U.S. Department of State Weekly Digest Bulletin,update

Austria National Day
10/26/2026

Austria National Day
10/26/2026 12:01 AM EDT

Marco Rubio, Secretary of State

Austria National Day

Press Statement

October 26, 2026

On behalf of the United States of America, I congratulate the people of Austria on your National Day. The United States and Austria have a long-standing relationship based on shared history, a commitment to freedom and sovereignty, and close ties between our citizens.

Austria is an important partner in Europe, and commercial ties are central to our relationship. Trade and investment between our countries continue to grow and support workers and businesses in both our nations. American and Austrian firms work together in energy, advanced technology, research, and innovation.

The United States wishes the people of Austria a successful year ahead, and we look forward to expanding our cooperation to bring greater security and prosperity to our citizens.

Virtual Press Briefing with F. Cartwright Weiland, Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs
10/27/2026
Virtual Press Briefing with F. Cartwright Weiland, Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs
10/27/2026 10:04 PM EDT



F. Cartwright Weiland, Assistant SecretaryBureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs

Asia Pacific Media Hub

MODERATOR: Good morning from the U.S. Department of State’s Asia Pacific Media Hub. I’m Tim Johnson, and it’s my pleasure to welcome journalists to this on-the-record briefing. Today, we’re honored to host Cartwright Weiland, Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs of the U.S. Department of State.

With that, let’s get started. Mr. Assistant Secretary, I’ll turn it over to you for your opening remarks.

ASSISTANT SECRETARY WEILAND: Thank you very much. It’s a pleasure to join you all, especially about such an important subject. Last week in Los Angeles, the United States hosted its first U.S.-Pacific Islands Conference of Police Ministers. By our acronym, that’s known as COPMIN. It was the first meeting of its kind to bring together such a large number of police ministers from across the Pacific to meet with U.S. officials and law enforcement in one place. The U.S. Coast Guard Commandant, Admiral Kevin Lunday, co-chaired the conference with Palau Minister of Justice Jennifer Olegeriil, and I led the State Department delegation.

Why we met? Well, before May of this year, authorities across the Pacific had seized 17 tons of illicit drugs. That’s more than three times as much as in all of 2025. That’s a huge and very frightening increase, at least from our perspective. And as every police commissioner knows, what we catch is only a fraction of what gets through.

In the U.S., nearly 68,000 Americans died of overdoses in the latest year we have figures for. That means that almost 185 American families learn every day that someone they love isn’t coming home. This is a tragedy that is not only America’s problem; increasingly, it’s also the Pacific Islands’ problem. And if you’re not tracking what’s going on there, you need to start because it’s extremely alarming from the United States perspective.

We’re talking about psychiatric wards being full for the first time. We’re talking about school children sniffing glue on school buses. We’re talking about boats with cocaine on board washing up on shore. We’re talking about children of ministers of government being run over by narcotraffickers who are blowing through checkpoints on the road. It’s stuff that has never before been seen on these islands, and the U.S. is concerned about it because the same groups that are trafficking drugs into our country are responsible for what’s happening on these – on these islands.

And so the criminals are relying on the long distances between the United States, Australia, New Zealand, and their – and these small nations, and they’re trying to exploit those gaps by moving illicit products through Pacific waters and ports. And they also are supporting some of the scam networks that are targeting not only American citizens, but also citizens in those countries.

So what are we doing about it? Well, as I mentioned, last week’s conference charted a path forward. Ministers that attended from many of the island nations watched U.S. technology detect drugs in some of the cargo at the Port of Long Beach. They also went out with the U.S. Coast Guard on the waters outside of Los Angeles to learn how to better stop criminals. And they traveled to FBI and DEA offices to see how the U.S. has tackled similar challenges. Finally, they met with the Los Angeles Police Department SWAT team to see how they have addressed emerging threats and complex crimes.

At the conference last week, we announced $44 million in new programming. That includes $7 million for a new regional crime-fighting center in Palau, which will sort of facilitate maritime enforcement training and also help financial intelligence in cybercrime units across not only Palau, but also other Pacific jurisdictions. And these commitments are building on a growing record.

It wasn’t that long ago, in 2021, when my office – the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement – set up shop in the Pacific with a $6 million investment in 2021. That was the first time that we entered the region. But now, just five years later, our investment exceeds 60 million. So that’s a 10x increase. And in 2024, we opened our first section, which – office, that is, in Suva, and we plan to expand that in coming years and are in the process of doing so.

But back to the conference. We did – we hosted it because no other – no country can carry the burden by itself. America, as you all know, is a Pacific nation. Not only do we have states like California, Oregon, Washington State, Alaska that border the Pacific; we also have territories in the Pacific, states in the Pacific. This includes Hawaii, Guam, and the like.

And so we came to this conference not trying to lecture anyone. We understand that all of these nations are sovereign and they know their own communities far better than we do. But what we did want to showcase and offer is our partnership, our friendship. And that manifests itself through a variety of security systems, including training, equipment, advisors, information sharing, working through whatever the relevant Pacific institution happens to be.

And what we discussed is the fact that these criminal networks, many of whom have origins in the Western Hemisphere, they want the United States and all of these Pacific nations and Australia and New Zealand – they want us to be divided, with each country sort of out on its own. And so by coming together, we showed them that we want to make the Pacific the hardest place on Earth for criminals to do business.

And so hopefully that gives you a sense for why we all gathered in Los Angeles last week. And obviously, the true success of the conference will be not only meeting itself, but also what comes next. So anyway, thank you again for joining today. I’m happy to take your questions. Over.

MODERATOR: Thank you. We’ll now turn to the Q&A portion of today’s briefing. Our first question goes to Rahim Rashidi of Kurdistan TV, if you could unmute yourself and go ahead.

QUESTION: (Inaudible.)

MODERATOR: Rahim, if you could go ahead with your question.

QUESTION: Yeah, this (inaudible).

MODERATOR: I think we’re having connection issues, but I understand Rahim would like to ask: “What is RIPTIDE? How will it help stop drug trafficking? And what support will the U.S. provide to Pacific Island police forces?”

ASSISTANT SECRETARY WEILAND: Thank you, appreciate that. Yeah, no, I’m having a difficult time hearing him. But RIPTIDE is one line of effort the U.S. is engaged in in the Pacific that we spoke about during the conference. And essentially, it’s the first of its kind. It’s a way that we are connecting security assistance efforts in the Western Hemisphere with those in the Pacific. And usually security assistance in those two regions are thought of independently. Countries, including the United States, will think of, let’s say, Ecuador, Peru, Mexico quite differently and distinctly from, let’s say, Fiji. But what we’re increasingly finding is that what’s happening in Fiji is frequently a reflection of what’s happening in the Western Hemisphere countries, especially when it comes to drugs and crime.

And so RIPTIDE is the first coordinated effort against criminal enterprises that span those two regions that I mentioned. Right now, we’re investing $4 million in the initiative. And this will allow for partners from across the Pacific and the Americas to shape how intelligence is shared between the two regions so that when one of the regions learns something important about one of the drug trafficking organizations, that that can quickly be disseminated to counterparts in the other region. And so with this information-sharing regime, we will partner with Interpol, perhaps the World Customs Organization, and others to connect the different countries’ systems, essentially.

So hopefully that gives you a sense for what RIPTIDE is all about. Over.

MODERATOR: Thank you. Our next question goes to Uyu Liman of ANTARA in Indonesia, if you could please (inaudible). Uyu Liman, if you could unmute yourself and go ahead.

All right, I see Uyu Liman submitted the question in the chat. I’ll read it out loud. I’m not sure if there are connection issues. “The Philippines had joined this year’s COPMIN. Will this partnership be expanded to Indonesia and other Southeast Asian countries next year? Is there any ongoing talks with other Southeast Asian countries regarding the partnership? And what contributions are expected from the Philippines as well as broader Southeast Asian countries in this partnership?”

ASSISTANT SECRETARY WEILAND: Well, thank you for that question, and I’m sorry you’re having connection difficulties. I was in Indonesia a number of years ago and admire and greatly respect all of the government interlocutors that I met there.

As to your question, I mean, I think the future of our engagement with the Pacific nations is somewhat unclear, but I think that everyone that I’ve talked to within the USG thinks that our engagement will only grow. So I can’t speculate necessarily about the future participation of other countries. But as you know, the Philippines joined COPMIN this year and they brought a tremendous amount of experience countering illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, as well as their own experiences strengthening maritime security, which are challenges that the Philippines faces, Indonesia faces, and various other countries share as well. And so that’s why the conference included a cross-regional roundtable with the Philippine Coast Guard, which we’re very excited and privileged to include.

But yeah, we welcome continued engagement with partners across the Pacific and the Americas who share our goal of disrupting these transnational criminal networks that threaten our shared security. And we’re not asking necessarily for the Philippines or for the broader region to contribute specific amounts or specific equipment or training or whatnot. But certainly, there is a similarity between the Philippines and Indonesia as far as they’re both archipelagic nations, and they have similar experiences when it comes to maritime domain awareness and maritime domain management.

And so the fact that the Philippines is now engaged certainly speaks to a future in which similar nations may become involved as well. Over.

MODERATOR: Thank you. We received a pre-submitted question from Villamor Jr. Visaya from the Philippine Daily Inquirer, who asks: “Is there a Treasury component beyond law enforcement and Department of State collaboration? How are narcotics networks tracked and have they grown into multinational-like entities?”

ASSISTANT SECRETARY WEILAND: Well, thanks for that question. I mean, we’re very pleased that the U.S. Treasury Department sent representation to the – to the conference. I actually moderated a panel with a colleague from Treasury, but I think that absolutely there’s a Treasury component insofar as whoever these groups are that are trafficking drugs from the Western Hemisphere across the Pacific have to rely upon financial transactions in order to make that possible.

And the U.S. Treasury Department, in conjunction with various international interlocutors, both inside foreign governments but also on the international plane, bring tremendous experience when it comes to financial intelligence. And that’s how you go after these groups: by having those capabilities. And so what we’re trying to do right now is make sure that these smaller island nations that traditionally just have never had the need for sophisticated financial analytic tools have what they need and that are trained on the latest, most cutting-edge tools that the private sector has to offer, make sure that they have those tools so that they can do things on their own. They don’t need us to sort of manage their own affairs. They’re entirely capable of doing so.

So what we’re trying to do in conjunction with our partners like Australia and New Zealand is just make sure that they’re aware of and can receive the tools that the private sector, that the U.S. Treasury Department and so on have that can allow them to track the money flows and go after the money launderers that are facilitating a lot of this criminality. Over.

MODERATOR: Thank you. We received a question in the chat from Michael Miller of the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, who notes: “We’ve seen some recent arrests of Latin Americans connected to big drug busts in the Pacific. Are you seeing particular Latin American drug cartels growing in presence in the Pacific? If so, which cartels and how is that presence growing? Are they moving into new countries and using new or different tactics?”

ASSISTANT SECRETARY WEILAND: Well, that’s a – that’s a very important question, absolutely. I don’t know that, necessarily, we have it entirely figured out yet. There’s certainly, as I’ve alluded to, connections between Latin America and the Pacific nations when it comes to criminal groups that are operating.

As far as specific ones, I don’t know that we have a sense entirely. I know that we were all very pleased that Ecuador sent representation to the conference in Los Angeles because I think it goes to show that some of the nations on the Pacific side of South America are aware that there are semi-submersibles that are increasingly capable of traversing not just short, but now long distances across the Pacific into some of the island nations. And so I would certainly point to some of the Ecuadorian groups that appear capable of some of that – some of that activity.

But as far as established presences on the islands themselves, I don’t think we’re seeing, for example, like, chapters of cartels sort of being established on these islands. It’s more along the lines of the cartels have interlocutors, have distributors, have contacts on the islands that they are able to rely upon to move the drugs or to sell the drugs. But it’s a – it’s a very dynamic, evolving situation and with time we may have a better sense for is it Sinaloa, is it CJNG, is it Los Lobos, Los Choneros, et cetera, et cetera.

So, yeah, sorry I can’t give a more definitive answer, but again, this is such a new phenomenon that the islands have just never sort of seen before that we’re still – and by “we” I mean both the United States and these nations – we’re still trying to wrap our heads around it. Over.

MODERATOR: Thank you. Sorry, it looks like we may be having some connection issues, but we should be back online. Our next question goes to Lahiru Doloswala from The Morning Newspaper in Sri Lanka, who asked: “Does the U.S. see any links between the criminal networks targeted by RIPTIDE and drug trafficking networks operating in South Asia? If so, what specific cooperation with South Asian law enforcement agencies is being considered?”

ASSISTANT SECRETARY WEILAND: Sorry, could you repeat that last part? What connection?

MODERATOR: Yes. “What specific cooperation with South Asian law enforcement agencies is being considered?”

ASSISTANT SECRETARY WEILAND: Well, thank you for that. I mean, interesting question. INL supports training for various South Asian maritime law enforcement entities to disrupt illicit trafficking networks throughout the Indo-Pacific. And that link that South Asia may have to global drug markets, again, is still coming into clarity. I think that there are certainly money launderers that are Chinese-based that we are aware of. And we’ve already alluded to the Latin American connections.

As far as specific cooperation with South Asian law enforcement, I mean, that was the basis for the whole conference. And so we’re already working with essentially every law enforcement agency in the Pacific, but INL has sections throughout South Asia as well. And so it’s hard to predict how the evolution of those relationships will work itself out.

But INL is very blessed and very fortunate insofar as it has an established presence at almost every major U.S. embassy throughout Asia, not only in the Pacific but also in mainland Asia. And so I think as time goes on, we will come to begin to connect some of our INL connections in places like Thailand, Cambodia, for example, that are already working on a lot of the scam center issues and the sexual exploitation issues with some of what’s developing now in the Pacific, because our sections in those larger embassies on mainland Asia, they have more experience that is now unfortunately transferable to the smaller Pacific nations that are just starting to see some of this criminality that has not been witnessed previously.

So in any event, we have resources, we have personnel in various parts of the continent, and as time goes on, I think they’ll be able to help each other more because they’re all seeing a different side of this problem. Over.

MODERATOR: Thanks. We have time for one more question and it will go to Mereoni Mili of Fiji Television, if you could please unmute yourself and go ahead. Mereoni, are you able to unmute yourself and ask your question?

QUESTION: Can you hear me?

MODERATOR: Yes. Can you – can you go ahead?

QUESTION: Thank you. So you mentioned about expanding in Suva. Would you be able to elaborate on what that will look like, and also the work with the authorities here in Fiji in terms of tackling drug trafficking, considering our large EEZ and the challenges the Fiji Navy is facing in tackling those drug traffickers?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY WEILAND: Sure. I mean, the large EEZ is maybe the most important aspect of this problem to realize and to sort of consider. And we’re trying to address that through a variety of maritime domain awareness tools. I mean, these are mostly technological in nature, but that will allow the Fijis of the world and various other nations that have a very small fleet of boats to monitor their EEZ. It’ll give them an increased ability to see virtually what else is going on out there on the high seas in an effort to be better able to interdict ships and detect shipments of illicit drugs that are being trafficked.

And so a lot of what we’re providing is technology that allows Fiji and others to acquire that maritime domain awareness. And I can’t get into specifics about which tools and which companies we’re using, but I think that they’re similar to other tools that are being used in places like Latin America that are seen. They’re EEZ is exploited by not only criminals, but also the illegal, unreported fishers that are depleting their stocks of seafood and whatnot. And so it’s really by utilizing technology that we’re able to give them the tools that they don’t have as yet. Over.

MODERATOR: Thank you. And now, Mr. Assistant Secretary, I’ll turn it back to you if you have any closing remarks.

ASSISTANT SECRETARY WEILAND: Thank you very much, everyone, for joining us. It’s about 9:30 p.m. Washington time, so I’m going to turn in soon. I just put my kids to bed. But I just want to thank you all again for joining us. I just want to reiterate something I said at the top, which is I – at least from the Americas perspective – don’t think that enough attention is being paid to what’s happening in the Pacific. I mean, you’re seeing crime rates, you’re seeing anecdotal evidence of violence and drug consumption that you’ve never seen before in these places. And that was reiterated to me when I was in Los Angeles at this conference week.

So it’s the view of the U.S. government that from a geopolitical perspective, we really can’t ignore the insecurity that we’re now seeing at some of these – on some of these islands, which is not to detract from the very noble and very capable efforts that these law enforcement entities on the islands are illustrating. But it does mean that from an American perspective, we need to pay more attention than we have in the past to what’s going on, because increasingly, the cartels and the narcoterrorists that are inflicting great harm on the Americas, and the U.S. specifically, are now reaching their tentacles into the Pacific.

And because of the shared nature of the problem, it’s just common sense for the United States to form and foster a working relationship with these great nations, which, by the way, have such a storied tradition of both warriors and wayfinders that they bring to bear on this problem. I mean, that’s something I talked about in Los Angeles – the fact that these nations are known to possess great valor in terms of the warriors in their history, but also great knowledge and perception of the world, frankly, when it comes to the wayfinders who were able to navigate great distances across the Pacific by their location of the stars and the moon and various other natural happenings. And the fact that these great nations and territories are a part of that same tradition I think speaks to their sovereign ability to tackle these challenges that are new, but, in certain respects, similar to ones that they’ve faced throughout their history.

And so we as the United States are there in a supporting role. They know their countries, they know their communities much better than we do. But as I alluded, what they’re seeing is an extension of what we’re seeing in our country. And so it really just makes sense for us to become connected in ways that, for better or for worse, we just haven’t been in the past.

And so this event in Los Angeles was hugely significant, at least from my perspective, and I hope that it will continue. I don’t know necessarily that we have plans in the works for a COPMIN 2.0, but I think I speak for all of us when I say that there was great desire for this not to be the conference and for us to build on this perhaps as soon as next year.

So in any event, I don’t want to ramble on too long. I want to respect you all and your time and your schedules. But thanks again for your interest. Please do reach out to INL anytime in the future that you may have questions about this or other drug or crime-related topics. We’re always happy to jump on. And I wish you the best for the rest of the day. Over.

MODERATOR: Thank you so much. That concludes our briefing. If you have any feedback or further questions, please feel free to contact us at AsiaPacMedia@state.gov. Thanks again for your participation and we hope you can join us for another briefing soon. Take care.

ASSISTANT SECRETARY WEILAND: Thank you.

# # #


Czech Republic National Day
10/28/2026
Czech Republic National Day
10/28/2026 12:01 AM EDT

Marco Rubio, Secretary of State

Czech Republic National Day

Press Statement

October 28, 2026



On behalf of the United States of America, I congratulate the Czech people as you celebrate the anniversary of your independence in 1918.

Our two nations share a commitment to building prosperity, free speech, liberty, and national sovereignty. The Czech Republic is a capable and trusted security partner. Both of our nations understand and are committed to a strong NATO, which will require increased investment over the coming decade for each ally to meet the Hague commitment. We also value our close cooperation on energy security, which strengthens the dynamism and resilience of our nations.

American and Czech companies continue to deepen our commercial ties as they invest in each other’s markets and create jobs for our workers. Together, we will build on this momentum to make the future more prosperous for Americans and Czechs alike. I wish all Czechs a memorable celebration.


Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen at a Memorandum of Understanding Signing Ceremony on a Critical Minerals Framework and a Technology Prosperity Deal
10/29/2026
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen at a Memorandum of Understanding Signing Ceremony on a Critical Minerals Framework and a Technology Prosperity Deal
10/29/2026 12:42 PM EDT

Marco Rubio, Secretary of State

Elina Valtonen, Finnish Foreign Minister

Washington, D.C.

Colin L. Powell Treaty Room

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen at a Memorandum of Understanding Signing Ceremony on a Critical Minerals Framework and a Technology Prosperity Deal


Remarks

October 29, 2026



SECRETARY RUBIO: Well, welcome. Thank you. Thank you for coming here. Thank you for being here in Washington. We’re excited to be here today to announce these two agreements and sign these two agreements with Finland, which is a great partner.

The first one we’re going to sign is the Critical Minerals Framework, which at this point I think is self-explanatory to many people about how important that is. It’s the foundation of tech, and we’re partnering on that today, everything from semiconductors to batteries to defense systems to energy infrastructure. All of this is dependent on that, and Finland, of course, has extraordinary expertise in mining, in refining, and in processing that makes it an ideal and critical partner in the world on this topic.

And then we’ll sign the Technology Prosperity Deal, which is an important milestone in our partnership on critical and emerging technologies today. And Finland has world-class capabilities in quantum, in telecom, in nuclear, and in nuclear energy, in space systems, in engineering, in biotech. I mean, you name it, and Finland has world-class capabilities, so it’s an incredibly important partnership for us.

These are two great and important agreements. We’re very happy that you’re here. We’re happy to sign it with you, and we look forward to doing even more just in the months and years to come. So thank you, and welcome to Washington.

FOREIGN MINISTER VALTONEN: Thank you so much, Marco. It’s a great honor to be here in Washington D.C. with my colleague, Secretary of State Marco Rubio. We had a very fruitful and constructive discussion, and this was already our third bilateral meeting in Washington during Secretary Rubio’s tenure. We have also met several times on the sidelines of the UN and NATO meetings, most recently in New York a month ago during the Arctic allies meeting. I am very grateful for this strong relationship and the mutually beneficial cooperation between our countries.

The economic ties between Finland and the United States have strengthened substantially in the past decade, particularly Finnish exports to the U.S. and Finnish companies’ investments in the American economy, creating jobs and prosperity. Key areas of cooperation, like the Secretary mentioned, besides icebreakers as well, include industrial products, connectivity, artificial intelligence, and several other fields of cutting-edge digital technology. The two-way trade in goods and services has grown by over 60 percent just in the past few years, and the U.S. direct investment in Finland has more than doubled. The ever-closer Finnish-U.S. security and defense ties have further reinforced the wider economic relationship.

We look forward to fortifying this momentum, and today, with the signing of our two documents, another important milestone. The Critical Minerals Framework and the Technology Prosperity Deal will deepen mutually beneficial trade, economic, and technological cooperation between our countries, and strengthen our position in the world.

Thank you.

SECRETARY RUBIO: So first we’ll sign the Critical Minerals Framework.

(The Critical Minerals Framework Memorandum of Understanding was signed.)

FOREIGN MINISTER VALTONEN: For the world to see.

(The Technology Prosperity Deal Memorandum of Understanding was signed.)

FOREIGN MINISTER VALTONEN: Another day in the office. (Laughter.)

SECRETARY RUBIO: Thank you.

Secretary Rubio’s Meeting with Finnish Foreign Minister Valtonen
10/29/2026

Secretary Rubio’s Meeting with Finnish Foreign Minister Valtonen
10/29/2026 12:37 PM EDT

Office of the Spokesman

Secretary Rubio’s Meeting with Finnish Foreign Minister Valtonen

Readout

October 29, 2026

Secretary of State Marco Rubio met today with Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen to strengthen U.S.-Finland economic and security cooperation. The Secretary and the Foreign Minister signed the U.S.-Finland Technology Prosperity Deal and a Critical Minerals Framework Agreement to support technology collaboration and secure critical supply chains. Both leaders underscored the importance of cooperation on critical minerals and continued defense investment.


Secretary Rubio’s Meeting with Hungarian Foreign Minister Orbán
10/29/2026
Secretary Rubio’s Meeting with Hungarian Foreign Minister Orbán
10/29/2026 01:17 PM EDT



Office of the Spokesman


Secretary Rubio’s Meeting with Hungarian Foreign Minister Orbán

Readout
October 29, 2026

Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Hungarian Foreign Minister Anita Orbán to discuss energy diversification, law enforcement and cybersecurity cooperation, and multilateral priorities. At the meeting, Secretary Rubio and Foreign Minister Orbán signed two memoranda of understanding, codifying Hungary’s commitment to energy diversification under the Trump Peace Pipelines Framework (TPPF) and a bilateral commitment to combatting far-left terrorism.

Secretary Rubio and Hungarian FM Orbán at a MOU Signing Ceremony on Energy Infrastructure and Regional Energy Security and on Law Enforcement Cooperation and Information Exchange
10/29/2026
Secretary Rubio and Hungarian FM Orbán at a MOU Signing Ceremony on Energy Infrastructure and Regional Energy Security and on Law Enforcement Cooperation and Information Exchange
10/29/2026 01:37 PM EDT

Marco Rubio, Secretary of State

Anita Orbán, Hungarian Foreign Minister

Washington, DC

Colin L. Powell Treaty Room

Secretary Rubio and Hungarian FM Orbán at a MOU Signing Ceremony on Energy Infrastructure and Regional Energy Security and on Law Enforcement Cooperation and Information Exchange


Remarks

October 29, 2026
SECRETARY RUBIO: Well, thank you all for covering this here today and for being a part of this. It’s an honor to be here with Foreign Minister Orbán, and the opportunity to sign these two important agreements. The first one, of course, is that we are aligned and taking steps together in our governments to confront this resurgence of far-left terrorism, which is something that’s been ignored for far too long. It’s something I spoke about earlier this year. And we have to stop the way these groups target police departments and law enforcement, and ultimately critical infrastructure, historical landmarks – the foundations of a free society; that’s what they attack.


And so this politically – currently this politically motivated violence and destruction of property that we’ve seen in Europe and we’ve seen here in the United States, going back to 2020, where we saw people going after our monuments and going after things important to our history.


So this will improve – this Memorandum of Understanding, what it does is it’s going to increase cooperation and information sharing. Because what we have found, as you’ve learned and we’ve learned, is that many of these movements are internationalized. They operate off the basis of an international network that seeks to destabilize Western societies, our systems, our culture, our civilization, ultimately. So we’ll work to track these cross-border networks and bring them to justice, and we want to thank Hungary for being such an important partner in Europe in this emerging threat.


The second framework we’re going to sign today has to do on the Trump Peace Pipelines. It’s another milestone since Secretary Wright announced this at the Three Seas Initiative Summit. And this is an energy infrastructure initiative that helps to meet Central Europe’s energy needs through U.S. energy. So this is an opportunity for us to continue to export energy that we are able to develop and create a little bit more energy independence, or at least energy diversification. So this is important.


And this memorandum of understanding, in my view, is a testament to the growing strength of the U.S.-Hungary economic cooperation. It demonstrates how our two countries can work together to deliver tangible results for our citizens.


So we’re very happy you’re here. Thank you for joining us and being a part of it. And I turn it over to you.


FOREIGN MINISTER ORBÁN: Thank you, Mr. Secretary. This is such an honor and pleasure to be here at the U.S. State Department, and to work together on enhancing the Hungary and U.S. relationship even further. And I believe that we can deepen our ties not only in political matters, but security, nuclear, security in general, defense, and economic cooperation.


And as you said it, we are signing two MOUs today. The first one we will sign on – which reflects our cooperation against terrorism, against any act of terrorism. And we will be signing this MOU, which is on combating violent left-wing organizations. And this is important that under the existing law enforcement cooperation we will enhance the information sharing so that we prevent, detect, and prosecute any violence done by left-wing groups such as Antifa Ost both in the United States and Hungary.


And the second agreement which we will be signing is about energy security and energy infrastructure in Southeast and central Eastern Europe, and the second MOU is – will be within the framework of the U.S. initiative you already mentioned, the Trump Peace Pipelines framework, which is a very important initiative to enhance the energy infrastructure of central Eastern Europe both in oil and gas as well as create options for diversification and alternative sources of supply.


So we see this cooperation as an important milestone in the Hungary and America energy cooperation, also to help Hungary to become an important player in the regional energy supply, as well as together with you creating a robust, a resilient, and a very competitive energy ecosystem. The goal of our government is to have predictable, stable, and affordable energy supply for our consumers, for our industry, for our economy, and we see that this cooperation agreement will be a key milestone towards that.


However, I would like to emphasize one more thing: that the MOUs are key milestones, but they are part of the process. We are driven to take actions, to take action plans, and to have agreements. And one of the goals of my visit, that I go home today with concrete next steps (inaudible) along both MOUs and more and beyond, because our cooperation goes also beyond. It encompasses so many fields.

So I am very much looking forward to our very first official meeting after the signing ceremony, because we have so much to discuss.

SECRETARY RUBIO: Thank you. Okay. So we’re going to be signing two, right?

STAFF: Yes.
(The memorandums were signed.)


(Applause.)

The Week at State: October 23 – 29, 2026
10/30/2026

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October 23 - October 29

Today, Secretary Rubio is traveling to Atlanta to host the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, returning the G20 to its core mission of driving economic growth and delivering results for Americans.

Here’s what happened at State this week. The United States continued to work toward a peaceful, democratic transition and free elections in Venezuela.
The U.S. and Pacific nations countered transnational crime.
Secretary Rubio signed new agreements with Finland and Hungary to secure supply chains and energy.


Toward a Democratic Future in Venezuela

The United States continues to focus on ensuring free and fair elections in Venezuela. Speaking to reporters on October 26, Secretary Rubio praised the progress Venezuela has made on economic, political, and judicial reforms as it works toward elections.

“This is a results-based process. And so far, frankly, on everything we’ve asked for in this process, be it the economic reforms, the political reforms, it’s happening,” Secretary Rubio said.

A senior State Department official set out the details of the judicial reforms and why they are necessary.

In Venezuela, the official explained, the courts are the most powerful institution, and the Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ) has long been an instrument of the regime. The opposition and the governing party have now agreed to a committee that will nominate 32 new magistrates, with the goal of seating a new TSJ by mid-December.

The goal is for Venezuela to “have a functioning republic with a system of laws where there’s an opposition but there’s also a majority party,” Secretary Rubio said.


Securing the Pacific to Keep Americans Safer

The United States hosted the inaugural U.S.-Pacific Islands Conference of Police Ministers in Los Angeles on October 21-22, bringing together partners from across the Pacific, Latin America, Australia, New Zealand, and France to counter the transnational criminal networks that traffic drugs through the region.

“When the Pacific Islands are secure, the American homeland is safer,” the Department said.

In a fact sheet, the State Department described the trans-Pacific drug trade as a single, organized enterprise: Precursor chemicals move to labs in Latin America and Southeast Asia, finished drugs cross the Pacific by courier, mail, aircraft, and semi-submersible vessel, and money laundering washes the proceeds.

At the conference, the United States announced new programming to counter transnational criminal organizations operating in the Pacific, from maritime law enforcement and expanded shiprider operations to intelligence sharing and stronger border security.

In a joint communiqué, the partners pledged to continue “fighting transnational crime and strengthening maritime security in the Blue Pacific Continent to better protect all our communities.”


Securing Critical Supply Chains and Energy

Secretary Rubio met with the foreign ministers of Finland and Hungary on October 29 to strengthen economic and security cooperation with each country, signing new Memoranda of Understanding with both.

With Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen, the Secretary signed the U.S.-Finland Technology Prosperity Deal and a Critical Minerals Framework Agreement to support technology collaboration and secure critical supply chains.

“Everything from semiconductors to batteries to defense systems to energy infrastructure ... is dependent on [critical minerals],” Secretary Rubio said. Finland is “an ideal and critical partner in the world” of mining.

With Hungarian Foreign Minister Anita Orbán, the Secretary signed two agreements: one advancing Hungary’s energy diversification under the Trump Peace Pipelines Framework, and another deepening law enforcement cooperation. The energy framework is built to meet Central Europe’s needs through U.S. energy and to open alternative sources of supply.

The Peace Pipelines Framework is “a testament to the growing strength of the U.S.-Hungary economic cooperation,” Secretary Rubio said at the signing ceremony. “It demonstrates how our two countries can work together to deliver tangible results for our citizens.”



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The United States marked the first anniversary of the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accords, a U.S.-brokered agreement.
The United States joined more than 30 partners in a joint statement on the famine in Sudan, warning that conflict is driving the crisis and urging the parties to remove obstacles to humanitarian aid.
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The U.S. sanctioned the Rwandan Ministry of Defense for supporting the M23 rebels in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.


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Secretary Rubio’s Meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Fidan
10/30/2026
Secretary Rubio’s Meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Fidan
10/30/2026 06:15 PM EDT

Office of the Spokesman

Secretary Rubio’s Meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Fidan

Readout

October 30, 2026

Secretary of State Marco Rubio met today with Turkish Foreign Minister Fidan on the margins of the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting. They discussed ways to advance U.S.-Turkish ties ahead of the upcoming G20 Leaders’ Summit in December. Secretary Rubio emphasized the importance of broad international cooperation in pursuit of regional peace and stability.








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