U.S. Department of State,update (part 2)

 

Third Meeting of the Counterterrorism Law Enforcement Forum 07/12/2024 Third Meeting of the Counterterrorism Law Enforcement Forum 07/12/2024 01:28 PM EDT Office of the Spokesperson The U.S. Departments of State and Justice convened the third meeting of the Counterterrorism Law Enforcement Forum (CTLEF) in The Hague, the Netherlands on July 10-11.  The CTLEF, which focuses on countering the global threat of racially or ethnically motivated violent extremism (REMVE), brought together law enforcement, prosecutors, other criminal justice practitioners, financial regulators, and policymakers from Europe, North and South America, and the Indo-Pacific; alongside specialists from, Europol, INTERPOL, the International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law, other multilateral organizations, and outside experts. At the CTLEF meeting, participants shared information about the transnational REMVE threat, including how REMVE actors and networks are communicating and traveling across borders to advance their efforts.  Government officials also provided overviews of recent actions they have taken to disrupt REMVE activity, such as criminal prosecutions and financial measures, and compared notes on the most effective strategies and approaches to address this growing threat.  Participants also highlighted the damaging role that Russia is playing in this area, particularly with its propaganda attempting to justify its war against Ukraine as “de-Nazification.” Officials from the U.S. Departments of State, Justice, the Treasury, Homeland Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and National Counterterrorism Center participated in this meeting.  The CTLEF will convene again in the second half of 2025. For further information, please contact CT_PublicAffairs@state.gov. Bastille Day 07/14/2024 Bastille Day 07/14/2024 12:01 AM EDT Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State On behalf of the United States of America, I extend my warmest wishes to the people of France as you celebrate Bastille Day. France, our oldest Ally, holds a cherished place in American hearts. Our enduring relationship is built upon the shared values of democracy, human rights, and freedom. Together, we have faced the trials of two World Wars and have worked in unity to build a more prosperous and secure world. As we navigate the challenges of the 21st century, our partnership remains strong and multifaceted. We commend France’s leadership in addressing global issues such as climate change, including through the Paris Agreement, and we appreciate our close cooperation on security matters in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and the Indo-Pacific. Our united efforts to end Russia’s war against Ukraine and to combat the climate crisis underscore the depth of our collaboration. This year marks significant anniversaries and milestones, including the 80th anniversary of the Liberation of France, the 75th anniversary of NATO, and France’s role as host of the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. We celebrate the sacrifices made by those who have fought for freedom and democracy and honor their legacy by continuing to work together to promote peace and prosperity. Best wishes to the people of France for a joyous Bastille Day and a successful year ahead. Vive la France! Deputy Secretary Campbell’s Travel to Ghana, Gabon, Senegal, and the United Kingdom 07/14/2024 Deputy Secretary Campbell’s Travel to Ghana, Gabon, Senegal, and the United Kingdom 07/14/2024 07:03 PM EDT Office of the Spokesperson Deputy Secretary of State Kurt M. Campbell will travel to Ghana, Gabon, Senegal, and the United Kingdom from July 14 to July 19. In Ghana, Deputy Secretary Campbell is scheduled to meet with President Nana Akufo-Addo to underscore the importance of the U.S.-Ghana partnership to advance democracy and security in West Africa and to reinforce two-way trade and investment ties to bolster mutual prosperity. Deputy Secretary Campbell will also meet with youth leaders to discuss U.S. investment in digital technology solutions. In Gabon, Deputy Secretary Campbell will meet with leaders of Gabon’s transition government and with civil society leaders to discuss the country’s political transition toward democracy and explore opportunities for economic growth. He will visit a rain forest in part of the Congo Basin often called the world’s “second lung,” highlighting U.S. support for Gabon’s important environmental and sustainable management practices. The Deputy Secretary will advance the security partnership between the United States and Gabon, including our shared interest in regional stability and maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea. In Senegal, he will meet with President Bassirou Diomaye Faye to underscore our shared dedication to democracy and good governance, economic growth, and regional security. He will showcase U.S. investments in Senegal’s economy, including the Millennium Challenge Corporation’s $550 million power compact to increase energy access and the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation’s $81 million loan to support the hospitality industry. Deputy Secretary Campbell will also meet with entrepreneurs to discuss how IT solutions can boost economic growth and help address environmental challenges. In the United Kingdom, the Deputy Secretary will meet with senior UK officials in the new government to continue addressing pressing global challenges through the Special Relationship, including reaching an immediate and enduring ceasefire in Gaza and supporting Ukraine against Russia’s brutal aggression, as well as outcomes from the NATO Summit in Washington and priorities in the Indo-Pacific. Secretary Blinken’s Remarks at the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity Ministerial 07/16/2024 Secretary Blinken’s Remarks at the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity Ministerial 07/16/2024 07:43 PM EDT Office of the Spokesperson Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken will deliver opening remarks at the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity (“Americas Partnership”) ministerial plenary meeting on July 17, 2024, at 10:30 a.m. ET at the Department of State. The plenary meeting will include foreign ministers from the 12 Americas Partnership countries – the United States, Barbados, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Peru, and Uruguay. This event will be pooled press for in-person attendance. The Secretary’s opening remarks will be livestreamed on the Department homepage and Department YouTube channel. To learn more about the Americas Partnership, visit: https://www.state.gov/americas-partnership-for-economic-prosperity/. For more information, please contact E_Communications@state.gov. Follow along on social media using the hashtag: #AmericasPartnership. 2024 Investment Climate Statements Published 07/17/2024 ment Climate Statements Published 07/17/2024 12:43 PM EDT Office of the Spokesperson HomeOffice of the SpokespersonPress Releases…2024 Investment Climate Statements Published hide 2024 Investment Climate Statements Published Media Note July 17, 2024 Today, the Department of State published the 2024 Investment Climate Statements (ICS).  These reports describe the investment climates of more than 160 countries and economies, helping U.S. companies make informed decisions about doing business overseas.  The ICS are also a resource for partner governments to create business environments that are economically sound and sustainable to grow the middle class, empower workers, promote internationally recognized labor rights, combat corruption, support responsible business conduct, and help address the climate crisis.  A welcoming investment climate can help attract high-quality investment and support sustainable, inclusive economic growth.  The reports highlight ways in which individual economies have improved investment conditions, as well as areas that may pose risks and hinder opportunities for U.S. businesses. Our overseas missions are working to address these barriers to U.S. investment highlighted by the Investment Climate Statements. The reports cover topics including:  Openness to Investment, Legal and Regulatory Systems, Protection of Real and Intellectual Property Rights, Financial Sector, State-Owned Enterprises, Responsible Business Conduct, Corruption, and Labor Policies and Practices.  The Investment Climate Statements also form a chapter of the Department of Commerce’s Country Commercial Guides and can be read together with those guides for a broad description of the investment and business environments in foreign economies.  View the Investment Climate Statements and the Country Commercial Guides. Tags Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs Business Division for International Finance and Development Economic Affairs Economic Prosperity and Trade Policy Investment Climate Investment Climate Statements Office of the Spokesperson Secretary Antony J. Blinken at the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity Foreign Affairs Track Ministerial 07/17/2024 Secretary Antony J. Blinken at the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity Foreign Affairs Track Ministerial 07/17/2024 12:50 PM EDT Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State Washington, D.C. Benjamin Franklin Room HomeOffice of the SpokespersonPress Releases…Secretary Antony J. Blinken at the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity Foreign Affairs Track Ministerial hide Secretary Antony J. Blinken at the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity Foreign Affairs Track Ministerial Remarks July 17, 2024 SECRETARY BLINKEN: Well, good morning, everyone.  Bienvenidos a Washington. It’s so good to have so many friends from all across the hemisphere.  We wanted to give you, as I said to a couple of colleagues, the warmest possible greeting; we may have overcorrected, because I think we’ve had the two hottest days on record in Washington in almost a hundred years.  But take that in the spirit with which it’s intended, which is a warm welcome here.  From Canada to Chile, we are bound together by history and geography, by ties of family and community, by trade and commerce.  We’re linked by common challenges as well, from climate change to irregular migration to unequal opportunity.  And we’re linked by share hopes – shared hopes for a more secure, a more prosperous, a more democratic future for all of our countries and all of our peoples.  These collective aspirations – and the conviction that we could better achieve them by working together – led President Biden to launch the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity just two years ago at the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles. This partnership is part of a broader effort to modernize our economic relationships, to grow our economies from the bottom up and from the middle out.  To demonstrate that the way to boost our competitiveness is to enhance protections for our workers as well as for our climate; to make our supply chains more resilient; to commit to the trust, safety, and openness of our digital infrastructure.  And to show that our interdependence can actually be a source of strength – not a vulnerability – for our people, for our economies, for our democracies.  That’s the purpose of the partnership.  And in just these past two years, our 12 countries have made significant progress in lifting up our communities and further unlocking the potential of all of our people. We’re making our supply chains stronger and more resilient.  Through our Americas Partnership Platform, the Inter-American Development Bank, the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation – all are providing technical assistance and financing to attract private sector investment in infrastructure all across the hemisphere. Already we’ve begun to lay the groundwork for $3 billion worth of high-standard, sustainable, strategically significant projects.  By improving the backbone of our supply chains, better infrastructure will help ensure that the goods our people rely on – semiconductors, electric vehicle batteries, medical supplies – are more affordable, more secure, and made right here in the Americas. We’re also investing in our people.  Costa Rica has established a Center of Excellence to prepare workers from across the Americas to be more competitive in the high-tech fields of the future, from cyber security to artificial intelligence.  The United States, Canada, Uruguay have created an accelerator to recruit and train 750 entrepreneurs throughout the region.  Later today, Uruguay will unveil a network of angel investors and a digital platform that will encourage greater investment in this incredibly diverse group of entrepreneurs. We’re advancing the clean energy economy together.  Clean hydrogen, for example, produces only water as a byproduct, as you know, as opposed to the carbon dioxide emitted by burning fossil fuels.  It could be a game changer for our climate.  So we’ve launched a Clean Hydrogen Working Group to coordinate on technical as well as on regulatory issues and help grow this renewable energy source across the Americas. Going forward, our countries will collaborate in new ways to take this partnership to the next level.  Today, I’m happy to announce one such effort: the Western Hemisphere Semiconductor Initiative.  Thanks to funding from the bipartisan CHIPS Act, this initiative will turbocharge countries’ capacity to assemble, to test, and to package semiconductors, beginning with Mexico, Panama, and Costa Rica. The United States will also hold a symposium in Mexico this September – following on a very successful conference in January in Costa Rica – to identify ways that the region can play a larger role in the global supply chain for this critical technology.  To continue to grow and strengthen the partnership, we’ve also developed a process for additional countries to join and contribute.  We’re eager to add more partners, to bring in more perspectives, to make this group even more representative and responsive, to create even more opportunities for our citizens while maintaining our high standards and upholding the values that unite us.  And we’ll be building on last November’s Leaders’ Summit in Washington with another leader-level summit in Costa Rica next year.  And we’re grateful to our partners in Costa Rica for taking on this leadership. From the beginning, this has been a true partnership in every sense of the word.  I’m grateful to everyone around this table, as well as our respective trade and finance ministers, who are working to boost commercial ties and investment throughout the region.  One of the keys to our success is that I think we’ve managed to integrate the ideas and priorities of a wide range of stakeholders, including the private sector, labor, environmental organizations, members of indigenous communities and other under-represented groups.  We’re committed to ensuring that these voices continue to inform and shape our efforts. As I’ve had the great pleasure and privilege of travelling throughout the region over the past few years, I’ve had the chance to meet so many people who stand to benefit from the work of this partnership.  I’ve met artists.  I’ve met small business owners in Quito, anti-corruption activists in Panama City, entrepreneurs in Santiago. And the common denominator – and I know you all feel this too – is that our citizens have so much energy; so much determination to build better futures for their families, for their communities.  If we follow through on the full promise of this partnership, I think we have a historic opportunity to help realize the aspirations of our people, to strengthen their faith in our democracies, and to build a more equitable, sustainable, and prosperous region for everyone. So thank you, thank you, thank you for all that you’re doing as partners in this endeavor.  I’m grateful to have everyone here today.  I think our colleagues now will take leave of us and we can get down to the meeting.  Thank you, everyone.  (Applause.) Tags Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs Office of the Spokesperson The Secretary of State Launch of Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity’s Semiconductor Workforce Symposium: Expanding the Supplier Ecosystem 07/17/2024 Launch of Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity’s Semiconductor Workforce Symposium: Expanding the Supplier Ecosystem 07/17/2024 03:04 PM EDT Office of the Spokesperson On July 17,2024, Secretary Blinken announced at the America’s Partnership for Economic Prosperity Ministerial the U.S. Department of State and Mexico’s Secretariat of Economy would host the Americas Partnership Semiconductor Symposium:  Expanding the Supplier Ecosystem on September 5-6, 2024, in Mexico City.  The Symposium will focus on expanding and diversifying the semiconductor assembly, testing, and packaging (ATP) ecosystem in Americas Partnership countries. A secure semiconductor supply chain ecosystem in the Western Hemisphere is critical to the Biden Administration’s goals, including the successful implementation of the CHIPS Act.  The Symposium will bring together industry, particularly small and medium-sized suppliers, governments, academia, and labor to identify key challenges, explore emerging opportunities, and develop strategies for sustainable growth and collaboration in this critical industry.  These efforts will work towards achieving one of the Americas Partnership’s priority goals of bolstering the semiconductor industry and capacity in the Western Hemisphere.  This event builds upon the Americas Partnership Semiconductor Workforce Symposium:  Building Technical Capacity for a Skilled 21st Century Workforce, hosted in Costa Rica in January 2024. Under President Biden’s leadership, the U.S. Department of State is committed to working with Americas Partnership countries to explore opportunities to grow and diversify the global semiconductor ecosystem, including through the International Technology Security and Innovation (ITSI) Fund, created by the CHIPS Act of 2022. These efforts will support collaboration with countries on a suite of new diplomatic and capacity-building programs to create a more resilient, secure, and sustainable global semiconductor supply chain. More information about the CHIPS Act and ITSI Fund:  The U.S. Department of State International Technology Security and Innovation Fund. U.S. Department of State and Inter-American Development Bank Collaborate on Semiconductor Initiative in the Western Hemisphere 07/17/2024 U.S. Department of State and Inter-American Development Bank Collaborate on Semiconductor Initiative in the Western Hemisphere 07/17/2024 03:00 PM EDT Office of the Spokesperson HomeOffice of the SpokespersonPress Releases…U.S. Department of State and Inter-American Development Bank Collaborate on Semiconductor Initiative in the Western Hemisphere hide U.S. Department of State and Inter-American Development Bank Collaborate on Semiconductor Initiative in the Western Hemisphere Media Note July 17, 2024 Today, to bolster semiconductor production capabilities across the Western Hemisphere, the U.S. Department of State, in collaboration with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), has unveiled the CHIPS ITSI Western Hemisphere Semiconductor Initiative.  This groundbreaking initiative, supported through the CHIPS Act International Technology Security and Innovation (ITSI) Fund, enhances semiconductor assembly, testing, and packaging (ATP) capabilities in key partner countries, beginning with Mexico, Panama, and Costa Rica. Under the Initiative, the IDB will support public-private partnerships and implementation of OECD recommendations tailored to enhance the semiconductor ecosystems in targeted countries.  This collaborative effort underscores a commitment to international policy alignment and sustainable economic development.  This Initiative will also build on the IDB’s ongoing work through the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity to strengthen the competitiveness of regional semiconductor supply chains. The CHIPS ITSI Western Hemisphere Semiconductor Initiative will commence in 2024 and continue through 2026.  This initiative will strengthen regional capabilities and set a precedent for inclusive economic growth and global technological advancement.  To that end, the ITSI Fund has also supported a semiconductor-focused multilateral platform that advances Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity objectives. More information about the ITSI Fund: The U.S. Department of State International Technology Security and Innovation Fund. Tags Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs Information Technology Office of the Spokesperson Public-Private Partnerships 10th Anniversary of the Downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 07/17/2024 10th Anniversary of the Downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 07/17/2024 04:06 PM EDT Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State HomeOffice of the SpokespersonPress Releases…10th Anniversary of the Downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 hide 10th Anniversary of the Downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 Press Statement July 17, 2024 Ten years ago today, Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine in territory controlled by Russian and Russia-led forces, taking the lives of 298 innocent people, including 80 children.  A Joint Investigation Team in 2018 found that the aircraft was shot down by a Russian-made BUK surface-to-air missile fired from that territory, and that the missile launcher used to shoot down MH17 originated from the 53rd Anti-aircraft Brigade of the Russian Federation, stationed in Kursk, Russia.  Our thoughts remain with those who perished, and we join with their friends, families, and loved ones in honoring their memory. Our commemoration of the tenth anniversary of this tragedy takes place under the shadow of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, which continues to impose brutal costs on the Ukrainian people.  The United States remains committed to holding Russia accountable for war crimes committed during its war against Ukraine and supporting Ukraine in its defense of its territory. Today we reaffirm our commitment to justice for the passengers of flight MH-17 whose lives were senselessly cut short.  In 2022, the District Court of The Hague found three members of Russia’s proxy forces in eastern Ukraine guilty for their roles in the downing of the plane.  While this is an important step, more work lies ahead to ensure that all those responsible for the downing of MH17 are held to account and some measure of justice is achieved for those 298 innocent passengers and crew who lost their lives on July 17, 2014. Tags Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs Malaysia Office of the Spokesperson Russia The Secretary of State Ukraine Statement on the First High-Level Minerals Security Partnership (MSP) Forum Event 07/18/2024 Statement on the First High-Level Minerals Security Partnership (MSP) Forum Event 07/18/2024 09:30 AM EDT Office of the Spokesperson HomeOffice of the SpokespersonPress Releases…Statement on the First High-Level Minerals Security Partnership (MSP) Forum Event hide Statement on the First High-Level Minerals Security Partnership (MSP) Forum Event Media Note July 18, 2024 The text of the following statement was released by the Government of the United States of America and the European Commission. Begin text: On July 18, Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Jose W. Fernandez and Deputy Director-General for Trade Leopoldo Rubinacci hosted the first high-level MSP Forum event. Ministers and high-level officials from MSP partner countries and mineral-producing countries participated virtually. Since its inception in June 2022, the MSP has engaged with mineral-producing countries during gatherings with MSP partners and private sector companies. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and European Commission Executive Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis launched the MSP Forum in April 2024 to deepen and cement the MSP’s partnership with mineral-producing countries committed to high environmental, social, and governance standards and ready to advance mutually beneficial dialogue and cooperation on critical minerals. MSP Forum members will work together to develop individual projects and promote a dialogue on policies that contribute to diversification and resilience of supply chains. During the event, the MSP Forum Co-Chairs, the United States and the European Union, shared the main objectives and a roadmap for the MSP Forum, including its two work streams, project development and policy dialogue. Under Secretary Fernandez and Deputy Director-General Rubinacci also welcomed eight new members of the MSP Forum – Argentina, Greenland, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Namibia, Peru, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. The United States and the European Union look forward to working with MSP Forum members to coordinate the development of more sustainable and diverse critical minerals projects and promote policies that help us achieve our shared goals during the energy transition. End text. For more information on the MSP, go to https://www.state.gov/minerals-security-partnership/.  To stay up to date, follow Under Secretary Fernandez on X:  @State_E, LinkedIn:  @State-E, and Facebook:  @StateDeptE.  For media inquiries, please contact E_Communications@state.gov. Tags Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs Climate and Environment Energy European Union Office of the Spokesperson Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Sanctions on Additional Houthi Financial Facilitators 07/18/2024 Sanctions on Additional Houthi Financial Facilitators 07/18/2024 10:50 AM EDT Matthew Miller, Department Spokesperson HomeOffice of the SpokespersonPress Releases…Sanctions on Additional Houthi Financial Facilitators hide Sanctions on Additional Houthi Financial Facilitators Press Statement July 18, 2024 The Houthis in Yemen continue to receive vast revenues from the illicit shipment of Iranian commodities.  This funding stream enables the Houthis’ ongoing attacks against commercial shipping in the Red Sea and surrounding waterways.  Today, the United States is sanctioning an additional two individuals and five entities, as well as identifying five vessels as blocked property, for being associated with these schemes. These actions aim to disrupt the network run by U.S.-designated facilitator Sa’id al-Jamal that is financing the Houthis and their destructive activities in the region.  Today’s targets form part of a multifaceted illicit operations network, ranging from clients and facilitators to insurance providers, vessels, and ship management firms.  We will continue to use all available tools to disrupt funding streams that enable the Houthis to continue their destabilizing activity in the region. The Department of the Treasury’s sanctions actions were taken pursuant to counterterrorism authority Executive Order 13224, as amended.  For more information, see Treasury’s press release. Tags Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs Counterterrorism Division for Counter Threat Finance and Sanctions Office of the Spokesperson Sanctions U.S.-Kazakhstan Strategic Energy Dialogue 07/18/2024 U.S.-Kazakhstan Strategic Energy Dialogue 07/18/2024 11:50 AM EDT Office of the Spokesperson HomeOffice of the SpokespersonPress Releases…U.S.-Kazakhstan Strategic Energy Dialogue hide U.S.-Kazakhstan Strategic Energy Dialogue Media Note July 18, 2024 The U.S. Department of State and Department of Energy, in coordination with Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Energy, held the 2024 U.S.-Kazakhstan Strategic Energy Dialogue on July 18 in Astana.  The dialogue deepened cooperation on our shared priorities of enhancing energy security, accelerating the clean energy transition and methane mitigation, and developing Kazakhstan’s critical minerals sector. Deputy Assistant Secretary Kimberly Harrington from the Department of State’s Bureau of Energy Resources and Deputy Assistant Secretary Joshua Volz from the Department of Energy’s Office of International Affairs co-led the U.S. delegation. U.S. and Kazakh energy and international affairs experts discussed progress and planned activities under six lines of effort: greenhouse gas emissions reduction, sustainable critical materials mining and refining, civil nuclear cooperation, renewable energy sources, energy security, and global nuclear security.  The U.S. Department of State also signed a memorandum of understanding with the Kazakh National Geological Survey and National Mining Company Tau-Ken Samruk to expand and diversify critical minerals supply chains. Tags Bureau of Energy Resources Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs Climate Change Energy Energy Kazakhstan Office of the Spokesperson Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Under Secretary Jenkins Travels to Romania 07/19/2024 Under Secretary Jenkins Travels to Romania 07/19/2024 10:34 AM EDT Office of the Spokesperson Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Ambassador Bonnie D. Jenkins will travel to Bucharest, Romania from July 20-24, 2024. While in Romania, the Under Secretary will participate in the 5th Partnership for Transatlantic Energy and Climate Cooperation (P-TECC) Ministerial and attend events to celebrate a significant milestone in the Romania small modular reactor (SMR) project based on U.S. technology.  The project was announced by Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry and Romania President Klaus Iohannis at the Climate Change Conference in Glasgow (COP26). Romania is leading the way in the region on building clean, safe, and reliable SMR technology to support critical sustainability and energy security goals and the United States is proud to be its partner. For further information, please follow @UnderSecT  on X. Sanctioning Members of the Cyber Army of Russia Reborn 07/19/2024 Sanctioning Members of the Cyber Army of Russia Reborn 07/19/2024 10:55 AM EDT Matthew Miller, Department Spokesperson The United States is designating two members of the Russian hacktivist group Cyber Army of Russia Reborn (CARR) for their roles in cyber operations against U.S. critical infrastructure entities. Since 2022, CARR has conducted malicious cyber activities against Ukraine and governments that support Ukraine.  In late 2023, CARR escalated its operations, claiming responsibility for compromising the industrial control systems of multiple U.S. and European critical infrastructure targets.  CARR has since been responsible for a slew of malicious cyber activities against water supply, hydroelectric, wastewater, and energy facilities in the United States and Europe. Russia continues to provide a safe haven to cybercriminals and enable their malicious cyber activities against the United States and its allies and partners.  While CARR’s lack of sophistication and victims’ responses have thus far prevented any instances of major damage, unauthorized access to critical infrastructure systems poses an elevated risk of harm to the public and can result in devastating humanitarian consequences. Today’s action furthers our efforts to combat foreign malicious cyber activity and sends a clear message that this activity will not be tolerated.  We will continue to disrupt cybercriminals who seek to undermine our critical infrastructure and that of our partners. Today’s targets consist of the group’s leader and primary hacker.  The Department of the Treasury is taking these actions pursuant to Executive Order 13694 , as amended.  For more information on this designation, see Treasury’s press release . The Week at State: July 12 - July 18, 2024 07/19/2024 View as a webpage  /  Share July 12 - July 18 Summer is peak travel season, a time when international students visit the U.S., cultural ambassadors share American culture, and businesses explore new international economic opportunities. Here's what happened at State this past week. ⤵️ 🏛️ Secretary Blinken hosted members of the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity. 🌐 We published the Investment Climate Statements to help American businesses make informed decisions. 🎵 U.S. Global Music Ambassadors Teddy Swims, Jelly Roll, and BRELAND kicked off their public service in New Zealand, Canada, and South Korea. Secretary Blinken Hosts the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity Ministerial On Wednesday, Secretary Blinken hosted the Americas Partnerships for Economic Prosperity Ministerial meeting, focused on inclusive economic growth in the Western Hemisphere and the region’s global competitiveness. The twelve partner nations intend to tackle economic inequality, foster regional economic integration and good jobs, and restore faith in democracy by delivering for working people across the region.  At the meeting, the U.S. committed up to $30 million toward a new initiative, which will accelerate international development projects in Latin America and the Caribbean and sustain their positive effects. “This partnership is part of a broader effort to modernize our economic relationships, to grow our economies from the bottom up and from the middle out,” the Secretary said during the event. New Investment Climate Statements Every year, we publish a report to help American businesses make informed decisions on where to invest worldwide, spurring economic growth at home and abroad.  Take a look at the latest report prepared by our economic officers stationed around the world. Global Music Ambassadors Begin their Tour Teddy Swims, Jelly Roll, and BRELAND kicked off their public service as U.S. Global Music Ambassadors by engaging audiences through music while traveling for tours, performances, and songwriting camps. This is part of the State Department and YouTube’s Global Music Partnership to bring people together and promote peace worldwide on behalf of the American people. TechGirls Program Begins Summer Session TechGirls is a State Department exchange initiative designed to empower young girls from around the world to pursue careers in STEM. TechGirls Global is kicking off its month-long program with a tech camp at Virginia Tech University. Participants will obtain technology training and leadership development. The 2024 cohort includes 128 participants from 38 countries who will obtain three weeks of STEM courses. Food Program Aids Children in Sri Lanka U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung visited with students, instructors, and administrators at Kirubanandavariya Tamil Vidyalayam in Sri Lanka to demonstrate how a school food program supported by the USDA McGovern-Dole and Save the Children helps kids stay in school and excel in classrooms.   “We are proud to support 33,000 children in 263 schools in Uva province alone and over 100,000 school children across the country with vital supplemental nutrition, demonstrating the United States’ commitment to Sri Lanka’s future,” the Ambassador wrote on Twitter/X. 2024 Olympic Games Around the Corner The Opening Ceremony is just around the corner! Winning Olympic gold requires more than raw talent. With tremendous drive, top athletes follow rigorous training routines to hone their skills, build strength, and boost endurance. Here are four 2024 U.S. Olympians and the training regimens that will help them compete with the world’s best in Paris. For U.S. citizens attending the Olympic or Paralympic Games, keep this important safety and security information on-hand (saved in your phone’s photos) during your time in France. News You May Have Missed Here's a quick recap of the week from the NATO Summit in Washington, DC we hosted last week. The U.S. and Saudi Arabia sign agreement for space cooperation that opens collaboration between both countries on civilian space exploration and research. A digital initiative from the U.S. Embassy in Thailand highlights the efforts of the United States and Thailand in wildlife preservation. Innovation Station, an initiative that highlights women’s and girls’ leadership in climate and environmental action, celebrates its three-year anniversary. Department Foreign Service Officer named a 2024 Employee of the Year by CAREERS & the disABLED Magazine for empowering employees with disabilities. U.S. citizens whose passports were lost or stolen can get an emergency “purple” passport that is valid for one year. 🔎 Looking Ahead July 19: Secretary Blinken participates in a Fireside Chat at the Aspen Security Forum July 20: Space Exploration Day July 25: National Intern Day July 26: Americans with Disabilities Act Anniversary July 26: 2024 Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony in Paris 👉 Note to Our Readers We welcome your feedback on this newsletter. Send us your thoughts to EmailTeam@state.gov. 📩 Useful links Travel advisories and updates on international travel for U.S. Citizens from the Department of State Did you know that you can invite a representative from the Department of State to speak at your school, business, agency or organization? Learn about what we do through the firsthand experience of one of our representatives.  Online Press Briefing with the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt 07/19/2024 Online Press Briefing with the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt 07/19/2024 01:58 PM EDT Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt, Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat AntisemitismOffice of the Special Envoy To Monitor and Combat Antisemitism Brussels Hub MODERATOR:  Good afternoon from the State Department’s Brussels Media Hub.  I would like to welcome everyone joining us for today’s virtual press briefing.  We are very honored to be joined by Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt, the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism. With that, I’ll turn it over to the ambassador for opening remarks.  Ambassador, the floor is yours. AMBASSADOR LIPSTADT:  Thank you very much; I appreciate it.  I appreciate everyone being online and having the chance to talk to you.  I’m speaking to you from Buenos Aires, as you know, and the reason for my visit here is that this is the – yesterday was the 30th anniversary of the bombing of the AMIA, which was the Jewish community center building in Buenos Aires, a building that had stood, as far as I understand, for over a hundred years.  It happened 30 years ago, it’s been acknowledged by the Argentinian courts after – just recently, but confirmed that this was a Hizballah action supported and funded by Iran.  It was and constituted until October 7th the greatest attack on a Jewish institution; 84, 85 people were killed, many of them – a number of them not Jews, people who were passing by, people who worked in the building, members of the AMIA staff, et cetera – and remained unresolved.  And of course, it was preceded two years earlier by the bombing of the Israeli embassy here in Buenos Aires.  And Argentinians very much took this as an attack on Argentina, perpetrated on the Jews. So that was the – I was here two years ago for the 28th anniversary and was so moved that I promised people that I would come back for the 30th.  But there was another reason for my coming.  It was for the launch of what we call the Global Guidelines for the Countering of Antisemitism.  About eight months ago, in speaking with some of my fellow envoys who have this portfolio in different countries and with members of my team at the State Department, we were talking about best practices.  And we knew we’re often asked:  What can we do?  We’re asked that by foreign ministers, we’re asked that by ministers of justice, we’re asked that by heads of universities, et cetera, et cetera.  And we began to speak about what were some of the best practices – maybe not to eradicate antisemitism, but certainly to contain it. And I galvanized a number of my colleagues, we began to draft something – my team at State took the lead, but with very much a collaborative effort with other individuals – Fernando Lottenberg of the OAS; Fabiana Logato (sic) from – Loguzzo, excuse me, from Argentina; Caterina Vivenz-Irvine from the EU, et cetera; Michal Cotler-Wunsh from Israel – and we began to put together this list of best practices.  And then we began to gather other countries to embrace it.  We were hoping for 20 countries because there are about 18, I believe, special envoys, and we figured we could pick up a couple of countries that didn’t have special envoys.  Then we – I was saying, well, maybe we could get to 25, and I – and in an interview with a journalist about 10 days ago I said I’m hoping for 30.  And when we sat down yesterday at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Argentinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we had 38 nations and international organizations signed on. We do not delude ourselves that these global guidelines will eradicate antisemitism.  But we do think that they provide a very good map or blueprint for not just government leaders, but state leaders, city leaders, leaders of NGOs, of universities, of what they can do to address antisemitism.  We are continuing to gain signatories.  The latest one yesterday was Ukraine, and it was very moving to have them join these groups – this group of nations. So I’m going to stop there.  I’m happy to discuss them in more detail, to go through them.  They are available on our website at state.gov, and you can see them there, including with a list of signatories that is expanding rapidly.  So let me stop there, and I’m happy to take any questions. MODERATOR:  Thank you, Ambassador.  We’ll go to our first question.  We’ll go to a live question from Alex Raufoglu.  Alex, please go ahead. QUESTION:  Hi, thank you so much for doing this.  Ambassador, Ukraine joining the guidelines was news to me.  Can you please walk us through the process of how you are reaching out to other countries, pitching them to adopt these best practices?  Countries I cover – one of them is Azerbaijan; they have a Jewish community.  Have they been – received any, let’s say, any request from you?  Have they rejected? AMBASSADOR LIPSTADT:  Sure. QUESTION:  And other countries?  And second part of the question, I know you visited Ukraine last year – the Jewish heritage sites in Kyiv and other parts of the country.  Any update on the current state of those sites in Ukraine since last year?  Thanks so much. AMBASSADOR LIPSTADT:  Okay.  Let me address your second one first.  I have not been to Ukraine.  We haven’t been able to work it out.  As you know, there have been numerous visits by my colleagues of the United States Government, and it’s been sort of hard to find a time that worked for me and worked for our officials over there.  I hope to get there.  I am in very close contact with the Ukrainian ambassador to the United States.  She and I see each other quite often, speak about issues.  The fight against antisemitism very much resonates with her and with her fellow Ukrainians in part because Russia has used antisemitism and accusations of Nazism and fascism against Ukraine as part of its propaganda, as part of its war efforts, et cetera.  So that is definitely on the agenda, and I hope I can do that.  I’ve been to Ukraine before, but never in this official capacity. The process of reaching out to countries – we started with our counterparts – well, because of Katharina von Schnurbein of the EU, we reached out to all the EU countries – and Fernando Lottenberg of OAS, we reached out to countries in the Americas.  Canada signed on quite quickly and then countries in Latin America.  And then other countries began to hear about it and say, well, we’d like to join in.  We now go into our second phase.  And I’m sure the countries you’ve mentioned, we will certainly reach out to them. One of the most encouraging things was as some countries signed on – Czechia, for example – they said, not only are we signing on, not only are we embracing these, but we want to urge other countries to sign on; Romania, the same thing.  I shouldn’t mention only one or two because there were others.  But country – other countries were – in other words, it really was a multilateral international effort.  This was – may have been generated by my team or the idea by me and my team at the State Department, but it quickly became a multilateral effort.  And we will certainly turn to those countries very quickly. MODERATOR:  Thank you, ma’am.  We’ll go to another live question, this time from Gabby Deutch.  Gabby, please go ahead. QUESTION:  Thank you, Ambassador, for doing this.  So my question is about the statement that Secretary Blinken released yesterday about the 30th anniversary of the AMIA bombing.  Made the same connections that you did, tying it to October 7th as a deadly day for Jews, but it also included a line condemning Islamophobia and all forms of hate, which is language that I know in other instances, you’ve spoken about the importance of speaking – discussing antisemitism on its own.  And so I wonder what you make of that statement coming from the State Department and if you were involved in drafting it. AMBASSADOR LIPSTADT:  First of all, we were very – we were delighted because Secretary Blinken put the full force of the United States Government behind these guidelines.  So, of course, we had cleared them all the way through, including with the White House, so it wasn’t my team acting in a rogue fashion, but his statement fully embracing, fully endorsing in the name of the United States Government was quite powerful and we very much appreciated that. I’m not going to talk about the – how – the drafting, the internal process.  That’s a complicated process and how that works.  You never want to know how the sausage is made.  But in terms of the statement, it may not have been the way I would have phrased it.  As you probably know – you may have heard me speak about this – my sense both as a diplomat and a historian and as someone who has studied and encountered prejudicial hate, ethnic hate, and particularly antisemitism most specifically for many, many decades is the most efficacious way of addressing it is call something out by its name. If there is – for instance, the examples I’ve given, and you may have heard me use them before, but they’re – I think they’re quite compelling.  When George Floyd was murdered, many governments – civic governments, state governments, et cetera – groups, individuals talked about the racism which was behind the way he was treated.  Or after 9/11 when there was a surge of hatred of Muslims in the United States – and I use that term advisedly, not just – it wasn’t just fear of Muslims but hatred – so much so that the Muslim community of lower Manhattan was refused permission to build a mosque because the ground they wanted to use was adjacent to Ground Zero.  Many of us called that out and called out the hatred of Muslims, the Islamophobia which we felt was behind it, and the prejudice.  And we – many of us who study and teach and fight antisemitism called it out in terms of our expertise in that area. Or last the example I’ll give – and again, three American examples.  I apologize, but I’m sure many of you can translate this to your own country.  When Matthew Shepard was murdered, we called out the homophobia.  I think it’s most efficacious to call out the specifics and then to acknowledge, as the statement does, that a specific hatred doesn’t need – doesn’t often stop – the hatred doesn’t stop just with one group.  It starts with the Jews; it doesn’t end with the Jews.  As a Holocaust historian, I know that had the Germans won – this is counterfactual, but we are fairly certain that many other groups would have been subjected to the treatment that Jews to – Jews were subjected to. And so that’s really how I would have addressed the issues.  But I think the statement in terms of its embrace, in the name of the United States Government, and its condemnation of the bombings, was very, very strong. MODERATOR:  Thank you, Ambassador.  Next question, submitted by Aaron Troodler from Washington Jewish Week.  He asks:  “While the guidelines in the Global Guidelines for Countering Antisemitism are certainly important in light of current events relative to global antisemitism, what sorts of steps can and should be taken to try and ensure their widespread adoption in the international community?  And can you speak to the viability of these guidelines considering a lack of enforceability?” AMBASSADOR LIPSTADT:  Well, yes, there is no international police force that can enforce them, and that probably is a good thing – (laughter) – in general.  We – I am often – one of the things – let me step back for a minute.  One of the things that really prompted me to begin to think about this was the meeting I had with the attorney general of Australia earlier this year, and when I saw he was on my calendar, I said wait a minute, the attorney general of Australia is coming to the State Department to see me.  Shouldn’t he be going to see Attorney General Merrick Garland?  And they said in fact he’s coming from a meeting with the Attorney General to see you.  I was intrigued. And one of the things he came to talk to me about was to let me – that Australia was considering – and as of now has exactly one week ago named a special envoy – and what were the steps that they should take to make sure that this envoy could be effective, could be – that her – the position would be – would actually accomplish something?  And I found myself saying, well, your leadership has to speak out, many of things that are in the guidelines.  So in a way, the enforceability will come from speaking about them, from going to – from looking at countries or institutions; you can even apply these to some of the campuses that we’ve seen worldwide – the UK, the – in Scandinavian countries, other countries, and in the United States – that leaders have to speak out clear swiftly, clearly, and unequivocally right away, swiftly, when something occurs. So it’s more going to be moral pressure than enforceability, but we are – we plan to speak about them.  I know my colleagues in other countries are speaking about them.  And this is actually – it’s actually – not to tout it too much, but it is a historic document.  In fact, the envoy from Israel yesterday in a public setting called at the – when we were meeting at the ministry of foreign affairs, actually, two days ago – called it monumental.  Because it’s the first time that international – so many international – so many nations and international organizations, the first time ever, that – it’s not even the number of nations and organizations – have come together and said:  What needs to be done?  What’s a blueprint for doing something?  They’ve come together in other settings, but never as far as this and expanding the conversation as to how to address it. So those are the steps.  I think it’s going to be more moral suasion than enforcement on a legal basis, certainly not on a legal basis because we don’t have the wherewithal to do that.  But the moral suasion – and the moral suasion, when you look as you can do when you go to the State Department website, you look at the list of countries and the signatories, and it is growing.  I think – I’m not – well, I assume the list is up.  I haven’t looked at it.  I know the list is up.  I assume it’s been updated.  But it’s going to grow.  So that’s – that will be how we will fight it. MODERATOR:  Thank you, ma’am.  We do have one more question, this time from Valeria from ProTv in Moldova, a bit more of a local question.  But I think what they are trying to ask is:  In your opinion, do Moldovan citizens still have a lot of work to do in terms of tolerance in society, and if so, what can the authorities do? AMBASSADOR LIPSTADT:  I’m not – I don’t want to speak specifically about the Moldovan situation.  I’m not a Moldovan expert.  But I’m glad for the question because it allows me to once again say that the fight against antisemitism – governments, in the little over two years that I’ve been in office and the 35 – or now it’s, I think, 38, whatever – country visits I’ve made, in the beginning I found myself having to convince leaders, having to stress this is an important issue. And one of the things that I had been saying – and again, some of you may have heard me say this – is that antisemitism – and in fact I’ll be in conversation with high-ranking Argentinian officials in a – just later today and have been before, and I spoke to the president of Paraguay and Uruguay earlier this week – that it’s important to see antisemitism as not solely a threat to Jews.  It is that, of course, and Jewish institutions, and certainly is – that alone would make it a valid thing to fight, because that is a government’s job: to protect vulnerable groups within its midst, whether their vulnerability be based on their religious identity, their ethnic identity, their national identity, whatever it might be.  But it’s more than that.  It’s a threat to democracy.  It’s a threat to democracy because anyone who buys into the conspiracy myth, which is the cornerstone of antisemitism, believes that the Jews control the media, judicial system, finances, et cetera, et cetera.  In other words, they’ve given up on democracy. And the flipside or the congruent side, the mirror side of that is that the people against whom this prejudice is directed are not sure if the authorities can or will protect them.  So both sides have given up on the idea of democracy, and the trust which is the cornerstone of democracy – because that’s what democracy is really based on.  So it’s that too. But what has become clear to us since October 7th, and one of the reasons why having this broad array of signatories is so important and so significant, having this broad array of partners in this fight, is that antisemitism is also a threat to national security and national stability.  Countries can use – countries, organizations, NGOs, terrorist groups can use antisemitism as a way of stirring up the pot, of amplifying.  There may be an existing basis or a core of antisemitism in a country and an institution, et cetera, but they use it as a means of – antisemitism as a means of amplifying that, of amplifying hatreds.  I mean, we’ve seen it just last week.  Our Director of National Intelligence, the American – United States Director of National Intelligence, Director Haines, put out a statement acknowledging the fact that in some of the campus protests in the United States, Iran or actors associated with Iran were directly involved in amplifying the protests.  And we see that happening in – I’m not – I would not be at all surprised, put it that way, of that happening in other places as well and being done by potentially other countries, other nongovernmental organizations, terrorist organizations, et cetera. And to have partners in this fight – when I came in, I knew I would have some partners.  But to have partners in this fight – to feel that there are 38 and hopefully growing – more than that; next time I speak with you the number, I’m sure, will be larger – partners in this fight, that we’re fighting this together, that this is not just a concern of one or a couple of countries, et cetera, countries that understand the lethal threat, the threat to the Jewish community, even if it’s a tiny Jewish community.  I was in Norway; the Jewish community there is 1,500.  In other places it’s even smaller.  But that they – that their governments recognize the threat to the Jews in their midst, but also recognize the threat to democracy, to rule of law, to national security and stability. And I know we – our time is coming to an end, so – and also to acknowledge that there’s a historical resonance to the fact that I’m speaking to you from Buenos Aires, that these were issued at the Argentinian (inaudible) – Argentinian, excuse me, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  Because I speak to you from a country that lost its democracy and fought very hard, starting with the mothers in the square and spreading beyond them, fought so hard and lost so many lives.  We don’t know how many, but numerous, numerous lives in that effort to regain democracy. So some of us come from countries where you think, well, democracy is a fixed thing and it could never be dislocated or dislodged.  But being in Argentina reminds us that this fight for rule of law, the fight for stability, the fight for democracy is something that we have to be aware of and engaged in all the time.  And if we understand – which we certainly do, and increasing numbers of people throughout the world understand – that antisemitism in addition to being a threat to Jews – and as I say, that alone would make it a very valid thing to fight – but is also a way of countries using it to dislocate, particularly to dislocate and disturb democratic countries, that this is a fight that we’re all in together. So having partners and making these statements from Argentina – I pass the sites every day as I’ve been here now five days, I’ll be here a couple more – where there were the demonstrations, there was the junta; you see so many memories of it.  It is quite striking.  So I am deeply honored and moved not only to have so many partners in this fight, but to be doing this from Argentina.  And Argentina has really taken the lead or acted so decisively.  Just last – I believe it was last Friday, as recently as last week, declaring Hamas to be a terrorist organization and doing it through the courts and doing it in a way that is really going to allow this government to act further against Hamas and its interests, its attempt to establish itself possibly in this country, et cetera, et cetera – to sanction it is extremely important.  The fact that a – the Argentinian court acknowledged the role of Hizballah and its partner, its funder, Iran, in these tragedies is equally important. And in my conversations – not one, but a couple of conversations with the Argentinian minister of justice, including one yesterday right prior to we went outside at the AMIA building, we had – he and I had a pull-aside and were able to talk about this, Argentina’s efforts to change its laws because right now it is not capable of bringing to justice people in absentia.  They must be present in Argentina.  So no one has been brought to justice, and if this law is put into effect, while many of the perpetrators may no longer be alive, at least there will be some semblance and ability of this country to mete out justice. I think one – yesterday at the demonstration, some of you may have seen pictures of it – it’s so moving.  As you walk in, everyone is given a picture of one of the victims, and you hold it up high.  And it’s difficult to speak about it without getting emotional.  Many of us were happy we were wearing sunglasses because the tears were flowing.  But the most chilling, searing moment was hearing from the families of the victims how raw their pain is, and that the rawness of the pain is how long they’ve waited for some semblance of justice, and the cries they – some spoke, but just from the hundreds, thousands of people gathered in front, you heard cries from them calling for justice. So two years ago when I came to Argentina, many of these things hadn’t happened yet, and they have now.  And I’m particularly pleased to be here – I’m talking to you from the embassy.  Our Ambassador Marc Stanley has taken such a lead in doing this.  I’ll finish with an anecdote.  I was sworn into office officially, and then I was sworn in more formally by the Vice President, but officially so that I could work in my office, go into the building, get my ID, turn on my computer and my email.  My first day in the office, my first after being sworn in, I go down and I turn on my email – I had just learned my email address – and there already was an email waiting for me, and it was from Embassy Buenos Aires; it was from Marc Stanley, our ambassador:  “You must be in Buenos Aires on July 18th for the anniversary of the AMIA bombing.” So since it was my first invitation, I glibly said I’ll be there, and I’m so glad that I did because it was – it was powerful two years ago, and in the space of that time to have had the chance to do this work, to have the chance to work on these global guidelines which have been so carefully crafted and so carefully and thoughtfully worked out by so many people, and to be here and to officially launch them at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been very, very powerful for me. Thank you very much. MODERATOR:  Thank you, Ambassador.  Thank you for the story.  That seems like a great place to leave it, because we’re almost out of time as it is.  Thanks again for joining us today.  We really appreciate it. AMBASSADOR LIPSTADT:  Thanks a lot.  Thanks for making it happen. MODERATOR:  Shortly we will send an audio recording of the briefing to all the participating journalists and provide a transcript as soon as it is available.  We’re always happy to hear your feedback.  Please send us an email at TheBrusselsHub@state.gov.  Thanks again to all our journalist friends for participating.  We hope we can – you can join us again for another press briefing in the future.  This ends today’s briefing. # # # Secretary Antony J. Blinken At Aspen Security Forum Fireside Chat Moderated by Mary Louise Kelly of National Public Radio 07/19/2024 Secretary Antony J. Blinken At Aspen Security Forum Fireside Chat Moderated by Mary Louise Kelly of National Public Radio 07/19/2024 04:01 PM EDT Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State Aspen, Colorado Aspen Meadows Resort MS KELLY:  Good morning, everybody.  Good morning, Secretary. SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Good morning. MS KELLY:  Great to see you.  Welcome back.  I don’t need to tell this room a lot has happened since you were last on this stage a year ago, and we are going to get through in our time this morning as much of it as I can pack in.  We’re going to talk Russia, China, Ukraine, the Middle East, Iran, and our domestic challenges here at home and what impact they may be having on America’s standing in the world. You ready? SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Go for it.  (Laughter.) MS KELLY:  Let’s go.  I want to start with what is truly the biggest game changer since we last gathered here, which is October 7th – the Hamas attack on Israel, the Israeli response, and Gaza war in the Middle East.  Our ambassador at the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said this week, and I quote, that negotiations on a ceasefire “are trending in the right direction.”  Is she right, and on what is that based? SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Well, first of all, good morning, everyone.  And it’s wonderful to be here back in Aspen and with this remarkable group.  Yeah, there’s a lot going on, and the Middle East is front and center.  What Linda is said is right.  I believe we’re inside the 10-yard line and driving toward the goal line in getting an agreement that would produce a ceasefire, get the hostages home, and put us on a better track to trying to build lasting peace and stability.  But — MS KELLY:  And again, on what is that based — SECRETARY BLINKEN:  It’s based on two things. MS KELLY:  — other than hope. SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Yes, because hope is good but it’s insufficient.  No, it’s based on reality, and the reality is this.  A month ago, President Biden put out a detailed proposal for getting to a ceasefire, the release of hostages, and the ability to move forward.  And what happened after that was quite extraordinary.  The entire world came together in support of that proposal, country after country standing up and endorsing it, the United Nations Security Council, where Linda did a tremendous job, coming together – something we don’t see that often these days – 14 to nothing, with Russia abstaining, in support of that agreement.  And the result was, after a lot of pushing and diplomacy in the weeks after that, we have an agreement to the framework that the President put out by both Israel and Hamas.  The question now is finishing the negotiation of some critical details that are important. MS KELLY:  Well, and then Hamas hasn’t signed on.  Have they — SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Oh, no, they signed onto the framework. MS KELLY:  Right.  But did — SECRETARY BLINKEN:  And that’s what so important.  But there remain some issues that need to be resolved, that need to be negotiated.  We’re in the midst of doing exactly that.  And by the way, when I say we’re inside the 10-yard line, we are.  Now, we also know that with anything, the last 10 yards are often the hardest. MS KELLY:  Yeah. SECRETARY BLINKEN:  So I don’t want to be in any way naive about it, but based on everything we’ve been doing for these last now really six months – because starting in January, we believed and we continue to believe that the quickest way to bring this war to an end, to bring relief to the people of Gaza who so desperately need it, to put Gaza itself, to put the entire region on a better path is through an agreement on a ceasefire and hostages.  So that’s actually the quickest way to get it done. MS KELLY:  Netanyahu will be in D.C. on Monday. SECRETARY BLINKEN:  That’s right. MS KELLY:  What’s your big ask of him?  What would count as a successful visit? SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Well, I think we need to make sure of two things.  We, of course, want to bring this agreement over the finish line.  But while that’s necessary, it’s also not enough, because what’s critical once we get it, assuming we do, is to make sure that there’s a clear plan for what follows – the so-called day-after plan.  But – because what we can’t have is this.  What we can’t have is an agreement that’s followed by some kind of void — MS KELLY:  Yeah. SECRETARY BLINKEN:  — that will either be filled, if it’s there, by Hamas coming back, which is unacceptable; by Israel prolonging its occupation, which they say they don’t want to do and is unacceptable; or just having a vacuum that’s filled by lawlessness, that’s filled by chaos, which we see in so many parts of Gaza right now, which is also inimical to actually helping people who desperately need it.  So making sure that we have a plan in place, which we’ve been working on also every single day – with Arab partners, with Israel, with many others for governance, for security, for humanitarian assistance, for reconstruction – that’s critical.  And I imagine the discussions with the prime minister will center around that. MS KELLY:  And have you figured out how to deal with Netanyahu?  I mean, the administration has tried the bear hug – unwavering support.  You tried pressure and withholding 2,000-pound bombs.  Where are you now? SECRETARY BLINKEN:  I’m not focused on personalities; I’m focused on policies.  And we want to make sure as we go forward with anyone – whether it’s our Israeli allies or anyone else – that we reach agreements on the concrete steps to be taken to move whatever it is we’re trying to move forward. MS KELLY:  I’ll ask it a slightly different way.  Have you figured out what Netanyahu wants?  Do you give any credence to the view among many analysts in Israel that he would actually kind of like to slow-walk or even thwart a ceasefire and hostage deal because the far right in his coalition oppose it and it could cost him his job? SECRETARY BLINKEN:  What I’m seeing, what I’m hearing across Israeli society is a strong desire to get this done, to get a ceasefire, to get the hostages home after so many months, including – and it’s often forgotten here – American hostages.  I’ve met with the American hostage families and other hostage families, I don’t know, 10, 12 times.  So have – the President has, Jake Sullivan has – many others in our administration have.  So this is real and personal to so many of us, but for the Israeli people, bringing people home is their number one priority.  And I believe getting a ceasefire is something that most Israelis support. At the same time, we have to get this because the suffering of people every single day – innocent men, women, and children who’ve been caught for the last nine months in a crossfire of Hamas’s making – that has to end, too. MS KELLY:  Yeah.  I appreciate your reminding all of us of the obvious, that these are real humans and lives at stake, because that is clearly important and at the center of this. One more on the Middle East.  Is the two-state solution dead? SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Not only is it not dead – it can’t be.  And there — MS KELLY:  It’s very hard to find a path to optimism given that Israelis are now resisting it – government, ordinary people – Gaza is destroyed, settlers are taking more land in the West Bank.  Where does that leave room for hope? SECRETARY BLINKEN:  You know, John McCain used to say that it’s always darkest before it goes completely black.  (Laughter.)  So — MS KELLY:  We miss him every day. SECRETARY BLINKEN:  If you – (laughter) – if you keep that in mind, it’s not bad guidance for the work that we’re all trying to do.  But look, there are some fundamental realities that we can’t escape.  The fundamental realities are these:  Between Gaza and the West Bank, there are somewhere over 5 million Palestinians, there are about 7 million Israeli Jews.  Neither is going anywhere – Palestinians are not going anywhere; the Jews are not going anywhere.  There has to be an accommodation but an accommodation that does two things: that brings lasting peace and lasting security to Israelis who so desperately want it and need it, and fulfills the right to self-determination of the Palestinians. Now, with any right comes responsibility – responsibility to build a state that would not be a threat to Israel, that won’t be a Hamas-stan, that won’t be like Lebanon with Hizballah actually dominating the country.  So there are important things that would need to happen in order for a state to be realized.  But I believe strongly that yes, that has to be the future.  And by the way, the two strongest opponents of a two-state solution, who are they?  Iran and Hamas.  So the strongest possible rebuke to both Iran and Hamas would be the realization of two states. At every step along the way, in the history of this – you go back to the Oslo Accords – who tried to disrupt the Oslo Accords?  Hamas.  When the Arabs launched the Arab Peace Initiative and were moving toward recognition of Israel, who unfortunately effectively disrupted that?  Hamas – with one of the most horrific terrorist attacks before October 7th that we’ve seen in Israel.  So if you look at the logic of this, it’s compelling. And there’s something else – and I’m sorry for going on but I think it’s important.  There is a different future, and we saw – we’ve seen its outlines in an almost embryonic form, but it’s there, a different future for Israel that realizes maybe its number-one objective since the founding of the state, and that is its acceptance in the region, having normal relations with all of its neighbors.  We see that through the work that we’re doing on normalization.  We saw that when Iran attacked Israel, and for the first time a direct attack from Iran on Israel, the United States – but not just the United States – European countries and countries in the region – came to Israel’s defense. So we can see a future where Israel is integrated in the region, it’s more secure, the Palestinians realize their aspirations for a state, and the enemies of that future – Iran and its various proxies – are isolated. MS KELLY:  Thank you for making the case for hope.  Iran, you mentioned – stay there.  They just held presidential elections of their own.  What opportunities do you see with this new reformist president, President Pezeshkian? SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Well, I think we’ll of course look to see what policies Iran pursues.  But the reality is, the bottom line is the supreme leader continues to call the shots.  So I can’t say that we have any great expectations, but let’s see what he and his team actually do once they’re in office. As you know, when this administration came in, we tried to pursue again nuclear diplomacy with Iran, because if you can at least take one problem off the board, which is Iran potentially with a nuclear weapon, that’s inherently a good thing.  We had, as you know, well, an agreement reached during the Obama administration that actually put Iran’s nuclear program in a box.  And one of the biggest mistakes that we’ve made in recent years, was throwing out that agreement and allowing Iran to get out of the box that we put it in.  So we were testing the proposition about whether we could at least recreate something that looked like that, but — MS KELLY:  Every time I’ve interviewed you as Secretary, I have asked you the same question:  Is U.S. policy still that Iran must not be allowed to get a nuclear weapon? SECRETARY BLINKEN:  It is, resolutely. MS KELLY:  Which is what you always answer.  And then I always ask:  So how are you going to stop them?  How are you going to stop them? SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Well, there are – by far, the preferable way to do it would be through diplomacy.  Where we are now is not in a good place.  Iran, because the nuclear agreement was thrown out, instead of being at least a year away from having the breakout capacity of producing fissile material for a nuclear weapon, is now probably one or two weeks away from doing that.  Now, they haven’t developed a weapon itself — MS KELLY:  Just one or two weeks, that’s what — SECRETARY BLINKEN:  One or two weeks is probably what the realistic breakout time is.  They are – they haven’t produced a weapon itself, but that’s something of course that we track very, very carefully.  And you put those two things together – the fissile material, an explosive device – and you have a nuclear weapon. So we’re focused on that.  What we’ve seen in the last weeks and months is Iran that’s actually moving forward with its program.  So the first thing we need to see if Iran is serious about engaging is actually pulling back on the work that it’s doing on its program. Second, we of course have been maximizing pressure on Iran across the board.  We’ve imposed more than 600 sanctions on Iranian persons, entities of one kind or another.  We haven’t lifted a single sanction.  And we have much closer coordination now with European partners and allies. MS KELLY:  I guess that gets to my question, though.  You’re applying every tool in the toolkit, and yet you just told us they are moving forward. SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Well, they’re moving forward in terms of the capacity to break out in producing fissile material.  We’re looking very carefully at anything they might be doing on weaponization.  But it’s important here as well to make sure that in doing this, we’re acting in close concert with partners in Europe, in the region, and we’ve built that kind of approach in ways that we didn’t have a few years ago. MS KELLY:  Ukraine.  I’ll start with the cause for hope:  NATO has recently expanded military support.  A lot of the ammunition shortages have been addressed.  Dozens of F-16 fighter jets are on their way to Ukraine.  They’re expected to be operational this summer.  How do you ensure that U.S. aid to Ukraine continues if there is a change in the White House?  Or to put it more bluntly, how do you Trump-proof aid to Ukraine? SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Well, I think it’s important to note two things.  First – and it’s always important to start here – Vladimir Putin has already failed.  He’s failed in the objective he set, which was to erase Ukraine from the map, to end its existence as an independent state, to subsume it into a greater Russia.  That has failed and it cannot succeed. Now the measure of success for Ukraine given Russia’s failure – and of course so many other losses that came with that – the fact that for Russia now it’s lost its energy market in Europe, it’s facing a NATO that is stronger and larger than it’s ever been, and no one could have imagined three years ago that Finland and Sweden would become members of NATO – across the board, virtually everything as a strategic matter that Putin has sought to prevent he has precipitated by his actions.  The question now is what constitutes success for Ukraine going forward. And I think the answer is straightforward.  It’s a Ukraine that is strong, that’s independent, that’s increasingly integrated with the West, and that stands on its own feet militarily, economically, democratically.  And we have Ukraine on that trajectory.  Even as we’re working to do everything we can to make sure that it has what it needs to deal with the ongoing Russian aggression, we’re also helping Ukraine build this plan, program for the future. Now, a lot has already gone into that, and yes, it will continue to need resources.  But I think if people look at the logic of this, we’ve seen a strong bipartisan majority in both houses of Congress for supporting Ukraine.  I believe that support is still there.  Any administration I think will take account of that. And any administration has to ask hard questions.  If we stop, if we reverse ourselves, if we let Ukraine down, what will Putin do?  He will then really resume the aggression and possibly have a chance of succeeding where for now he’s failed.  He won’t stop at Ukraine.  He’s likely to go at other countries in the region, including NATO Allies.  And other would-be aggressors far afield from Ukraine – far afield from Europe – they’re taking lessons from this too. MS KELLY:  My question again:  Is there anything you can do to try to lock in now, in July 2024, to ensure that the U.S. continues to honor the obligations and commitments it has made no matter who is running things a year from now? SECRETARY BLINKEN:  So we’ve done a number of things, and look, every administration has an opportunity, of course, to set its own policies.  We can’t lock in the future.  But just a week ago at the NATO summit, we had more than 20 countries come together on the margins of the summit to announce that they had negotiated and signed 10-year bilateral security agreements with Ukraine.  And that means that all of these countries, including the United States, have committed to help Ukraine for the next decade build up its deterrent capacity, build up its defenses.  Now, if we were to renege on that, I suppose that’s possible.  But happily, we have another 20-some odd countries – and we’re heading to more than 30 – that will be doing the same thing.  These are long-term commitments to Ukraine. MS KELLY:  I want to ask about what it would take for the U.S. to change its policy on how far Ukraine can shoot weapons into Russia.  And I’m drawing – for that question I reached out to colleagues in our Kyiv bureau, including Ukrainian colleagues.  I was curious what they would want to ask you.  They want to know:  Does Washington want Ukraine to win or not?  (Applause.) SECRETARY BLINKEN:  I think if you look at the last two and a half years, it’s hard to conclude that anyone has done more for Ukraine to assure its success than the United States of America, and that will continue for as long as we have anything to say about it.  Now, what – MS KELLY:  That is true, but they would point out they’re being asked to fight with one hand tied behind their back. SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Every step along the way we’ve tried to make sure that we’re adapting and adjusting to the realities on the ground, to what’s actually happening, to make sure the Ukrainians have what they need when they need it.  But often it’s not as simple as it seems.  Let me give you an example. At various points during these last two and a half years, one weapon system or another has made itself – made its ways into the headlines.  Maybe it’s F-16s, which, as you noted, are in the process of being delivered.  Maybe it’s an Abrams tank, some other system.  And there seems to be this binary question – oh, we give it to them or we don’t – but it’s not as simple as that. It’s not enough to give them a weapon system.  They have to be able to use it.  They have to be able to maintain it.  It has to be part of a cohesive strategy.  And so as we’ve done these things – and Lloyd Austin has done an extraordinary job bringing together more than 50 countries in support of Ukraine’s defense, but also working through each of these decisions.  And again, every step along the way, as necessary, we’ve done more, we’ve adjusted, we’ve adapted.  And I’m convinced we’ll continue to do that. MS KELLY:  So on this specific question of Ukraine’s ability to use the weapons it is being given to actually attack the enemy that is attacking them, it sounds like that is a conversation that is ongoing? SECRETARY BLINKEN:  There is always an ongoing conversation. MS KELLY:  Yes, okay.  Why not – why not make crystal clear Ukraine has a place in NATO, Ukraine will get membership in NATO, put some kind of timeline on it – a year, two years, five years, I don’t know – but just to make clear to Vladimir Putin we’re calling your bluff? SECRETARY BLINKEN:  We have made that crystal clear.  That’s exactly what the last two NATO summit declarations say.  Vilnius – Ukraine will become a member of NATO when conditions allow, when all members agree.  In this summit we’ve talked about the irreversibility of Ukraine’s path to NATO.  And more than that, I think it’s easy to look at the language in a summit declaration and maybe harder to understand what’s actually happening in a practical way.  We were really determined with this summit to build a bridge to Ukraine’s NATO membership because, again, you have to do this in a deliberate, methodical way to make sure that any country coming in is prepared to assume the responsibilities of membership, contributes fully to the Alliance, and meets the various requirements. So this last summit really put in place a bridge for Ukraine to go across.  For the first time ever, we’ve stood up a dedicated NATO command whose purpose is basically to help Ukraine cross that bridge.  We’ve never done that before.  So I think the direction is clear, and if you’re in Moscow — MS KELLY:  The timeline is TBD but after the war ends? SECRETARY BLINKEN:  The timeline is based on meeting the various requirements, but I am convinced that what we’ve put in place will help Ukraine do that quickly. MS KELLY:  I want to ask about Americans detained in Russia, including Evan Gershkovich of The Wall Street Journal, who was sentenced this morning to 16 years in prison.  Also Vladimir Kara-Murza, who was awarded the Pulitzer Prize this year for his columns for The Washington Post.  How do we bring them home? SECRETARY BLINKEN:  I think you had Roger Carstens here a couple of days ago.  Roger, his team, every single day are working to bring unjustly detained Americans home wherever they’re held.  And of course, when it comes to Evan, when it comes to Paul Whelan in Russia, other Americans, we’re working it quite literally every day looking to see what we can do to get them home.  We’ve had a rather extraordinary track record over the last three and a half years of doing just that, bringing some 30 Americans home from different places around the world where they were being unjustly detained. All I can tell you is this:  We’re working it.  We’re working it as we speak, and we’re not going to stop until we get Evan home, get Paul Whelan home, till we get others home. MS KELLY:  Understanding and appreciating that you would not want to get into any details in a public forum of negotiations that may be underway, is Putin – and many other bad actors in the world, but let’s stick with Putin – is he just waiting out Biden?  Like, why would he cut a deal on Evan Gershkovich now when it’s such a huge bargaining chip for him with the next administration? SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Well you’re right; I’m not going to get into the details.  (Laughter.) Look, any effort to bring any American home is going to be part of a process of back-and-forth discussion, potentially of negotiation.  And depending on what the other side is looking for, they’ll reach their own conclusions about whether it meets whatever their needs are and we can bring someone home, and I don’t think that’s dependent on an election in the United States or anywhere else. MS KELLY:  Okay.  You talked about how Russia, in your view, has already lost, that they’re facing a bigger, stronger NATO than three years ago.  Are U.S. sanctions, are Western sanctions on Russia, working?  Can you name for us a single example of where they have prompted Vladimir Putin to behave better? SECRETARY BLINKEN:  I think we – we make a mistake if we look at the question of whether a sanction has succeeded solely on the question of has it immediately changed behavior, because what we know is this:  The sanctions that we’ve been able to impose – and not just us, dozens of countries around the world in an extraordinary, coordinated effort that actually started before the Russian invasion of Ukraine.  When we saw it coming, we got prepared.  We brought countries together.  We planned out what we were going to do.  And every – in all the months since, we have added collectively to the pressure on Russia. But what does that mean in practice?  It means that everything that so many countries around the world can do easily, it’s much harder for them to do.  Everything that we can do cheaply, it’s much more costly for them to do.  And this has a growing, powerful weight on Russia’s economy and on Russia’s future.  You have a combination of sanctions, export controls, a brain drain from Russia.  At one point more than a million people had left.  Some have gone back, but the ones who have left tend to be the best and the brightest who are contributing to Russia’s future.  Its ability to move forward with critical industries, whether it’s defense aerospace, whether it’s energy exploration – all of those have a heavier and heavier weight on them. Now, it’s also true the Russians have found workarounds, and particularly in their relationship with North Korea, with Iran, and unfortunately with China, they have found ways to keep the defense industrial base moving so that they can continue to prosecute the aggression against Ukraine.  But as I’m looking at it, as I’m looking at Russia’s future, if this weight remains imposed on them, that future is harder and darker, and that’s not what we want, and it was certainly not what we wanted when we started.  But it’s a reality that they have imposed upon themselves. MS KELLY:  Yeah.  How are you thinking about that, about the unintended consequence of Russia being driven closer to North Korea, China, and Russia?  How are you thinking about that axis, alliance?  Like, what’s the term you’re using? SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Well, I think we’ve seen two things.  We have seen that, although that was something that was in the works for a long time, and maybe some of it’s accelerated as a result of the war in Ukraine, but we’ve also seen something else that’s been quite remarkable.  I’ve been doing this for more than 30 years.  I have not seen a time when there’s been greater convergence between the United States and our European partners and our partners in Asia in terms of the approach to Russia, but also in terms of the approach to China, than we’re seeing right now.  We’ve built convergence across the Atlantic, we’ve built it across the Pacific, and we’ve built it between the Atlantic and the Pacific.  So I would take our team and the countries that we’re working with than anything that Russia’s been able to put together. Beyond that, I think there are going to be – and we’ve already seen a lot of strains in these groupings.  It’s not particularly good for your reputation to be working closely with Russia and helping it perpetuate its war in Ukraine.  So I think China is very uncomfortable in the position it’s in, but for now we do have a challenge, which is China is providing not weapons, unlike North Korea and Iran, but it’s providing the inputs for Russia’s defense industrial base.  Seventy percent of the machine tools that Russia is importing come from China.  Ninety percent of the microelectronics come from China.  And that’s going into the defense industrial base and turning into missiles and tanks and other weapons. We’ve called out China on that.  We have sanctioned Chinese companies.  But more to the point, so have many others.  And we just saw that in Europe a couple of weeks ago.  And China can’t have it both ways.  It can’t all at once be saying that it’s for peace in Ukraine when it is helping to fuel the ongoing pursuit of the war by Russia.  It can’t say that it wants better relations with Europe when it is actually helping to fuel the greatest threat to Europe’s security since the end of the Cold War. MS KELLY:  On China, last year on this stage you talked about your goal of putting stability back in the U.S.-China relationship – I think you used the phrase “putting a floor under it” – and trying to make sure that competition doesn’t tip into conflict.  Have you succeeded? SECRETARY BLINKEN:  I believe we have.  When we were last here, I guess it was after an initial trip that I made to China, and then many of my colleagues followed – Secretary Yellen, Secretary Raimondo.  And we’ve done a number of things – and of course, President Biden and President Xi in late November in San Francisco.  We’ve done a number of things that are critical.  We have restored regular, high-level engagements between our countries.  And that’s vitally important, because if you want to avoid any kind of unintended conflict, you’ve got to start by talking, by communicating.  And we’ve restored that.  And there’s a steady drumbeat of these engagements, these communications, including restoring, critically, these military-to-military communications. MS KELLY:  How often do you speak to your Chinese counterpart? SECRETARY BLINKEN:  I speak to him on a fairly regular basis, and I’m – I’ll be seeing him next week, in fact, in Laos.  But that’s important.  But it’s important for two reasons.  It’s important, first, to make sure that, again, we have clarity and we’re not getting into something that’s unintended.  It’s also important because, one, we’re able to communicate very clearly on areas where we disagree so at least China knows where we’re coming from, just as we know where they’re coming from.  We have that on the South China Sea, we have that on Taiwan, we have that on overcapacity now.  These are critical. But there’s another aspect to this; I’ll just mention it quickly.  This relationship cannot be put on a bumper sticker.  At least, if it can be, maybe — MS KELLY:  It’d be a very bad bumper sticker. SECRETARY BLINKEN:  — a very long – long bumper sticker, a large bumper sticker.  Because it’s the most consequential and the most complex relationship we have.  There are aspects of, really, competition, which is probably the fundamental way I’d define it; but also contestation, but also cooperation.  And we’ve found places where it’s in our mutual interest to actually cooperate, even as we’re competing very vigorously for the future and shaping the future. Fentanyl is one of them. MS KELLY:  Yeah. SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Single number-one killer of Americans between the ages of 18 to 45.  Forty percent of Americans know someone who died from an opioid overdose.  We have, of course, been going at this for a long time, and trying to make sure that when it comes to the chemical precursors, the ingredients that go into making fentanyl and that are mostly now manufactured in China – for perfectly legal reasons, but then get diverted illegally, come to Mexico, get synthesized into fentanyl, come into the United States – we wanted to make sure that China is actually doing what it needs to do to curb the flow of those precursors.  And this is something that President Biden negotiated with President Xi when they met in November in San Francisco. MS KELLY:  (Inaudible.) SECRETARY BLINKEN:  We’ve now seen – it’s not – it’s a good start, but it’s not enough – cooperation, finally, on doing just that. MS KELLY:  On Taiwan, China has signaled pretty aggressively it hates Taiwan’s new president.  This spring they mounted bigger than ever military drills, simulating a blockade.  How worried – just quick update in this moment:  How worried should we be, how worried are you about developments in the Taiwan Strait? SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Well, this too is something, of course, that we’re tracking all the time – not just the Taiwan Strait, South China Sea.  We’ve seen Second Thomas Shoal with the Philippines as well come up again in the news.  Look, I think this goes back to the point I was making about convergence a little earlier.  One of the things that we’ve done is in sort of building bridges between Europe and Asia and thinking about the big challenges that we face is raise the recognition far away from the Taiwan Strait that if there were to be a crisis over Taiwan, it would be a crisis that effects quite literally everyone in the world, not just the immediate neighbors.  Fifty percent of commercial cargo traffic goes through those straits every day.  Seventy percent of the semiconductors that the world relies on, manufactured in Taiwan. So we’ve now seen over the last year, year and a half, a chorus of countries from far afield really impressing upon China the imperative of not having a crisis, not stirring the pot, not disturbing the status quo, preserving peace and stability.  The more you have that collective weight on China, I think, the more they’re likely to not lead us in that direction. MS KELLY:  Speaking of convergence, of connectivity, this huge global outage underway that I think is sabotaging all of our flights out of Aspen right now as speak. SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Is that a bad thing?  (Laughter.)   I don’t — MS KELLY:  There’s that.  We may all be on your plane on the way home this afternoon – (laughter) – at the current rate.  What’s your understanding of what happened?  And I guess the bigger picture, what does it tell us about our vulnerabilities that a software update can blow out flights worldwide and many other things this morning? SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Well, my best understanding is exactly that: there was some kind of glitch in the software update.  This was not a – to the best of my knowledge now, a malicious attack of any kind.  But, look, it does underscore some very basic things.  We have to continue to build resilience in our systems.  We have to continue to build redundancy.  We have to continue to diversify so we’re not reliant, as best possible, on any single point of failure.  That’s something we’ve been very much engaged in.  We’ve been doing that with supply chains across the world, building coalitions of countries to make sure that we’re coordinating on supply chains, building new ones, and making sure that if we see a problem, we can address it immediately. MS KELLY:  Yeah.  On challenges to our democracy here at home, I remember interviewing you when you were a baby Secretary of State – (laughter) – February 2021.  You’d just started the job, and you were speaking about the importance of advancing American values worldwide.  And I asked you, is that harder when our values our under siege here at home, which sadly feels like a very relevant question again.  When you speak with your foreign counterparts, are they worried about instability here at home leading to instability everywhere? SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Well, first, I think many of our friends and partners share the horror that I think every American felt at the attack on former President Trump, at the attempted assassination, at the killing of an incredible family man who lost his life trying to protect his family.  And for Americans, we say that political violence is unacceptable, and of course it is, but it’s also been a thread in our history, as everyone knows all too well, and something that each and every time you hope is the last time that we see it. But for me going around the world and talking to people about this, I think the greatest strength that we bring to a crisis of this kind, to an attack on our democracy at home, even to the divisions that we have at home – which are real, which are profound – is the way we approach them, is what we actually do in response.  And the hallmark of this country heretofore has always been to confront our challenges, to confront our differences openly, transparently, not to pretend they don’t exist, not to sweep them under the rug, but to engage them – even when it’s ugly, even when it’s incredibly painful.  And that’s something that continues to set us apart.  Most other countries don’t actually do that. So I believe strongly that as long as we continue to do that, including in the wake of something as horrific as what happened a week ago, actually it’s a demonstration of the resilience of our democracy, the resilience of our values, and the importance of openness, of transparency, of a willingness to confront our own demons, our own problems. MS KELLY:  But is that the way the – thank you.  Yes.  (Applause.)  Is that the way the foreign leaders you’re interacting with see it?  I’m imagining you must get some pretty tough questions about things like an attempted assassination, the apparent inability of our Secret Service to prevent that attempt, a sense that things are out of control in the U.S.  I mean, that must have some impact on America’s ability to lead and wield influence on all kinds of things. SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Again, I really think it’s all in the response, and that’s an ongoing matter.  Let’s see where the facts take us.  Let’s make sure we understand exactly what happened.  Let’s see what we do in response to that.  And let’s focus on the way that we do it.  If we can continue to do this together, as his been the case in the past – even with the arguments, even with the divisions – look, every single time up to today, up to now, even when we’ve had these terrible moments in our history, we have managed to emerge on the other side, and usually stronger and better off. Now, it’s no guarantee for the future, but again, I feel strongly as long as we continue to confront these challenges directly, openly, transparently, we’ll get through them. MS KELLY:  A question that I put to Bill Burns on this stage last year that I want to put to you:  What should we be focused on that we are not?  I’ve just asked you about the Middle East and Russia and Ukraine, and is there a place, an issue, a country, a person that journalists should ask you about and we don’t?  (Laughter.) SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Well, if I gave you an answer to that question, that would mean that I’m sort of tipping you off to a real problem we have that we don’t want to talk about because the answer is too complicated – (laughter) – and then I get myself in trouble. MS KELLY:  Go ahead and tip us off.  (Laughter.) SECRETARY BLINKEN:  But nonetheless, no, I think, look, most of the challenges are readily apparent.  And there are some places that are not getting the attention that they probably deserve because there’s only so much that people can digest.  Sudan right now is probably the worst humanitarian crisis in the world, and yet it’s not getting the attention it deserves.  It is from our administration; we’re intensely focused on it.  More to come in the days and weeks ahead.  But the fallout from that, not just in human costs but in everything that could happen beyond Sudan, is something we have to be aware of. There are obviously profound changes that are going on throughout our societies that will have huge implications for the coming years and decades, and it’s important to try to get ahead of them.  I’ll give you just a couple of direct examples there. Just in the last three years, we’ve worked hard to reorganize our own – my own department, the State Department, to make sure that it was actually fit for purpose for the world that we’re living in now, not the world that the State Department was dealing with for the previous 50 years.  We stood up a new bureau on global health to make sure that we’re prepared and working to prevent and, as necessary, deal with the next pandemic.  We stood up a bureau on cyber policy, digital policy, emerging technology to make sure that the United States is at the forefront in helping to define, to shape the rules, the norms, the standards by which all of this technology is going to be used.  We stood up a China House. We have something called the Global Engagement Center, which is focused on a front in the current great power competition that is maybe the most intense, one of the most important, but of course is something that doesn’t get the focus that it might deserve from all of us, and that’s the information front, to make sure that we’re effectively, as best we can, dealing with misinformation, dealing with disinformation.  We now have agreements with nearly 20 countries to work collaboratively on doing just that. And then we have to look at what the world’s going to look like going forward.  We’re heading over the next 20 or 30 years for peak population, and we’re going to see declining populations around the world.  Our basic model of economic growth is in jeopardy because we’re going to have fewer productive workers, we’re going to have an older population, we’re going to have fewer people being able to produce things in our factories, fewer people able to buy things. Now, it may be that all of the extraordinary technology that’s coming forward will lead to extraordinary increases in productivity and be able to overcome that, but we have an emerging gap, a gap that’s growing wider, between the number of people who are coming on to employment age around the world and the number of jobs that are available for those people. These are the kinds of things that we have to be very, very mindful of.  And I’ll give you one other example.  If you’re looking at how governments are responding to aging populations in so many of our democracies, understandably they’re doing what any democratic country would do and even non-democratic countries.  They’re devoting resources to that population, that segment of the population.  It means they’re taking resources away from younger generations, and younger generations in that way are losing political power relative to older generations.  And to the extent they believe that working through the democratic process they will not be able to achieve what they want in trying to provide support, help for their lives, for their futures, they may start to look at doing other things.  This is where populism becomes incredibly appealing.  This is something that we have to be very cognizant about around the world. MS KELLY:  Speaking of the younger generation, last question.  We have a terrific program here, Rising Leaders. SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Yes. MS KELLY:  These are — SECRETARY BLINKEN:  I met with the group yesterday. MS KELLY:  Yes. SECRETARY BLINKEN:  By the way, when I met with them, I said:  If you’re rising leaders, I guess that makes me a descending leader.  (Laughter.) MS KELLY:  You may have shared this with them.  If so, share it with the rest of us.  Hit us with your best piece of advice.  What do you wish 25-year-old Tony Blinken had known? SECRETARY BLINKEN:  I guess my – maybe my best piece of advice – I don’t know if it’s the best piece of advice, but certainly what I’d share is this.  As I’ve had the great privilege and fortune of being able to go around the world these last three and a half years on behalf of the United States, and as we’ve confronted so many challenges – and as an American citizen, as I look at our own country – I think that the most potent poison in our common wealth is dehumanization, the inability to see the humanity in someone else.  And when that sets in, everything good becomes so much harder, everything bad becomes so much more possible. So my biggest piece of advice to anyone who’s engaged in public policy, anyone who’s engaged in a debate about any policy, is focus on the humanity of the person on the other side of the table; understand where they’re coming from, what they’re all about, what their aspirations are; recognize how much we actually have in common underneath all of these differences.  If we put the focus there, if we end or minimize the terrible dehumanization that we see in so many places around the world, then I’m more than convinced – I know – that the best of humanity is not only possible, it’s what will happen.  If we fail, if we don’t do that, then what is a very dangerous world is going to get a lot more dangerous, and what is divided societies in so many places will become even more divided, and that will be a loss for everyone. But I’ve seen these bridges being built in so many places that I go to.  I’ve met so many people who are doing that every single day, that are – people who are finding the humanity in the other.  So to me, that’s our most important challenge.  (Applause.) MS KELLY:  Thank you.  I want to thank Aspen – I want to thank Aspen for giving us a forum for these questions, and I want to thank you, Secretary Blinken, for fielding them. SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Thank you very much. MS KELLY:  It’s a pleasure.  Thank you. SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Thank you.  (Applause.)

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