question, so I would say if you look at the testimony that the Director of National Intelligence gave the other day to Congress, she spoke quite directly on this issue, and I would refer you to her comments with which – and would on behalf of the State Department wholeheartedly endorse them. QUESTION: And then on the investigations – we’ve talked about before – it’s the allegations of Israel killing journalists, of people like Hind Rajab, her family, the medics sent to save her; allegations now of torture and sexual abuse. On these and more, the U.S. often defers to Israel to investigate and checks in periodically. But for how much longer will the U.S. continue to defer to Israel given that they kind of continue to reportedly commit the same violations? To put a finer point on it, our colleague in the front row’s question on attacks on food lines. After the attack two weeks ago where at least a hundred people were killed and nearly 800 were injured waiting for food. Since then, Israeli forces have reportedly killed more than 400 Palestinians in food lines since that attack. So I know that that attack is being investigated, but how much longer can we keep sort of deferring as these violations continue to keep happening? MR MILLER: So I will say with respect to any matter, we want to see it investigated, we want to see it investigated promptly, and, if appropriate, see accountability. And that’s what we will continue to press the Government of Israel to do, but that’s not the only thing we do when it comes to these questions. We also press them to take measures to keep it from happening again. And in some areas, we have seen improvements; in other areas, there is clearly more work to be done. But it does come back to this – this thing we have talked about before, which is the difficulty of operating in this environment where Hamas continues to use Palestinians as human shields. So I will just say with respect to the strike that Israel took yesterday that has reportedly killed an UNRWA worker, so the IDF put out a statement on that today and said that they were targeting a Hamas terrorist. And they’ve released video that they claim shows the death of a Hamas terrorist that they were specifically targeting who has been stealing humanitarian assistance intended for innocent civilians and diverting it to Hamas and diverting it to the terrorists who not only killed more than 1,200 Israelis on October 7th and killed American citizens on October 7th and not only continue to hold hostages, including American citizens, but continue to put Palestinian civilians in harm’s way, and who could at least for six weeks end this conflict today by accepting the ceasefire proposal that’s on the table. So it is a very difficult environment in which Israel operates. That no way alleviates their need to minimize civilian casualties. And what I can tell you is that we will continue to press them to do everything they can to minimize civilian harm. Go ahead. QUESTION: Thank you. MR MILLER: Go ahead, and then we’ll come to you, Alex. QUESTION: On Palestinian children. So on Tuesday a 12-year-old Palestinian child, Rami, was killed by an Israeli officer, police officer in East Jerusalem. He was lighting fireworks in front of his family home, playing with his brother and his friends. And Israeli National Security Minister Ben-Gvir praised the police officer who shot Rami as a hero and called the 12-year Palestinian boy a terrorist. What is your reaction to this? MR MILLER: It’s hard to – hard to know how to react to that specific comment. I will say that no child just out doing what a child does should be put in harm’s way and should see their life put at risk. No child out playing should be harmed in any way. And I can tell you this is a matter that we will seek information about the Government of Israel — QUESTION: You haven’t yet – raised this with the Israeli Government yet? MR MILLER: We may have. I wasn’t aware of this report until you raised it to me right before the briefing. I haven’t had a chance to talk to our embassy. But I can tell you if we have not, we will. QUESTION: And I mean, we know that Israel is – heard from the news that Israel is investigating this, but how can we believe that Israel will investigate itself impartially when its national security minister calling a child (inaudible)? MR MILLER: So it is important that we watch these investigations and hold them accountable, that the Israeli press watch them and ask questions, and that the rest of the world’s press watch them and have questions. And this goes back to something you have heard me say before, that Israel is a democracy where the free press can ask questions, where citizens can demand that their government do better and perform better, and where the rest of the world can interact with them and ask those very same questions. And that’s what we will do on behalf of the United States and would encourage others to do it as well. All right, Alex, we’ll finally come to you. QUESTION: Thanks so much. It’s been an eventful week, so I understand. Back to your opening statement on Ukraine-Russia, you said the United States does not and will never recognize the outcome of sham elections. Context matters – of course you’re talking about Ukrainian sovereignty here – but how much of this questions Putin’s legitimacy in your opinion? MR MILLER: So I think it very clearly shows that he disrespects international law. And as I said, there is no legitimacy with respect to his claims for Ukraine, either the territory where they are holding these sham elections right now or the rest of Ukraine where he continues to have designs. QUESTION: But in terms of the election that Putin is running this time, United States will not recognize Putin as an elected president next week? Is that (inaudible)? MR MILLER: Look, I think when it comes to the elections in – the elections in Russia, first of all, the Russian people deserve free and fair elections and the ability to choose among candidates representing diverse views. They deserve access to impartial information. If you just look back at what we’ve seen over the past few weeks, we saw the Kremlin’s leading critic, Aleksey Navalny, die in custody following years of harassment and abuse. We’ve seen the Russian Government attack one of his longtime aides, and we’ve seen them continue to deny anti-war candidates’ registration on spurious grounds and deprive – to deprive Russian voters of genuine choices. So we have seen the Russian Government, not just over the past months in the lead-up to this election but of course for years, crack down on the ability of Russian civil society to operate, the ability of independent journalists to exercise their legitimate rights, and, of course, the ability of the Russian citizens to speak clearly. And we will watch the election, and I’m sure we’ll have plenty to say when it concludes. QUESTION: Yeah. As for attack that you’re referring to, Lithuania’s counterintelligence said that they assess that the Kremlin was behind it, Russian intelligence service carried out this attack. Is that your understanding? MR MILLER: I don’t have any comment on here – from here. I’m happy to take it back and see if we have anything further. QUESTION: Sure. I also was hoping — QUESTION: Switch topic. MR MILLER: I’ll come to you next. QUESTION: I also was hoping you could help us understand the state’s — MR MILLER: One more, then I’ll go — QUESTION: Yeah, thanks so much – the State’s role in the latest aid package for Ukraine. The President signed a memorandum the very same day that you guys put out 300 million for Ukraine, and he directed the Secretary to furnish up to 126 million from the FAA for Ukraine. Is it a separate package? Are you guys working on it or is it going (inaudible)? MR MILLER: Let me take that back and get you an answer on it. Go ahead. QUESTION: Okay. So on Monday, CARICOM meets, comes up with this plan for a presidential council in Haiti. It’s now Thursday. Is the council being stood up? MR MILLER: My understanding is that just in the last few hours a number of the entities that will – that – that will comprise the transitional council have submitted their names, and so we will continue to work with CARICOM and work with our international partners and work first and foremost with Haitians themselves on trying to pursue a path to a return of democracy and free and fair elections in Haiti. QUESTION: Not surprisingly, there is some objection from some parties, particularly in Port-au-Prince, setting aside the armed groups that have essentially taken control of the city. What efforts is the United States taking on to try to get people to buy into this transitional process? MR MILLER: So a few things about that. First of all, I – what we saw Monday was dozens of Haitian individuals, representatives of political organizations in Haiti, civil society groups, being willing to make concessions and being willing to make compromises to try to restore stability and set the path to free and fair elections. And we think that’s appropriate and think that it’s something that all political figures in Haiti should do to try to move past the current crisis. But with respect to your question about what the United States is trying to do, I think it is a mistake – I’m not – I don’t – not trying to quibble with you – it’s a mistake to look at this as what the United States will do, because ultimately this is a matter for the Haitian people to decide, and the Haitian people and Haitian leaders need to be front and center in making decisions about their country. What we will do is work with Haitian leaders and work with CARICOM leaders and work with our other international partners to do everything we can to offer support for Haitians in making those concessions and trying to get on the path to democracy. And separately but equal – but important to this political pathway, we will support the multilateral – Multinational Security Support Mission because it is critical to restoring security on the ground, and without security it’s going to be very hard, if not impossible, to hold free and fair elections. QUESTION: Is there a concern in this building that momentum might be ebbing because we’re now 72 hours past this situation? MR MILLER: No — QUESTION: And what happens if, for whatever reason, the names that have been put forward are rejected? What is the plan B? MR MILLER: So first of all, I’m not going to discuss hypotheticals and what might happen. I would never do that with respect to anything, as we’ve – as others in this room have heard me say for the last few days when I’ve gotten other hypothetical questions. But no, not a concern about momentum ebbing. There were always going to be – this was always going to be a political process that required people to make compromises and people to make concessions. As you just heard me say, just in the past few hours we’ve seen a number of names submitted for this presidential transitional council. We want to see it get off the ground as soon as possible. We want to see an interim prime minister appointed as soon as possible. QUESTION: Thank you. MR MILLER: Yeah, go ahead. QUESTION: Thank you. Couple questions on Iraq. The U.S. sanctions waiver to Iraq expires in the coming weeks. I’ve learned that this administration renewed that waiver to the – Iraq that could pay to Iran. In the past few waivers, Iran get monies from Iraq in euros, not in Iraqi dinars. Have you renewed that waiver to Iraq? And why are you allowing Iraq to pay Iran in euros? MR MILLER: So first of all, with respect to which currency it’s paid in, I don’t know or have any understanding of which currency. With respect to the waiver itself, yes, we did issue this waiver, and I would emphasize, as you’ve heard me before, that these are waivers that have been regularly issued to Iraq going back to 2018 under a previous administration. This is now the 21st time that this particular waiver has been issued. And it’s important to realize how this money has been used. Number one, that no money is permitted to enter Iran under the terms of this waiver. All of these funds are held in restricted accounts and they can only be used for transactions for the purchase of food, medicine, medical devices, agricultural products, and other non-sanctionable transactions. And that it is part of our broader goal to wean Iraq off of dependence on Iran for the provision of electricity, because that’s what these waivers – as I know you know – what these waivers relate to, which is that Iraq continues to have to get its electricity from Iran. Iraq has been making real progress on its path towards energy sufficiency since 2020. It has cut its imports of Iranian energy by more than half. Over the last decade, it has doubled its own electricity generation. And we will continue to work with them and support them as they try to become energy independent. QUESTION: And this week – and this week, four members of Congress sent a letter to Secretary Yellen and Secretary Blinken on that issue, and they speak of the nature of that transactions. They mentioned that these transactions are fungible, that these transactions are fungible. So don’t you think that you are – keep maintaining the financial lifeline for Iran and that Iran just continues to keep supporting those groups that you listed in FTO? MR MILLER: Not at all, and we’ve addressed this in the past. Not only is it not our assessment that that’s not what – how this money is used, but it’s not what we have seen during the provision of this waiver in the past. And again, this is not just a decision that has made – been made by this Secretary. It is a decision that was made by a previous secretary appointed by a previous president in the administration immediately preceding ours. What we have seen – and this is borne out time and time again – is that Iran is always going to fund terrorism. It’s always going to fund destabilizing activities – that is the first item it commits to when Iran is going through whatever budget process it is that Iran goes through – and that this money helps the Iranian people, because it can only be used for humanitarian purposes and other non-sanctionable goods. In other words, it is additive money that would otherwise not be spent to address the Iranian people’s legitimate needs as opposed to the Iranian Government’s illegitimate purposes. And with respect to those illegitimate activities by the Iranian Government, you have seen this administration respond to those. We have imposed sanctions on more than 500 Iranian entities since the outset of this administration. We have held Iran accountable for its support of terrorism and its funding of dangerous proxy groups around the region, and we’ll continue to do so. Guita, go ahead. QUESTION: Thanks, Matt. Talking about the Iranian people, you may recall the results of the UN factfinding mission on the suppression – the government suppression of the protests which basically said, in most cases, crimes against humanity had been committed. Now the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, based on that report, is urging the Biden administration to support a UN Security Council referral to the International Criminal Court. Given what you just said about support for the Iranian people and holding the government accountable, would the Biden administration consider this proposition seriously as a means to that end of holding the regime accountable? MR MILLER: So the UN factfinding mission did document extremely concerning human rights abuses, which it concluded may amount to crimes against humanity. We strongly support the resolution under consideration at the UN Human Rights Council that renews mandate – renews mandates for the factfinding mission and the special rapporteur on human rights in Iran for another year. And with respect to the other question, I don’t have anything to announce today. QUESTION: Okay. Another – somewhat in the same light, the Iranian Government has also been persecuting athletes. Now with the upcoming Olympics in Paris, Senator Marsha Blackburn has written to the International Olympic Committee and asked them to – not to allow the Iranian team in. Any comments on that? Would – do you think that’s another way of possibly holding the Iranian regime accountable? MR MILLER: So we certainly agree that Iran’s ongoing human rights abuses are horrific. As I just said, we saw the UN factfinding mission’s conclusions with respect to possible crimes against humanity. I don’t have anything to announce with respect to the Paris Olympics today, but we continue to look at and pursue numerous ways to respond to the Iranian regime’s abuse of its citizens. QUESTION: (Off-mike.) MR MILLER: Go ahead, and then — QUESTION: Sir, U.S. congressional committee holding its hearing next week on the fairness of Pakistan’s elections. Assistant Secretary Donald Lu has been asked to testify before the committee. What was your reaction on the announcement of this hearing, and will it – will its findings have any impact on U.S.-Pakistan relations? MR MILLER: So with respect to the hearing, any number of State Department officials testify all the time before Congress. We see it as an important part of our jobs to help Congress do its job, both from a policymaking perspective and from an oversight perspective. So we always look forward both to the informal conversations we have with Congress, the formal conversations, and of course the actual testimony that our officials provide. QUESTION: Sir, as you know the former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his supporters allege that Assistant Secretary Donald Lu tried then to destabilize his government during the March 2022 meeting with the Pakistani ambassador. And according to media reports after his allegations, Imran’s allegations, a few members of his party sent some threatening messages to Mr. Donald Lu. So I’m – those members might be – may be – because it’s an open hearing, they might be there. So do you have any concerns on security of Mr. Donald Lu in that hearing? MR MILLER: So first of all, with respect to the underlying allegations against Assistant Secretary Lu, they’re false. They’ve always been false. You’ve heard me say that more than once, more than twice, more than ten times probably. Of course, we take any threats towards U.S. officials seriously and condemn any effort to threaten the safety and security of our diplomats. Do — QUESTION: One last question. MR MILLER: Yeah, go ahead. One more. QUESTION: Sir – thank you, sir. Sir, India has implemented a controversial citizenship law that has been widely criticized for excluding Muslims, established – establishes a religious test for migrants from every major South Asian faith other than Islam. Sir, do you have any comments on this in relation to discussion about religious freedom? MR MILLER: So we are concerned about the notification of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act on March 11. We are closely monitoring this act – how this act will be implemented. Respect for religious freedom and equal treatment under the law for all communities are fundamental democratic principles. Daphne, and then we’ll stop for the day, wrap for the day. QUESTION: Can I just go back to the waiver quickly? It’s the waiver allowing Iraq to pay Iran for electricity, right — MR MILLER: It is – it — QUESTION: — that was issued? MR MILLER: It’s a simplification of it, but it is – the way it works: Iraq has been importing electricity from Iran. It doesn’t pay it – Iran – directly for that electricity. It deposits money into these restricted accounts, and then we issue these waivers. It allows the money in that – those accounts to be used for humanitarian and other non-sanctionable purposes, but the money itself doesn’t actually move from Iraq to Iran. QUESTION: Right. And then was it issued for another 120 days? MR MILLER: Yes. QUESTION: Okay. MR MILLER: It’s the standard period. QUESTION: Thank you. MR MILLER: All right. Thanks, everyone. (The briefing was concluded at 2:27 p.m.) # # # | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Department Press Briefing – March 14, 2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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03/14/2024 07:33 PM EDT Department Press Briefing – March 14, 2024March 14, 2024 1:35 p.m. EDT MR MILLER: Good afternoon, everyone. Sorry to be late. I have a few things to start with, so I hope you’ll bear with me for a moment. Starting with — QUESTION: (Off-mike.) MR MILLER: Hi. Starting with – quite all right. Please continue. Starting with travel, Secretary Blinken will depart tonight for Vienna, Austria, where he will serve as head of delegation for the United States during the high-level segment of the 67th session of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs. The Secretary will be working to build on the momentum of the Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug Threats that he launched last summer, and which now has 149 countries and 14 international organizations participating. This administration has made it a top priority to address the fentanyl and synthetic drug crisis, and this will be the first time a U.S. secretary of state has attended a meeting of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs. While there, the Secretary will emphasize that illicitly manufactured synthetic drugs and their precursors pose a threat not just to the United States but to all nations. He will look to secure concrete commitments from countries to take domestic, regional, and international action to address synthetic drugs and their precursors, which are fueling the public health crisis both in communities across the United States and around the globe. Secretary Blinken will also meet with Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer and Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg during his time in Austria to reinforce our strong bilateral relationship. We are working together with the Government of Austria to meet humanitarian needs in Ukraine and ensure the integrity of EU Russia sanctions. The Secretary will then travel to Seoul to participate in the third Summit for Democracy, led by the Republic of Korea. The summit will demonstrate how democracies continue to deliver for their citizens and organize to address the world’s most pressing challenges. The Secretary will also meet with Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and other Korean officials to discuss a broad range of regional and global issues during his time in Seoul, underscoring the unwavering strength of the more than 70-year U.S.-Republic of Korea alliance. From there, Secretary Blinken will travel to Manila to reaffirm our unwavering commitment to our Philippine allies. He will meet with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique Manalo to discuss ways to advance economic prosperity, support clean and renewable energy development, and promote peace and stability in the South China Sea. The Secretary’s visit will also underscore the importance of our strong bilateral ties, which for 75 years have been critical to advancing our shared vision for a free and open, connected, prosperous, secure, and resilient Indo-Pacific region. Now, turning to Israel and the West Bank, extremist settler violence carried out with impunity in the West Bank has killed, injured, and threatened the livelihoods of countless Palestinian civilians. This violence risks destabilizing the West Bank and obstructs efforts to advance a pathway to peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians through a two-state solution. There is no justification for violence against civilians, no justification for forcing families from their homes. In February, President Biden issued an executive order giving the State Department new authorities to impose sanctions on those responsible for undermining peace, security, and stability in the West Bank, and the department imposed sanctions on four individuals. Today, we are imposing further targeted sanctions on three Israeli individuals involved in undermining stability in the West Bank. We have also designated two associated entities referred to as farms. These West Bank outposts are owned or controlled by designated individuals, have acted as a base from which to launch violent acts, and are illegal even under Israeli law. It is critical that Israel take additional action to stop settler violence and hold accountable those responsible for it, not just the sake – not just for the sake of the victims of this violence, but for Israel’s own security and standing in the world. But as we have made clear, the United States will continue to take its own actions to hold accountable those engaging in extremist violence and threatening the peace, security, and stability of the West Bank. This includes through actions like those taken today through the visa restriction policy announced by Secretary Blinken in December, under which the department has taken steps to impose visa restrictions on dozens of individuals. Finally, the United States condemns Russia’s continuing efforts to undermine Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political independence through sham elections held in occupied Ukrainian territories. The United States does not and will never recognize the legitimacy or outcome of these sham elections held in sovereign Ukraine as part of Russia’s presidential elections. To be clear, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhya, Kherson, and Crimea are Ukraine. The results of these Potemkin-style exercises will be dictated by Moscow and cannot reflect the free will of the citizens of Ukraine who are being compelled to vote in them. This spectacle only further demonstrates Russia’s blatant disregard for its obligations under international law. The United States will continue to use all available tools to hold accountable those individuals responsible for actions that undermine the sovereignty, territorial integrity, or political independence of free countries, including those who serve as election observers for the Kremlin’s sham elections in occupied parts of Ukraine. And with that, Matt. QUESTION: Right. Thanks. So — MR MILLER: But sorry, that was so long I only have time for two questions. QUESTION: Okay. Well, I’ll — MR MILLER: I was just kidding. (Laughter.) QUESTION: I’ll put it all into one question then (inaudible) decide. I’ll start with the 75-year relationship with the Philippines. Are you including the period when the U.S. actually occupied and controlled the Philippines in that? MR MILLER: I would have to go back and look at the exact history of that to give you a more precise answer. QUESTION: Yeah, yeah, I’m sure you would. Okay, on Gaza, you have seen, I’m sure, Senator Schumer’s comments. I know that you can’t speak for the senator or any member of Congress, but is there a concern in the administration at all that these remarks are going to make it more difficult to deal with Prime Minister Netanyahu and his government? MR MILLER: No. Obviously Congress is an independent branch of government. I think the Government of Israel understands quite well how the U.S. Government works. They interact frequently not just with members of the Executive Branch but with members of Congress, including Senator Schumer, who has traveled to Israel a number of times over the years. And I’m sure they fully understand that he speaks for himself. He’s obviously someone we’re in close contact with, but it’s not a statement from the Executive Branch. QUESTION: Well, fair enough, except that there are members of the Executive Branch who have said roughly similar if not exactly the same thing over the course of the last several months. And so I think there is a suspicion out there that Senator Schumer was putting out publicly what had been being said privately. MR MILLER: No, that is not the case. QUESTION: No? Absolutely not? MR MILLER: Those are – these are statements made by Senator Schumer, not by the Biden administration. QUESTION: Okay, so there’s no frustration in the administration with Prime Minister Netanyahu and his government? MR MILLER: Look, there are – there are a number of things that we want to see Israel do differently; we’ve made that quite clear. I’ve said it from this podium, as you know, a number of times, and we have that quite clear in direct conversations with the prime minister. But I don’t have anything beyond that. QUESTION: Okay, thanks. MR MILLER: Gillian. QUESTION: Haiti is okay? MR MILLER: Yeah, sure. QUESTION: You told us Tuesday, Matt, that you did not have an estimate on Americans trapped on the ground inside the country. Wondering if you have any information now on Americans there, also if there’s any plans to evacuate or otherwise help those who are. MR MILLER: So I don’t have an estimate of how many Americans are on the ground in Haiti. That’s always a difficult information – always difficult information for the State Department to have a precise number on because most Americans when they travel to a country – and certainly one like Haiti where we have close ties and there are people that go back and forth – they don’t register with the United States, they don’t register with our embassy to tell us that they are there. So it’s impossible for us to know for sure. There are several hundred Americans who have registered to receive more information when we can provide it to them, and we of course do provide that information to them. But that’s different than an overall number, which is – as is the case in most parts of the world, we just aren’t able to offer an estimate. With respect to your second question, we always plan for all sorts of contingencies. But no, we are not planning for any – we are not actively planning for any evacuation. And I would remind you and others that Haiti has been a Level 4 country with respect to our Travel Advisory since 2020. So what that means is for four years we have been telling Americans do not go to Haiti; do not travel there, it’s not safe to do so; and for those who are there, leave as soon as you can feasibly do so without putting yourself at risk. QUESTION: So you don’t anticipate – or put it this way, so no plans to evacuate as of now? Do you anticipate there may be some support for evacuation for those few hundred or however many there are who want to get out? MR MILLER: We will always provide information to American citizens that reach out to us when we can do so. For example, if there’s information about the operations of the airport that becomes available, we’ll make that known to Americans who reach out to us. But we are not actively planning for any evacuation, no. QUESTION: One last question, if I may. With the few hundred million dollars of new aid money that’s going to make its way to Haiti, does State have I guess guardrails in place to prevent any of that funding falling into the hands of these gangs that are now controlling the government building? MR MILLER: So let me – just to be clear – and I’m going to make sure I answer your question correctly – let me talk about the different types of aid and assistance that we are providing. So first of all, there is $33 million that the Secretary announced on Monday in humanitarian assistance that we are providing to help alleviate the humanitarian situation on the ground. And we always have guardrails in place, we always have monitoring programs in place to ensure that that money is used effectively. There is an additional $300 million that the United States is providing to support the Multinational Security Support Mission that Kenya will be launching in the coming days and weeks, which is a separate – a separate question from humanitarian assistance. And that is money that will be provided in some cases in kind through transfers of equipment, in some cases through provision of logistics, in some cases through direct financial support. But that is to the Government of Kenya to support the Multinational Support Mission, not to the Government of Haiti or entities on the ground in Haiti. QUESTION: Can you do the top-line numbers? What, so total 330 direct from the U.S. and then 300 — MR MILLER: Different – there’s 300 – it is two different things: $300 million in support for the Multinational Security Support Mission; $200 million of that is from the Pentagon; $100 million is from here. Separate and apart from that, not supporting the MSS Mission but supporting humanitarian assistance efforts, is the $33 million that the Secretary announced on Monday. Yeah. QUESTION: (Inaudible) back to Israel for a second. MR MILLER: Yeah. QUESTION: Gaza’s health ministry said today that six Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded in Israeli fire on crowds of residents waiting for aid trucks in Gaza City. Have you raised this with the Israelis? And do you have any information on this? MR MILLER: So I don’t have any information on this specific report. I just saw it today. I can tell you that this is the type of thing that we often raise with the Israelis, both to seek out more information and to make clear that we want to see effective deconfliction measures taken. We want to see them take steps to minimize civilian causalities; we want them to take steps to see that aid is effectively distributed to Palestinian civilians who need it and in no way jeopardized. QUESTION: And then just further on aid, the Secretary said yesterday when talking about the maritime corridor that it demands tremendous coordinating among donor countries. Is this for the U.S. military effort or the commercial maritime option? MR MILLER: This is with respect to the effort the President announced in the State of the Union, the effort that we are launching with – through the United States military and with which we are coordinating with other countries. And as you’ve heard us say, we are working through what that will look like right now, and part of the purpose of the Secretary’s ministerial meeting yesterday was to talk through exactly how we get that mission off the ground. QUESTION: And sorry, just quickly on the settler sanctions, what effects do these sanctions have on the farms? I realize it cuts them off from like the U.S. financial system. But like how will this impact their operations? MR MILLER: So I won’t speak to how – what the exact impact will be on their direct operations, but I can tell you what the – how the sanctions will be imposed and how they will be enforced. So for both the individuals we sanctioned today and the two entities, any property that they have in the United States or in United States financial accounts is blocked. They no longer will have access to it, and they no longer have the ability to transact with the U.S. financial system. And then on top of that, any entities that transact with the United States financial transaction system – which, of course, is most entities in the world, banks and other entities – put themselves at risk of further sanctions and further enforcement activities from the United States if they transact with these farms and with these entities. So what we’ve seen when we announced our first round of sanctions under this new executive order last month is in Israel, Israeli banks freezing the accounts of the four previously designated individuals. And I won’t make any predications what will happen going forward, but I know that every entity around the world takes these sanctions very seriously. QUESTION: And why go ahead with them now? Is it because there’s not been progress in talks for a temporary ceasefire? MR MILLER: This is completely independent of the ongoing effort to achieve a temporary ceasefire and release of the hostages. We continue to pursue that. There continues to be ongoing work inside the United States Government and with our partners in the region to try to achieve an agreement. But this work is independent of that. We have made clear for some time that we wanted to see Israel take additional action to, number one, stop extremist settler violence and, number two, hold those responsible for it accountable. And we made clear that if we didn’t see sufficient steps, we were ready to take action. And that’s why you saw us first impose visa bans in December. Next, the President issued this executive order in February, and now us continuing to add designated entities to the list of those that we have sanctioned. And I will just say this is an area where we are going to continue to remain vigilant. And if additional actions are appropriate, we will not hesitate to take them. QUESTION: On Israel. Thank you, Matt. I just wanted to follow up on something that Matt raised. Separately from Senator Schumer’s remarks, there was this week released an unclassified American Intelligence Community assessment that indicated that Israel was likely to face lingering armed resistance from Hamas for years to come, that its military would struggle to secure the tunnel systems in Gaza. And it also said that the viability of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s leadership and coalition may be in jeopardy. Do those assessments comport with this department’s view of the situation? And if so, is the department going to reach for partners other than Netanyahu in its diplomatic efforts? MR MILLER: So a few things about that. Number one, with respect to any assessment offered by the Intelligence Community, I’m going to defer to the Intelligence Community to speak to those. That’s true here; it’s true with respect to any other intelligence assessment that they offer publicly. I will say that we have always made clear to Israel that it is important that they have not just a short-term tactical plan or a short-term plan to win the initial conflict, but that they have a long-term plan for dealing with the issues raised in this war, that they have a plan for governance in Gaza after the initial fighting stops, that they have a plan for security in Gaza after the fighting stops. Now, we have been working with Arab partners in the region to develop such a plan that would deal with security, that would deal with reconstruction, that would deal with a political path forward for the Palestinian people. And we have made it clear to Israel that these are incredibly important issues that they need to take seriously. QUESTION: And on the question of – first, let me ask – let me just push you on the intelligence front, because the State Department has its own intelligence arm in INR. So did the assessment draw an objection from within this building? Was there a differing view from within this building? MR MILLER: I am not going to speak to internal intelligence matters. I never would do. And you shouldn’t – yeah, you should — QUESTION: It’s an unclassified assessment. MR MILLER: I know, but you shouldn’t read that any – anything into it, other than it’s just a blanket rule that I’m going to talk to that. Obviously, we coordinate with others in the Intelligence Community, but this is an assessment offered initially by the DNI. And I’m not going to speak to the internal deliberations that went into it. QUESTION: So you want to address the Netanyahu’s coalition being potentially in jeopardy assessment view? MR MILLER: I just don’t have any comment on it from here. QUESTION: Just as an additional – I mean, unnamed officials as a result of these assessments within Israel have accused the U.S. Government of trying to oust the prime minister. Do you care to respond to those — MR MILLER: So with respect to that, I would say that this is an Intelligence Community assessment, similar to assessments that the Intelligence Community offers from time to time not about Israel but about countries all around the world. It has nothing to do with trying to take a position in internal Israeli matters or take a position in internal Israeli politics. We do not have a position on that. Who leads the Government of Israel is a matter for the Israeli public to decide, just as it is a matter for the residents of any country to decide with respect to the leadership of their country. We deal with the elected prime minister. We will always deal with the elected leadership of Israel. That will always be our policy. QUESTION: Okay. One last one on hostage talks, because you mentioned there was ongoing work. Is it the case that the stakeholders surrounding the talks are just waiting for a response from Hamas, or is there a revised offer being put on the table? MR MILLER: I’m not going to get into any level of detail, other than to say that there continues to be an offer on the table to Hamas – as you heard the Secretary say when he was at this podium yesterday – that we think they should accept. Kylie. QUESTION: Just — MR MILLER: And welcome back. I know the Secretary said it yesterday, but from me welcome back. QUESTION: Thank you. Appreciate it. It’s good to be here. Sorry to beat a dead horse, but I do have one more question on — MR MILLER: No, you’re not. QUESTION: — the Netanyahu remarks, specifically, what Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said. I understand that you’re not going to talk about if you guys coordinated or anything like that. The White House did say that they were given a heads-up ahead of those remarks, but — MR MILLER: No, I said we did not coordinate. We were given a heads-up, but we did not coordinate. QUESTION: Okay. But he did – he called for a new election in Israel. Can you just clearly say if the administration agrees that this is time for a new election or not in Israel? MR MILLER: That is just not a position that we have taken. QUESTION: So you won’t take a position either way as to — MR MILLER: There’s — QUESTION: — if you agree with those remarks or not. MR MILLER: No, they are remarks that he made, and he – as I said, Congress is an independent branch of government. QUESTION: But do you think that Prime Minister Netanyahu is in strong standing right now as the leader of Israel? MR MILLER: I’m not going to – I am not going to offer any type of assessment of that. He is the elected prime minister of Israel. QUESTION: Okay. QUESTION: Can I follow up? MR MILLER: Yeah. Said, go ahead. QUESTION: Thank you, Matt. Very quickly on the Netanyahu-Chuck Schumer thing. I know Congress is a separate entity and so on, but do you agree that Mr. Netanyahu is an obstacle to peace when it comes to the two-state solution, considering that he said that time and again? MR MILLER: I, once again, am just not going to offer any independent assessments about the Government of Israel. I think I’ve made that fairly clear. I will make clear what our positions are with respect to a two-state solution. We have made that very clear for some time. But with respect to assessments about the Government of Israel, that’s not something I’m going to do from this podium. QUESTION: All right. And now Israel says it plans – it’s been reported that Israel – in fact, it was reported by AP that Israel plans to direct Palestinians out of Rafah ahead of anticipated offensive. Is that really acceptable? I mean, every – are they a herd of cattle? You keep moving them north, south, and so on? You keep moving them from place to place? You’re going to put them in – like they call them “human islands” and so on? MR MILLER: So — QUESTION: Is that really acceptable to the Government of the United States? MR MILLER: So I saw the comments. What I have yet to see and what our government has yet to see is a plan from the Government of Israel. So before I pass any sort of judgement, we are going to continue to do what we have said we would do, which is look for the Government of Israel to provide a plan about how they would address the humanitarian situation in Rafah. Absent having seen such a plan and seeing that such a plan is credible and can be executed and implemented, that type of operation is not one that we could support. But while we saw the comments at a press conference, that’s a different from a plan, and we’ve yet to see a plan. QUESTION: Yeah. But in principle, I mean, the notion of moving people like this – keep moving them endlessly. I don’t know for how long. Maybe this war will take another six months and so on. Is that something that you – that’s fine with you? MR MILLER: So – with respect, I will wait to see a plan. QUESTION: Let me ask you on UNRWA, if I may. Can I ask you one more? MR MILLER: Yeah, of course. QUESTION: Okay. Yesterday, it was struck, and the Secretary mentioned that an UNRWA warehouse or whatever was struck and one person was killed. Now, it has also been reported that Israel is planning or has begun, in fact, to dismantle – I asked you about this a couple days ago – to dismantle UNRWA not only in Gaza, but also in the West Bank. Now, would the United States come out and say, look, we will have whatever punishment fit the crime; if there are – if it’s proven that members, staff members of UNRWA had participated in the October 7 attack then we will hold them accountable on that level, but you will continue – you make a commitment to continue to keep aiding UNRWA? MR MILLER: So, Said, I do appreciate your continued insistence that I put the cart before the horse and pass judgment on matters that remain open and on which we have not yet been provided the information we said we would have to have before we could pass judgment. But I – just as I would not pass judgment with respect to a Rafah plan that we have not seen, I’m not going to pass judgment on the outcome of an investigation that is still ongoing. What I will do is make clear what our principles are, which is that we think the allegations against UNRWA need to be investigated thoroughly. They are being investigated. We are waiting for the outcome of that investigation, but none of that changes the fact that right now UNRWA plays a critical role on the ground in distributing humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians. And we will await, with respect to our funding decisions, the outcome of that investigation before we make further ones. QUESTION: But you have been, all along, since its creation, you have been the major supporter of UNRWA. UNRWA would probably be – find it difficult to continue without U.S. support. Why can’t the U.S. say, we will continue to support? You keep saying — MR MILLER: Because we – because there is an investigation that is ongoing into very serious allegations, and we want to see what that investigation finds. QUESTION: Can I ask on that. QUESTION: Could I just follow up? MR MILLER: Yeah, go ahead. QUESTION: Thank you. Two questions: a follow-up on Said’s and a second question. But the UN said – and I’m just going to quote just to be accurate. So the UN said that the number of children reported killed in just over four months in Gaza is “higher than the number of children killed in four years of wars around the world combined.” That is a quote from the UN. So what will the U.S. do to make sure that this statistic is not going to get worse in the next few months? MR MILLER: So first of all, it is an almost unspeakable tragedy, the number of children that have died. It is an unacceptable outcome of the fighting of the past five months. And you heard the President speak to this over the weekend. We don’t want to see another child die. We didn’t want to see any children die, obviously, and that’s why we have been engaged with the Government of Israel to make clear that they need to do everything possible to minimize civilian casualties and why it’s – we have made clear that with respect to any operation in Rafah, we need to see a credible and executable humanitarian assistance plan before we can support one going forward. QUESTION: Okay. On UNRWA. Correct me if I’m wrong, but basically the U.S. is holding any funds or resuming the funds until the results of the investigation is concluded. Is that correct? MR MILLER: That’s correct. QUESTION: Okay. According to my information of talking to UN officials, they are saying basically that Israel never provided an evidence to show these 12 members are involved. And therefore, as long as Israel does not provide this evidence, the investigation is still open and can be open for years to come. So in a way, they are indicating it could be a political, actually, accusation more than an actual one, and even if it’s an actual one, it can be political. So where do we go from there, because following up with everything else that was said, UNRWA was created to cater for Palestinian refugees only, and the Israelis has always showed their contempt to UNRWA. And now, they’re saying that 12 members were involved without giving any evidence. My understanding is they gave only oral — MR MILLER: All right, so let me — QUESTION: — oral – orally they conveyed the message, but no evidence. MR MILLER: So a few things about that. So number one, I can’t speak for the United Nations with respect to its investigation. Only they can do so, obviously. But they have communicated directly to us that they have the ability to conduct a thorough investigation into this, and we have confidence in their ability to do that, especially with respect to former French – the former French foreign minister with whom the Secretary has a longstanding working relationship. And we have confidence in their ability to investigate these allegations. But second of all – and maybe even more importantly – I think you have to remember why we made our decision to pause funding in the first place. It was not because of allegations that the Government of Israel brought to us. We hadn’t heard from the Government of Israel about these allegations. It was about allegations that UNRWA brought to us. And when they brought us these allegations, they told us that they had investigated them and found them to be credible, and that’s why they had taken action to fire the employees in question. So I don’t know what your sources refer to with respect to the inability to get further information, but when we made our initial decision to pause funding – not a final decision, but initial – it was because UNRWA had come to us and told us they found these allegations to be credible, they had conducted an initial investigation, and they had taken action. So that seemed to us to be a pretty credible source. Not allegations from Israel, but UNRWA itself saying these allegations were serious enough to take action. But with respect to the ongoing investigation, we do have faith in their ability to get to the bottom of what happened. QUESTION: Sure, I really appreciate it. Just, like, finally, I really want to get to the bottom of this because, again, my understanding that UNRWA reported as a credible information just because a member-state of the UN, which is Israel, reported it, not because they found a credible evidence. MR MILLER: That – that is not – that is not — QUESTION: Because a member-state, and they have to investigate. MR MILLER: That is not what was communicated to the United States when they first brought it to us. But let me just come back to a broader question, which is something Said said, which is the United States has been the largest funder of UNRWA since – I don’t know if it’s since the beginning, but certainly going back for decades we have been the largest funder of UNRWA. We are the largest funder of humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people. That commitment on behalf of the United States to continue funding humanitarian assistance remains, and you can count on it from this administration. And you don’t just have to look at my words standing here at the podium, you don’t just have to look at what Secretary Blinken said when he was here yesterday, but look at the budgets that President Biden has submitted to Congress. In the supplemental budget that is pending right now in Congress, we have requested billions of dollars in humanitarian assistance that would be used to deliver food and water and medicine to the Palestinian people, and that’s because we believe it’s important. In the budget that was – request that was just submitted to Congress on Monday by this administration, we requested billions of dollars in humanitarian assistance to deliver items to the Palestinian people that they desperately need. So yes, there is a question with respect to UNRWA because of these allegations that UNRWA deemed credible and took action on, and because of the ongoing investigation. But when it comes to our commitment to providing humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people, there should be no question, because we have put our money where our mouth is. Alex, go ahead. QUESTION: Thank you, Matt. A couple of questions. I want to go back to your opening statement on Russian sham elections. You said — QUESTION: Can we stay in — MR MILLER: Yeah, let’s stay in the – let’s stay in the region. QUESTION: Okay. MR MILLER: Go ahead. QUESTION: Sorry (inaudible) Alex. MR MILLER: We’ll come back to you. QUESTION: Yeah. On the maritime corridor, Matthew, for how long will it be set in Gaza? And then, will it help in evacuating Palestinians from Gaza or its main goal is only to bring in aid to Gaza? MR MILLER: So the primary purpose of this maritime mechanism is to deliver humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people in Gaza. With respect to specific questions about how it will operate, what it will do, I would refer to the Department of Defense, which is the lead agency. It is a military – it is intended as a military mechanism at this time, being operated by the military to deliver humanitarian assistance. We are playing a diplomatic role in helping get it off the ground and secure support from allies and partners. But with respect to its specific operations, I would defer to the Pentagon. QUESTION: And secondly, on reports that the Palestinian president intends to appoint his economic advisor, Mohammad Mustafa, to the post of prime minister. Do you support such an appointment? MR MILLER: I don’t have any comment on those reports. We have not seen them take an official action, so I wouldn’t comment on speculative reports. QUESTION: And I have one more question on Iran, but maybe after. MR MILLER: We’ll go – let’s – we’ll finish up Israel and then we can do the broader region. Go ahead, if this is Israel-related. Yeah, you. QUESTION: Thank you. MR MILLER: Sorry, I know – yeah. QUESTION: Yeah. Well, happy Pi Day to all who celebrate. Question one is about the children in Gaza. Thousands of kids have been killed in Gaza. There’s reports of crippling mental health conditions among all Palestinians, kids no less – kids as young as five saying that they want to take their own lives. If a child in Gaza is still alive at this point, their development and education has been interrupted, their homes destroyed, their families and friends killed. So I’m wondering how the U.S. is thinking about supporting these kids who are still alive? And then secondly, I’m wondering if there’s any concern that this war may actually foment an entire generation to see Israel – and by virtue of its aid, the U.S. – as more negatively and as entities to resist? As in, is there a fear that this war and this suffering might make harmony more – harder to achieve? MR MILLER: So let me speak first to the impact on children, which obviously is a tragedy for those who have lost their lives and their family members. And I’m sure it will have dramatic impacts to those who do survive this war. And it’s one of the reasons we are trying to achieve a humanitarian ceasefire that would alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people, including children. I know that it’s important to everyone here, especially to the – especially to all of us who have our own kids and think about them when we see what happens in Gaza. And so we are going to continue to try to pursue it and achieve that kind of ceasefire, because it would be important to alleviate that suffering. In the long term – longer term, we will continue to try to get humanitarian assistance in to help the Palestinian people rebuild their lives. And then with respect to the broader question, so I would say if you look at the testimony that the Director of National Intelligence gave the other day to Congress, she spoke quite directly on this issue, and I would refer you to her comments with which – and would on behalf of the State Department wholeheartedly endorse them. QUESTION: And then on the investigations – we’ve talked about before – it’s the allegations of Israel killing journalists, of people like Hind Rajab, her family, the medics sent to save her; allegations now of torture and sexual abuse. On these and more, the U.S. often defers to Israel to investigate and checks in periodically. But for how much longer will the U.S. continue to defer to Israel given that they kind of continue to reportedly commit the same violations? To put a finer point on it, our colleague in the front row’s question on attacks on food lines. After the attack two weeks ago where at least a hundred people were killed and nearly 800 were injured waiting for food. Since then, Israeli forces have reportedly killed more than 400 Palestinians in food lines since that attack. So I know that that attack is being investigated, but how much longer can we keep sort of deferring as these violations continue to keep happening? MR MILLER: So I will say with respect to any matter, we want to see it investigated, we want to see it investigated promptly, and, if appropriate, see accountability. And that’s what we will continue to press the Government of Israel to do, but that’s not the only thing we do when it comes to these questions. We also press them to take measures to keep it from happening again. And in some areas, we have seen improvements; in other areas, there is clearly more work to be done. But it does come back to this – this thing we have talked about before, which is the difficulty of operating in this environment where Hamas continues to use Palestinians as human shields. So I will just say with respect to the strike that Israel took yesterday that has reportedly killed an UNRWA worker, so the IDF put out a statement on that today and said that they were targeting a Hamas terrorist. And they’ve released video that they claim shows the death of a Hamas terrorist that they were specifically targeting who has been stealing humanitarian assistance intended for innocent civilians and diverting it to Hamas and diverting it to the terrorists who not only killed more than 1,200 Israelis on October 7th and killed American citizens on October 7th and not only continue to hold hostages, including American citizens, but continue to put Palestinian civilians in harm’s way, and who could at least for six weeks end this conflict today by accepting the ceasefire proposal that’s on the table. So it is a very difficult environment in which Israel operates. That no way alleviates their need to minimize civilian casualties. And what I can tell you is that we will continue to press them to do everything they can to minimize civilian harm. Go ahead. QUESTION: Thank you. MR MILLER: Go ahead, and then we’ll come to you, Alex. QUESTION: On Palestinian children. So on Tuesday a 12-year-old Palestinian child, Rami, was killed by an Israeli officer, police officer in East Jerusalem. He was lighting fireworks in front of his family home, playing with his brother and his friends. And Israeli National Security Minister Ben-Gvir praised the police officer who shot Rami as a hero and called the 12-year Palestinian boy a terrorist. What is your reaction to this? MR MILLER: It’s hard to – hard to know how to react to that specific comment. I will say that no child just out doing what a child does should be put in harm’s way and should see their life put at risk. No child out playing should be harmed in any way. And I can tell you this is a matter that we will seek information about the Government of Israel — QUESTION: You haven’t yet – raised this with the Israeli Government yet? MR MILLER: We may have. I wasn’t aware of this report until you raised it to me right before the briefing. I haven’t had a chance to talk to our embassy. But I can tell you if we have not, we will. QUESTION: And I mean, we know that Israel is – heard from the news that Israel is investigating this, but how can we believe that Israel will investigate itself impartially when its national security minister calling a child (inaudible)? MR MILLER: So it is important that we watch these investigations and hold them accountable, that the Israeli press watch them and ask questions, and that the rest of the world’s press watch them and have questions. And this goes back to something you have heard me say before, that Israel is a democracy where the free press can ask questions, where citizens can demand that their government do better and perform better, and where the rest of the world can interact with them and ask those very same questions. And that’s what we will do on behalf of the United States and would encourage others to do it as well. All right, Alex, we’ll finally come to you. QUESTION: Thanks so much. It’s been an eventful week, so I understand. Back to your opening statement on Ukraine-Russia, you said the United States does not and will never recognize the outcome of sham elections. Context matters – of course you’re talking about Ukrainian sovereignty here – but how much of this questions Putin’s legitimacy in your opinion? MR MILLER: So I think it very clearly shows that he disrespects international law. And as I said, there is no legitimacy with respect to his claims for Ukraine, either the territory where they are holding these sham elections right now or the rest of Ukraine where he continues to have designs. QUESTION: But in terms of the election that Putin is running this time, United States will not recognize Putin as an elected president next week? Is that (inaudible)? MR MILLER: Look, I think when it comes to the elections in – the elections in Russia, first of all, the Russian people deserve free and fair elections and the ability to choose among candidates representing diverse views. They deserve access to impartial information. If you just look back at what we’ve seen over the past few weeks, we saw the Kremlin’s leading critic, Aleksey Navalny, die in custody following years of harassment and abuse. We’ve seen the Russian Government attack one of his longtime aides, and we’ve seen them continue to deny anti-war candidates’ registration on spurious grounds and deprive – to deprive Russian voters of genuine choices. So we have seen the Russian Government, not just over the past months in the lead-up to this election but of course for years, crack down on the ability of Russian civil society to operate, the ability of independent journalists to exercise their legitimate rights, and, of course, the ability of the Russian citizens to speak clearly. And we will watch the election, and I’m sure we’ll have plenty to say when it concludes. QUESTION: Yeah. As for attack that you’re referring to, Lithuania’s counterintelligence said that they assess that the Kremlin was behind it, Russian intelligence service carried out this attack. Is that your understanding? MR MILLER: I don’t have any comment on here – from here. I’m happy to take it back and see if we have anything further. QUESTION: Sure. I also was hoping — QUESTION: Switch topic. MR MILLER: I’ll come to you next. QUESTION: I also was hoping you could help us understand the state’s — MR MILLER: One more, then I’ll go — QUESTION: Yeah, thanks so much – the State’s role in the latest aid package for Ukraine. The President signed a memorandum the very same day that you guys put out 300 million for Ukraine, and he directed the Secretary to furnish up to 126 million from the FAA for Ukraine. Is it a separate package? Are you guys working on it or is it going (inaudible)? MR MILLER: Let me take that back and get you an answer on it. Go ahead. QUESTION: Okay. So on Monday, CARICOM meets, comes up with this plan for a presidential council in Haiti. It’s now Thursday. Is the council being stood up? MR MILLER: My understanding is that just in the last few hours a number of the entities that will – that – that will comprise the transitional council have submitted their names, and so we will continue to work with CARICOM and work with our international partners and work first and foremost with Haitians themselves on trying to pursue a path to a return of democracy and free and fair elections in Haiti. QUESTION: Not surprisingly, there is some objection from some parties, particularly in Port-au-Prince, setting aside the armed groups that have essentially taken control of the city. What efforts is the United States taking on to try to get people to buy into this transitional process? MR MILLER: So a few things about that. First of all, I – what we saw Monday was dozens of Haitian individuals, representatives of political organizations in Haiti, civil society groups, being willing to make concessions and being willing to make compromises to try to restore stability and set the path to free and fair elections. And we think that’s appropriate and think that it’s something that all political figures in Haiti should do to try to move past the current crisis. But with respect to your question about what the United States is trying to do, I think it is a mistake – I’m not – I don’t – not trying to quibble with you – it’s a mistake to look at this as what the United States will do, because ultimately this is a matter for the Haitian people to decide, and the Haitian people and Haitian leaders need to be front and center in making decisions about their country. What we will do is work with Haitian leaders and work with CARICOM leaders and work with our other international partners to do everything we can to offer support for Haitians in making those concessions and trying to get on the path to democracy. And separately but equal – but important to this political pathway, we will support the multilateral – Multinational Security Support Mission because it is critical to restoring security on the ground, and without security it’s going to be very hard, if not impossible, to hold free and fair elections. QUESTION: Is there a concern in this building that momentum might be ebbing because we’re now 72 hours past this situation? MR MILLER: No — QUESTION: And what happens if, for whatever reason, the names that have been put forward are rejected? What is the plan B? MR MILLER: So first of all, I’m not going to discuss hypotheticals and what might happen. I would never do that with respect to anything, as we’ve – as others in this room have heard me say for the last few days when I’ve gotten other hypothetical questions. But no, not a concern about momentum ebbing. There were always going to be – this was always going to be a political process that required people to make compromises and people to make concessions. As you just heard me say, just in the past few hours we’ve seen a number of names submitted for this presidential transitional council. We want to see it get off the ground as soon as possible. We want to see an interim prime minister appointed as soon as possible. QUESTION: Thank you. MR MILLER: Yeah, go ahead. QUESTION: Thank you. Couple questions on Iraq. The U.S. sanctions waiver to Iraq expires in the coming weeks. I’ve learned that this administration renewed that waiver to the – Iraq that could pay to Iran. In the past few waivers, Iran get monies from Iraq in euros, not in Iraqi dinars. Have you renewed that waiver to Iraq? And why are you allowing Iraq to pay Iran in euros? MR MILLER: So first of all, with respect to which currency it’s paid in, I don’t know or have any understanding of which currency. With respect to the waiver itself, yes, we did issue this waiver, and I would emphasize, as you’ve heard me before, that these are waivers that have been regularly issued to Iraq going back to 2018 under a previous administration. This is now the 21st time that this particular waiver has been issued. And it’s important to realize how this money has been used. Number one, that no money is permitted to enter Iran under the terms of this waiver. All of these funds are held in restricted accounts and they can only be used for transactions for the purchase of food, medicine, medical devices, agricultural products, and other non-sanctionable transactions. And that it is part of our broader goal to wean Iraq off of dependence on Iran for the provision of electricity, because that’s what these waivers – as I know you know – what these waivers relate to, which is that Iraq continues to have to get its electricity from Iran. Iraq has been making real progress on its path towards energy sufficiency since 2020. It has cut its imports of Iranian energy by more than half. Over the last decade, it has doubled its own electricity generation. And we will continue to work with them and support them as they try to become energy independent. QUESTION: And this week – and this week, four members of Congress sent a letter to Secretary Yellen and Secretary Blinken on that issue, and they speak of the nature of that transactions. They mentioned that these transactions are fungible, that these transactions are fungible. So don’t you think that you are – keep maintaining the financial lifeline for Iran and that Iran just continues to keep supporting those groups that you listed in FTO? MR MILLER: Not at all, and we’ve addressed this in the past. Not only is it not our assessment that that’s not what – how this money is used, but it’s not what we have seen during the provision of this waiver in the past. And again, this is not just a decision that has made – been made by this Secretary. It is a decision that was made by a previous secretary appointed by a previous president in the administration immediately preceding ours. What we have seen – and this is borne out time and time again – is that Iran is always going to fund terrorism. It’s always going to fund destabilizing activities – that is the first item it commits to when Iran is going through whatever budget process it is that Iran goes through – and that this money helps the Iranian people, because it can only be used for humanitarian purposes and other non-sanctionable goods. In other words, it is additive money that would otherwise not be spent to address the Iranian people’s legitimate needs as opposed to the Iranian Government’s illegitimate purposes. And with respect to those illegitimate activities by the Iranian Government, you have seen this administration respond to those. We have imposed sanctions on more than 500 Iranian entities since the outset of this administration. We have held Iran accountable for its support of terrorism and its funding of dangerous proxy groups around the region, and we’ll continue to do so. Guita, go ahead. QUESTION: Thanks, Matt. Talking about the Iranian people, you may recall the results of the UN factfinding mission on the suppression – the government suppression of the protests which basically said, in most cases, crimes against humanity had been committed. Now the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, based on that report, is urging the Biden administration to support a UN Security Council referral to the International Criminal Court. Given what you just said about support for the Iranian people and holding the government accountable, would the Biden administration consider this proposition seriously as a means to that end of holding the regime accountable? MR MILLER: So the UN factfinding mission did document extremely concerning human rights abuses, which it concluded may amount to crimes against humanity. We strongly support the resolution under consideration at the UN Human Rights Council that renews mandate – renews mandates for the factfinding mission and the special rapporteur on human rights in Iran for another year. And with respect to the other question, I don’t have anything to announce today. QUESTION: Okay. Another – somewhat in the same light, the Iranian Government has also been persecuting athletes. Now with the upcoming Olympics in Paris, Senator Marsha Blackburn has written to the International Olympic Committee and asked them to – not to allow the Iranian team in. Any comments on that? Would – do you think that’s another way of possibly holding the Iranian regime accountable? MR MILLER: So we certainly agree that Iran’s ongoing human rights abuses are horrific. As I just said, we saw the UN factfinding mission’s conclusions with respect to possible crimes against humanity. I don’t have anything to announce with respect to the Paris Olympics today, but we continue to look at and pursue numerous ways to respond to the Iranian regime’s abuse of its citizens. QUESTION: (Off-mike.) MR MILLER: Go ahead, and then — QUESTION: Sir, U.S. congressional committee holding its hearing next week on the fairness of Pakistan’s elections. Assistant Secretary Donald Lu has been asked to testify before the committee. What was your reaction on the announcement of this hearing, and will it – will its findings have any impact on U.S.-Pakistan relations? MR MILLER: So with respect to the hearing, any number of State Department officials testify all the time before Congress. We see it as an important part of our jobs to help Congress do its job, both from a policymaking perspective and from an oversight perspective. So we always look forward both to the informal conversations we have with Congress, the formal conversations, and of course the actual testimony that our officials provide. QUESTION: Sir, as you know the former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his supporters allege that Assistant Secretary Donald Lu tried then to destabilize his government during the March 2022 meeting with the Pakistani ambassador. And according to media reports after his allegations, Imran’s allegations, a few members of his party sent some threatening messages to Mr. Donald Lu. So I’m – those members might be – may be – because it’s an open hearing, they might be there. So do you have any concerns on security of Mr. Donald Lu in that hearing? MR MILLER: So first of all, with respect to the underlying allegations against Assistant Secretary Lu, they’re false. They’ve always been false. You’ve heard me say that more than once, more than twice, more than ten times probably. Of course, we take any threats towards U.S. officials seriously and condemn any effort to threaten the safety and security of our diplomats. Do — QUESTION: One last question. MR MILLER: Yeah, go ahead. One more. QUESTION: Sir – thank you, sir. Sir, India has implemented a controversial citizenship law that has been widely criticized for excluding Muslims, established – establishes a religious test for migrants from every major South Asian faith other than Islam. Sir, do you have any comments on this in relation to discussion about religious freedom? MR MILLER: So we are concerned about the notification of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act on March 11. We are closely monitoring this act – how this act will be implemented. Respect for religious freedom and equal treatment under the law for all communities are fundamental democratic principles. Daphne, and then we’ll stop for the day, wrap for the day. QUESTION: Can I just go back to the waiver quickly? It’s the waiver allowing Iraq to pay Iran for electricity, right — MR MILLER: It is – it — QUESTION: — that was issued? MR MILLER: It’s a simplification of it, but it is – the way it works: Iraq has been importing electricity from Iran. It doesn’t pay it – Iran – directly for that electricity. It deposits money into these restricted accounts, and then we issue these waivers. It allows the money in that – those accounts to be used for humanitarian and other non-sanctionable purposes, but the money itself doesn’t actually move from Iraq to Iran. QUESTION: Right. And then was it issued for another 120 days? MR MILLER: Yes. QUESTION: Okay. MR MILLER: It’s the standard period. QUESTION: Thank you. MR MILLER: All right. Thanks, everyone. (The briefing was concluded at 2:27 p.m.) # # # | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| United States-European Union Energy Council to Meet in Washington | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/14/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/14/2024 07:43 PM EDT Office of the Spokesperson The eleventh United States-European Union Energy Council will meet March 15 in Washington. U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy David M. Turk, European Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson, and EEAS Acting Deputy Secretary General Bélen Martinez Carbonell will chair the meeting and give opening remarks. The Deputy Head of Mission of the Kingdom of Belgium to the United States of America, Sophie Karlshausen, will represent the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The U.S.-EU Energy Council serves as the lead transatlantic forum for bilateral coordination on strategic energy issues. Transatlantic energy cooperation advances diverse and resilient energy systems, bolsters energy security, promotes stability and transparency in global energy markets, and accelerates just energy transitions. For further media information, please contact ENR-PD-Clearances@state.gov. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Deputy Secretary Campbell’s Meeting with Latvian Prime Minister Silina | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/14/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/14/2024 08:31 PM EDT Office of the Spokesperson The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller: Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell met today with Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina in Washington. Deputy Secretary Campbell expressed appreciation for Latvia’s contributions to the NATO Alliance over the last 20 years and discussed preparations for the July NATO Summit in Washington. The Deputy Secretary thanked the Prime Minister for Latvia’s steadfast support for Ukraine and commitment to our shared democratic values. Deputy Secretary Campbell and Prime Minister Silina agreed on the importance of engaging Indo-Pacific partners. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Deputy Secretary Campbell’s Meeting with Latvian Prime Minister Silina | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/14/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/14/2024 08:31 PM EDT Office of the Spokesperson The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller: Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell met today with Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina in Washington. Deputy Secretary Campbell expressed appreciation for Latvia’s contributions to the NATO Alliance over the last 20 years and discussed preparations for the July NATO Summit in Washington. The Deputy Secretary thanked the Prime Minister for Latvia’s steadfast support for Ukraine and commitment to our shared democratic values. Deputy Secretary Campbell and Prime Minister Silina agreed on the importance of engaging Indo-Pacific partners. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assistant Secretary Witkowsky’s Travel to Mozambique, Ethiopia, and Kenya | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/15/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/15/2024 08:12 AM EDT Assistant Secretary Witkowsky’s Travel to Mozambique, Ethiopia, and KenyaMedia Note March 15, 2024 Assistant Secretary of the State Department Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations Anne A. Witkowsky will travel to Mozambique, Ethiopia, and Kenya from March 17-26. In Mozambique, Assistant Secretary Witkowsky will engage government, civil society, and international partners on ongoing efforts to promote the recovery and resilience of conflict-affected communities. The Assistant Secretary will review U.S. support for these efforts under the U.S. Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability and foster dialogue on crucial issues such as youth engagement and inclusion, women’s initiatives in peacebuilding, and the role of the private sector in contributing to peace and stability. In Kenya and Ethiopia, the Assistant Secretary will explore opportunities to strengthen U.S. support for regional initiatives to promote peace and stability in the Horn of Africa region. The Assistant Secretary will engage on the United States’ partnership with the Government of Kenya to strengthen its capacity to support regional peace negotiations. The Assistant Secretary will meet with a range of civil society, UN, and African Union partners about collaboration on early warning, conflict monitoring, and negotiations support. For more information, follow @StateCSO on X or contact CSO at CSOPublicAffairs1@state.gov | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Honoring the Victims of the Christchurch Attack and Recognizing the International Day to Combat Islamophobia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/15/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/15/2024 09:08 AM EDT Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State Five years ago today, a gunman murdered 51 Muslim worshipers and injured 40 others in a vicious terrorist attack during Friday prayers at the Al Noor Mosque and the Linwood Islamic Center in Christchurch, New Zealand. We continue to mourn and honor the victims of this terrible tragedy and their families. In order to remember the Christchurch attacks and increase global efforts to counter hatred, the United Nations has declared March 15 as the International Day to Combat Islamophobia. At this time of rising Islamophobia around the world, the United States condemns all acts of anti-Muslim hate and violence. We reaffirm our commitment to advocate for individuals’ ability to live in accordance with the dictates of their conscience and speak out on behalf of those who have been denied the ability to do so. This year, the International Day to Combat Islamophobia takes places during Ramadan, and we recognize those who face restrictions on practicing their faith during the month, either alone or in community with others, as well as those who have been harassed, imprisoned, or even killed for their religious beliefs. These abuses often occur against minority Muslim communities, including members of minority Muslim sects in Muslim-majority countries. The United States will continue to stand for the freedom of religion or belief for all. We will continue to speak out against and counter dehumanizing rhetoric and stand against acts of anti-Muslim hatred whenever and wherever they occur. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with IAEA Director General Grossi | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/15/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/15/2024 09:06 AM EDT Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with IAEA Director General GrossiReadout March 15, 2024 The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller: Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi today in Vienna, Austria. The Secretary and Director General Grossi discussed nuclear safety, security, and safeguards issues, including the IAEA’s presence at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. The Secretary reiterated the United States’ strong support for the IAEA’s global nuclear nonproliferation verification mission, including in addressing outstanding verification issues in Iran. He also noted the IAEA’s critical role in helping Member States develop and benefit from the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, science, and technology to aid in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals, including to meeting the challenge of global climate change. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| B5+1 Forum | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/15/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/15/2024 09:17 AM EDT B5+1 ForumMedia Note March 15, 2024 The Governments of the United States, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan joined private sector representatives in the inaugural B5+1 Forum in Almaty, Kazakhstan, from March 13-15, 2024. Announced by President Biden during the inaugural C5+1 Summit in September 2023 and highlighted in the corresponding New York Declaration, the B5+1 is the private-sector-led counterpart to the C5+1 – the diplomatic platform among the five Central Asian governments plus the United States. With the “B” standing for business, the B5+1 platform facilitates public-private sector dialogue to foster enhanced U.S.-Central Asia economic partnership. The U.S. delegation was led by Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Central Asian Affairs John Mark Pommersheim and National Security Council Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Russia and Central Asia Nicholas Berliner. During the B5+1 Forum, participants engaged in a series of discussions regarding economic opportunities for Central Asian and U.S. businesses. They offered priority recommendations for improving the business operating environment in Central Asia and advancing regional economic integration, competitive markets, and foreign investment to the region. With support from the U.S. Department of State, the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) will continue to lead B5+1 activities in pursuit of sustainable and inclusive economic growth in Central Asia. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with IAEA Director General Grossi | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/15/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/15/2024 09:06 AM EDT Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with IAEA Director General GrossiReadout March 15, 2024 The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller: Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi today in Vienna, Austria. The Secretary and Director General Grossi discussed nuclear safety, security, and safeguards issues, including the IAEA’s presence at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. The Secretary reiterated the United States’ strong support for the IAEA’s global nuclear nonproliferation verification mission, including in addressing outstanding verification issues in Iran. He also noted the IAEA’s critical role in helping Member States develop and benefit from the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, science, and technology to aid in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals, including to meeting the challenge of global climate change. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Honoring the Victims of the Christchurch Attack and Recognizing the International Day to Combat Islamophobia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/15/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/15/2024 09:08 AM EDT Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State Five years ago today, a gunman murdered 51 Muslim worshipers and injured 40 others in a vicious terrorist attack during Friday prayers at the Al Noor Mosque and the Linwood Islamic Center in Christchurch, New Zealand. We continue to mourn and honor the victims of this terrible tragedy and their families. In order to remember the Christchurch attacks and increase global efforts to counter hatred, the United Nations has declared March 15 as the International Day to Combat Islamophobia. At this time of rising Islamophobia around the world, the United States condemns all acts of anti-Muslim hate and violence. We reaffirm our commitment to advocate for individuals’ ability to live in accordance with the dictates of their conscience and speak out on behalf of those who have been denied the ability to do so. This year, the International Day to Combat Islamophobia takes places during Ramadan, and we recognize those who face restrictions on practicing their faith during the month, either alone or in community with others, as well as those who have been harassed, imprisoned, or even killed for their religious beliefs. These abuses often occur against minority Muslim communities, including members of minority Muslim sects in Muslim-majority countries. The United States will continue to stand for the freedom of religion or belief for all. We will continue to speak out against and counter dehumanizing rhetoric and stand against acts of anti-Muslim hatred whenever and wherever they occur. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug Threats | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/15/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/15/2024 09:28 AM EDT Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug ThreatsFact Sheet March 15, 2024 Launched in July 2023 by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug Threats is a U.S.-led international effort to combat the threats posed by synthetic drugs, like fentanyl. Globally, synthetic drug threats are on the rise. Traffickers are expanding shipment routes, manufacturers are getting more creative in finding the ingredients and equipment to make synthetic drugs, criminal groups are taking advantage of weak spots in data collection and, all around the world, public health suffers due to synthetic drug use. The Secretary’s Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug Threats confronts these challenges. 149 countries and 14 international organizations are now participating in the Global Coalition, working to produce action and results in a short period of time, and speeding up the global response to the rise in synthetic drugs threats. The Coalition convenes through working group and monthly sub-working group meetings, focusing on three main lines of effort:
With inputs from over 1500 participating experts, the meetings have identified good practices in each of these areas, captured as recommendations for national level and joint action. During the next few months, countries will take concrete measures and make commitments to turn the recommendations into action: whether new laws, policies, enforcement actions, or other initiatives. Participants in the Coalition will come together in Vienna, Austria at a U.S.-hosted event and other coordination meetings on the margins of the 67th Session of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs, and again later in the year to review progress to date. For further information, please contact INL-PAPD@state.gov or follow @StateINL on Twitter/X, and visit the Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug Threats online. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| B5+1 Forum | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/15/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/15/2024 09:17 AM EDT B5+1 ForumMedia Note March 15, 2024 The Governments of the United States, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan joined private sector representatives in the inaugural B5+1 Forum in Almaty, Kazakhstan, from March 13-15, 2024. Announced by President Biden during the inaugural C5+1 Summit in September 2023 and highlighted in the corresponding New York Declaration, the B5+1 is the private-sector-led counterpart to the C5+1 – the diplomatic platform among the five Central Asian governments plus the United States. With the “B” standing for business, the B5+1 platform facilitates public-private sector dialogue to foster enhanced U.S.-Central Asia economic partnership. The U.S. delegation was led by Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Central Asian Affairs John Mark Pommersheim and National Security Council Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Russia and Central Asia Nicholas Berliner. During the B5+1 Forum, participants engaged in a series of discussions regarding economic opportunities for Central Asian and U.S. businesses. They offered priority recommendations for improving the business operating environment in Central Asia and advancing regional economic integration, competitive markets, and foreign investment to the region. With support from the U.S. Department of State, the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) will continue to lead B5+1 activities in pursuit of sustainable and inclusive economic growth in Central Asia. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| State Department Announces Change to the Foreign Service Officer Assessment | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/15/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/15/2024 10:30 AM EDT Office of the Spokesperson Today, the U.S. Department of State is announcing an additional innovation to the Foreign Service selection process, further advancing the Secretary’s goals to modernize American diplomacy and win the competition for talent. Beginning with candidates who took the Foreign Service Officer Test (FSOT) in February 2024, the Department is moving to a fully virtual Foreign Service Officer Assessment (FSOA). All three components of the FSOA – the Case Management Exercise, Group Exercise, and Structured Interview – will now be conducted over a virtual platform. This change ends the requirement that candidates travel to participate in an in-person FSOA. This significantly increases accessibility for candidates, eliminates travel costs and other logistical burdens, and improves candidates’ experience in this highly selective process. This change to the FSOA follows nearly four years of conducting virtual Foreign Service Specialist Assessments (FSSA), which have demonstrated the benefits of a more accessible process while maintaining the rigor and effectiveness of these assessments. The Department is confident, based on studies and a review of the virtual FSSA, in finding consistent results between virtual and in-person assessments. We will continue to assess Foreign Service candidates, both Specialists and Generalists, using a set of common criteria or “dimensions” that describe a core set of skills and competencies shown by extensive job analyses to be required at entry. For further information about the Foreign Service selection process, visit https://careers.state. For press inquiries, please contact the Office of Press Relations . | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Under Secretary Zeya’s Travel to the Republic of Korea and Indonesia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/15/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/15/2024 11:28 AM EDT Office of the Spokesperson Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights Uzra Zeya will travel to Seoul, Republic of Korea, and Jakarta, Indonesia, from March 16-22, to strengthen collaboration on democracy; support human rights and global humanitarian cooperation; and fight corruption and human trafficking. In Seoul, Under Secretary Zeya will join Secretary Blinken at the third Summit for Democracy, hosted by the Republic of Korea. She will give remarks at the Day 2 opening ceremony on March 19, underscoring the U.S. government’s commitment to supporting civil society and human rights defenders. In addition, the Under Secretary will give keynote remarks at an event, organized by the Governments of the Netherlands and Denmark, to highlight the importance of upholding information integrity online. She will open a hybrid side event, highlighting the importance of cross-sector partnerships to promote anti-corruption. While in Seoul, Under Secretary Zeya will meet with senior officials, civil society, and educators to deepen collaboration on advancing democracy and human rights, anti-trafficking efforts, and global humanitarian efforts. In Jakarta, Under Secretary Zeya will further advance bilateral cooperation under the U.S.-Indonesia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership announced by President Biden and President Widodo in November 2023. She will visit the American Space at Istiqlal Mosque and the St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral to promote interfaith dialogue. The Under Secretary will also engage senior government officials and civil society leaders on our joint partnership to protect human rights for marginalized groups, combat human trafficking, and strengthen rule of law. For further information, please follow @UnderSecStateJ on X. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Under Secretary Fernandez to Lead U.S. Delegation at U.S.-Guatemala High Level Economic Dialogue | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/15/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/15/2024 11:26 AM EDT Under Secretary Fernandez to Lead U.S. Delegation at U.S.-Guatemala High Level Economic DialogueMedia Note March 15, 2024 Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Jose W. Fernandez will travel to Guatemala City, Guatemala, to lead the U.S. delegation at the first U.S.-Guatemala High Level Economic Dialogue on March 18. Additional representatives from the U.S. Agency for International Development, the U.S. Departments of State, Agriculture, and Labor, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency, the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, the Inter-American Foundation, and the Office of the Vice President will also join. During his trip, the Under Secretary will meet with Guatemalan officials as well as business, Indigenous, and civil society leaders to promote inclusive economic prosperity, food security, and the creation of good jobs that benefit Guatemalans. We look forward to working with President Arévalo and Vice President Herrera to deepen our countries’ productive partnership and advance joint efforts to address the root causes of irregular migration. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Under Secretary Fernandez to Lead U.S. Delegation at U.S.-Guatemala High Level Economic Dialogue | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/15/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/15/2024 11:26 AM EDT Under Secretary Fernandez to Lead U.S. Delegation at U.S.-Guatemala High Level Economic DialogueMedia Note March 15, 2024 Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Jose W. Fernandez will travel to Guatemala City, Guatemala, to lead the U.S. delegation at the first U.S.-Guatemala High Level Economic Dialogue on March 18. Additional representatives from the U.S. Agency for International Development, the U.S. Departments of State, Agriculture, and Labor, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency, the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, the Inter-American Foundation, and the Office of the Vice President will also join. During his trip, the Under Secretary will meet with Guatemalan officials as well as business, Indigenous, and civil society leaders to promote inclusive economic prosperity, food security, and the creation of good jobs that benefit Guatemalans. We look forward to working with President Arévalo and Vice President Herrera to deepen our countries’ productive partnership and advance joint efforts to address the root causes of irregular migration. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Secretary Antony J. Blinken at the 67th Session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs Side Event “Protecting Global Public Health and Safety: Mounting a Unified International Response to Synthetic Drugs and Their Precursors” | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/15/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/15/2024 11:39 AM EDT Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State Vienna, Austria Vienna International Centre SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you. Good afternoon. Thank you very much. (Applause.) Thank you. Thank you. It is genuinely an honor to join all of you as the first American secretary of state to participate in the high-level session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs. And I am joined today by the most senior delegation the United States Government has ever sent to this gathering. Agencies, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Justice, Drug Policy, Drug Enforcement, everyone is here, and it, simply put, reflects the importance that President Biden places on addressing the shared challenge of synthetic drugs and the whole-of-government approach that we brought to meeting the challenge. We’ve come to Vienna to continue to sound the alarm – to sound the alarm around the dangers of synthetic drugs and to rally a more coordinated and vigorous global response, and here’s why. First, every region is experiencing a dramatic increase in synthetic drug use, addiction, and overdose deaths, from tramadol in Africa, to fake Captagon pills in the Middle East, to ketamine and amphetamine in Asia. Now these are far from the only harms. Criminal organizations that manufacture and traffic synthetic drugs are also extorting local businesses, corrupting politicians, security forces, trafficking women and children. Second, this is a problem that no one country can effectively solve alone. In an interconnected world, criminal organizations quickly exploit weak links to make, to move, and to market their increasingly potent and dangerous synthetic drugs. Chemical precursors manufactured in one country transit through others, get to a third where they’re synthesized, and then come into the United States or other countries, hitting our streets, killing our people. So we have to work together to get at every link in this chain. Finally, no country, no government, no institution has a monopoly on good ideas. Innovative solutions are being tried, they’re being tested everywhere, and the more we can bring these ideas together, the more effective each of us is going to be. So we have to do more to learn from one another and work with one another. And that’s the focus of today’s gathering. The good news is we already have so many of the tools that we need to tackle this challenge thanks to decades of work by leaders in government, in multilateral organizations, in civil society, including right here at the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs, which has the authority to place synthetic drugs and their precursors under international control. The UN Office on Drugs and Crime, also based here in Vienna, has worked with experts around the globe to develop a synthetic drug strategy and practical toolkits for action. The International Narcotics Control Board has created platforms that allow governments, law enforcement, justice officials around the world to exchange information in real time about legitimate chemical and pharmaceutical shipments as well as suspected trafficking incidents. We’ve also created new tools to foster greater global awareness and cooperation on this issue. Last July, we launched the Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug Threats. We started with about 80 partner countries. It’s now grown to 151 countries, 14 international organizations and counting. From the outset, the coalition is focused on three main lines of effort: preventing the illicit manufacture and trafficking of synthetic drugs and precursors, detecting emerging trends and threats, promoting public health solutions. In the short space of time since July when the coalition came together, we’ve held 70 working group sessions with more than 1,500 participants, including public health experts, law enforcement officers, diplomats, civil society leaders. In all, the working sessions generated more than 120 proposals for programs, for policies, for actions, nearly all of them now searchable on the coalition’s website. And let me just give you a couple of quick examples. Training countries on how to safely dispose of seized precursor chemicals and how to collect evidence from clandestine labs that can be used to prosecute criminal groups; deepening awareness among and coordination with private sector partners, particularly online platforms and the manufacturing and shipping sectors; funding laboratories and trainings for experts in countries that lack the capacity to analyze new synthetic drugs; identifying better treatments for addiction to stimulants, the most widely used synthetic drug with some 80 billion users annually. Now we’re bringing the coalition to a new stage. We’re asking every member of the coalition and every government, every institution, every organization here today to make concrete commitments to address the crisis. That could be passing new laws and regulations, implementing new policies, funding new research, or acting on any one of 120 initiatives recommended by the coalition’s working groups. And because countries have different needs, different capacities, different resources, we will work to marshal support to help countries that have the will to take action but lack the resources to do it. Here’s what the United States will do to support these collective efforts. In September, we committed $100 million to fund global efforts aimed at tackling synthetic drug threats. Given the ongoing urgency of this threat, today we’re committing to with our Congress to significantly expand that support with an additional $170 million next year. We’ll continue to put more resources than ever before into addressing the challenge at home, such as our efforts to significantly increase access to Naloxone and to prevent overdose deaths as part of a broader health-centric approach for people who use drugs. I mentioned a short while ago that for the first time, the resources we’re dedicating to dealing with the demand side will surpass those that we’re dedicating to addressing the supply side. We are stepping up to our responsibilities. Over the last three years, President Biden has programmed $170 billion to counter narcotic threats. And again, so much of that is at home – public awareness, public health, prevention, treatment. We’ll leverage all of these tools to target key drivers of the challenge, such as the request we put forward internationally to control two additional precursors of synthetic opioids. And here, we simply have to make sure that we’re not only keeping up, but hopefully seeing around the curve, because we know that even as we control ingredients that go into making synthetic opioids, those engaged in that practice are finding new ways, new combinations, new chemicals, and even as we control one, something else may come to market. So we have to stay ahead of this. We’ll look to all of you to hold us to our own commitments, and we’ll do the same, because we can’t afford to come up short. I have the honor and pleasure in just a moment to hand it over to Executive Director Waly and to Justice Tettey and also our distinguished panel. But let me just in closing remind you why we’re here. The World Health Organization estimates that in 2019, approximately 600,000 people worldwide died of drug overdoses, the vast majority from synthetic drugs. That’s the most recent year for which we have that overall tally. Today, that number is almost certainly much higher, and let me just speak to my own country for a minute. We’ve seen the scourge of synthetic drugs touch virtually every town, every city, every state in the United States. More than 40 percent of the American people know someone who died from an opioid overdose, the number one killer of Americans between the ages of 18 and 45 is fentanyl. So the impact this has had cannot be overstated, and on something like fentanyl, we’ve been something of a canary in the coal mine. It hit us hard, it hit us first, but now we’re seeing, as markets are saturated, criminal enterprises trying to make markets in other parts of the world. And so what came to us one day, alas, may be coming to you another. And of course there are many other synthetic drugs that are already afflicting so many countries in this room. Those numbers are almost hard to digest, so I’d ask you to think for just a moment, not so much of the numbers but what they represent, of all the losses that they contain, all the pain experienced by loved ones and friends, all the empty seats left in classrooms and at dinner tables – or in businesses, places of worship – all the contributions those hundreds of thousands of people might have made to our shared world if they were still alive. Now, think about all the people who will live longer, healthier, more secure lives with greater opportunity if we achieve what we’ve set out to do, if we come together to surmount the profound threats posed by synthetic drugs, if we prevent more citizens, more communities from being consumed by this crisis. That’s why we’re all here. That is why it is so important that we succeed and succeed together. I thank you so very much and it’s now my honor and pleasure to hand the podium over to UNODC Director Waly. Welcome. (Applause.) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Secretary Antony J. Blinken at the 67th Session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs Side Event “Protecting Global Public Health and Safety: Mounting a Unified International Response to Synthetic Drugs and Their Precursors” | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/15/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/15/2024 11:39 AM EDT Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State Vienna, Austria Vienna International Centre SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you. Good afternoon. Thank you very much. (Applause.) Thank you. Thank you. It is genuinely an honor to join all of you as the first American secretary of state to participate in the high-level session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs. And I am joined today by the most senior delegation the United States Government has ever sent to this gathering. Agencies, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Justice, Drug Policy, Drug Enforcement, everyone is here, and it, simply put, reflects the importance that President Biden places on addressing the shared challenge of synthetic drugs and the whole-of-government approach that we brought to meeting the challenge. We’ve come to Vienna to continue to sound the alarm – to sound the alarm around the dangers of synthetic drugs and to rally a more coordinated and vigorous global response, and here’s why. First, every region is experiencing a dramatic increase in synthetic drug use, addiction, and overdose deaths, from tramadol in Africa, to fake Captagon pills in the Middle East, to ketamine and amphetamine in Asia. Now these are far from the only harms. Criminal organizations that manufacture and traffic synthetic drugs are also extorting local businesses, corrupting politicians, security forces, trafficking women and children. Second, this is a problem that no one country can effectively solve alone. In an interconnected world, criminal organizations quickly exploit weak links to make, to move, and to market their increasingly potent and dangerous synthetic drugs. Chemical precursors manufactured in one country transit through others, get to a third where they’re synthesized, and then come into the United States or other countries, hitting our streets, killing our people. So we have to work together to get at every link in this chain. Finally, no country, no government, no institution has a monopoly on good ideas. Innovative solutions are being tried, they’re being tested everywhere, and the more we can bring these ideas together, the more effective each of us is going to be. So we have to do more to learn from one another and work with one another. And that’s the focus of today’s gathering. The good news is we already have so many of the tools that we need to tackle this challenge thanks to decades of work by leaders in government, in multilateral organizations, in civil society, including right here at the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs, which has the authority to place synthetic drugs and their precursors under international control. The UN Office on Drugs and Crime, also based here in Vienna, has worked with experts around the globe to develop a synthetic drug strategy and practical toolkits for action. The International Narcotics Control Board has created platforms that allow governments, law enforcement, justice officials around the world to exchange information in real time about legitimate chemical and pharmaceutical shipments as well as suspected trafficking incidents. We’ve also created new tools to foster greater global awareness and cooperation on this issue. Last July, we launched the Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug Threats. We started with about 80 partner countries. It’s now grown to 151 countries, 14 international organizations and counting. From the outset, the coalition is focused on three main lines of effort: preventing the illicit manufacture and trafficking of synthetic drugs and precursors, detecting emerging trends and threats, promoting public health solutions. In the short space of time since July when the coalition came together, we’ve held 70 working group sessions with more than 1,500 participants, including public health experts, law enforcement officers, diplomats, civil society leaders. In all, the working sessions generated more than 120 proposals for programs, for policies, for actions, nearly all of them now searchable on the coalition’s website. And let me just give you a couple of quick examples. Training countries on how to safely dispose of seized precursor chemicals and how to collect evidence from clandestine labs that can be used to prosecute criminal groups; deepening awareness among and coordination with private sector partners, particularly online platforms and the manufacturing and shipping sectors; funding laboratories and trainings for experts in countries that lack the capacity to analyze new synthetic drugs; identifying better treatments for addiction to stimulants, the most widely used synthetic drug with some 80 billion users annually. Now we’re bringing the coalition to a new stage. We’re asking every member of the coalition and every government, every institution, every organization here today to make concrete commitments to address the crisis. That could be passing new laws and regulations, implementing new policies, funding new research, or acting on any one of 120 initiatives recommended by the coalition’s working groups. And because countries have different needs, different capacities, different resources, we will work to marshal support to help countries that have the will to take action but lack the resources to do it. Here’s what the United States will do to support these collective efforts. In September, we committed $100 million to fund global efforts aimed at tackling synthetic drug threats. Given the ongoing urgency of this threat, today we’re committing to with our Congress to significantly expand that support with an additional $170 million next year. We’ll continue to put more resources than ever before into addressing the challenge at home, such as our efforts to significantly increase access to Naloxone and to prevent overdose deaths as part of a broader health-centric approach for people who use drugs. I mentioned a short while ago that for the first time, the resources we’re dedicating to dealing with the demand side will surpass those that we’re dedicating to addressing the supply side. We are stepping up to our responsibilities. Over the last three years, President Biden has programmed $170 billion to counter narcotic threats. And again, so much of that is at home – public awareness, public health, prevention, treatment. We’ll leverage all of these tools to target key drivers of the challenge, such as the request we put forward internationally to control two additional precursors of synthetic opioids. And here, we simply have to make sure that we’re not only keeping up, but hopefully seeing around the curve, because we know that even as we control ingredients that go into making synthetic opioids, those engaged in that practice are finding new ways, new combinations, new chemicals, and even as we control one, something else may come to market. So we have to stay ahead of this. We’ll look to all of you to hold us to our own commitments, and we’ll do the same, because we can’t afford to come up short. I have the honor and pleasure in just a moment to hand it over to Executive Director Waly and to Justice Tettey and also our distinguished panel. But let me just in closing remind you why we’re here. The World Health Organization estimates that in 2019, approximately 600,000 people worldwide died of drug overdoses, the vast majority from synthetic drugs. That’s the most recent year for which we have that overall tally. Today, that number is almost certainly much higher, and let me just speak to my own country for a minute. We’ve seen the scourge of synthetic drugs touch virtually every town, every city, every state in the United States. More than 40 percent of the American people know someone who died from an opioid overdose, the number one killer of Americans between the ages of 18 and 45 is fentanyl. So the impact this has had cannot be overstated, and on something like fentanyl, we’ve been something of a canary in the coal mine. It hit us hard, it hit us first, but now we’re seeing, as markets are saturated, criminal enterprises trying to make markets in other parts of the world. And so what came to us one day, alas, may be coming to you another. And of course there are many other synthetic drugs that are already afflicting so many countries in this room. Those numbers are almost hard to digest, so I’d ask you to think for just a moment, not so much of the numbers but what they represent, of all the losses that they contain, all the pain experienced by loved ones and friends, all the empty seats left in classrooms and at dinner tables – or in businesses, places of worship – all the contributions those hundreds of thousands of people might have made to our shared world if they were still alive. Now, think about all the people who will live longer, healthier, more secure lives with greater opportunity if we achieve what we’ve set out to do, if we come together to surmount the profound threats posed by synthetic drugs, if we prevent more citizens, more communities from being consumed by this crisis. That’s why we’re all here. That is why it is so important that we succeed and succeed together. I thank you so very much and it’s now my honor and pleasure to hand the podium over to UNODC Director Waly. Welcome. (Applause.) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Secretary Antony J. Blinken at the 67th Session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs Side Event “Protecting Global Public Health and Safety: Mounting a Unified International Response to Synthetic Drugs and Their Precursors” | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/15/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/15/2024 11:39 AM EDT Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State Vienna, Austria Vienna International Centre SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you. Good afternoon. Thank you very much. (Applause.) Thank you. Thank you. It is genuinely an honor to join all of you as the first American secretary of state to participate in the high-level session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs. And I am joined today by the most senior delegation the United States Government has ever sent to this gathering. Agencies, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Justice, Drug Policy, Drug Enforcement, everyone is here, and it, simply put, reflects the importance that President Biden places on addressing the shared challenge of synthetic drugs and the whole-of-government approach that we brought to meeting the challenge. We’ve come to Vienna to continue to sound the alarm – to sound the alarm around the dangers of synthetic drugs and to rally a more coordinated and vigorous global response, and here’s why. First, every region is experiencing a dramatic increase in synthetic drug use, addiction, and overdose deaths, from tramadol in Africa, to fake Captagon pills in the Middle East, to ketamine and amphetamine in Asia. Now these are far from the only harms. Criminal organizations that manufacture and traffic synthetic drugs are also extorting local businesses, corrupting politicians, security forces, trafficking women and children. Second, this is a problem that no one country can effectively solve alone. In an interconnected world, criminal organizations quickly exploit weak links to make, to move, and to market their increasingly potent and dangerous synthetic drugs. Chemical precursors manufactured in one country transit through others, get to a third where they’re synthesized, and then come into the United States or other countries, hitting our streets, killing our people. So we have to work together to get at every link in this chain. Finally, no country, no government, no institution has a monopoly on good ideas. Innovative solutions are being tried, they’re being tested everywhere, and the more we can bring these ideas together, the more effective each of us is going to be. So we have to do more to learn from one another and work with one another. And that’s the focus of today’s gathering. The good news is we already have so many of the tools that we need to tackle this challenge thanks to decades of work by leaders in government, in multilateral organizations, in civil society, including right here at the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs, which has the authority to place synthetic drugs and their precursors under international control. The UN Office on Drugs and Crime, also based here in Vienna, has worked with experts around the globe to develop a synthetic drug strategy and practical toolkits for action. The International Narcotics Control Board has created platforms that allow governments, law enforcement, justice officials around the world to exchange information in real time about legitimate chemical and pharmaceutical shipments as well as suspected trafficking incidents. We’ve also created new tools to foster greater global awareness and cooperation on this issue. Last July, we launched the Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug Threats. We started with about 80 partner countries. It’s now grown to 151 countries, 14 international organizations and counting. From the outset, the coalition is focused on three main lines of effort: preventing the illicit manufacture and trafficking of synthetic drugs and precursors, detecting emerging trends and threats, promoting public health solutions. In the short space of time since July when the coalition came together, we’ve held 70 working group sessions with more than 1,500 participants, including public health experts, law enforcement officers, diplomats, civil society leaders. In all, the working sessions generated more than 120 proposals for programs, for policies, for actions, nearly all of them now searchable on the coalition’s website. And let me just give you a couple of quick examples. Training countries on how to safely dispose of seized precursor chemicals and how to collect evidence from clandestine labs that can be used to prosecute criminal groups; deepening awareness among and coordination with private sector partners, particularly online platforms and the manufacturing and shipping sectors; funding laboratories and trainings for experts in countries that lack the capacity to analyze new synthetic drugs; identifying better treatments for addiction to stimulants, the most widely used synthetic drug with some 80 billion users annually. Now we’re bringing the coalition to a new stage. We’re asking every member of the coalition and every government, every institution, every organization here today to make concrete commitments to address the crisis. That could be passing new laws and regulations, implementing new policies, funding new research, or acting on any one of 120 initiatives recommended by the coalition’s working groups. And because countries have different needs, different capacities, different resources, we will work to marshal support to help countries that have the will to take action but lack the resources to do it. Here’s what the United States will do to support these collective efforts. In September, we committed $100 million to fund global efforts aimed at tackling synthetic drug threats. Given the ongoing urgency of this threat, today we’re committing to with our Congress to significantly expand that support with an additional $170 million next year. We’ll continue to put more resources than ever before into addressing the challenge at home, such as our efforts to significantly increase access to Naloxone and to prevent overdose deaths as part of a broader health-centric approach for people who use drugs. I mentioned a short while ago that for the first time, the resources we’re dedicating to dealing with the demand side will surpass those that we’re dedicating to addressing the supply side. We are stepping up to our responsibilities. Over the last three years, President Biden has programmed $170 billion to counter narcotic threats. And again, so much of that is at home – public awareness, public health, prevention, treatment. We’ll leverage all of these tools to target key drivers of the challenge, such as the request we put forward internationally to control two additional precursors of synthetic opioids. And here, we simply have to make sure that we’re not only keeping up, but hopefully seeing around the curve, because we know that even as we control ingredients that go into making synthetic opioids, those engaged in that practice are finding new ways, new combinations, new chemicals, and even as we control one, something else may come to market. So we have to stay ahead of this. We’ll look to all of you to hold us to our own commitments, and we’ll do the same, because we can’t afford to come up short. I have the honor and pleasure in just a moment to hand it over to Executive Director Waly and to Justice Tettey and also our distinguished panel. But let me just in closing remind you why we’re here. The World Health Organization estimates that in 2019, approximately 600,000 people worldwide died of drug overdoses, the vast majority from synthetic drugs. That’s the most recent year for which we have that overall tally. Today, that number is almost certainly much higher, and let me just speak to my own country for a minute. We’ve seen the scourge of synthetic drugs touch virtually every town, every city, every state in the United States. More than 40 percent of the American people know someone who died from an opioid overdose, the number one killer of Americans between the ages of 18 and 45 is fentanyl. So the impact this has had cannot be overstated, and on something like fentanyl, we’ve been something of a canary in the coal mine. It hit us hard, it hit us first, but now we’re seeing, as markets are saturated, criminal enterprises trying to make markets in other parts of the world. And so what came to us one day, alas, may be coming to you another. And of course there are many other synthetic drugs that are already afflicting so many countries in this room. Those numbers are almost hard to digest, so I’d ask you to think for just a moment, not so much of the numbers but what they represent, of all the losses that they contain, all the pain experienced by loved ones and friends, all the empty seats left in classrooms and at dinner tables – or in businesses, places of worship – all the contributions those hundreds of thousands of people might have made to our shared world if they were still alive. Now, think about all the people who will live longer, healthier, more secure lives with greater opportunity if we achieve what we’ve set out to do, if we come together to surmount the profound threats posed by synthetic drugs, if we prevent more citizens, more communities from being consumed by this crisis. That’s why we’re all here. That is why it is so important that we succeed and succeed together. I thank you so very much and it’s now my honor and pleasure to hand the podium over to UNODC Director Waly. Welcome. (Applause.) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Joint Statement on the Occasion of the 13th Anniversary of the Syrian Uprising | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/15/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/15/2024 11:44 AM EDT Office of the Spokesperson The following statement was released by the Governments of France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America on the occasion of the 13-year anniversary of the Syrian uprising. Begin text: On this day 13 years ago, the Syrian people took to the streets in peaceful protest to demand their freedom and respect for human rights. The Assad regime met these protests with a ruthless campaign of oppression and atrocities that continues to this day. Since March 2011, the Syria conflict has led to the deaths of more than 500,000 people, and the forced displacement of more than half of the Syrian population. The coordinated efforts of the United Kingdom, United States of America, France and Germany are focused on ending the suffering of the Syrian people. We also continue to press for accountability and justice, calling for the release of civilians arbitrarily detained. We welcome and support the work of organisations such as the Commission of Inquiry and the International Independent and Impartial Mechanism, which document the crimes perpetrated in Syria, and the newly established UN Independent Institution for Missing Persons in Syria. The war in Syria is not over. During the last year, the suffering of ordinary Syrians has continued, whether at the hands of the Assad regime, its allies, or Daesh terrorists. Since October, the Assad regime has stepped up its ruthless bombardment campaign, impacting civilians living outside areas under its control. With the support of Russia, the Assad regime has conducted attacks across north-west Syria, resulting in over 500 civilian casualties and the displacement of over 120,000 people. We call for an immediate end to these attacks. Northeast Syria has witnessed further escalation in violence. This includes attacks by Daesh, whose past atrocities must not be forgotten. In this regard, we thank the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the Investigation and Identification Team for their recent report, concluding that there are reasonable grounds to believe that Daesh deployed sulfur mustard during attacks in Marea in 2015. Preventing Daesh’s resurgence remains a top priority. We call on the international community to rally around the remaining tasks to ensure durable solutions for the residents of al-Hol and Roj camps, and for the issue of the Daesh detainees. The devastating impact of the February 2023 earthquakes is still felt today. In 2024, the number of Syrians in need of humanitarian assistance across Syria has reached 16.7 million. In the north-west, the unhindered and predictable delivery of humanitarian aid, including cross-border humanitarian assistance, is essential to ensuring civilians can access adequate support. Donors and international partners require greater predictability for planning and procurement, and we call on the Assad regime to grant indefinite access at crossing points for as long as needs persist, to ensure a sustainable and reliable response. We are increasingly concerned by the threats posed by the trade of the illicit drug captagon, from which the Assad regime, with the support of Iran-aligned militia groups and other actors, generates vast profits to fund its oppression of the Syrian people. Global coordination is required to tackle the malign impact of captagon, which is contributing to instability across the region. We call on the Assad regime to end its role in this trade and to take meaningful steps to curb drug trafficking by others in Syria. We remain committed to ending the human rights violations and abuses suffered by the Syrian people at the hands of the Assad regime. The peaceful demonstrations in Suweida, ongoing since last summer, show that the demands for peace, freedom and dignity that led to protests 13 years ago endure. Our countries see no possibility of normalisation with the Assad regime, no funding of reconstruction and no lifting of sanctions until there is authentic, meaningful and enduring progress towards a political solution. A Syrian-owned, Syrian-led political settlement in line with UNSCR 2254 is the only viable mechanism that can bring lasting peace for the Syrian people. The conditions for safe, dignified and voluntary returns of refugees to Syria, supported by the international community, are not yet met and we call on the Assad regime to make the reforms necessary to protect the freedom, dignity, and human rights of all. We welcome the announcement by UN Special Envoy Geir Pedersen to convene a meeting of the Constitutional Committee in April in Geneva and we urge all sides to accept the invitation and engage seriously on the work of the Committee. End text. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The United States of America and the Republic of Latvia sign Memorandum of Understanding to Expand Collaboration on Countering Foreign State Information Manipulation | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/15/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/15/2024 12:17 PM EDT Office of the Spokesperson On March 14, Special Envoy and Coordinator for the Global Engagement Center James P. Rubin and Ambassador of the Republic of Latvia to the United States Maris Selga, accompanied by Prime Minister of Latvia Evika Siliņa and U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, signed a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen cooperation between the United States and the Republic of Latvia on countering foreign state information manipulation. The signing of this memorandum signifies the seriousness with which both countries approach the threat of foreign information manipulation, which includes disinformation and propaganda. The United States and the Republic of Latvia will expand information sharing about this threat, share best practices for countering foreign disinformation, and align policies along the five key action areas established in the U.S. State Department’s Framework to Counter Foreign State Information Manipulation. Foreign information manipulation is a transnational security threat that can create or exploit divisions within and among countries, imperil election integrity, and undermine public trust in government. Only in concert with like-minded partners and allies can free, democratic societies push back against this threat. This Memorandum of Understanding with the Republic of Latvia is another positive step towards expanding the coalition of countries working together to protect a free, fact-based information environment. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The United States of America and the Republic of Latvia sign Memorandum of Understanding to Expand Collaboration on Countering Foreign State Information Manipulation | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/15/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/15/2024 12:17 PM EDT Office of the Spokesperson On March 14, Special Envoy and Coordinator for the Global Engagement Center James P. Rubin and Ambassador of the Republic of Latvia to the United States Maris Selga, accompanied by Prime Minister of Latvia Evika Siliņa and U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, signed a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen cooperation between the United States and the Republic of Latvia on countering foreign state information manipulation. The signing of this memorandum signifies the seriousness with which both countries approach the threat of foreign information manipulation, which includes disinformation and propaganda. The United States and the Republic of Latvia will expand information sharing about this threat, share best practices for countering foreign disinformation, and align policies along the five key action areas established in the U.S. State Department’s Framework to Counter Foreign State Information Manipulation. Foreign information manipulation is a transnational security threat that can create or exploit divisions within and among countries, imperil election integrity, and undermine public trust in government. Only in concert with like-minded partners and allies can free, democratic societies push back against this threat. This Memorandum of Understanding with the Republic of Latvia is another positive step towards expanding the coalition of countries working together to protect a free, fact-based information environment. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Joint Statement on US-Ecuador High-Level Dialogue | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/15/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/15/2024 01:21 PM EDT Office of the Spokesperson The text of the following joint statement was released by the Governments of the United States of America and the Republic of Ecuador on the occasion of the High-Level Dialogue held at the Department of State in Washington, D.C., March 13-14, 2024. Begin Text: The United States and Ecuador conducted a High-Level Dialogue at the Department of State in Washington, D.C., on March 13 and 14, 2024. Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, Richard Verma; Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights, Uzra Zeya; and Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment, Jose W. Fernandez, met with Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Isabel Albornoz, and Vice Minister of Finance Daniel Falconí to discuss shared priorities, including refugee protection, lawful migration pathways, civilian security, and economic cooperation. The United States and Ecuador reaffirmed their commitment for the defense of democracy, promotion of human rights, inclusive economic development, and the fight against transnational organized crime. Both countries discussed plans to move forward a positive global agenda during Ecuador’s tenure on the UN Security Council and promote solutions to regional issues, among others the democratic crisis in Haiti and support free and fair elections in Venezuela. Vice Minister Albornoz expressed her appreciation for the United States’ support in the wake of recent violent attacks in Ecuador and for the additional planned investment of $10 million for counternarcotics, civilian security, and rule of law programming, subject to completion of congressional notification procedures. The United States recognized Ecuador’s achievements in narcotics interdiction and destruction and efforts to improve civilian security. This new funding reaffirms the United States’ commitment to support Ecuador as an important regional partner to tackle common challenges under the perspective of shared responsibility. It expands the robust investments by the United States of over $42 million in capacity building, training, and equipment since 2019. Both countries committed to deepen their cooperation in security and defense and to accelerate the implementation of the recent agreements. Ecuador expressed its appreciation for U. S. government programs that have promoted inclusive economic growth, addressed climate change, and created educational opportunities that address the need for employment, especially among the youth, in order to prevent linkages to illicit economies and irregular migration. Both countries committed to assess new initiatives to strengthen cooperation in these areas. The United States acknowledged the positive results of the regularization process for migrants developed by Ecuador, as well as Ecuador’s efforts to provide free access to health, education, formal banking, and other programs to integrate them into society. The United States complemented Ecuador’s efforts by providing humanitarian funding and technical support to the regularization process through our international organization partners. The United States also provided support for programs that facilitate Safe Mobility Offices, operational in Ecuador since October 2023, have helped fulfill our shared commitment to facilitate safe, orderly, humane, and regular migration in line with the Global Compact on Migration and the principles of the Los Ángeles Declaration on Migration and Protection. Ecuador The United States and Ecuador will work together to facilitate access to lawful pathways, such as H2 visas, for Ecuadorian citizens. Through USAID The United States confirmed receipt of Ecuador’s request for a Temporary Protected Status benefitting its citizens in the United States and noted the matter is under consideration. The countries also discussed interest in partnering on anti-corruption, fiscal transparenc, the The delegation of Ecuador thanked the United States for hosting their visit and underscored the successful organization of the High-Level Dialogue. Ecuador will host the next High-Level Dialogue in 2025. End text. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assistant Secretary of State Satterfield to Travel to Nigeria | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/15/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/15/2024 01:56 PM EDT Assistant Secretary of State Satterfield to Travel to NigeriaMedia Note March 15, 2024 From March 17-22, Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs Lee Satterfield will travel to Abuja and Lagos, Nigeria. While in Nigeria, Assistant Secretary Satterfield will advance key bilateral priorities, including expanding access to education and bolstering economic opportunities through the creative arts. Assistant Secretary Satterfield’s trip to Nigeria builds on a recent visit by Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and reinforces the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to Africa by focusing on people-to-people For further information, please contact ECA Press at ECA-Press@state.gov or visi | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| President’s Advisory Council on African Diaspora Engagement in the United States Meeting in Atlanta | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/15/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/15/2024 02:46 PM EDT Office of the Spokesperson The President’s Advisory Council on African Diaspora Engagement in the United States (PAC-ADE) will host a plenary session meeting on Monday, March 18 at Spelman College in Atlanta, GA. The PAC-ADE will discuss 2024 priorities and review proposed recommendations, In addition to the plenary session meeting, PAC-ADE members will visit the Carter Center for a briefing on election monitoring and democracy and governance trends in Africa. Members will also participate in a private sector roundtable discussionwith the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on supporting the Biden-Harris Administration’s priority to increase US-Africa trade. All interested Atlanta-based business owners and credentialed members of the press are invited to attend the roundtable in-person or virtually here . The PAC-ADE was announced by President Biden and Secretary Blinken in September 2023 to advise them on strengthening cultural, social, political, and economic ties between African communities and the African diaspora. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assistant Secretary Noyes Travels to Ethiopia and Chad | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/15/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/15/2024 02:36 PM EDT Office of the Spokesperson Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration Julieta Valls Noyes will travel to Ethiopia and Chad March 18-23. In both countries, Assistant Secretary Noyes will meet with senior government, international organization, and non-governmental organization partners to discuss refugee resettlement; humanitarian assistance across the continent, including protection of humanitarian workers; and implementation of pledges made at the December 2023 Global Refugee Forum. In Chad, additional engagements will focus on response to both the Sudan crisis and the broader humanitarian situation in Chad in coordination with the Government of Chad and international organization partners. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Secretary Antony J. Blinken And Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg At a Joint Press Availability | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/15/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/15/2024 02:59 PM EDT Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State Vienna, Austria Federal Chancellery MODERATOR: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the press conference on the occasion of the visit of U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Vienna. Following the remarks of the two ministers, there will be time for some questions. And I would like Mr. Schallenberg to give his remarks. FOREIGN MINISTER SCHALLENBERG: To the Secretary of State, dear Tony, ladies and gentlemen, a very warm welcome to you. It’s a real treat and pleasure to have you here in Vienna, and I believe your presence is not only a visible sign of our strong partnership – only a year ago, I had the pleasure to visit you in Washington, D.C. – it is also – very much appreciate sign of your support for the work of the UN, or the United Nations, and in particular, the UNODC, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. And I can tell you that Austria is a very committed member of your Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug Threats. I believe the fight against the scourge of organized crime and drug trafficking needs our full attention and more than less international cooperation. And you can be assured that we will stand together with our partners in this fight. Together with the chancellor, Karl Nehammer, we had a very good exchange on a number of geopolitical hotspots which are on top of our, again, agenda on both sides of the Atlantic – either Russian continued war of aggression against Ukraine, the dire situation in the Middle East, or the stabilization of the Western Balkans. And the convergence – our convergence on these issues illustrates a strong and solid foundation on which the Austrian-American strategic partnership is built. And our partnership, and if I may say so, our friendship – also personal friendship – is not only based on common interests, it is more based even on common values and our common commitment to the rule of law, to checks and balances, to democracy, and to fundamental freedoms. And, yes, you have probably heard me very repeatedly say that I believe that Europe and the U.S. have probably taken each other too much for granted over the last couple of years, but this has fundamentally changed, I believe. And in these trying times, we realize that we do not only share but we also have to defend the values that unite us. And in face of Russian’s aggression against Ukraine, including its hybrid actions and activities, it is more important than ever that we continue to stand together side by side. And I believe very strongly that how we act together now will significantly impact on the way we are seen for the decades to come. We all know that others, other actors on this planet, watching us. And talking about the Middle East, here we are equally strongly like-minded countries. Our commitment to Israel’s security and right to self-defense remains ironclad, but it is very clear that more needs to be done to protect civilians in Gaza. Humanitarian law, and that is very clear, applies to everyone, everywhere. And without doubt, we know that the military offenses – offensive in Rafah, without a credible plan what to do to protect the civilians, will trigger only terror and disaster. We urgently need a humanitarian pause to get the hostages out of Gaza and more humanitarian aid into Gaza. And we should never forget that among these over 130 hostages, there’s one Austrian-Israeli family father who now for 161 days is in the hands of Hamas. And in this respect, I’m extremely thankful, not only to the vital role of the United States, but also to your personal tireless and extraordinary commitment of engagement in the region. And I welcome any initiative that enables more humanitarian aid to reach the people in Gaza. The Austrian Republic itself has offered 23 million euro in support, and I know that we are talking now about the sea or airborne help. I believe we have to do everything together to protect the people in need there. And we also discussed a region, which is a neighboring region to Austria which is close to our heart, which is the Western Balkans. And here again we are both committed to the European future of this region and its citizens. And I just wanted to point out, among the many things we do together, the Austrian – the Austrian-American program Speak Up – and Bosnia and Herzegovina is for me a prime example of the cooperation between the United States and Austria can really do a difference on the ground. And we know now that we have important decisions coming up: European Council on Bosnia and Herzegovina opening the accession talks. And there are still very strongly advocates for this step because in view of the – you could say the circle of fire surrounding Europe, we have to make sure that our immediate neighborhood is stabilized. And there’s no vacuum in politics. So, either we manage to export our model of life, our stability, our security, or we risk being confronted with growing insecurity and instability. And let me add finally on a more bilateral note that the United States is not only our second biggest trade partner in export market, and significant investments are actually ongoing in United States, but I’m also extremely happy to see how our strategic partnership is prospering, also thanks to the work of the – of our Austrian ambassador and Washington ambassador – American ambassador here in Vienna. I’m happy to say that we – just a couple of weeks ago – signed the Working Holiday Program, which is a very good thing; and the Austrian-American Media Fellowship Program, which we already launched a couple of years ago, is proving to be a true success story. So, I believe with these programs we push our strategic partnership on a new level, and this level should be even expanded. We need more than less people-to-people contact. We want more exchange, more dialogue. We have to understand each other. And I believe in this year, 2024, it’s probably more important than in others. We have important elections coming up in Austria and in the United States. On all these issues, I can assure you Austria is a strong partner, and for us, you are an indispensable friend. And again, on this note, thank you for being here. And I’m happy to welcome you and happy for the talks we have here in Vienna, and we had already in the past. Thank you. MODERATOR: Thank you, Minister. Mr. Secretary, the floor is yours. SECRETARY BLINKEN: Well, Minister Schallenberg, Alexander, my friend, my colleague, thank you. Thank you for the incredibly warm welcome, and my thanks as well and especially to the chancellor for the extremely productive, and in-depth conversation that we just had. I greatly appreciate it and value it. And yes, the fundamental fact is that we have deep appreciation for the friendship between Austria and the United States and the partnership between our countries, a partnership for freedom, for security, for prosperity. In so many ways, in so many places, our countries are working together to try to continuously move in that direction. Here in Europe, the Russian aggression against Ukraine continues, but Austria has been a stalwart supporter of Ukraine from day one and a key member of an alliance of more than 50 countries coming together in different ways to support Ukraine. Austria may be militarily neutral, but it is very much not politically neutral. And we see that in the extraordinarily generous support that the Austrian people have provided to Ukrainian refugees. We see it in the humanitarian assistance that Austria is providing to people in Ukraine and, of course, the strong support for the European Union sanctions to try to make sure that the Russians and Putin don’t have the resources to continue to fuel the war machine that continues this aggression against Ukraine. We discussed this. We discussed as well the energy situation for Europe, and here, I have to say what’s happened over the last couple of years is quite remarkable: the move away from dependence on Russian energy. The United States has very much supported this move, including with liquefied natural gas. And we discussed the ongoing transition that countries are making really redrawing the energy map of Europe at a critical time. As the foreign minister mentioned, we’re also collaborating on other key regional priorities, and notably the Western Balkans. And here, I really have to commend Austria’s longstanding leadership and the foreign minister’s personal leadership and engagement. This is something that is near and dear to our hearts, and especially President Biden, because for the President and for me – when I started out the 1990s, so much of the focus of the world was on the Balkans, on Bosnia, on Kosovo. And one thing we don’t need, that Europe doesn’t need, and especially the people of the Western Balkans don’t need is a back-to-the-future moment, where we find ourselves back in the 1990s. And thanks to the engagement of Austria, the leadership of Austria, we’re moving decisively in a different direction, a positive direction, a direction in which the Western Balkans is genuinely integrated with Europe. We share the goal of a democratic, prosperous, peaceful region integrated with the rest of Europe. The European Commission’s recommendation to open accession talks and negotiations with Bosnia Herzegovina is something that’s very welcome. We fully support their Euro-Atlantic path, including with the European Union. And we also encourage the leaders in Bosnia and Herzegovina to move past divisions to pursue reform, reform necessary to move down the path toward the EU. And here, we really benefited from the foreign minister’s insights, not just from his recent visit but from all his engagement. And here, we will continue to partner strongly. The foreign minister mentioned the emerging voices program that we have together. We want to make sure that this new generation and the region that its voice is heard, because it’s a voice for peace, for security, for stability, for opportunity, and that comes with the path toward the European Union. We’re also working together to support an improvement of relations between Kosovo and Serbia. There, the EU-facilitated dialogue is the only viable mechanism, the only viable path forward. We need to see good-faith, constructive efforts by both Kosovo and Serbia to stabilize the relationship and to move down that path, keep tensions low, to increase coordination, to increase transparency with international partners, to implement all of the commitments that are in the dialogue. Austria is also, has long been, and remains a vibrant crossroads for the world and for the international community, hosting here so many UN agencies and organizations that are doing critical work to actually address the challenges that people are facing all around the world. One of my priorities for this visit was to spend time with the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs at their 67th session. It’s the first time that someone in my position as secretary of state has actually taken part in this very, very important meeting. And I think it’s a testament to our commitment to and our conviction that partnerships are the best way to address shared challenges. Now, why are we here today for that? It’s pretty simple. In the United States, there is virtually not a town, a city, or a state that has not been affected and in some cases devastated by synthetic opioids – and notably fentanyl. More than 40 percent of the American people knows someone who died from an opioid overdose. The number one killer of Americans age 18 to 45 is fentanyl. So, this has to be – and this is – a priority for President Biden, for our administration, for our country. We’ve also seen that while we may have been the canary in the coalmine on one synthetic opioid, fentanyl, while we were first, unfortunately we’re not last. And we see that as markets get saturated in the United States and even in our own hemisphere, the cartels, the criminal organizations, are trying to make markets elsewhere. That’s one of the reasons, along with the fact that other drugs – methamphetamines, ketamine, Captagon – in different parts of the world, are having devastating impacts. And so, you’re seeing countries increasingly come together because we know, because of the international nature of this challenge, that we have to work together if we’re going to be effective. Last July the United States put together a global coalition to address synthetic drugs. We had about 80 countries at our first meeting; we’re now up to over 151 countries and 14 international organizations. And that, again, is evidence of the fact that so many countries are seeing that this is a problem that already is or could soon be coming to them. And together, we are sharing best practices, we are developing initiatives, new policies, new programs, new approaches, to be more effective in dealing with the challenge of synthetic drugs. This global coalition has developed, through its working groups – 1,500 participants from all of these countries and these working groups – 120 new specific initiatives for how to effectively address the problem. And we very much appreciate Austria’s very active participation in all three of the working – major working groups that we established. Today we announced the United States Government is taking some additional steps. We’re advocating for the addition of two chemical precursors to the international control list. These are the ingredients that go into making synthetic drugs. And making sure that those key ingredients are controlled is one of the most effective ways to make sure that they’re not illicitly transferred and turned into something like fentanyl. We’ll sponsor a resolution on overdose prevention and response, on harm reduction, and we just pledged an additional $170 million for international efforts to address synthetic drugs through the UNODC, on top of the 100 million that we announced back in September. Finally, I had a chance as well to spend time at the IAEA, and met with Director General Grossi. We discussed the dangers to global security from Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, and in particular, the threat that that has posed to the Zaporizhya nuclear power facility. The IAEA’s efforts to prevent a nuclear catastrophe are in service of quite literally everyone on this planet. We also expressed support for the IAEA safeguards and verification mandate, something that is critical in a variety of places around the world. And in particular, we discussed how we can best support the director general’s efforts to support full Iranian cooperation with its obligations. Beyond the regional, beyond the global partnership, as the foreign minister said, we have an incredibly strong bilateral partnership between our countries. And especially in times of challenge, there’s no greater source of confidence, no greater source of strength, than the kind of friendship and partnership that we have with Austria. Thank you. MODERATOR: Thank you, ministers. The first question – Mr. Schutz, APA. QUESTION: I wanted to ask a question to both of you. It’s about Middle East because there are some brand-new issues. The Israel Government today has approved a military offensive on Rafah. What do you think about that? Is there a risk of a humanitarian disaster? FOREIGN MINISTER SCHALLENBERG: Okay. As I said already at the beginning – and I was just recently, 10 days ago, in the Middle East, and I had discussions on this issue among them with the – our Israeli colleague, Israel Katz, but also in Amman and in Ramallah. At the time, the Israeli – our Israeli friends told us that if an offensive on Rafah were to start, they would supply us with a credible plan on how to deal with the 1-point-plus million refugees, you might say – internally displaced Palestinians – who are now amassed in south of Gaza Strip. And I believe this is necessary. As I said, Israel has – it is in a dilemma. As a rule-of-law state fighting terrorists, it’s a very unequal sort of fight – unequal fight. On the one side you have a terrorist organization, Hamas, not abiding, not respecting any rule, less even humanitarian law. But Israel has to measure itself by international law. And the decision or the plan, as far as I understand, is – doesn’t mean yet that it will be executed immediately, simply that the prime minister was presented with a plan and that he has given a green light. SECRETARY BLINKEN: And I could – the easiest thing for me to do would be to say exactly what the foreign minister said because we have exactly the same position. But simply to repeat, President Biden has been very clear that given the large number of civilians in Rafah – about 1.4 million, many of whom, as the foreign minister said, have been displaced from other parts of Gaza – we have to see a clear and implementable plan not only to get civilians out of harm’s way, but also to make sure that, once out of harm’s way, they are appropriately cared for with shelter, with food, with medicine, with clothing, and we have not yet seen such a plan. MODERATOR: Thank you. Bloomberg, Mr. Marlow. QUESTION: Thank you. Mr. Secretary, thanks. I just have a few questions on Israel-Gaza, also. SECRETARY BLINKEN: A few? (Laughter.) QUESTION: Yeah. Please bear with me. FOREIGN MINISTER SCHALLENBERG: (Off-mike.) QUESTION: We’ve seen increasingly critical comments from President Biden on Gaza in recent weeks, sanctions on West Bank settlers this week from the State Department, and Senator Schumer’s call for Netanyahu to be replaced on Thursday, prompting Israel to say they’re not a banana republic. What do you make of this broader deterioration in ties? And have relations gotten so bad that it could undermine broader U.S. efforts on negotiations about what happens the day after the war? Secondly, President Biden did call an invasion of Rafah a redline, and I know you just discussed this proposal, but it seems that Netanyahu’s – the prime minister’s office in Israel said that they’re now reviewing a plan. Have U.S. officials seen that plan? And is a safe evacuation even possible given that there’s 1.5 million people sheltering there? And just thirdly, a quick last one: Israel also said it’s seen Hamas’s counteroffer on the hostage ceasefire deal. Have U.S. officials reviewed that counteroffer? And does it look like a deal is within reach? And Foreign Minister Schallenberg, a senior U.S. Treasury official visited Vienna earlier this month, telling financial institutions here about the risk of potentially violating sanctions on Russia. Did you discuss this with the Secretary today? And have Austria’s business ties with Russia affected diplomatic ties with the U.S. in any way? Thank you. SECRETARY BLINKEN: Iain, thank you, and I also want to thank you on behalf of your colleagues since you were able to ask presumably their questions as well. (Laughter.) So, look, we are working every single day with the Israeli Government on all of the challenges that the situation poses to Israel, to Palestinians, to other countries in the region, and that’s happening across our governments and it’s happening on a whole variety of issues, including our commitment to help make sure Israel is able to defend itself and not ever see a repeat of October 7th; to make sure, though, at the same time, that more and better is being done to protect civilians in harm’s way in Gaza, to get the humanitarian assistance they so desperately need to the children, to the women, and the men; to look at everything that needs to be done to prevent the conflict from spreading, including to the north with Hizballah, Lebanon, or more broadly in the region. And in each of these instances and so many more – and I’ll come to the hostage question in a moment – we’re working on a – almost more than daily basis with the Government of Israel. As past administrations have worked with Israeli governments, whatever party or persuasion they were, whatever party or persuasion our own government was, that’s the nature of the relationship. Also, the nature of the relationship – and this is particularly true of President Biden, who has such a longstanding history with Israel – as he said and I’m sure you’ve heard him say, he’s worked with every Israeli prime minister going back to Golda Meir. He speaks very directly, very candidly, very openly about our views, our perspectives, our thoughts with our partners. That’s fundamental to the relationship. That’s actually the strength of the relationship, to be able to speak clearly, candidly, and directly. On Rafah, as I’ve said – I won’t repeat it, but you asked specifically have we seen the plan that has been alluded to now in the press, and the answer is no, we’ve not yet seen it. On the hostages, yes, there has been a counterproposal put forward by Hamas. I obviously can’t get into the details of what that involves. But what I can tell you is we’re working intensively with Israel, with Qatar, with Egypt to bridge the remaining gaps and to try to reach an agreement. We have conversations that are happening now as we speak here, and I am convinced they’ll go on into the coming days. Israel has sent back a negotiating team to pursue this. And I think it reflects the sense both of possibility and of urgency to get an agreement, to get a ceasefire, to get the hostages back, to get even more humanitarian assistance in. This is something that we’re committed to, and we will work as long and as hard as it takes to get it done. FOREIGN MINISTER SCHALLENBERG: May I add to this last point here? We see again very much eye to eye with our American friends. We talk about acts of violence of radical settlers, we talk about provocations on holy sites, settlements or calls for displacement. We are friends of Israel as well, but I believe it’s up to friends to find open words, and our line is very clear, very much like yours. I’ve been already in the past calling for sanctions by the European Union on violent extremist settlers. I think their actions are extremely dangerous, and an act of lack of solidarity in the country which is in a fundamental crisis and fight for the time being. And to ignite a fire in the West Bank while the fighting has gone in Gaza is irresponsible and – fully irresponsible. On your question on Russia, we discussed the whole area of relationship with Ukraine, Russia. And it’s no secret that Austria is heavily engaged, was heavily engaged in Ukraine and in Russia. We’re the sixth biggest investor in Ukraine. Two hundred companies are still there and have remained, although war is raging there. And yes, Austrian companies were also present in Russia and are partly still present, as about 95 percent of all Western companies. There are American companies, a lot of them, that are in Russia too. From my perspective and as the foreign minister of Austria, it’s very clear and there’s no doubt and cannot be any doubt about it: Sanctions have to be respected fully, all sanctions in place. There cannot be any exceptions. And we talk very – in a very transparent and open manner on these issues with all our partners within the European Union, and also with our American friends. MODERATOR: Thank you. ORF. QUESTION: Alexander Kofler, Austrian Broadcasting Corporation. A question for Mr. Secretary: What do you think – because you spoke about the energy markets in Europe, what do you think about the still strong dependency of Austria on Russian fossil fuels, gas, and so on? Is there a way for the U.S. to support Austria to become more independent from Russia? Thank you. SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you very much. I think the reason that we’re all – and by “all,” I mean the United States, Europe, and others – are so focused on this issue is because Putin uses energy as a weapon. He’s very effectively weaponized it over the years, and the dependence that built up over many decades in Europe on Russian energy, well, we see the consequence and the price of that. That’s why what’s happened over the last couple of years in Europe more broadly, moving away in ways that I don’t think people could have imagined just a few years ago from that dependence, is so important – because it takes away the strategic weapon that Putin has made of energy. Now, different countries have different energy relationships with Russia, again, that had built up over many, many decades. So, it’s not always easy to change these things in one moment. It’s a process and it’s a transition, but I think we see some very important steps that Austria has taken and is taking. And to that end, for the United States, as we’ve done with many partners in Europe, we want to be able to help, and we have with LNG, liquefied natural gas. We’ll continue to do that. The other thing that’s, I think, very beneficial in this moment is it’s also an opportunity for countries to focus and double down on the transition away from fossil fuels. Again, it’s a transition, it’s not a light switch, but Austria is a company – is a country that’s leading by remarkable example when it comes to renewables in its energy economy, setting a very, very strong example. But I think there are opportunities here to do even more. And, by the way, one of the things that we talked about at the IAEA, again not specific to Austria but just in general, are the opportunities that now exist for nuclear power, including small modular reactors and other new technology that can make a big difference. FOREIGN MINISTER SCHALLENBERG: May I add maybe — SECRETARY BLINKEN: Please. FOREIGN MINISTER SCHALLENBERG: — for the American journalists – the line of the Austrian Government is very clear. We want to move out of Russian gas, because as you said, rightly, for the first time we saw that it can be weaponized. It can be used to exercise pressure. And that is something which I have to point out we – the first agreement between the OMV, the Austrian company, and Gazprom goes back – dates back to 1968. Soviet Union fell apart, they delivered, we paid. Iron Curtain fell, they delivered, we paid. Nobody ever, ever used gas or grain or any other of these products as a leverage. Putin is the first one. It wasn’t Andropov; it wasn’t Chernenko. It wasn’t anybody of those. It wasn’t the Soviet Union. Putin was the first one. So, we – and yes, we, we have probably over the decades – because it was comfortable, it was possible – created a dependency, but we have moved out now aggressively to a certain degree, and we will continue doing so. The aim of the Austrian Government is to be 100 percent independent of Russian gas by 2027. MODERATOR: Thank you. And there’s one last question. New York Times – Mr. Crowley, please. QUESTION: Thank you both. Secretary Blinken, the good news is I have no more questions than my colleague did. (Laughter.) The bad news is I do have a multipart question. On Iran, there was a report this week that the U.S. has conducted secret indirect talks with Iran, in part about its nuclear program. Is there any chance you would comment on that and say what our current message to Iran about its nuclear program might be? Also related to Iran and since you have both talked about Ukraine, what is your latest sense of the possibility that Iran will supply missiles to Russia, presumably for use on the battlefield in Ukraine? And what would be the U.S. and Western response to that? And then very briefly on Haiti, it’s now been more than three days since your trip to Jamaica and the agreement that established plans for this transitional council to appoint members. We were told that would happen within a day or two. We’re now about three or four days past that. There are some reports that that process is not going so well. Are you concerned that that process is breaking down, and is there a plan B if it does? And Mr. Minister, a question that I’m sure is a very familiar part of the debate here in Austria but less familiar to Americans: Now that Sweden and Finland have abandoned their own military neutrality, and joined NATO because of their concerns about Russian aggression, I wonder if you could talk about whether there’s any rethinking of Austria’s own neutrality and any prospect that you might consider NATO membership in the foreseeable future. Thank you both. SECRETARY BLINKEN: Michael, with regard to Iran, our message is clear and it’s public and it’s a message that’s shared by many others countries, notably by France, by the UK, by Germany, by the European Union, which is to stop taking steps to increase its nuclear capacity by spinning more centrifuges and by enriching more uranium, and to move in the other direction. And we’ve been very clear about that. One of the reasons I was here at the IAEA today was precisely to talk about the work the IAEA is doing to try, despite the very challenging circumstances, to make sure that it’s monitoring, verifying, and also holding Iran to its safeguard agreements and requirements that it has under the Non-Proliferation Treaty. So, this is something that we’ve been very clear on, and we’re in very close coordination with European countries on this, with the EU, and also supporting the IAEA. And look, beyond that, I don’t have anything to add, but I think there’s – it’s very clear what we – and by we, I mean all of these countries plus, more broadly, many in the international community – expect of Iran. On the question of Iranian missiles to Russia for use in Ukraine, there too we’ve sent very clear messages to Iran not to do it. And this has been the subject of considerable conversation among a number of countries in Europe and the United States, and I think that the concern about that eventuality and the commitment to address it – if necessary, is very real and very strong. On Haiti – so this is never going to be smooth, never going to be linear. An agreement was reached – a Haitian-led agreement was reached to move to a new transitional administration, a presidential council, one that would be inclusive, that would bring in all the major stakeholders, all the major parties; that would have responsibility for naming a new prime minister – an interim prime minister – naming a national security council, an electoral commission – all with the objective of putting Haiti clearly on the path to elections and to restrengthening its democracy. What we’ve seen over the last 24 hours is there’s seven seats on this transitional council, and most of the parties or stakeholders that were given a seat have actually named their representative to the council. There are a couple that still haven’t so that’s a work in progress, but we’ve seen that move forward. Relatedly, but separately, is the whole question of security in Haiti, because moving forward on a political transition and getting to elections – being able to provide humanitarian assistance to get it to people who need it, as well as helping the economy develop – that – none of that happens if there is profound insecurity, which is what we’ve seen now with the gangs taking over parts of the capital city, Port-au-Prince, challenging the airport, challenging the ports, et cetera. So, as you know, we’ve been working for some many months now on having a Multinational Security Support force led by Kenya with the participation of other African countries, Caribbean countries, go in and support the Haitian National Police, help them regain control of Haiti. And that too is moving forward. We have made additional commitments to that force in terms of our financial contributions, our in-kind contributions. Other countries have stood up in recent weeks, including Canada, with substantial contributions to that force. Once the new council – the – is fully stood up – and again, I would anticipate that happens in the coming days – that process with the force will be able to move forward, and then we have a trajectory that has at least the chance of putting Haiti in a more stable place. But having said all of that, every single day there are challenges to that process. There are political challenges. There’s security challenges. And we’re working to address them, but the Haitian people are leading this process. This is their process, but they have strong support from countries throughout the region in the Caribbean and well beyond. And we’ll continue to try to marshal that support and help them move forward. It’s – look, it’s challenging, but it is moving and we’re committed to doing everything we can to support it. FOREIGN MINISTER SCHALLENBERG: On your question of neutrality – thank you, by the way, because it gives me the opportunity to maybe clarify one of the other point – you’re right to point out that Sweden and Finland took the decision to join NATO. I believe we have to take – we have to be aware that the geographic position – the history of neutrality in these countries, which were actually non-aligned – that’s neutral – is very different. And after the experience of the First and Second World War, which actually started in Central Europe, when we adopted the constitutional law on everlasting – and we call it everlasting neutrality – it was a very important intellectual and emotional step for us, and it became part of our self-perception to a certain degree in this country. According to the Swiss model at the time was – the Swiss neutrality was actually the buzzword. And I want to point out one thing. Our neutrality is a strictly military neutrality. We are not neutral as far as values and principles are concerned. So, if a country – and it might be a permanent member of the UN Security Council – believes that he can kick out all the principles of the UN Charter and simply invade a neighboring country, we won’t stand by idly and simply watch on. We have a very clear position. And that is not new. This is not invented by this government. I always point out in 1956, when Soviet tanks were driving through Budapest, the very young then, fully sovereign Austria – already then at the General Assembly of the UN – supported every resolution against the Soviet Union and even issued one or put one on the table themselves. So, our position has been always very clear, and if you ask why, then I can be very clear, too – because international law is for us not a luxury. It keeps us safe. We need a rule-based international order. We need other countries – whether they’re big or small, whether they have nukes or not – to stick to the rules, to the principle of pacta sunt servanda. So, on these issues, Austria will never be neutral. But in military terms, and we show it in Ukraine, we don’t deliver lethal equipment, but we deliver more humanitarian aid per capita than other countries. That is our approach in this crisis, and we continue on this policy. And I might add that the neutrality has a very strong public support in Austria. Nearly 80 percent of the people stand behind it. So, there is no question on this matter. We fully respect the decision by our friends in Finland and Sweden, but this is not the way we have an intention of going down this now. MODERATOR: Thank you, Excellencies. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. And for those of you who are lucky enough, have a good weekend. Thanks. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Secretary Antony J. Blinken And Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg At a Joint Press Availability | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/15/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/15/2024 02:59 PM EDT Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State Vienna, Austria Federal Chancellery MODERATOR: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the press conference on the occasion of the visit of U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Vienna. Following the remarks of the two ministers, there will be time for some questions. And I would like Mr. Schallenberg to give his remarks. FOREIGN MINISTER SCHALLENBERG: To the Secretary of State, dear Tony, ladies and gentlemen, a very warm welcome to you. It’s a real treat and pleasure to have you here in Vienna, and I believe your presence is not only a visible sign of our strong partnership – only a year ago, I had the pleasure to visit you in Washington, D.C. – it is also – very much appreciate sign of your support for the work of the UN, or the United Nations, and in particular, the UNODC, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. And I can tell you that Austria is a very committed member of your Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug Threats. I believe the fight against the scourge of organized crime and drug trafficking needs our full attention and more than less international cooperation. And you can be assured that we will stand together with our partners in this fight. Together with the chancellor, Karl Nehammer, we had a very good exchange on a number of geopolitical hotspots which are on top of our, again, agenda on both sides of the Atlantic – either Russian continued war of aggression against Ukraine, the dire situation in the Middle East, or the stabilization of the Western Balkans. And the convergence – our convergence on these issues illustrates a strong and solid foundation on which the Austrian-American strategic partnership is built. And our partnership, and if I may say so, our friendship – also personal friendship – is not only based on common interests, it is more based even on common values and our common commitment to the rule of law, to checks and balances, to democracy, and to fundamental freedoms. And, yes, you have probably heard me very repeatedly say that I believe that Europe and the U.S. have probably taken each other too much for granted over the last couple of years, but this has fundamentally changed, I believe. And in these trying times, we realize that we do not only share but we also have to defend the values that unite us. And in face of Russian’s aggression against Ukraine, including its hybrid actions and activities, it is more important than ever that we continue to stand together side by side. And I believe very strongly that how we act together now will significantly impact on the way we are seen for the decades to come. We all know that others, other actors on this planet, watching us. And talking about the Middle East, here we are equally strongly like-minded countries. Our commitment to Israel’s security and right to self-defense remains ironclad, but it is very clear that more needs to be done to protect civilians in Gaza. Humanitarian law, and that is very clear, applies to everyone, everywhere. And without doubt, we know that the military offenses – offensive in Rafah, without a credible plan what to do to protect the civilians, will trigger only terror and disaster. We urgently need a humanitarian pause to get the hostages out of Gaza and more humanitarian aid into Gaza. And we should never forget that among these over 130 hostages, there’s one Austrian-Israeli family father who now for 161 days is in the hands of Hamas. And in this respect, I’m extremely thankful, not only to the vital role of the United States, but also to your personal tireless and extraordinary commitment of engagement in the region. And I welcome any initiative that enables more humanitarian aid to reach the people in Gaza. The Austrian Republic itself has offered 23 million euro in support, and I know that we are talking now about the sea or airborne help. I believe we have to do everything together to protect the people in need there. And we also discussed a region, which is a neighboring region to Austria which is close to our heart, which is the Western Balkans. And here again we are both committed to the European future of this region and its citizens. And I just wanted to point out, among the many things we do together, the Austrian – the Austrian-American program Speak Up – and Bosnia and Herzegovina is for me a prime example of the cooperation between the United States and Austria can really do a difference on the ground. And we know now that we have important decisions coming up: European Council on Bosnia and Herzegovina opening the accession talks. And there are still very strongly advocates for this step because in view of the – you could say the circle of fire surrounding Europe, we have to make sure that our immediate neighborhood is stabilized. And there’s no vacuum in politics. So, either we manage to export our model of life, our stability, our security, or we risk being confronted with growing insecurity and instability. And let me add finally on a more bilateral note that the United States is not only our second biggest trade partner in export market, and significant investments are actually ongoing in United States, but I’m also extremely happy to see how our strategic partnership is prospering, also thanks to the work of the – of our Austrian ambassador and Washington ambassador – American ambassador here in Vienna. I’m happy to say that we – just a couple of weeks ago – signed the Working Holiday Program, which is a very good thing; and the Austrian-American Media Fellowship Program, which we already launched a couple of years ago, is proving to be a true success story. So, I believe with these programs we push our strategic partnership on a new level, and this level should be even expanded. We need more than less people-to-people contact. We want more exchange, more dialogue. We have to understand each other. And I believe in this year, 2024, it’s probably more important than in others. We have important elections coming up in Austria and in the United States. On all these issues, I can assure you Austria is a strong partner, and for us, you are an indispensable friend. And again, on this note, thank you for being here. And I’m happy to welcome you and happy for the talks we have here in Vienna, and we had already in the past. Thank you. MODERATOR: Thank you, Minister. Mr. Secretary, the floor is yours. SECRETARY BLINKEN: Well, Minister Schallenberg, Alexander, my friend, my colleague, thank you. Thank you for the incredibly warm welcome, and my thanks as well and especially to the chancellor for the extremely productive, and in-depth conversation that we just had. I greatly appreciate it and value it. And yes, the fundamental fact is that we have deep appreciation for the friendship between Austria and the United States and the partnership between our countries, a partnership for freedom, for security, for prosperity. In so many ways, in so many places, our countries are working together to try to continuously move in that direction. Here in Europe, the Russian aggression against Ukraine continues, but Austria has been a stalwart supporter of Ukraine from day one and a key member of an alliance of more than 50 countries coming together in different ways to support Ukraine. Austria may be militarily neutral, but it is very much not politically neutral. And we see that in the extraordinarily generous support that the Austrian people have provided to Ukrainian refugees. We see it in the humanitarian assistance that Austria is providing to people in Ukraine and, of course, the strong support for the European Union sanctions to try to make sure that the Russians and Putin don’t have the resources to continue to fuel the war machine that continues this aggression against Ukraine. We discussed this. We discussed as well the energy situation for Europe, and here, I have to say what’s happened over the last couple of years is quite remarkable: the move away from dependence on Russian energy. The United States has very much supported this move, including with liquefied natural gas. And we discussed the ongoing transition that countries are making really redrawing the energy map of Europe at a critical time. As the foreign minister mentioned, we’re also collaborating on other key regional priorities, and notably the Western Balkans. And here, I really have to commend Austria’s longstanding leadership and the foreign minister’s personal leadership and engagement. This is something that is near and dear to our hearts, and especially President Biden, because for the President and for me – when I started out the 1990s, so much of the focus of the world was on the Balkans, on Bosnia, on Kosovo. And one thing we don’t need, that Europe doesn’t need, and especially the people of the Western Balkans don’t need is a back-to-the-future moment, where we find ourselves back in the 1990s. And thanks to the engagement of Austria, the leadership of Austria, we’re moving decisively in a different direction, a positive direction, a direction in which the Western Balkans is genuinely integrated with Europe. We share the goal of a democratic, prosperous, peaceful region integrated with the rest of Europe. The European Commission’s recommendation to open accession talks and negotiations with Bosnia Herzegovina is something that’s very welcome. We fully support their Euro-Atlantic path, including with the European Union. And we also encourage the leaders in Bosnia and Herzegovina to move past divisions to pursue reform, reform necessary to move down the path toward the EU. And here, we really benefited from the foreign minister’s insights, not just from his recent visit but from all his engagement. And here, we will continue to partner strongly. The foreign minister mentioned the emerging voices program that we have together. We want to make sure that this new generation and the region that its voice is heard, because it’s a voice for peace, for security, for stability, for opportunity, and that comes with the path toward the European Union. We’re also working together to support an improvement of relations between Kosovo and Serbia. There, the EU-facilitated dialogue is the only viable mechanism, the only viable path forward. We need to see good-faith, constructive efforts by both Kosovo and Serbia to stabilize the relationship and to move down that path, keep tensions low, to increase coordination, to increase transparency with international partners, to implement all of the commitments that are in the dialogue. Austria is also, has long been, and remains a vibrant crossroads for the world and for the international community, hosting here so many UN agencies and organizations that are doing critical work to actually address the challenges that people are facing all around the world. One of my priorities for this visit was to spend time with the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs at their 67th session. It’s the first time that someone in my position as secretary of state has actually taken part in this very, very important meeting. And I think it’s a testament to our commitment to and our conviction that partnerships are the best way to address shared challenges. Now, why are we here today for that? It’s pretty simple. In the United States, there is virtually not a town, a city, or a state that has not been affected and in some cases devastated by synthetic opioids – and notably fentanyl. More than 40 percent of the American people knows someone who died from an opioid overdose. The number one killer of Americans age 18 to 45 is fentanyl. So, this has to be – and this is – a priority for President Biden, for our administration, for our country. We’ve also seen that while we may have been the canary in the coalmine on one synthetic opioid, fentanyl, while we were first, unfortunately we’re not last. And we see that as markets get saturated in the United States and even in our own hemisphere, the cartels, the criminal organizations, are trying to make markets elsewhere. That’s one of the reasons, along with the fact that other drugs – methamphetamines, ketamine, Captagon – in different parts of the world, are having devastating impacts. And so, you’re seeing countries increasingly come together because we know, because of the international nature of this challenge, that we have to work together if we’re going to be effective. Last July the United States put together a global coalition to address synthetic drugs. We had about 80 countries at our first meeting; we’re now up to over 151 countries and 14 international organizations. And that, again, is evidence of the fact that so many countries are seeing that this is a problem that already is or could soon be coming to them. And together, we are sharing best practices, we are developing initiatives, new policies, new programs, new approaches, to be more effective in dealing with the challenge of synthetic drugs. This global coalition has developed, through its working groups – 1,500 participants from all of these countries and these working groups – 120 new specific initiatives for how to effectively address the problem. And we very much appreciate Austria’s very active participation in all three of the working – major working groups that we established. Today we announced the United States Government is taking some additional steps. We’re advocating for the addition of two chemical precursors to the international control list. These are the ingredients that go into making synthetic drugs. And making sure that those key ingredients are controlled is one of the most effective ways to make sure that they’re not illicitly transferred and turned into something like fentanyl. We’ll sponsor a resolution on overdose prevention and response, on harm reduction, and we just pledged an additional $170 million for international efforts to address synthetic drugs through the UNODC, on top of the 100 million that we announced back in September. Finally, I had a chance as well to spend time at the IAEA, and met with Director General Grossi. We discussed the dangers to global security from Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, and in particular, the threat that that has posed to the Zaporizhya nuclear power facility. The IAEA’s efforts to prevent a nuclear catastrophe are in service of quite literally everyone on this planet. We also expressed support for the IAEA safeguards and verification mandate, something that is critical in a variety of places around the world. And in particular, we discussed how we can best support the director general’s efforts to support full Iranian cooperation with its obligations. Beyond the regional, beyond the global partnership, as the foreign minister said, we have an incredibly strong bilateral partnership between our countries. And especially in times of challenge, there’s no greater source of confidence, no greater source of strength, than the kind of friendship and partnership that we have with Austria. Thank you. MODERATOR: Thank you, ministers. The first question – Mr. Schutz, APA. QUESTION: I wanted to ask a question to both of you. It’s about Middle East because there are some brand-new issues. The Israel Government today has approved a military offensive on Rafah. What do you think about that? Is there a risk of a humanitarian disaster? FOREIGN MINISTER SCHALLENBERG: Okay. As I said already at the beginning – and I was just recently, 10 days ago, in the Middle East, and I had discussions on this issue among them with the – our Israeli colleague, Israel Katz, but also in Amman and in Ramallah. At the time, the Israeli – our Israeli friends told us that if an offensive on Rafah were to start, they would supply us with a credible plan on how to deal with the 1-point-plus million refugees, you might say – internally displaced Palestinians – who are now amassed in south of Gaza Strip. And I believe this is necessary. As I said, Israel has – it is in a dilemma. As a rule-of-law state fighting terrorists, it’s a very unequal sort of fight – unequal fight. On the one side you have a terrorist organization, Hamas, not abiding, not respecting any rule, less even humanitarian law. But Israel has to measure itself by international law. And the decision or the plan, as far as I understand, is – doesn’t mean yet that it will be executed immediately, simply that the prime minister was presented with a plan and that he has given a green light. SECRETARY BLINKEN: And I could – the easiest thing for me to do would be to say exactly what the foreign minister said because we have exactly the same position. But simply to repeat, President Biden has been very clear that given the large number of civilians in Rafah – about 1.4 million, many of whom, as the foreign minister said, have been displaced from other parts of Gaza – we have to see a clear and implementable plan not only to get civilians out of harm’s way, but also to make sure that, once out of harm’s way, they are appropriately cared for with shelter, with food, with medicine, with clothing, and we have not yet seen such a plan. MODERATOR: Thank you. Bloomberg, Mr. Marlow. QUESTION: Thank you. Mr. Secretary, thanks. I just have a few questions on Israel-Gaza, also. SECRETARY BLINKEN: A few? (Laughter.) QUESTION: Yeah. Please bear with me. FOREIGN MINISTER SCHALLENBERG: (Off-mike.) QUESTION: We’ve seen increasingly critical comments from President Biden on Gaza in recent weeks, sanctions on West Bank settlers this week from the State Department, and Senator Schumer’s call for Netanyahu to be replaced on Thursday, prompting Israel to say they’re not a banana republic. What do you make of this broader deterioration in ties? And have relations gotten so bad that it could undermine broader U.S. efforts on negotiations about what happens the day after the war? Secondly, President Biden did call an invasion of Rafah a redline, and I know you just discussed this proposal, but it seems that Netanyahu’s – the prime minister’s office in Israel said that they’re now reviewing a plan. Have U.S. officials seen that plan? And is a safe evacuation even possible given that there’s 1.5 million people sheltering there? And just thirdly, a quick last one: Israel also said it’s seen Hamas’s counteroffer on the hostage ceasefire deal. Have U.S. officials reviewed that counteroffer? And does it look like a deal is within reach? And Foreign Minister Schallenberg, a senior U.S. Treasury official visited Vienna earlier this month, telling financial institutions here about the risk of potentially violating sanctions on Russia. Did you discuss this with the Secretary today? And have Austria’s business ties with Russia affected diplomatic ties with the U.S. in any way? Thank you. SECRETARY BLINKEN: Iain, thank you, and I also want to thank you on behalf of your colleagues since you were able to ask presumably their questions as well. (Laughter.) So, look, we are working every single day with the Israeli Government on all of the challenges that the situation poses to Israel, to Palestinians, to other countries in the region, and that’s happening across our governments and it’s happening on a whole variety of issues, including our commitment to help make sure Israel is able to defend itself and not ever see a repeat of October 7th; to make sure, though, at the same time, that more and better is being done to protect civilians in harm’s way in Gaza, to get the humanitarian assistance they so desperately need to the children, to the women, and the men; to look at everything that needs to be done to prevent the conflict from spreading, including to the north with Hizballah, Lebanon, or more broadly in the region. And in each of these instances and so many more – and I’ll come to the hostage question in a moment – we’re working on a – almost more than daily basis with the Government of Israel. As past administrations have worked with Israeli governments, whatever party or persuasion they were, whatever party or persuasion our own government was, that’s the nature of the relationship. Also, the nature of the relationship – and this is particularly true of President Biden, who has such a longstanding history with Israel – as he said and I’m sure you’ve heard him say, he’s worked with every Israeli prime minister going back to Golda Meir. He speaks very directly, very candidly, very openly about our views, our perspectives, our thoughts with our partners. That’s fundamental to the relationship. That’s actually the strength of the relationship, to be able to speak clearly, candidly, and directly. On Rafah, as I’ve said – I won’t repeat it, but you asked specifically have we seen the plan that has been alluded to now in the press, and the answer is no, we’ve not yet seen it. On the hostages, yes, there has been a counterproposal put forward by Hamas. I obviously can’t get into the details of what that involves. But what I can tell you is we’re working intensively with Israel, with Qatar, with Egypt to bridge the remaining gaps and to try to reach an agreement. We have conversations that are happening now as we speak here, and I am convinced they’ll go on into the coming days. Israel has sent back a negotiating team to pursue this. And I think it reflects the sense both of possibility and of urgency to get an agreement, to get a ceasefire, to get the hostages back, to get even more humanitarian assistance in. This is something that we’re committed to, and we will work as long and as hard as it takes to get it done. FOREIGN MINISTER SCHALLENBERG: May I add to this last point here? We see again very much eye to eye with our American friends. We talk about acts of violence of radical settlers, we talk about provocations on holy sites, settlements or calls for displacement. We are friends of Israel as well, but I believe it’s up to friends to find open words, and our line is very clear, very much like yours. I’ve been already in the past calling for sanctions by the European Union on violent extremist settlers. I think their actions are extremely dangerous, and an act of lack of solidarity in the country which is in a fundamental crisis and fight for the time being. And to ignite a fire in the West Bank while the fighting has gone in Gaza is irresponsible and – fully irresponsible. On your question on Russia, we discussed the whole area of relationship with Ukraine, Russia. And it’s no secret that Austria is heavily engaged, was heavily engaged in Ukraine and in Russia. We’re the sixth biggest investor in Ukraine. Two hundred companies are still there and have remained, although war is raging there. And yes, Austrian companies were also present in Russia and are partly still present, as about 95 percent of all Western companies. There are American companies, a lot of them, that are in Russia too. From my perspective and as the foreign minister of Austria, it’s very clear and there’s no doubt and cannot be any doubt about it: Sanctions have to be respected fully, all sanctions in place. There cannot be any exceptions. And we talk very – in a very transparent and open manner on these issues with all our partners within the European Union, and also with our American friends. MODERATOR: Thank you. ORF. QUESTION: Alexander Kofler, Austrian Broadcasting Corporation. A question for Mr. Secretary: What do you think – because you spoke about the energy markets in Europe, what do you think about the still strong dependency of Austria on Russian fossil fuels, gas, and so on? Is there a way for the U.S. to support Austria to become more independent from Russia? Thank you. SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you very much. I think the reason that we’re all – and by “all,” I mean the United States, Europe, and others – are so focused on this issue is because Putin uses energy as a weapon. He’s very effectively weaponized it over the years, and the dependence that built up over many decades in Europe on Russian energy, well, we see the consequence and the price of that. That’s why what’s happened over the last couple of years in Europe more broadly, moving away in ways that I don’t think people could have imagined just a few years ago from that dependence, is so important – because it takes away the strategic weapon that Putin has made of energy. Now, different countries have different energy relationships with Russia, again, that had built up over many, many decades. So, it’s not always easy to change these things in one moment. It’s a process and it’s a transition, but I think we see some very important steps that Austria has taken and is taking. And to that end, for the United States, as we’ve done with many partners in Europe, we want to be able to help, and we have with LNG, liquefied natural gas. We’ll continue to do that. The other thing that’s, I think, very beneficial in this moment is it’s also an opportunity for countries to focus and double down on the transition away from fossil fuels. Again, it’s a transition, it’s not a light switch, but Austria is a company – is a country that’s leading by remarkable example when it comes to renewables in its energy economy, setting a very, very strong example. But I think there are opportunities here to do even more. And, by the way, one of the things that we talked about at the IAEA, again not specific to Austria but just in general, are the opportunities that now exist for nuclear power, including small modular reactors and other new technology that can make a big difference. FOREIGN MINISTER SCHALLENBERG: May I add maybe — SECRETARY BLINKEN: Please. FOREIGN MINISTER SCHALLENBERG: — for the American journalists – the line of the Austrian Government is very clear. We want to move out of Russian gas, because as you said, rightly, for the first time we saw that it can be weaponized. It can be used to exercise pressure. And that is something which I have to point out we – the first agreement between the OMV, the Austrian company, and Gazprom goes back – dates back to 1968. Soviet Union fell apart, they delivered, we paid. Iron Curtain fell, they delivered, we paid. Nobody ever, ever used gas or grain or any other of these products as a leverage. Putin is the first one. It wasn’t Andropov; it wasn’t Chernenko. It wasn’t anybody of those. It wasn’t the Soviet Union. Putin was the first one. So, we – and yes, we, we have probably over the decades – because it was comfortable, it was possible – created a dependency, but we have moved out now aggressively to a certain degree, and we will continue doing so. The aim of the Austrian Government is to be 100 percent independent of Russian gas by 2027. MODERATOR: Thank you. And there’s one last question. New York Times – Mr. Crowley, please. QUESTION: Thank you both. Secretary Blinken, the good news is I have no more questions than my colleague did. (Laughter.) The bad news is I do have a multipart question. On Iran, there was a report this week that the U.S. has conducted secret indirect talks with Iran, in part about its nuclear program. Is there any chance you would comment on that and say what our current message to Iran about its nuclear program might be? Also related to Iran and since you have both talked about Ukraine, what is your latest sense of the possibility that Iran will supply missiles to Russia, presumably for use on the battlefield in Ukraine? And what would be the U.S. and Western response to that? And then very briefly on Haiti, it’s now been more than three days since your trip to Jamaica and the agreement that established plans for this transitional council to appoint members. We were told that would happen within a day or two. We’re now about three or four days past that. There are some reports that that process is not going so well. Are you concerned that that process is breaking down, and is there a plan B if it does? And Mr. Minister, a question that I’m sure is a very familiar part of the debate here in Austria but less familiar to Americans: Now that Sweden and Finland have abandoned their own military neutrality, and joined NATO because of their concerns about Russian aggression, I wonder if you could talk about whether there’s any rethinking of Austria’s own neutrality and any prospect that you might consider NATO membership in the foreseeable future. Thank you both. SECRETARY BLINKEN: Michael, with regard to Iran, our message is clear and it’s public and it’s a message that’s shared by many others countries, notably by France, by the UK, by Germany, by the European Union, which is to stop taking steps to increase its nuclear capacity by spinning more centrifuges and by enriching more uranium, and to move in the other direction. And we’ve been very clear about that. One of the reasons I was here at the IAEA today was precisely to talk about the work the IAEA is doing to try, despite the very challenging circumstances, to make sure that it’s monitoring, verifying, and also holding Iran to its safeguard agreements and requirements that it has under the Non-Proliferation Treaty. So, this is something that we’ve been very clear on, and we’re in very close coordination with European countries on this, with the EU, and also supporting the IAEA. And look, beyond that, I don’t have anything to add, but I think there’s – it’s very clear what we – and by we, I mean all of these countries plus, more broadly, many in the international community – expect of Iran. On the question of Iranian missiles to Russia for use in Ukraine, there too we’ve sent very clear messages to Iran not to do it. And this has been the subject of considerable conversation among a number of countries in Europe and the United States, and I think that the concern about that eventuality and the commitment to address it – if necessary, is very real and very strong. On Haiti – so this is never going to be smooth, never going to be linear. An agreement was reached – a Haitian-led agreement was reached to move to a new transitional administration, a presidential council, one that would be inclusive, that would bring in all the major stakeholders, all the major parties; that would have responsibility for naming a new prime minister – an interim prime minister – naming a national security council, an electoral commission – all with the objective of putting Haiti clearly on the path to elections and to restrengthening its democracy. What we’ve seen over the last 24 hours is there’s seven seats on this transitional council, and most of the parties or stakeholders that were given a seat have actually named their representative to the council. There are a couple that still haven’t so that’s a work in progress, but we’ve seen that move forward. Relatedly, but separately, is the whole question of security in Haiti, because moving forward on a political transition and getting to elections – being able to provide humanitarian assistance to get it to people who need it, as well as helping the economy develop – that – none of that happens if there is profound insecurity, which is what we’ve seen now with the gangs taking over parts of the capital city, Port-au-Prince, challenging the airport, challenging the ports, et cetera. So, as you know, we’ve been working for some many months now on having a Multinational Security Support force led by Kenya with the participation of other African countries, Caribbean countries, go in and support the Haitian National Police, help them regain control of Haiti. And that too is moving forward. We have made additional commitments to that force in terms of our financial contributions, our in-kind contributions. Other countries have stood up in recent weeks, including Canada, with substantial contributions to that force. Once the new council – the – is fully stood up – and again, I would anticipate that happens in the coming days – that process with the force will be able to move forward, and then we have a trajectory that has at least the chance of putting Haiti in a more stable place. But having said all of that, every single day there are challenges to that process. There are political challenges. There’s security challenges. And we’re working to address them, but the Haitian people are leading this process. This is their process, but they have strong support from countries throughout the region in the Caribbean and well beyond. And we’ll continue to try to marshal that support and help them move forward. It’s – look, it’s challenging, but it is moving and we’re committed to doing everything we can to support it. FOREIGN MINISTER SCHALLENBERG: On your question of neutrality – thank you, by the way, because it gives me the opportunity to maybe clarify one of the other point – you’re right to point out that Sweden and Finland took the decision to join NATO. I believe we have to take – we have to be aware that the geographic position – the history of neutrality in these countries, which were actually non-aligned – that’s neutral – is very different. And after the experience of the First and Second World War, which actually started in Central Europe, when we adopted the constitutional law on everlasting – and we call it everlasting neutrality – it was a very important intellectual and emotional step for us, and it became part of our self-perception to a certain degree in this country. According to the Swiss model at the time was – the Swiss neutrality was actually the buzzword. And I want to point out one thing. Our neutrality is a strictly military neutrality. We are not neutral as far as values and principles are concerned. So, if a country – and it might be a permanent member of the UN Security Council – believes that he can kick out all the principles of the UN Charter and simply invade a neighboring country, we won’t stand by idly and simply watch on. We have a very clear position. And that is not new. This is not invented by this government. I always point out in 1956, when Soviet tanks were driving through Budapest, the very young then, fully sovereign Austria – already then at the General Assembly of the UN – supported every resolution against the Soviet Union and even issued one or put one on the table themselves. So, our position has been always very clear, and if you ask why, then I can be very clear, too – because international law is for us not a luxury. It keeps us safe. We need a rule-based international order. We need other countries – whether they’re big or small, whether they have nukes or not – to stick to the rules, to the principle of pacta sunt servanda. So, on these issues, Austria will never be neutral. But in military terms, and we show it in Ukraine, we don’t deliver lethal equipment, but we deliver more humanitarian aid per capita than other countries. That is our approach in this crisis, and we continue on this policy. And I might add that the neutrality has a very strong public support in Austria. Nearly 80 percent of the people stand behind it. So, there is no question on this matter. We fully respect the decision by our friends in Finland and Sweden, but this is not the way we have an intention of going down this now. MODERATOR: Thank you, Excellencies. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. And for those of you who are lucky enough, have a good weekend. Thanks. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with Austrian President Van der Bellen | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/15/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/15/2024 03:18 PM EDT Office of the Spokesperson The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller: Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met with Austrian President Van der Bellen today in Vienna, Austria. Secretary Blinken and President Van der Bellen emphasized the strength of the U.S.-Austria partnership in supporting humanitarian needs in Ukraine and continuing to enforce the integrity of EU sanctions on Russia. The Secretary thanked Austria for critical humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians in Gaza and support for Israel’s right to ensure October 7 can never be repeated. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Secretary Antony J. Blinken And Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg At a Joint Press Availability | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/15/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/15/2024 02:59 PM EDT Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State Vienna, Austria Federal Chancellery MODERATOR: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the press conference on the occasion of the visit of U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Vienna. Following the remarks of the two ministers, there will be time for some questions. And I would like Mr. Schallenberg to give his remarks. FOREIGN MINISTER SCHALLENBERG: To the Secretary of State, dear Tony, ladies and gentlemen, a very warm welcome to you. It’s a real treat and pleasure to have you here in Vienna, and I believe your presence is not only a visible sign of our strong partnership – only a year ago, I had the pleasure to visit you in Washington, D.C. – it is also – very much appreciate sign of your support for the work of the UN, or the United Nations, and in particular, the UNODC, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. And I can tell you that Austria is a very committed member of your Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug Threats. I believe the fight against the scourge of organized crime and drug trafficking needs our full attention and more than less international cooperation. And you can be assured that we will stand together with our partners in this fight. Together with the chancellor, Karl Nehammer, we had a very good exchange on a number of geopolitical hotspots which are on top of our, again, agenda on both sides of the Atlantic – either Russian continued war of aggression against Ukraine, the dire situation in the Middle East, or the stabilization of the Western Balkans. And the convergence – our convergence on these issues illustrates a strong and solid foundation on which the Austrian-American strategic partnership is built. And our partnership, and if I may say so, our friendship – also personal friendship – is not only based on common interests, it is more based even on common values and our common commitment to the rule of law, to checks and balances, to democracy, and to fundamental freedoms. And, yes, you have probably heard me very repeatedly say that I believe that Europe and the U.S. have probably taken each other too much for granted over the last couple of years, but this has fundamentally changed, I believe. And in these trying times, we realize that we do not only share but we also have to defend the values that unite us. And in face of Russian’s aggression against Ukraine, including its hybrid actions and activities, it is more important than ever that we continue to stand together side by side. And I believe very strongly that how we act together now will significantly impact on the way we are seen for the decades to come. We all know that others, other actors on this planet, watching us. And talking about the Middle East, here we are equally strongly like-minded countries. Our commitment to Israel’s security and right to self-defense remains ironclad, but it is very clear that more needs to be done to protect civilians in Gaza. Humanitarian law, and that is very clear, applies to everyone, everywhere. And without doubt, we know that the military offenses – offensive in Rafah, without a credible plan what to do to protect the civilians, will trigger only terror and disaster. We urgently need a humanitarian pause to get the hostages out of Gaza and more humanitarian aid into Gaza. And we should never forget that among these over 130 hostages, there’s one Austrian-Israeli family father who now for 161 days is in the hands of Hamas. And in this respect, I’m extremely thankful, not only to the vital role of the United States, but also to your personal tireless and extraordinary commitment of engagement in the region. And I welcome any initiative that enables more humanitarian aid to reach the people in Gaza. The Austrian Republic itself has offered 23 million euro in support, and I know that we are talking now about the sea or airborne help. I believe we have to do everything together to protect the people in need there. And we also discussed a region, which is a neighboring region to Austria which is close to our heart, which is the Western Balkans. And here again we are both committed to the European future of this region and its citizens. And I just wanted to point out, among the many things we do together, the Austrian – the Austrian-American program Speak Up – and Bosnia and Herzegovina is for me a prime example of the cooperation between the United States and Austria can really do a difference on the ground. And we know now that we have important decisions coming up: European Council on Bosnia and Herzegovina opening the accession talks. And there are still very strongly advocates for this step because in view of the – you could say the circle of fire surrounding Europe, we have to make sure that our immediate neighborhood is stabilized. And there’s no vacuum in politics. So, either we manage to export our model of life, our stability, our security, or we risk being confronted with growing insecurity and instability. And let me add finally on a more bilateral note that the United States is not only our second biggest trade partner in export market, and significant investments are actually ongoing in United States, but I’m also extremely happy to see how our strategic partnership is prospering, also thanks to the work of the – of our Austrian ambassador and Washington ambassador – American ambassador here in Vienna. I’m happy to say that we – just a couple of weeks ago – signed the Working Holiday Program, which is a very good thing; and the Austrian-American Media Fellowship Program, which we already launched a couple of years ago, is proving to be a true success story. So, I believe with these programs we push our strategic partnership on a new level, and this level should be even expanded. We need more than less people-to-people contact. We want more exchange, more dialogue. We have to understand each other. And I believe in this year, 2024, it’s probably more important than in others. We have important elections coming up in Austria and in the United States. On all these issues, I can assure you Austria is a strong partner, and for us, you are an indispensable friend. And again, on this note, thank you for being here. And I’m happy to welcome you and happy for the talks we have here in Vienna, and we had already in the past. Thank you. MODERATOR: Thank you, Minister. Mr. Secretary, the floor is yours. SECRETARY BLINKEN: Well, Minister Schallenberg, Alexander, my friend, my colleague, thank you. Thank you for the incredibly warm welcome, and my thanks as well and especially to the chancellor for the extremely productive, and in-depth conversation that we just had. I greatly appreciate it and value it. And yes, the fundamental fact is that we have deep appreciation for the friendship between Austria and the United States and the partnership between our countries, a partnership for freedom, for security, for prosperity. In so many ways, in so many places, our countries are working together to try to continuously move in that direction. Here in Europe, the Russian aggression against Ukraine continues, but Austria has been a stalwart supporter of Ukraine from day one and a key member of an alliance of more than 50 countries coming together in different ways to support Ukraine. Austria may be militarily neutral, but it is very much not politically neutral. And we see that in the extraordinarily generous support that the Austrian people have provided to Ukrainian refugees. We see it in the humanitarian assistance that Austria is providing to people in Ukraine and, of course, the strong support for the European Union sanctions to try to make sure that the Russians and Putin don’t have the resources to continue to fuel the war machine that continues this aggression against Ukraine. We discussed this. We discussed as well the energy situation for Europe, and here, I have to say what’s happened over the last couple of years is quite remarkable: the move away from dependence on Russian energy. The United States has very much supported this move, including with liquefied natural gas. And we discussed the ongoing transition that countries are making really redrawing the energy map of Europe at a critical time. As the foreign minister mentioned, we’re also collaborating on other key regional priorities, and notably the Western Balkans. And here, I really have to commend Austria’s longstanding leadership and the foreign minister’s personal leadership and engagement. This is something that is near and dear to our hearts, and especially President Biden, because for the President and for me – when I started out the 1990s, so much of the focus of the world was on the Balkans, on Bosnia, on Kosovo. And one thing we don’t need, that Europe doesn’t need, and especially the people of the Western Balkans don’t need is a back-to-the-future moment, where we find ourselves back in the 1990s. And thanks to the engagement of Austria, the leadership of Austria, we’re moving decisively in a different direction, a positive direction, a direction in which the Western Balkans is genuinely integrated with Europe. We share the goal of a democratic, prosperous, peaceful region integrated with the rest of Europe. The European Commission’s recommendation to open accession talks and negotiations with Bosnia Herzegovina is something that’s very welcome. We fully support their Euro-Atlantic path, including with the European Union. And we also encourage the leaders in Bosnia and Herzegovina to move past divisions to pursue reform, reform necessary to move down the path toward the EU. And here, we really benefited from the foreign minister’s insights, not just from his recent visit but from all his engagement. And here, we will continue to partner strongly. The foreign minister mentioned the emerging voices program that we have together. We want to make sure that this new generation and the region that its voice is heard, because it’s a voice for peace, for security, for stability, for opportunity, and that comes with the path toward the European Union. We’re also working together to support an improvement of relations between Kosovo and Serbia. There, the EU-facilitated dialogue is the only viable mechanism, the only viable path forward. We need to see good-faith, constructive efforts by both Kosovo and Serbia to stabilize the relationship and to move down that path, keep tensions low, to increase coordination, to increase transparency with international partners, to implement all of the commitments that are in the dialogue. Austria is also, has long been, and remains a vibrant crossroads for the world and for the international community, hosting here so many UN agencies and organizations that are doing critical work to actually address the challenges that people are facing all around the world. One of my priorities for this visit was to spend time with the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs at their 67th session. It’s the first time that someone in my position as secretary of state has actually taken part in this very, very important meeting. And I think it’s a testament to our commitment to and our conviction that partnerships are the best way to address shared challenges. Now, why are we here today for that? It’s pretty simple. In the United States, there is virtually not a town, a city, or a state that has not been affected and in some cases devastated by synthetic opioids – and notably fentanyl. More than 40 percent of the American people knows someone who died from an opioid overdose. The number one killer of Americans age 18 to 45 is fentanyl. So, this has to be – and this is – a priority for President Biden, for our administration, for our country. We’ve also seen that while we may have been the canary in the coalmine on one synthetic opioid, fentanyl, while we were first, unfortunately we’re not last. And we see that as markets get saturated in the United States and even in our own hemisphere, the cartels, the criminal organizations, are trying to make markets elsewhere. That’s one of the reasons, along with the fact that other drugs – methamphetamines, ketamine, Captagon – in different parts of the world, are having devastating impacts. And so, you’re seeing countries increasingly come together because we know, because of the international nature of this challenge, that we have to work together if we’re going to be effective. Last July the United States put together a global coalition to address synthetic drugs. We had about 80 countries at our first meeting; we’re now up to over 151 countries and 14 international organizations. And that, again, is evidence of the fact that so many countries are seeing that this is a problem that already is or could soon be coming to them. And together, we are sharing best practices, we are developing initiatives, new policies, new programs, new approaches, to be more effective in dealing with the challenge of synthetic drugs. This global coalition has developed, through its working groups – 1,500 participants from all of these countries and these working groups – 120 new specific initiatives for how to effectively address the problem. And we very much appreciate Austria’s very active participation in all three of the working – major working groups that we established. Today we announced the United States Government is taking some additional steps. We’re advocating for the addition of two chemical precursors to the international control list. These are the ingredients that go into making synthetic drugs. And making sure that those key ingredients are controlled is one of the most effective ways to make sure that they’re not illicitly transferred and turned into something like fentanyl. We’ll sponsor a resolution on overdose prevention and response, on harm reduction, and we just pledged an additional $170 million for international efforts to address synthetic drugs through the UNODC, on top of the 100 million that we announced back in September. Finally, I had a chance as well to spend time at the IAEA, and met with Director General Grossi. We discussed the dangers to global security from Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, and in particular, the threat that that has posed to the Zaporizhya nuclear power facility. The IAEA’s efforts to prevent a nuclear catastrophe are in service of quite literally everyone on this planet. We also expressed support for the IAEA safeguards and verification mandate, something that is critical in a variety of places around the world. And in particular, we discussed how we can best support the director general’s efforts to support full Iranian cooperation with its obligations. Beyond the regional, beyond the global partnership, as the foreign minister said, we have an incredibly strong bilateral partnership between our countries. And especially in times of challenge, there’s no greater source of confidence, no greater source of strength, than the kind of friendship and partnership that we have with Austria. Thank you. MODERATOR: Thank you, ministers. The first question – Mr. Schutz, APA. QUESTION: I wanted to ask a question to both of you. It’s about Middle East because there are some brand-new issues. The Israel Government today has approved a military offensive on Rafah. What do you think about that? Is there a risk of a humanitarian disaster? FOREIGN MINISTER SCHALLENBERG: Okay. As I said already at the beginning – and I was just recently, 10 days ago, in the Middle East, and I had discussions on this issue among them with the – our Israeli colleague, Israel Katz, but also in Amman and in Ramallah. At the time, the Israeli – our Israeli friends told us that if an offensive on Rafah were to start, they would supply us with a credible plan on how to deal with the 1-point-plus million refugees, you might say – internally displaced Palestinians – who are now amassed in south of Gaza Strip. And I believe this is necessary. As I said, Israel has – it is in a dilemma. As a rule-of-law state fighting terrorists, it’s a very unequal sort of fight – unequal fight. On the one side you have a terrorist organization, Hamas, not abiding, not respecting any rule, less even humanitarian law. But Israel has to measure itself by international law. And the decision or the plan, as far as I understand, is – doesn’t mean yet that it will be executed immediately, simply that the prime minister was presented with a plan and that he has given a green light. SECRETARY BLINKEN: And I could – the easiest thing for me to do would be to say exactly what the foreign minister said because we have exactly the same position. But simply to repeat, President Biden has been very clear that given the large number of civilians in Rafah – about 1.4 million, many of whom, as the foreign minister said, have been displaced from other parts of Gaza – we have to see a clear and implementable plan not only to get civilians out of harm’s way, but also to make sure that, once out of harm’s way, they are appropriately cared for with shelter, with food, with medicine, with clothing, and we have not yet seen such a plan. MODERATOR: Thank you. Bloomberg, Mr. Marlow. QUESTION: Thank you. Mr. Secretary, thanks. I just have a few questions on Israel-Gaza, also. SECRETARY BLINKEN: A few? (Laughter.) QUESTION: Yeah. Please bear with me. FOREIGN MINISTER SCHALLENBERG: (Off-mike.) QUESTION: We’ve seen increasingly critical comments from President Biden on Gaza in recent weeks, sanctions on West Bank settlers this week from the State Department, and Senator Schumer’s call for Netanyahu to be replaced on Thursday, prompting Israel to say they’re not a banana republic. What do you make of this broader deterioration in ties? And have relations gotten so bad that it could undermine broader U.S. efforts on negotiations about what happens the day after the war? Secondly, President Biden did call an invasion of Rafah a redline, and I know you just discussed this proposal, but it seems that Netanyahu’s – the prime minister’s office in Israel said that they’re now reviewing a plan. Have U.S. officials seen that plan? And is a safe evacuation even possible given that there’s 1.5 million people sheltering there? And just thirdly, a quick last one: Israel also said it’s seen Hamas’s counteroffer on the hostage ceasefire deal. Have U.S. officials reviewed that counteroffer? And does it look like a deal is within reach? And Foreign Minister Schallenberg, a senior U.S. Treasury official visited Vienna earlier this month, telling financial institutions here about the risk of potentially violating sanctions on Russia. Did you discuss this with the Secretary today? And have Austria’s business ties with Russia affected diplomatic ties with the U.S. in any way? Thank you. SECRETARY BLINKEN: Iain, thank you, and I also want to thank you on behalf of your colleagues since you were able to ask presumably their questions as well. (Laughter.) So, look, we are working every single day with the Israeli Government on all of the challenges that the situation poses to Israel, to Palestinians, to other countries in the region, and that’s happening across our governments and it’s happening on a whole variety of issues, including our commitment to help make sure Israel is able to defend itself and not ever see a repeat of October 7th; to make sure, though, at the same time, that more and better is being done to protect civilians in harm’s way in Gaza, to get the humanitarian assistance they so desperately need to the children, to the women, and the men; to look at everything that needs to be done to prevent the conflict from spreading, including to the north with Hizballah, Lebanon, or more broadly in the region. And in each of these instances and so many more – and I’ll come to the hostage question in a moment – we’re working on a – almost more than daily basis with the Government of Israel. As past administrations have worked with Israeli governments, whatever party or persuasion they were, whatever party or persuasion our own government was, that’s the nature of the relationship. Also, the nature of the relationship – and this is particularly true of President Biden, who has such a longstanding history with Israel – as he said and I’m sure you’ve heard him say, he’s worked with every Israeli prime minister going back to Golda Meir. He speaks very directly, very candidly, very openly about our views, our perspectives, our thoughts with our partners. That’s fundamental to the relationship. That’s actually the strength of the relationship, to be able to speak clearly, candidly, and directly. On Rafah, as I’ve said – I won’t repeat it, but you asked specifically have we seen the plan that has been alluded to now in the press, and the answer is no, we’ve not yet seen it. On the hostages, yes, there has been a counterproposal put forward by Hamas. I obviously can’t get into the details of what that involves. But what I can tell you is we’re working intensively with Israel, with Qatar, with Egypt to bridge the remaining gaps and to try to reach an agreement. We have conversations that are happening now as we speak here, and I am convinced they’ll go on into the coming days. Israel has sent back a negotiating team to pursue this. And I think it reflects the sense both of possibility and of urgency to get an agreement, to get a ceasefire, to get the hostages back, to get even more humanitarian assistance in. This is something that we’re committed to, and we will work as long and as hard as it takes to get it done. FOREIGN MINISTER SCHALLENBERG: May I add to this last point here? We see again very much eye to eye with our American friends. We talk about acts of violence of radical settlers, we talk about provocations on holy sites, settlements or calls for displacement. We are friends of Israel as well, but I believe it’s up to friends to find open words, and our line is very clear, very much like yours. I’ve been already in the past calling for sanctions by the European Union on violent extremist settlers. I think their actions are extremely dangerous, and an act of lack of solidarity in the country which is in a fundamental crisis and fight for the time being. And to ignite a fire in the West Bank while the fighting has gone in Gaza is irresponsible and – fully irresponsible. On your question on Russia, we discussed the whole area of relationship with Ukraine, Russia. And it’s no secret that Austria is heavily engaged, was heavily engaged in Ukraine and in Russia. We’re the sixth biggest investor in Ukraine. Two hundred companies are still there and have remained, although war is raging there. And yes, Austrian companies were also present in Russia and are partly still present, as about 95 percent of all Western companies. There are American companies, a lot of them, that are in Russia too. From my perspective and as the foreign minister of Austria, it’s very clear and there’s no doubt and cannot be any doubt about it: Sanctions have to be respected fully, all sanctions in place. There cannot be any exceptions. And we talk very – in a very transparent and open manner on these issues with all our partners within the European Union, and also with our American friends. MODERATOR: Thank you. ORF. QUESTION: Alexander Kofler, Austrian Broadcasting Corporation. A question for Mr. Secretary: What do you think – because you spoke about the energy markets in Europe, what do you think about the still strong dependency of Austria on Russian fossil fuels, gas, and so on? Is there a way for the U.S. to support Austria to become more independent from Russia? Thank you. SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you very much. I think the reason that we’re all – and by “all,” I mean the United States, Europe, and others – are so focused on this issue is because Putin uses energy as a weapon. He’s very effectively weaponized it over the years, and the dependence that built up over many decades in Europe on Russian energy, well, we see the consequence and the price of that. That’s why what’s happened over the last couple of years in Europe more broadly, moving away in ways that I don’t think people could have imagined just a few years ago from that dependence, is so important – because it takes away the strategic weapon that Putin has made of energy. Now, different countries have different energy relationships with Russia, again, that had built up over many, many decades. So, it’s not always easy to change these things in one moment. It’s a process and it’s a transition, but I think we see some very important steps that Austria has taken and is taking. And to that end, for the United States, as we’ve done with many partners in Europe, we want to be able to help, and we have with LNG, liquefied natural gas. We’ll continue to do that. The other thing that’s, I think, very beneficial in this moment is it’s also an opportunity for countries to focus and double down on the transition away from fossil fuels. Again, it’s a transition, it’s not a light switch, but Austria is a company – is a country that’s leading by remarkable example when it comes to renewables in its energy economy, setting a very, very strong example. But I think there are opportunities here to do even more. And, by the way, one of the things that we talked about at the IAEA, again not specific to Austria but just in general, are the opportunities that now exist for nuclear power, including small modular reactors and other new technology that can make a big difference. FOREIGN MINISTER SCHALLENBERG: May I add maybe — SECRETARY BLINKEN: Please. FOREIGN MINISTER SCHALLENBERG: — for the American journalists – the line of the Austrian Government is very clear. We want to move out of Russian gas, because as you said, rightly, for the first time we saw that it can be weaponized. It can be used to exercise pressure. And that is something which I have to point out we – the first agreement between the OMV, the Austrian company, and Gazprom goes back – dates back to 1968. Soviet Union fell apart, they delivered, we paid. Iron Curtain fell, they delivered, we paid. Nobody ever, ever used gas or grain or any other of these products as a leverage. Putin is the first one. It wasn’t Andropov; it wasn’t Chernenko. It wasn’t anybody of those. It wasn’t the Soviet Union. Putin was the first one. So, we – and yes, we, we have probably over the decades – because it was comfortable, it was possible – created a dependency, but we have moved out now aggressively to a certain degree, and we will continue doing so. The aim of the Austrian Government is to be 100 percent independent of Russian gas by 2027. MODERATOR: Thank you. And there’s one last question. New York Times – Mr. Crowley, please. QUESTION: Thank you both. Secretary Blinken, the good news is I have no more questions than my colleague did. (Laughter.) The bad news is I do have a multipart question. On Iran, there was a report this week that the U.S. has conducted secret indirect talks with Iran, in part about its nuclear program. Is there any chance you would comment on that and say what our current message to Iran about its nuclear program might be? Also related to Iran and since you have both talked about Ukraine, what is your latest sense of the possibility that Iran will supply missiles to Russia, presumably for use on the battlefield in Ukraine? And what would be the U.S. and Western response to that? And then very briefly on Haiti, it’s now been more than three days since your trip to Jamaica and the agreement that established plans for this transitional council to appoint members. We were told that would happen within a day or two. We’re now about three or four days past that. There are some reports that that process is not going so well. Are you concerned that that process is breaking down, and is there a plan B if it does? And Mr. Minister, a question that I’m sure is a very familiar part of the debate here in Austria but less familiar to Americans: Now that Sweden and Finland have abandoned their own military neutrality, and joined NATO because of their concerns about Russian aggression, I wonder if you could talk about whether there’s any rethinking of Austria’s own neutrality and any prospect that you might consider NATO membership in the foreseeable future. Thank you both. SECRETARY BLINKEN: Michael, with regard to Iran, our message is clear and it’s public and it’s a message that’s shared by many others countries, notably by France, by the UK, by Germany, by the European Union, which is to stop taking steps to increase its nuclear capacity by spinning more centrifuges and by enriching more uranium, and to move in the other direction. And we’ve been very clear about that. One of the reasons I was here at the IAEA today was precisely to talk about the work the IAEA is doing to try, despite the very challenging circumstances, to make sure that it’s monitoring, verifying, and also holding Iran to its safeguard agreements and requirements that it has under the Non-Proliferation Treaty. So, this is something that we’ve been very clear on, and we’re in very close coordination with European countries on this, with the EU, and also supporting the IAEA. And look, beyond that, I don’t have anything to add, but I think there’s – it’s very clear what we – and by we, I mean all of these countries plus, more broadly, many in the international community – expect of Iran. On the question of Iranian missiles to Russia for use in Ukraine, there too we’ve sent very clear messages to Iran not to do it. And this has been the subject of considerable conversation among a number of countries in Europe and the United States, and I think that the concern about that eventuality and the commitment to address it – if necessary, is very real and very strong. On Haiti – so this is never going to be smooth, never going to be linear. An agreement was reached – a Haitian-led agreement was reached to move to a new transitional administration, a presidential council, one that would be inclusive, that would bring in all the major stakeholders, all the major parties; that would have responsibility for naming a new prime minister – an interim prime minister – naming a national security council, an electoral commission – all with the objective of putting Haiti clearly on the path to elections and to restrengthening its democracy. What we’ve seen over the last 24 hours is there’s seven seats on this transitional council, and most of the parties or stakeholders that were given a seat have actually named their representative to the council. There are a couple that still haven’t so that’s a work in progress, but we’ve seen that move forward. Relatedly, but separately, is the whole question of security in Haiti, because moving forward on a political transition and getting to elections – being able to provide humanitarian assistance to get it to people who need it, as well as helping the economy develop – that – none of that happens if there is profound insecurity, which is what we’ve seen now with the gangs taking over parts of the capital city, Port-au-Prince, challenging the airport, challenging the ports, et cetera. So, as you know, we’ve been working for some many months now on having a Multinational Security Support force led by Kenya with the participation of other African countries, Caribbean countries, go in and support the Haitian National Police, help them regain control of Haiti. And that too is moving forward. We have made additional commitments to that force in terms of our financial contributions, our in-kind contributions. Other countries have stood up in recent weeks, including Canada, with substantial contributions to that force. Once the new council – the – is fully stood up – and again, I would anticipate that happens in the coming days – that process with the force will be able to move forward, and then we have a trajectory that has at least the chance of putting Haiti in a more stable place. But having said all of that, every single day there are challenges to that process. There are political challenges. There’s security challenges. And we’re working to address them, but the Haitian people are leading this process. This is their process, but they have strong support from countries throughout the region in the Caribbean and well beyond. And we’ll continue to try to marshal that support and help them move forward. It’s – look, it’s challenging, but it is moving and we’re committed to doing everything we can to support it. FOREIGN MINISTER SCHALLENBERG: On your question of neutrality – thank you, by the way, because it gives me the opportunity to maybe clarify one of the other point – you’re right to point out that Sweden and Finland took the decision to join NATO. I believe we have to take – we have to be aware that the geographic position – the history of neutrality in these countries, which were actually non-aligned – that’s neutral – is very different. And after the experience of the First and Second World War, which actually started in Central Europe, when we adopted the constitutional law on everlasting – and we call it everlasting neutrality – it was a very important intellectual and emotional step for us, and it became part of our self-perception to a certain degree in this country. According to the Swiss model at the time was – the Swiss neutrality was actually the buzzword. And I want to point out one thing. Our neutrality is a strictly military neutrality. We are not neutral as far as values and principles are concerned. So, if a country – and it might be a permanent member of the UN Security Council – believes that he can kick out all the principles of the UN Charter and simply invade a neighboring country, we won’t stand by idly and simply watch on. We have a very clear position. And that is not new. This is not invented by this government. I always point out in 1956, when Soviet tanks were driving through Budapest, the very young then, fully sovereign Austria – already then at the General Assembly of the UN – supported every resolution against the Soviet Union and even issued one or put one on the table themselves. So, our position has been always very clear, and if you ask why, then I can be very clear, too – because international law is for us not a luxury. It keeps us safe. We need a rule-based international order. We need other countries – whether they’re big or small, whether they have nukes or not – to stick to the rules, to the principle of pacta sunt servanda. So, on these issues, Austria will never be neutral. But in military terms, and we show it in Ukraine, we don’t deliver lethal equipment, but we deliver more humanitarian aid per capita than other countries. That is our approach in this crisis, and we continue on this policy. And I might add that the neutrality has a very strong public support in Austria. Nearly 80 percent of the people stand behind it. So, there is no question on this matter. We fully respect the decision by our friends in Finland and Sweden, but this is not the way we have an intention of going down this now. MODERATOR: Thank you, Excellencies. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. And for those of you who are lucky enough, have a good weekend. Thanks. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 68th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women – High-Level Meeting To Advance Women’s Political Participation and Leadership in the Digital Age | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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03/15/2024 03:29 PM EDT 68th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women – High-Level Meeting To Advance Women’s Political Participation and Leadership in the Digital AgeMedia Note March 15, 2024 On March 13, on the margins of the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women, the Government of the United States alongside the Governments of Canada, Colombia, and the United Kingdom, co-sponsored a high- This high-level meeting focused on opportunities for collaboration to address the consistent underrepresentation of women at all levels of public life, politics and government, including peace and security decision-making processes. Women leaders, researchers, and experts from civil society highlighted how longstanding barriers to women’s political participation and leadership—including lack of access to political networks and resources as well as gender-based violence both online and offline—continue to undermine their inclusion and advancement in democratic processes. Several participants noted that threats to women leaders have proliferated with the increased adoption of digital technologies and are likely to continue to grow with new and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence. Participants noted the urgency of addressing these systemic barriers to ensure a level playing field for elections set to take place around the world this year. To address these issues, senior leaders from the Biden-Harris Administration invited partners to join a new multistakeholder initiative to advance women’s political participation and leadership in the digital age. This initiative, which the United States intends to launch on the margins of the 75th NATO Summit, will convene governments, philanthropy, civil society, private sector, and multilateral organizations to For more information, please contact StateGWI@state.gov. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Joint Statement by Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and Minister for Foreign Affairs Javier González-Olachea | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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03/15/2024 03:34 PM EDT Office of the Spokesperson The text of the following statement was released by the Governments of the United States of America and Peru. Begin Text Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Peru Javier González-Olaechea met on March 14 in Washington, D.C., to discuss a wide range of shared values and interests, including They emphasized the importance of further strengthening the strategic partnership between our countries, including through the first High-Level The Secretary and Minister agreed to establish a working group to reinforce our cooperation to enhance citizen security and bolster the fight against transnational Agreeing on the need for a safe, prosperous, and democratic Haiti, they underscored the importance of supporting a successful deployment of the Haiti Multinational Security Support mission in line with UN Security Council Resolution 2699 (2023). Both parties concurred that democracy is indispensable for stability, peace, economic and social development, and respect for human rights, and that strong and independent institutions and the separation of powers are crucial to healthy democracies. Recognizing the significant beneficial outcomes for the people of both countries of the U.S.-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement , which entered into force 15 years ago, and our shared goals to build a more resilient and prosperous region though the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity (APEP), the Secretary and Foreign Minister prioritized promoting more investment in strategic areas such as energy – including critical minerals that are necessary for energy transition – and sustainable infrastructure. The Secretary welcomed Peru’s invitation for a U.S. business mission to visit Peru. The Secretary and Minister reaffirmed both countries’ commitment to inclusive and sustainable economic growth that respects the environment. The Secretary and Minister recognized the global and regional challenges posed by migration and the importance of prioritizing the protection, safety, and socio-economic integration of refugees and migrants, in accordance with the principles of the Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection. They renewed their commitment to further cooperation on this matter. In recognition of Peru’s rich culture and history and the success of our cultural property agreement, the United States Government returned to Peru an important 16th century document recently recovered by the FBI. This rare work, dated June 28, 1599, is a contract for the formation in Lima of the first-ever theatrical company in the Americas. End text | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Targeting Entity and Vessel Shipping Commodities for Qods Force and Houthi-Affiliated Network | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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03/15/2024 03:53 PM EDT Matthew Miller, Department Spokesperson The United States is today designating one entity and identifying one vessel as blocked property for involvement in illicit trade on behalf of the Houthis and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF). The United States is steadfast in its commitment to countering terrorist financing and will continue to use all available means to disrupt significant ongoing illicit commercial activity. The Department of the Treasury designations were taken pursuant to Executive Order 13224 , as amended. For more information on today’s action, see Treasury’s press release . | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bureau of Energy Resources (ENR) Participation at CERAWeek | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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03/15/2024 04:42 PM EDT Bureau of Energy Resources (ENR) Participation at CERAWeekMedia Note March 15, 2024 Assistant Secretary Geoffrey R. Pyatt will lead the Department of State delegation to CERAWeek, the world’s largest energy gathering, March 18-21 in Houston. The delegation will meet with American private sector and government counterparts and speak on panels covering topics including U.S. support for Ukraine, global energy security, At CERAWeek, Assistant Secretary Pyatt will speak on critical aspects of U.S. energy diplomacy, including the United States’ efforts to support Ukraine and its energy sector, critical minerals, and energy security and decarbonization efforts in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Central Asia. Assistant Secretary Pyatt and the ENR delegation will also meet with government and private sector counterparts to discuss ensuring diversified and resilient supply chains for the energy transition, Russia energy sanctions and the oil price cap, and increasing women’s participation in the energy sector. CERAWeek is an annual conference convening key global actors from across the global energy sector, including government and the private sector. For further media information, please contact ENR-PD-Clearances@state.gov. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bureau of Energy Resources (ENR) Participation at CERAWeek | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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03/15/2024 04:42 PM EDT Bureau of Energy Resources (ENR) Participation at CERAWeekMedia Note March 15, 2024 Assistant Secretary Geoffrey R. Pyatt will lead the Department of State delegation to CERAWeek, the world’s largest energy gathering, March 18-21 in Houston. The delegation will meet with American private sector and government counterparts and speak on panels covering topics including U.S. support for Ukraine, global energy security, At CERAWeek, Assistant Secretary Pyatt will speak on critical aspects of U.S. energy diplomacy, including the United States’ efforts to support Ukraine and its energy sector, critical minerals, and energy security and decarbonization efforts in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Central Asia. Assistant Secretary Pyatt and the ENR delegation will also meet with government and private sector counterparts to discuss ensuring diversified and resilient supply chains for the energy transition, Russia energy sanctions and the oil price cap, and increasing women’s participation in the energy sector. CERAWeek is an annual conference convening key global actors from across the global energy sector, including government and the private sector. For further media information, please contact ENR-PD-Clearances@state.gov. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Joint Statement on the 11th United States-European Union Energy Council | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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03/15/2024 06:24 PM EDT Joint Statement on the 11th United States-European Union Energy CouncilMedia Note March 15, 2024 The text of the following statement was released by the Government of the United States and the European Union. Begin text: 1. The eleventh United States-European Union (EU) Energy Council (“Council”) met today in Washington, chaired by U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy David M. Turk, European Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson, and EEAS Acting Deputy Secretary General Bélen Martinez Carbonell. The Deputy Head of Mission of the Kingdom of Belgium to the United States of America, Sophie Karlshausen, represented the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. 2. The U.S.-EU Energy Council serves as the lead transatlantic forum for coordinating strategic energy issues at political and technical levels. Transatlantic energy cooperation is vital to advancing diverse and resilient energy systems, bolstering energy security, promoting stability and transparency in global energy markets, and accelerating just energy transitions consistent with our mutual commitment to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions at home and globally by 2050. 3. On this occasion, the Council also recognized the important work of the U.S.-EU Task Force on Energy Security, which helped ensure the EU’s energy security, achieve a 99% EU natural gas storage filling level ahead of the winter 2023-24, and phase out reliance on Russian fossil fuels. Moving forward, the EU and the US will continue working closely together and build on these efforts to ensure energy security in Europe and beyond and contribute to decarbonization globally. 4. The Council welcomed the outcome of the first global stocktake under the Paris Agreement, including the call on all Paris Agreement Parties to come forward in their next nationally determined contributions with ambitious, economy-wide emission reduction targets, covering all greenhouse gases, sectors and categories and aligned with limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. The Council also emphasized the need for the world to transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems in a just, orderly, and equitable manner, accelerating action in this critical decade, so as to achieve net zero by 2050 in keeping with the science. 5. In this context, the Council reiterated the urgency of phasing out unabated coal in the energy sector globally, in particular ending the continued investment in new coal-fired power plants. The Council underlined its commitment to advance on the COP28 goals of tripling renewable energy capacity and doubling the global average annual rate of energy efficiency improvements by 2030, including through action at national, regional, and local levels. Energy systems with diverse and resilient supply chains that do not overly rely on a single supplier for fuels, critical raw materials and minerals, or other inputs are key to reducing dependencies and countering attempts to weaponize energy. Reinforcing Support for Ukraine and Eliminating the Threat of Russia Weaponizing Energy6. The Council reaffirmed its enduring commitment to Ukraine and its people. We strongly condemn Russia’s illegal and unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine, including attacks on the nation’s energy and civil infrastructure. We stress the need to continue military support, notably air defense, to protect such infrastructure, and are increasing our efforts to provide humanitarian aid and critical energy sector assistance. We reiterate our demand for Russia to immediately and unconditionally withdraw all its military forces and equipment from the entire territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders. The Council stresses the importance of security and stability in the Black Sea. 7. The Council acknowledged the important contributions of the United States, the EU, and its Member States, including through the G7+ coordination group, to provide Ukraine with essential material, technical, and financial assistance to rapidly repair, restore, and defend its energy systems and to support Ukraine’s efforts to build a more resilient, sustainable, and decentralized energy system that is more integrated with Europe. The Council highlighted the will of the G7+ group to work with Ukraine on its Integrated National Energy and Climate Plan and to implement the Clean Energy Partnership including further necessary reforms, which are essential to attracting private sector investment for Ukraine’s green recovery and reconstruction. 8. The Council welcomed Ukraine’s formal membership in the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E) and commended the completion of required actions to enable its permanent synchronization with the power systems of continental Europe. This milestone enhances regional energy security and helps enable Ukraine and Europe to accelerate the broader energy transition. The United States and the EU also recalled the growing number of cyber and physical threats to energy infrastructure and plan to continue related cooperation to bolster resilient energy systems, including in the context of the ongoing synchronization of the Baltic States’ electricity networks with the Continental European Network. 9. The Council reiterated its strong condemnation of Russia’s continued control as well as irresponsible and dangerous actions at and around Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (ZNPP) that puts countless people at risk. The Council reaffirmed its support for the five concrete principles presented by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General to the UN Security Council and for the Agency’s work to apply safeguards and assist Ukraine in managing the safety and security of its nuclear facilities. The Council welcomed Ukraine joining the IAEA Board of Governors. The United States and the EU strongly call on Russia to heed the resolutions of the IAEA Board of Governors and General Conference, to unconditionally withdraw its personnel and military equipment from the ZNPP, to give full and unhindered access to IAEA experts to all areas of the ZNPP, and to return its full control to its rightful owner, Ukraine. 10. The Council reiterated its strongest commitment to confront, with adequate measures, Russia’s efforts to destabilize the global energy markets and to circumvent sanctions. In this context, the Council intends to continue intensifying cooperation on the enforcement of the oil price cap, coordinating bilateral and multilateral responses to mitigate excessive market volatility, supporting the energy transition required to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement, and continue cooperative measures on energy efficiency, electrification, and other initiatives to reduce reliance on fossil fuels in general, and Russian fossil fuels in particular in order to limit Russia’s ability to finance its war of aggression against Ukraine. We reaffirmed our resolve to continue taking steps to limit Russia’s future energy revenue, which directly supports the brutal war against Ukraine. 11. To promote energy diversification, security, resilience and sustainability, the Council recalled the strategic importance of energy relations with partner countries in regions such as the Caspian Sea, Black Sea, Eastern Mediterranean, and North Africa. The pivotal role of reliable energy partners in these regions calls for mutually beneficial cooperation on security of energy supplies as well as enhanced cooperation on critical infrastructure. Energy Security, Transition, and Reforms in Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, and the Western Balkans12. The Council reaffirmed that the future of Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, the Western Balkans, as well as Georgia, and their citizens, lies with the EU and would continue supporting their integration with the EU, including through the enlargement process as a matter of priority for the years to come. 13. The Council welcomed the European Council’s 14 December 2023 decision to also open EU accession negotiations with Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova and reaffirmed continued support for their citizens. The Council intends to continue assisting the countries’ long-term economic and energy transition towards climate neutrality and integration with the EU’s energy system, including by accelerating the development of energy infrastructure and interconnections. The Council welcomed Ukraine’s and the Republic of Moldova’s reform efforts towards meeting the objectives underpinning their candidacy for EU membership and encouraged the countries to continue to make progress on these reforms. 14. The Council reaffirmed that both sides intend to deepen cooperation to support regional integration and energy sector investments to achieve climate neutrality in the Western Balkans, including by supporting decarbonization efforts and phasing out their dependency on coal and Russian natural gas and oil imports as soon as possible. The United States and the EU continue to promote transparent, integrated, and competitive energy markets in the Western Balkans, in line with EU enlargement policy, as well as with the climate and energy objectives and obligations under the Energy Community Treaty. Energy Policy, Technology, and Innovation15. The United States and the EU pledged to continue to cooperate closely, at multilateral and bilateral levels, to encourage investments and complementary policies, standards, and regulations in the transition towards climate neutrality. Including through our Clean Energy Incentives Dialogue, we intend to work in a transparent and mutually reinforcing manner, to avoid zero-sum competition and distortions in transatlantic trade and investment flows that could arise from our respective policies and incentives. 16. The Council welcomed the 2023 announcement of an international working group to establish an internationally aligned approach, which builds on existing frameworks on greenhouse gas supply chain emissions measurement, monitoring, reporting and verification (MMRV) framework for providing transparent, comparable, and reliable information to natural gas market participants. 17. The Council intends to continue advancing the implementation of the Global Methane Pledge, including through promoting effective global schemes to limit leakage, venting, and flaring in the natural gas, oil, and coal sector, with particular attention to reducing methane emissions from internationally-traded fossil fuels. The Council recognized the UNEP’s International Methane Emissions Observatory as a key independent methane emissions data collector and verifier, and intends to continue to support its initiatives, including the Oil and Gas Methane Partnership 2.0 and the Methane Alert and Response System with strong industry engagement. 18. Further, the Council noted the role that nuclear power can play in decarbonizing energy systems in countries that have decided or will decide to rely on nuclear energy. The United States and the EU intend to intensify cooperation to reduce dependency on Russia for nuclear materials and fuel cycle services, and support ongoing efforts by affected EU Member States to diversify nuclear supplies, as appropriate. The Council expressed support for multilateral efforts to identify alternative nuclear energy-related suppliers across the global nuclear supply chain for relevant countries. 19. The Council noted interest in enhancing cooperation to promote the development of rules-based and transparent global hydrogen markets based on reliable international standards and certification schemes primarily through mutually agreed-upon international platforms. 20. The Council noted the vital importance of diversifying and securing supply chains for critical minerals and raw materials as well as voluntary stockpiling necessary for the energy transition to climate-neutrality and reinforced the value of U.S.-EU collaboration in fora such as the Minerals Security Partnership (MSP) and its newly established MSP Forum, the Conference on Critical Materials and Minerals, and the International Energy Agency Critical Minerals Working Party, as well as the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment. The Council welcomed a jointly drafted discussion paper on lithium supply for the energy transition and signaled support for a set of U.S.-EU focused stakeholder roundtables over the coming year and an accompanying recommendations document to map pathways to foster supply chain linkages between the United States and the EU. 21. Furthering last year’s Council endorsement to build on existing dialogues and frameworks, the Council noted research and innovation cooperation advancements in the fields of i) fusion research, development, and commercialization, in particular based on the new Model Project Agreement, and through the ITER Project, and ii) mutual modelling capabilities for transition pathways to climate-neutrality. In particular, the Council welcomed joint work on scenario development of transition pathways with applications of machine learning. 22. As the United States and the EU scale up policies and technologies that intend to drive decarbonization particularly in hard to abate sectors, carbon capture and storage has emerged as an area for joint cooperation. Following a series of policy exchanges, the Council identified two technology and innovation collaboration areas: CO2 transport and carbon capture demonstrations for emerging applications. 23. The Council noted the U.S.-EU co-convened workshop in 2023 on just transition, energy poverty, and economic and workforce development assistance for communities in transition, disadvantaged communities, and communities experiencing environmental hazard exposure. Further, the Council supported the intent to hold a second workshop, focused on multi-level governance in energy poverty policies, to take place in 2024, followed by the publication of a joint summary document. Strengthen Cooperation to Advance the Global Energy Transition24. Looking ahead and building on the aforementioned joint activities, the United States and the EU intend to continue to ambitiously and resolutely strengthen their strategic relationship to ensure energy security, align policies, and deepen cooperation on technologies and innovation, all with the aim of accelerating the global transition to climate neutrality. The United States and the EU intend to also continue working closely together to this end in international fora. End text. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Special Envoy on North Korean Human Rights Issues Turner’s Travel to Switzerland and the United Kingdom | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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03/15/2024 06:31 PM EDT Special Envoy on North Korean Human Rights Issues Turner’s Travel to Switzerland and the United KingdomMedia Note March 15, 2024 Special Envoy on North Korean Human Rights Issues Julie Turner will travel to Geneva, Switzerland, and London, UK, from March 17-21, 2024, to advance cooperation on human rights in the DPRK. In Geneva, Special Envoy Turner will participate in events associated with the 55th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC), underscoring the United States’ commitment to shedding light on the DPRK’s ongoing human rights violations and abuses. Across a series of meetings with senior UN officials, resident diplomats, and civil society groups, Special Envoy Turner will discuss forced repatriations of North Koreans, disability rights, and opportunities to advance North Korean human rights issues 10 years after the release of the UN Commission of Inquiry Report. In London, Special Envoy Turner will meet senior UK government officials, civil society and business leaders, and members of the North Korean escapee community to identify avenues for cooperation on North Korean human rights issues, including forced labor in the seafood industry. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Special Envoy on North Korean Human Rights Issues Turner’s Travel to Switzerland and the United Kingdom | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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03/15/2024 06:31 PM EDT Special Envoy on North Korean Human Rights Issues Turner’s Travel to Switzerland and the United KingdomMedia Note March 15, 2024 Special Envoy on North Korean Human Rights Issues Julie Turner will travel to Geneva, Switzerland, and London, UK, from March 17-21, 2024, to advance cooperation on human rights in the DPRK. In Geneva, Special Envoy Turner will participate in events associated with the 55th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC), underscoring the United States’ commitment to shedding light on the DPRK’s ongoing human rights violations and abuses. Across a series of meetings with senior UN officials, resident diplomats, and civil society groups, Special Envoy Turner will discuss forced repatriations of North Koreans, disability rights, and opportunities to advance North Korean human rights issues 10 years after the release of the UN Commission of Inquiry Report. In London, Special Envoy Turner will meet senior UK government officials, civil society and business leaders, and members of the North Korean escapee community to identify avenues for cooperation on North Korean human rights issues, including forced labor in the seafood industry. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Joint Statement on the 11th United States-European Union Energy Council | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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03/15/2024 06:24 PM EDT Joint Statement on the 11th United States-European Union Energy CouncilMedia Note March 15, 2024 The text of the following statement was released by the Government of the United States and the European Union. Begin text: 1. The eleventh United States-European Union (EU) Energy Council (“Council”) met today in Washington, chaired by U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy David M. Turk, European Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson, and EEAS Acting Deputy Secretary General Bélen Martinez Carbonell. The Deputy Head of Mission of the Kingdom of Belgium to the United States of America, Sophie Karlshausen, represented the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. 2. The U.S.-EU Energy Council serves as the lead transatlantic forum for coordinating strategic energy issues at political and technical levels. Transatlantic energy cooperation is vital to advancing diverse and resilient energy systems, bolstering energy security, promoting stability and transparency in global energy markets, and accelerating just energy transitions consistent with our mutual commitment to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions at home and globally by 2050. 3. On this occasion, the Council also recognized the important work of the U.S.-EU Task Force on Energy Security, which helped ensure the EU’s energy security, achieve a 99% EU natural gas storage filling level ahead of the winter 2023-24, and phase out reliance on Russian fossil fuels. Moving forward, the EU and the US will continue working closely together and build on these efforts to ensure energy security in Europe and beyond and contribute to decarbonization globally. 4. The Council welcomed the outcome of the first global stocktake under the Paris Agreement, including the call on all Paris Agreement Parties to come forward in their next nationally determined contributions with ambitious, economy-wide emission reduction targets, covering all greenhouse gases, sectors and categories and aligned with limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. The Council also emphasized the need for the world to transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems in a just, orderly, and equitable manner, accelerating action in this critical decade, so as to achieve net zero by 2050 in keeping with the science. 5. In this context, the Council reiterated the urgency of phasing out unabated coal in the energy sector globally, in particular ending the continued investment in new coal-fired power plants. The Council underlined its commitment to advance on the COP28 goals of tripling renewable energy capacity and doubling the global average annual rate of energy efficiency improvements by 2030, including through action at national, regional, and local levels. Energy systems with diverse and resilient supply chains that do not overly rely on a single supplier for fuels, critical raw materials and minerals, or other inputs are key to reducing dependencies and countering attempts to weaponize energy. Reinforcing Support for Ukraine and Eliminating the Threat of Russia Weaponizing Energy6. The Council reaffirmed its enduring commitment to Ukraine and its people. We strongly condemn Russia’s illegal and unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine, including attacks on the nation’s energy and civil infrastructure. We stress the need to continue military support, notably air defense, to protect such infrastructure, and are increasing our efforts to provide humanitarian aid and critical energy sector assistance. We reiterate our demand for Russia to immediately and unconditionally withdraw all its military forces and equipment from the entire territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders. The Council stresses the importance of security and stability in the Black Sea. 7. The Council acknowledged the important contributions of the United States, the EU, and its Member States, including through the G7+ coordination group, to provide Ukraine with essential material, technical, and financial assistance to rapidly repair, restore, and defend its energy systems and to support Ukraine’s efforts to build a more resilient, sustainable, and decentralized energy system that is more integrated with Europe. The Council highlighted the will of the G7+ group to work with Ukraine on its Integrated National Energy and Climate Plan and to implement the Clean Energy Partnership including further necessary reforms, which are essential to attracting private sector investment for Ukraine’s green recovery and reconstruction. 8. The Council welcomed Ukraine’s formal membership in the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E) and commended the completion of required actions to enable its permanent synchronization with the power systems of continental Europe. This milestone enhances regional energy security and helps enable Ukraine and Europe to accelerate the broader energy transition. The United States and the EU also recalled the growing number of cyber and physical threats to energy infrastructure and plan to continue related cooperation to bolster resilient energy systems, including in the context of the ongoing synchronization of the Baltic States’ electricity networks with the Continental European Network. 9. The Council reiterated its strong condemnation of Russia’s continued control as well as irresponsible and dangerous actions at and around Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (ZNPP) that puts countless people at risk. The Council reaffirmed its support for the five concrete principles presented by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General to the UN Security Council and for the Agency’s work to apply safeguards and assist Ukraine in managing the safety and security of its nuclear facilities. The Council welcomed Ukraine joining the IAEA Board of Governors. The United States and the EU strongly call on Russia to heed the resolutions of the IAEA Board of Governors and General Conference, to unconditionally withdraw its personnel and military equipment from the ZNPP, to give full and unhindered access to IAEA experts to all areas of the ZNPP, and to return its full control to its rightful owner, Ukraine. 10. The Council reiterated its strongest commitment to confront, with adequate measures, Russia’s efforts to destabilize the global energy markets and to circumvent sanctions. In this context, the Council intends to continue intensifying cooperation on the enforcement of the oil price cap, coordinating bilateral and multilateral responses to mitigate excessive market volatility, supporting the energy transition required to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement, and continue cooperative measures on energy efficiency, electrification, and other initiatives to reduce reliance on fossil fuels in general, and Russian fossil fuels in particular in order to limit Russia’s ability to finance its war of aggression against Ukraine. We reaffirmed our resolve to continue taking steps to limit Russia’s future energy revenue, which directly supports the brutal war against Ukraine. 11. To promote energy diversification, security, resilience and sustainability, the Council recalled the strategic importance of energy relations with partner countries in regions such as the Caspian Sea, Black Sea, Eastern Mediterranean, and North Africa. The pivotal role of reliable energy partners in these regions calls for mutually beneficial cooperation on security of energy supplies as well as enhanced cooperation on critical infrastructure. Energy Security, Transition, and Reforms in Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, and the Western Balkans12. The Council reaffirmed that the future of Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, the Western Balkans, as well as Georgia, and their citizens, lies with the EU and would continue supporting their integration with the EU, including through the enlargement process as a matter of priority for the years to come. 13. The Council welcomed the European Council’s 14 December 2023 decision to also open EU accession negotiations with Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova and reaffirmed continued support for their citizens. The Council intends to continue assisting the countries’ long-term economic and energy transition towards climate neutrality and integration with the EU’s energy system, including by accelerating the development of energy infrastructure and interconnections. The Council welcomed Ukraine’s and the Republic of Moldova’s reform efforts towards meeting the objectives underpinning their candidacy for EU membership and encouraged the countries to continue to make progress on these reforms. 14. The Council reaffirmed that both sides intend to deepen cooperation to support regional integration and energy sector investments to achieve climate neutrality in the Western Balkans, including by supporting decarbonization efforts and phasing out their dependency on coal and Russian natural gas and oil imports as soon as possible. The United States and the EU continue to promote transparent, integrated, and competitive energy markets in the Western Balkans, in line with EU enlargement policy, as well as with the climate and energy objectives and obligations under the Energy Community Treaty. Energy Policy, Technology, and Innovation15. The United States and the EU pledged to continue to cooperate closely, at multilateral and bilateral levels, to encourage investments and complementary policies, standards, and regulations in the transition towards climate neutrality. Including through our Clean Energy Incentives Dialogue, we intend to work in a transparent and mutually reinforcing manner, to avoid zero-sum competition and distortions in transatlantic trade and investment flows that could arise from our respective policies and incentives. 16. The Council welcomed the 2023 announcement of an international working group to establish an internationally aligned approach, which builds on existing frameworks on greenhouse gas supply chain emissions measurement, monitoring, reporting and verification (MMRV) framework for providing transparent, comparable, and reliable information to natural gas market participants. 17. The Council intends to continue advancing the implementation of the Global Methane Pledge, including through promoting effective global schemes to limit leakage, venting, and flaring in the natural gas, oil, and coal sector, with particular attention to reducing methane emissions from internationally-traded fossil fuels. The Council recognized the UNEP’s International Methane Emissions Observatory as a key independent methane emissions data collector and verifier, and intends to continue to support its initiatives, including the Oil and Gas Methane Partnership 2.0 and the Methane Alert and Response System with strong industry engagement. 18. Further, the Council noted the role that nuclear power can play in decarbonizing energy systems in countries that have decided or will decide to rely on nuclear energy. The United States and the EU intend to intensify cooperation to reduce dependency on Russia for nuclear materials and fuel cycle services, and support ongoing efforts by affected EU Member States to diversify nuclear supplies, as appropriate. The Council expressed support for multilateral efforts to identify alternative nuclear energy-related suppliers across the global nuclear supply chain for relevant countries. 19. The Council noted interest in enhancing cooperation to promote the development of rules-based and transparent global hydrogen markets based on reliable international standards and certification schemes primarily through mutually agreed-upon international platforms. 20. The Council noted the vital importance of diversifying and securing supply chains for critical minerals and raw materials as well as voluntary stockpiling necessary for the energy transition to climate-neutrality and reinforced the value of U.S.-EU collaboration in fora such as the Minerals Security Partnership (MSP) and its newly established MSP Forum, the Conference on Critical Materials and Minerals, and the International Energy Agency Critical Minerals Working Party, as well as the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment. The Council welcomed a jointly drafted discussion paper on lithium supply for the energy transition and signaled support for a set of U.S.-EU focused stakeholder roundtables over the coming year and an accompanying recommendations document to map pathways to foster supply chain linkages between the United States and the EU. 21. Furthering last year’s Council endorsement to build on existing dialogues and frameworks, the Council noted research and innovation cooperation advancements in the fields of i) fusion research, development, and commercialization, in particular based on the new Model Project Agreement, and through the ITER Project, and ii) mutual modelling capabilities for transition pathways to climate-neutrality. In particular, the Council welcomed joint work on scenario development of transition pathways with applications of machine learning. 22. As the United States and the EU scale up policies and technologies that intend to drive decarbonization particularly in hard to abate sectors, carbon capture and storage has emerged as an area for joint cooperation. Following a series of policy exchanges, the Council identified two technology and innovation collaboration areas: CO2 transport and carbon capture demonstrations for emerging applications. 23. The Council noted the U.S.-EU co-convened workshop in 2023 on just transition, energy poverty, and economic and workforce development assistance for communities in transition, disadvantaged communities, and communities experiencing environmental hazard exposure. Further, the Council supported the intent to hold a second workshop, focused on multi-level governance in energy poverty policies, to take place in 2024, followed by the publication of a joint summary document. Strengthen Cooperation to Advance the Global Energy Transition24. Looking ahead and building on the aforementioned joint activities, the United States and the EU intend to continue to ambitiously and resolutely strengthen their strategic relationship to ensure energy security, align policies, and deepen cooperation on technologies and innovation, all with the aim of accelerating the global transition to climate neutrality. The United States and the EU intend to also continue working closely together to this end in international fora. End text. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Joint Update on APEC Regulatory Harmonization Steering Committee of Medical Products | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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03/15/2024 06:13 PM EDT Joint Update on APEC Regulatory Harmonization Steering Committee of Medical ProductsMedia Note March 15, 2024 The APEC 2024 First Senior Officials’ Meeting and Related Meetings in Lima, Peru, marked a significant milestone for public-private partnerships, as well as for ensuring health care delivery to the people across the APEC region. On March 5, 2024, all 21 APEC member economies reached consensus in endorsing the Terms of Reference for the Regulatory Harmonization Steering Committee (RHSC) of Medical Products, after a two-year pause. The RHSC is a network of experts from regulatory agencies, industry, academia, and standards development organizations facilitating cooperation among medical product regulatory authorities. It aims to achieve this by building human capacity in regulatory science among medical product regulatory staff. During the 2023 U.S. APEC host year we sought to strengthen primary health care and its linkages to pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response, advance innovation in digital health, and strengthen gender and health equity in the economy. The RHSC’s optimistic future underscores the critical importance the U.S. APEC host year played in reinvigorating this important and life-saving work. Such achievement has been made possible because of the exemplary interagency collaboration among the Department of State, Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration, and Office of the United States Trade Representative, and a whole-of-government effort to continue furthering APEC’s work spanning a wide range of policy domains within health and the economy. For further information, please contact the U.S. APEC Team at DOSAPEC@state.gov. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Deputy Secretary Kurt M. Campbell at the 11th U.S.-EU Energy Council Meeting | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/15/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/15/2024 08:35 PM EDT Deputy Secretary Kurt M. Campbell at the 11th U.S.-EU Energy Council MeetingRemarks March 15, 2024 DEPUTY SECRETARY CAMPBELL: So good afternoon, everyone. I want to open by recognizing and thanking everyone who has worked over the preceding weeks and months to organize the council ministerial. I especially want to acknowledge Energy Commissioner Simson as the senior participant in the session of this energy council. Commissioner Simson has led the charge in deepening the transatlantic energy alliance and helping us in particular to mobilize our countries and our companies in response to Russia’s brutal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and in response to Putin’s weaponization of Kremlin’s energy resources. It’s appropriate to just say thank you just quickly. (Applause.) We really would not be where we are today, celebrating our successful defeat of Russia’s energy weapon and looking ahead confidently to an energy transition future, without her leadership, her determination, and her courage over the past several years. I know Secretary Blinken would have very much wished to be with here – with us here today, but I will tell you it’s a good excuse. He is in Europe, reaffirming our alliance with the continent, working on other issues. I also want to thank my friend and my partner, Deputy Secretary Turk, sitting to my left; acting Deputy Secretary General Martinez Carbonell; and the Deputy Chief of Mission Karlshausen, and I’ve had a chance to work with her on many issues in the Indo-Pacific. So your leadership, your partnership, are crucial to our success in strengthening transatlantic energy cooperation and working on other issues as well. Now, to start off this discussion, it’s worth taking a step back and place our meeting in the proper context. We gather in the face of continued war on the continent as Russia continues to launch targeted attacks on Ukraine’s critical energy infrastructure and exploit energy supply as a tool of coercion. We confront the existential threat of climate change, presenting an urgent need to decarbonize to avoid the worst outcomes. At the same time, our ability to deliver energy through critical transport routes is under increased threat and vulnerability. The United States in particular is committed to partnering with the EU to meet each of these challenges, both collectively and individually, and to strengthen energy security in Europe and around the globe. We must continue to provide steadfast support to Ukraine, and I know you are all here at a delicate moment. I want to assure you of our strongest possible commitment to continuing to support Ukraine even as we face challenges to get the supplemental through. We are determined to keep the lights on in – on its fight for survival, recognizing the central role energy plays in the war and Ukraine’s economic recovery. Europe’s remarkable strides redrawing its energy map have helped you diverse away – diversify from Russian energy. The U.S. will remain your partner, from our work together in the Western Balkans to accelerate the energy transition, to support new energy corridors, to the role U.S. producers have played and will continue to play, including the doubling of U.S. LNG exports to Europe last year. We must continue to tighten the screws on Russia’s ability to resupply its war chest and destabilize the energy markets, by strengthening enforcement of the oil price gap, stopping price cap violators, and coordinating where we can on energy sanctions. As we respond to Russia’s threats to global energy security, we must avoid trading dependence on Russian energy for PRC-dominated clean energy supply chains. And, as importantly, we’ll continue our close collaboration with the EU to create energy investments that support the transition to net-zero emissions on both sides of the Atlantic as we work towards achieving our shared energy and climate objectives. Our discussions today, our close bilateral coordination every day, are key to making progress on some of the most pressing geopolitical issues around the globe, and I will just say a moment that everything the United States has ever done of consequence on the global stage we have done with Europe. Through this dialogue, as partners, we can align our policies, avoid zero-sum competition, and marshal our shared resources. Thank you, and welcome again to European friends for visiting. I look forward to discussing these challenges and opportunities in our time today. And again, welcome to the State Department. Dave. DEPUTY SECRETARY TURK: Thanks very much, Kurt, and it’s just great to be here with you and Jeff and all of our State Department colleagues, just to work hand in hand. That’s our goal, and it’s just phenomenal to have Kurt in this new position, helping to lead our incredible talent over here at the State Department. I’ve had a chance to work a couple times over here, and it’s just a terrific group of folks, group of colleagues, group of partners. Let me also rightfully so, Commissioner Simson, if I could, try to embarrass you a little bit for all the phenomenal partnership we had with you and (inaudible) and the full team. The thing I’ve always appreciated about your leadership is it’s steadfast, it’s always consistent, and I think we need that in this particularly challenging time as we’re trying to navigate. What I also admire about you personally – and (inaudible) I think really symbolizes this as well, exemplifies this – is we’re after using energy, clean energy, for the betterment of people, people in our country, people in the European Union, and people around the world. And that humanity really comes through in everything you do, so thank you for being such a terrific partner. And certainly, want to also welcome, as Kurt did, the acting Deputy Secretary General Martinez Carbonell. Thank you for your team, and our colleague, our DCM from Belgium. It’s been terrific to work bilaterally with Belgium, but multilaterally as well. We feel incredibly proud of this partnership that’s been built up literally for decades and generations and only strengthened over the last few years. We are all promoting stability and transparency in global energy markets; advancing diverse and resilient energy systems – and I really want to underline “diverse,” diversity of supplies, especially as we think about critical minerals going forward – and demonstrating to the world that clean energy is not only the most abundant and the most affordable, but also the most secure form of energy that we have; and ensuring our energy transitions are just so that no community, no people in our countries, in our societies, but around the world are left behind. And this bond, as Kurt said – and I think we all not only have spoken about it, but I think we all feel it – has only strengthened since President Putin’s invasion of Ukraine – brutal invasion of Ukraine – and everything that we’ve worked hand in hand going forward. And I personally feel incredibly proud – I know our Secretary does and I know our full team does – to work hand in hand going forward. And I think what this conflict has shown is it’s not only brought us together on energy security, but it’s accelerated our clean energy transition and accelerated our commitment to really accelerating this collaboration even more so between our two countries. I’m going to digress a little bit from my prepared remarks just to share some analysis that came out quite recently about the progress that Europe has made on your own emissions reductions from energy, and we in the U.S. have made. Our own emissions last year from energy decreased 4.1 percent just in one year. That’s a pretty good number. I’m proud to say I’m a little bit jealous that European emissions actually went down 9 percent just in a single year. DEPUTY SECRETARY CAMPBELL: Wow, that’s incredible. DEPUTY SECRETARY TURK: From energy – that is incredible. That doesn’t happen without an awful lot of leadership in Brussels, but throughout the continent, really stepping up. The most impressive number of all I found in this most recent analysis was if you look at advanced economies – and obviously there’s a lot in Europe, in the U.S., but some of our other partners around the world – our emissions are at the same level that they were 50 years ago. So just think about that, right? Fifty years ago, economy and GDP increased significantly, our emissions went up, but we’ve been able to decrease them to the point we’re at the same level as we were 50 years ago. If you look at advanced economies, coal use is down to the same level in advanced economies as it was in 1905. So again, when sometimes those of us who focus on climate change and clean energy, you get daunted by what’s ahead of us, it’s good to reflect that we can make progress when we step up, when we walk the talk, and when we partner in the way that we’re partnering here going forward. Also is a real priority, I know, for President Biden, all of us in this administration, and certainly in Europe as well, as I said, from praising Commissioner Simson – it’s not good enough to save the planet. We have to do right by our own populations, especially those who have been left behind in previous transitions and other times of challenge. So, we’re doubling down, tripling down on that, and very proud that we have a workshop this year on energy poverty policies, where we’ll hear from a group of diverse stakeholders – incredibly important for us to keep focused on that. Also, incredibly proud that when, as Kurt was saying, there’s nothing that we do that we don’t do hand in hand with our European partners that’s meaningful on the world scene. That’s certainly the case when it comes to energy and clean energy in particular. When our two governments, our two sets of governments can work hand in hand, we can lead the rest of the world, and case and example after example of that in the multilateral setting. We’ve got our work to do, whether it’s clean hydrogen, whether it’s offshore wind, whether it’s energy efficiency in buildings. One issue in particular I’d like to point out here is our collaboration and my hope, our hope, enhancing that collaboration on fusion energy, which is a really interesting technology. The perception is it’s always been 30 years off. We’re actually making real progress in our laboratories, in your laboratories – $6.2 billion of private investment in fusion. I’ve had a chance to visit some of these facilities. It’s not going to happen tomorrow, but if we do the bilateral and multilateral collaboration, we can make that – we can make that happen. So, I’d say our partnership is not just vital, it’s indispensable. Certainly, that’s the way we look at it from the United States side of things, and very eager to continue the discussion here today, and more importantly to go follow through with the actions. DEPUTY SECRETARY CAMPBELL: Thank you, Dave. Commissioner Simson. COMMISSIONER SIMSON: Thank you and good afternoon, colleagues. And I want to start by thanking all our colleagues for hosting this year’s energy dialogue here in Washington, D.C. So, this council and – and its regular meetings are the best platform to ensure a shared vision and continued cooperation in energy. And once again, throughout the last year, our cooperation has delivered in many ways: sharing expertise on market dynamics, intensifying technological collaboration, facilitating energy trade. Now, U.S. LNG has been helping us to diversify EU gas supplies away from Russia. And last year, the United States was the largest LNG supplier to the EU, and at the same time, European Union became the biggest market for U.S. LNG. And we have delivered on and even exceeded what was agreed just two years ago in the President Biden and President von der Leyen statement. And thanks to this diversification stratagem, along energy efficiency measures and deployment of renewables, today EU energy markets are stable and returning to the pre-crisis gas price levels. And beyond energy security, we have worked well on our shared climate change agenda. Thanks to a close alignment on climate goals and priorities, this cooperation is really making the difference. And our close cooperation on the first global stocktake adopted at COP28 last year, and within the COP process is a very clear example for that success. And in this spirit, I am convinced that today we can advance our joint cooperation on several topics, from methane emission reduction to hydrogen and critical raw materials. And going forward, I see our interests also converging in a set of technologies relevant for our path to 2040 and beyond, such as SMRs, CCUS, also fusion energy. And there is a large space to deepen our cooperation. But staying on today’s challenges, let me stress how important it is that we jointly continue to support Ukraine in standing up to the Russian invasion. We have both been supplying to Ukraine material and equipment to repair and rebuild critical energy infrastructure, and to rebuild this damaged civilian infrastructure caused by Russian targeted attacks. And the situation on the ground remains critical. And I’m very concerned over the safety of the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant, which is occupied by Russian military, and our joint pressure and work also through International Energy – Atomic Energy Agency is critical. And Ukraine needs also hope, and it is very important that we jointly include in our cooperation programs to support Ukraine in designing a cleaner and competitive energy system after the war. We also need to maintain focus on Western Balkans, Moldova, and Georgia, intensifying our joint efforts for energy transition in the region. And we have come a long way, but there is much more we can do together. And I am looking forward to our discussions today. Thank you. DEPUTY SECRETARY CAMPBELL: Wonderful. Please, DSG. DSG Carbonell, please. Thank you. DEPUTY SECRETARY GENERAL CARBONELL: Thank you, Mr. Campbell. Thank you, Mr. Turk. And I join myself to those who are very happy that you’re hosting us here today, and I want to thank all of those who have worked really hard on preparations on this statement. I know they spent many hours on every comma, and I’m very happy to see that they brought it to a fruitful end. We are facing a lot of challenges today, and I’m here to represent the High Representative Borrell, who met with Secretary of State Blinken earlier this week and where some of the issues that we’ll be discussing this afternoon were also discussed among them in full synergy of thought and in the same cooperative spirit as the one we are witnessing this afternoon. The crisis that we are all facing has also – has confirmed that the only way to strengthen Europe’s energy security is to accelerate our energy transition on the way to climate neutrality by 2050. And in these difficult and sometimes gloomy moments of history that we’re living, I’m very happy to hear that at least Mr. Turk has brought us some optimistic figures of what the world could look like and how we can still make it a better place. But now the time has come to implement our ambitious commitments, and we’ll only be successful if we ensure that the global energy transition is also just, orderly, and equitable for all. The green transition is urgently needed – some of you said not just for us but also for the rest of the world – and we must continue to work together to bring the rest of our global partners on board. Turning to those most affected by Russia’s war, last December the European Union leaders, as you know, decided to open accession negotiations with Ukraine and with the Republic of Moldova, as well as to grant a status of candidate country to Georgia and renew the momentum in the Western Balkans in the path to enlargement as well. Also in this domain, implementation will be key, and we see eye to eye with our U.S. partners on this. Our partners in the east need to advance their reform programs to strengthen the integration of the European continent, also in the energy sector, and build better and greener energy systems. In this context, and as some of you have mentioned the importance of U.S. support to Ukraine, I would like to mention that the EU has recently agreed for a 50 billion Ukraine facility package that will provide stable and sustainable financing to support Ukraine’s recovery, reconstruction, and modernization, including key reforms necessary on its EU accession track. We’re determined to continue to bolster Europeans’ energy security and that of our direct neighbors, as the commissioner has said – Ukraine, Moldova, and the Western Balkans. Our European home will be more stable and more resilient once we have weaned off the European continent of excessive dependence on Russian fossil fuels, as we’re doing, implemented a successful green transition, and strengthened the integration of our energy market and interconnection of our infrastructures. On Monday, European foreign ministers are gathering together. Secretary of State Blinken will be addressing them. And part of the documents that the EU foreign ministers will agree on Monday will be council conclusions, which is how we make policy in Europe, on climate diplomacy. And you will see that some of the elements that are in our joint statement this afternoon we’ll be reflecting in these council conclusions, EU policy outlook for our climate diplomacy in the coming months. Thank you very much. DEPUTY SECRETARY CAMPBELL: Thank you. DCM Karlshausen. MS. KARLSHAUSEN: Thank you very much. Dear Deputy Secretary of State, dear Deputy Secretary of Energy, dear Commissioner, and dear Deputy Secretary General, thank you for inviting the Belgian presidency of the council to this 11th edition of the EU-U.S. Energy Council. The urgency and importance of the items which will be discussed today cannot be understated. A few weeks ago, we commemorated the dramatic two-year anniversary of the war of aggression against Ukraine. It is no secret that Russia’s aggression sent shockwaves through the global energy markets, laid bare the risk of dependencies, stressed the importance of energy diversification away from Russia and the phasing out of fossil fuel imports well before 2030. Yet these past two years have also demonstrated our resilience, resourcefulness, and the importance of our transatlantic partnership – not only to bolster energy security, but also to promote stability and transparency in global energy markets, as well as to accelerate a sustainable energy transition – a just energy transition, which should deliver a level playing field for affordable energy to citizens and companies, ensure strong and reliable security of supply, and contribute to the objectives of climate neutrality by 2050. Indeed, let us not shirk our responsibility concerning the climate crisis. As Winston Churchill put it, never waste a good crisis. Not addressing climate change now will only increase the risk of other crises, whether energy crisis or violent conflicts. Let us therefore work together in a spirit of openness and solidarity to accelerate the deployment of renewable, including offshore, energy solutions to ensure the resilient, secure, sustainable, and affordable energy grids worldwide that such a surge of renewable require, and to create a rule-based global market for hydrogen. We’re very much looking forward to the discussions, and we thank you again for inviting us. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Deputy Secretary Kurt M. Campbell at the 11th U.S.-EU Energy Council Meeting | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/15/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/15/2024 08:35 PM EDT Deputy Secretary Kurt M. Campbell at the 11th U.S.-EU Energy Council MeetingRemarks March 15, 2024 DEPUTY SECRETARY CAMPBELL: So good afternoon, everyone. I want to open by recognizing and thanking everyone who has worked over the preceding weeks and months to organize the council ministerial. I especially want to acknowledge Energy Commissioner Simson as the senior participant in the session of this energy council. Commissioner Simson has led the charge in deepening the transatlantic energy alliance and helping us in particular to mobilize our countries and our companies in response to Russia’s brutal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and in response to Putin’s weaponization of Kremlin’s energy resources. It’s appropriate to just say thank you just quickly. (Applause.) We really would not be where we are today, celebrating our successful defeat of Russia’s energy weapon and looking ahead confidently to an energy transition future, without her leadership, her determination, and her courage over the past several years. I know Secretary Blinken would have very much wished to be with here – with us here today, but I will tell you it’s a good excuse. He is in Europe, reaffirming our alliance with the continent, working on other issues. I also want to thank my friend and my partner, Deputy Secretary Turk, sitting to my left; acting Deputy Secretary General Martinez Carbonell; and the Deputy Chief of Mission Karlshausen, and I’ve had a chance to work with her on many issues in the Indo-Pacific. So your leadership, your partnership, are crucial to our success in strengthening transatlantic energy cooperation and working on other issues as well. Now, to start off this discussion, it’s worth taking a step back and place our meeting in the proper context. We gather in the face of continued war on the continent as Russia continues to launch targeted attacks on Ukraine’s critical energy infrastructure and exploit energy supply as a tool of coercion. We confront the existential threat of climate change, presenting an urgent need to decarbonize to avoid the worst outcomes. At the same time, our ability to deliver energy through critical transport routes is under increased threat and vulnerability. The United States in particular is committed to partnering with the EU to meet each of these challenges, both collectively and individually, and to strengthen energy security in Europe and around the globe. We must continue to provide steadfast support to Ukraine, and I know you are all here at a delicate moment. I want to assure you of our strongest possible commitment to continuing to support Ukraine even as we face challenges to get the supplemental through. We are determined to keep the lights on in – on its fight for survival, recognizing the central role energy plays in the war and Ukraine’s economic recovery. Europe’s remarkable strides redrawing its energy map have helped you diverse away – diversify from Russian energy. The U.S. will remain your partner, from our work together in the Western Balkans to accelerate the energy transition, to support new energy corridors, to the role U.S. producers have played and will continue to play, including the doubling of U.S. LNG exports to Europe last year. We must continue to tighten the screws on Russia’s ability to resupply its war chest and destabilize the energy markets, by strengthening enforcement of the oil price gap, stopping price cap violators, and coordinating where we can on energy sanctions. As we respond to Russia’s threats to global energy security, we must avoid trading dependence on Russian energy for PRC-dominated clean energy supply chains. And, as importantly, we’ll continue our close collaboration with the EU to create energy investments that support the transition to net-zero emissions on both sides of the Atlantic as we work towards achieving our shared energy and climate objectives. Our discussions today, our close bilateral coordination every day, are key to making progress on some of the most pressing geopolitical issues around the globe, and I will just say a moment that everything the United States has ever done of consequence on the global stage we have done with Europe. Through this dialogue, as partners, we can align our policies, avoid zero-sum competition, and marshal our shared resources. Thank you, and welcome again to European friends for visiting. I look forward to discussing these challenges and opportunities in our time today. And again, welcome to the State Department. Dave. DEPUTY SECRETARY TURK: Thanks very much, Kurt, and it’s just great to be here with you and Jeff and all of our State Department colleagues, just to work hand in hand. That’s our goal, and it’s just phenomenal to have Kurt in this new position, helping to lead our incredible talent over here at the State Department. I’ve had a chance to work a couple times over here, and it’s just a terrific group of folks, group of colleagues, group of partners. Let me also rightfully so, Commissioner Simson, if I could, try to embarrass you a little bit for all the phenomenal partnership we had with you and (inaudible) and the full team. The thing I’ve always appreciated about your leadership is it’s steadfast, it’s always consistent, and I think we need that in this particularly challenging time as we’re trying to navigate. What I also admire about you personally – and (inaudible) I think really symbolizes this as well, exemplifies this – is we’re after using energy, clean energy, for the betterment of people, people in our country, people in the European Union, and people around the world. And that humanity really comes through in everything you do, so thank you for being such a terrific partner. And certainly, want to also welcome, as Kurt did, the acting Deputy Secretary General Martinez Carbonell. Thank you for your team, and our colleague, our DCM from Belgium. It’s been terrific to work bilaterally with Belgium, but multilaterally as well. We feel incredibly proud of this partnership that’s been built up literally for decades and generations and only strengthened over the last few years. We are all promoting stability and transparency in global energy markets; advancing diverse and resilient energy systems – and I really want to underline “diverse,” diversity of supplies, especially as we think about critical minerals going forward – and demonstrating to the world that clean energy is not only the most abundant and the most affordable, but also the most secure form of energy that we have; and ensuring our energy transitions are just so that no community, no people in our countries, in our societies, but around the world are left behind. And this bond, as Kurt said – and I think we all not only have spoken about it, but I think we all feel it – has only strengthened since President Putin’s invasion of Ukraine – brutal invasion of Ukraine – and everything that we’ve worked hand in hand going forward. And I personally feel incredibly proud – I know our Secretary does and I know our full team does – to work hand in hand going forward. And I think what this conflict has shown is it’s not only brought us together on energy security, but it’s accelerated our clean energy transition and accelerated our commitment to really accelerating this collaboration even more so between our two countries. I’m going to digress a little bit from my prepared remarks just to share some analysis that came out quite recently about the progress that Europe has made on your own emissions reductions from energy, and we in the U.S. have made. Our own emissions last year from energy decreased 4.1 percent just in one year. That’s a pretty good number. I’m proud to say I’m a little bit jealous that European emissions actually went down 9 percent just in a single year. DEPUTY SECRETARY CAMPBELL: Wow, that’s incredible. DEPUTY SECRETARY TURK: From energy – that is incredible. That doesn’t happen without an awful lot of leadership in Brussels, but throughout the continent, really stepping up. The most impressive number of all I found in this most recent analysis was if you look at advanced economies – and obviously there’s a lot in Europe, in the U.S., but some of our other partners around the world – our emissions are at the same level that they were 50 years ago. So just think about that, right? Fifty years ago, economy and GDP increased significantly, our emissions went up, but we’ve been able to decrease them to the point we’re at the same level as we were 50 years ago. If you look at advanced economies, coal use is down to the same level in advanced economies as it was in 1905. So again, when sometimes those of us who focus on climate change and clean energy, you get daunted by what’s ahead of us, it’s good to reflect that we can make progress when we step up, when we walk the talk, and when we partner in the way that we’re partnering here going forward. Also is a real priority, I know, for President Biden, all of us in this administration, and certainly in Europe as well, as I said, from praising Commissioner Simson – it’s not good enough to save the planet. We have to do right by our own populations, especially those who have been left behind in previous transitions and other times of challenge. So, we’re doubling down, tripling down on that, and very proud that we have a workshop this year on energy poverty policies, where we’ll hear from a group of diverse stakeholders – incredibly important for us to keep focused on that. Also, incredibly proud that when, as Kurt was saying, there’s nothing that we do that we don’t do hand in hand with our European partners that’s meaningful on the world scene. That’s certainly the case when it comes to energy and clean energy in particular. When our two governments, our two sets of governments can work hand in hand, we can lead the rest of the world, and case and example after example of that in the multilateral setting. We’ve got our work to do, whether it’s clean hydrogen, whether it’s offshore wind, whether it’s energy efficiency in buildings. One issue in particular I’d like to point out here is our collaboration and my hope, our hope, enhancing that collaboration on fusion energy, which is a really interesting technology. The perception is it’s always been 30 years off. We’re actually making real progress in our laboratories, in your laboratories – $6.2 billion of private investment in fusion. I’ve had a chance to visit some of these facilities. It’s not going to happen tomorrow, but if we do the bilateral and multilateral collaboration, we can make that – we can make that happen. So, I’d say our partnership is not just vital, it’s indispensable. Certainly, that’s the way we look at it from the United States side of things, and very eager to continue the discussion here today, and more importantly to go follow through with the actions. DEPUTY SECRETARY CAMPBELL: Thank you, Dave. Commissioner Simson. COMMISSIONER SIMSON: Thank you and good afternoon, colleagues. And I want to start by thanking all our colleagues for hosting this year’s energy dialogue here in Washington, D.C. So, this council and – and its regular meetings are the best platform to ensure a shared vision and continued cooperation in energy. And once again, throughout the last year, our cooperation has delivered in many ways: sharing expertise on market dynamics, intensifying technological collaboration, facilitating energy trade. Now, U.S. LNG has been helping us to diversify EU gas supplies away from Russia. And last year, the United States was the largest LNG supplier to the EU, and at the same time, European Union became the biggest market for U.S. LNG. And we have delivered on and even exceeded what was agreed just two years ago in the President Biden and President von der Leyen statement. And thanks to this diversification stratagem, along energy efficiency measures and deployment of renewables, today EU energy markets are stable and returning to the pre-crisis gas price levels. And beyond energy security, we have worked well on our shared climate change agenda. Thanks to a close alignment on climate goals and priorities, this cooperation is really making the difference. And our close cooperation on the first global stocktake adopted at COP28 last year, and within the COP process is a very clear example for that success. And in this spirit, I am convinced that today we can advance our joint cooperation on several topics, from methane emission reduction to hydrogen and critical raw materials. And going forward, I see our interests also converging in a set of technologies relevant for our path to 2040 and beyond, such as SMRs, CCUS, also fusion energy. And there is a large space to deepen our cooperation. But staying on today’s challenges, let me stress how important it is that we jointly continue to support Ukraine in standing up to the Russian invasion. We have both been supplying to Ukraine material and equipment to repair and rebuild critical energy infrastructure, and to rebuild this damaged civilian infrastructure caused by Russian targeted attacks. And the situation on the ground remains critical. And I’m very concerned over the safety of the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant, which is occupied by Russian military, and our joint pressure and work also through International Energy – Atomic Energy Agency is critical. And Ukraine needs also hope, and it is very important that we jointly include in our cooperation programs to support Ukraine in designing a cleaner and competitive energy system after the war. We also need to maintain focus on Western Balkans, Moldova, and Georgia, intensifying our joint efforts for energy transition in the region. And we have come a long way, but there is much more we can do together. And I am looking forward to our discussions today. Thank you. DEPUTY SECRETARY CAMPBELL: Wonderful. Please, DSG. DSG Carbonell, please. Thank you. DEPUTY SECRETARY GENERAL CARBONELL: Thank you, Mr. Campbell. Thank you, Mr. Turk. And I join myself to those who are very happy that you’re hosting us here today, and I want to thank all of those who have worked really hard on preparations on this statement. I know they spent many hours on every comma, and I’m very happy to see that they brought it to a fruitful end. We are facing a lot of challenges today, and I’m here to represent the High Representative Borrell, who met with Secretary of State Blinken earlier this week and where some of the issues that we’ll be discussing this afternoon were also discussed among them in full synergy of thought and in the same cooperative spirit as the one we are witnessing this afternoon. The crisis that we are all facing has also – has confirmed that the only way to strengthen Europe’s energy security is to accelerate our energy transition on the way to climate neutrality by 2050. And in these difficult and sometimes gloomy moments of history that we’re living, I’m very happy to hear that at least Mr. Turk has brought us some optimistic figures of what the world could look like and how we can still make it a better place. But now the time has come to implement our ambitious commitments, and we’ll only be successful if we ensure that the global energy transition is also just, orderly, and equitable for all. The green transition is urgently needed – some of you said not just for us but also for the rest of the world – and we must continue to work together to bring the rest of our global partners on board. Turning to those most affected by Russia’s war, last December the European Union leaders, as you know, decided to open accession negotiations with Ukraine and with the Republic of Moldova, as well as to grant a status of candidate country to Georgia and renew the momentum in the Western Balkans in the path to enlargement as well. Also in this domain, implementation will be key, and we see eye to eye with our U.S. partners on this. Our partners in the east need to advance their reform programs to strengthen the integration of the European continent, also in the energy sector, and build better and greener energy systems. In this context, and as some of you have mentioned the importance of U.S. support to Ukraine, I would like to mention that the EU has recently agreed for a 50 billion Ukraine facility package that will provide stable and sustainable financing to support Ukraine’s recovery, reconstruction, and modernization, including key reforms necessary on its EU accession track. We’re determined to continue to bolster Europeans’ energy security and that of our direct neighbors, as the commissioner has said – Ukraine, Moldova, and the Western Balkans. Our European home will be more stable and more resilient once we have weaned off the European continent of excessive dependence on Russian fossil fuels, as we’re doing, implemented a successful green transition, and strengthened the integration of our energy market and interconnection of our infrastructures. On Monday, European foreign ministers are gathering together. Secretary of State Blinken will be addressing them. And part of the documents that the EU foreign ministers will agree on Monday will be council conclusions, which is how we make policy in Europe, on climate diplomacy. And you will see that some of the elements that are in our joint statement this afternoon we’ll be reflecting in these council conclusions, EU policy outlook for our climate diplomacy in the coming months. Thank you very much. DEPUTY SECRETARY CAMPBELL: Thank you. DCM Karlshausen. MS. KARLSHAUSEN: Thank you very much. Dear Deputy Secretary of State, dear Deputy Secretary of Energy, dear Commissioner, and dear Deputy Secretary General, thank you for inviting the Belgian presidency of the council to this 11th edition of the EU-U.S. Energy Council. The urgency and importance of the items which will be discussed today cannot be understated. A few weeks ago, we commemorated the dramatic two-year anniversary of the war of aggression against Ukraine. It is no secret that Russia’s aggression sent shockwaves through the global energy markets, laid bare the risk of dependencies, stressed the importance of energy diversification away from Russia and the phasing out of fossil fuel imports well before 2030. Yet these past two years have also demonstrated our resilience, resourcefulness, and the importance of our transatlantic partnership – not only to bolster energy security, but also to promote stability and transparency in global energy markets, as well as to accelerate a sustainable energy transition – a just energy transition, which should deliver a level playing field for affordable energy to citizens and companies, ensure strong and reliable security of supply, and contribute to the objectives of climate neutrality by 2050. Indeed, let us not shirk our responsibility concerning the climate crisis. As Winston Churchill put it, never waste a good crisis. Not addressing climate change now will only increase the risk of other crises, whether energy crisis or violent conflicts. Let us therefore work together in a spirit of openness and solidarity to accelerate the deployment of renewable, including offshore, energy solutions to ensure the resilient, secure, sustainable, and affordable energy grids worldwide that such a surge of renewable require, and to create a rule-based global market for hydrogen. We’re very much looking forward to the discussions, and we thank you again for inviting us. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Secretary Blinken’s Call with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kuleba | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/16/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/16/2024 10:29 AM EDT Office of the Spokesperson The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller: Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. The Secretary and the Foreign Minister discussed the latest battlefield developments and the $300 million package of additional security assistance announced by the United Sates on March 12. The Secretary highlighted the need for the House of Representatives to swiftly pass the national security supplemental. He thanked Foreign Minister Kuleba for the Ukrainian government’s commitment to undertake anti-corruption reforms needed to advance its Euro-Atlantic integration. The Secretary once again underscored the United States’ enduring support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity as its people fight to secure their democratic future in the face of Russia’s brutal war of aggression. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Secretary Blinken’s Call with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kuleba | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/16/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/16/2024 10:29 AM EDT Office of the Spokesperson The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller: Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. The Secretary and the Foreign Minister discussed the latest battlefield developments and the $300 million package of additional security assistance announced by the United Sates on March 12. The Secretary highlighted the need for the House of Representatives to swiftly pass the national security supplemental. He thanked Foreign Minister Kuleba for the Ukrainian government’s commitment to undertake anti-corruption reforms needed to advance its Euro-Atlantic integration. The Secretary once again underscored the United States’ enduring support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity as its people fight to secure their democratic future in the face of Russia’s brutal war of aggression. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Deputy Secretary Campbell’s Meeting with Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General Puna | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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03/16/2024 12:38 PM EDT Office of the Spokesperson The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller: Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell met yesterday with a high-level delegation from the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) including Secretary General Henry Puna as well as the Prime Minister of Cook Islands Mark Brown. The Deputy Secretary highlighted the United States’ growing engagement in the Pacific region and ever closer U.S. relationship with the PIF, as evidenced by the U.S.-PIF Summit hosted by President Biden in Washington, D.C., in September 2023. The Deputy Secretary and Secretary General discussed deepening cooperation on a range of issues supporting the Pacific Islands Forum 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, including climate adaptation and finance via the Pacific Resilience Facility as well as U.S. support for the PIF’s Pacific Leadership Initiative. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with Bahraini Crown Prince-Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/16/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/16/2024 03:13 PM EDT Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller: Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met today with Bahraini Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa in Manama. The Secretary and the Crown Prince discussed efforts to achieve a ceasefire of at least six weeks in Gaza as part of an agreement to secure the release of hostages. Secretary Blinken pledged to continue close coordination with | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Secretary Blinken to Deliver Remarks at the Third Summit for Democracy | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/16/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/16/2024 06:12 PM EDT Office of the Spokesperson Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken will lead the U.S. delegation to the third Summit for Democracy (S4D3). Hosted by the Republic of Korea from March 18-20 in Seoul, S4D3 will feature a three-day program of events with government officials, civil society representatives, and private sector individuals. On the first day of programming, Secretary Blinken will provide opening remarks in the Summit opening ceremony, deliver the U.S. intervention during the ministerial conference, and give a speech on information integrity. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken’s remarks at the Opening Ceremony of S4D3 will take place on Monday, March 18, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. local/Sunday, March 17, 2024, at 9:00 p.m. EST. Secretary Blinken will provide remarks at the Ministerial Conference of S4D3 on Monday, March 18 at 10:45 a.m. local/Sunday, March 17, 2024, at 9:45 p.m. EST. Finally, Secretary Blinken’s speech on information integrity will take place at the Multi-Stakeholder Roundtable of S4D3 on Monday, March 18, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. local/1:00 a.m. EST. Press coverage of Secretary Blinken’s remarks will be open to pre-registered media. These remarks will be streamed live on the Department homepage and the Department YouTube channel.
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