Foreign Affairs

Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies on the Temporary Certification Regarding Disclosure of Informa

Section 1. Policy. In the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 (44 U.S.C. 2107 note) (the "Act"), the Congress declared that "all Government records concerning the assassination of President John F. Kennedy . . . should be eventually disclosed to enable the public to become fully informed about the history surrounding...

Updated: Sat Oct 23 2021

President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Approves Mississippi Disaster Declaration

Yesterday, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. declared that a major disaster exists in the State of Mississippi and ordered Federal assistance to supplement state, tribal, and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by Hurricane Ida from August 18 to September 1, 2021. The President's action makes Federal funding available to affected individuals in the counties...

Updated: Sat Oct 23 2021

A Proclamation on United Nations Day, 2021

Seventy-six years ago, emerging from the ashes of a devastating World War, countries around the world embarked on a shared mission: creating a rules-based international order, grounded in democratic values, to advance universal human rights, promote the peaceful settlement of disputes, and ensure adherence to international law. The United Nations was - and remains - the...

Updated: Fri Oct 22 2021

Memorandum for the Secretary of State on Unexpected Urgent Refugee and Migration Needs

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 2(c)(1) of the Migration and Refugee Assistance Act of 1962 (22 U.S.C. 2601(c)(1)) (MRAA), I hereby determine, pursuant to section 2(c)(1) of the MRAA, that it is important to the national interest to furnish assistance under...

Updated: Fri Oct 22 2021

Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki, October 22, 2021

James S. Brady Press Briefing Room 2:06 P.M. EDT MS. PSAKI: Hi, everyone. Happy Friday. Okay. Just an overview of the week ahead for all of you: Throughout the week, President Biden will continue to meet and call members of Congress about his transformative Build Back Better Agenda and Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal. On Monday, he...

Updated: Fri Oct 22 2021

Press Briefing by White House COVID-19 Response Team and Public Health Officials

Via Teleconference 11:02 A.M. EDT MR. ZIENTS: Good morning, and thanks for joining us. It's been a week of important progress in our fight against the virus. We rolled out our operational plan to protect kids ages 5 through 11, pending FDA and CDC's determination of Pfizer's vaccine for this age group. Globally, we delivered...

Updated: Fri Oct 22 2021

Readout of National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan's Meeting with Secretary for Strategic Affairs Gustavo Beliz of Argentina

Today, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met with Secretary for Strategic Affairs Secretary Gustavo Beliz of Argentina at the White House to advance a roadmap for bilateral cooperation established at their August meeting in Buenos Aires. They focused on joint efforts to address the climate crisis, leveraging international financial institutions to promote a sustainable and...

Updated: Fri Oct 22 2021

Readout of President Joseph R. Biden, Jr.'s Call with President Emmanuel Macron of France

President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. spoke today with President Emmanuel Macron of France. The two leaders reviewed ongoing efforts by their teams to support stability and security in the Sahel and to enhance cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. They also discussed efforts to enable a stronger and more capable European defense while ensuring complementarity with NATO. President...

Updated: Fri Oct 22 2021

Readout of White House Meeting with Black Leaders of Civil Rights Organizations on Police Reform

Yesterday, senior officials from the White House and the Department of Justice met with Black leaders of Civil Rights organizations to discuss police reform. The meeting is part of broader outreach and engagement by the Biden-Harris Administration with members of the civil rights and law enforcement communities, members of Congress, and victims' families to define...

Updated: Fri Oct 22 2021

G7 - Franck Riester attending trade ministers' meeting (London, Oct. 21 and 22)

Franck Riester, Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade and Economic Attractiveness, attached to the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, will be in London today and tomorrow for the G7 Trade Ministers' meeting chaired by Great Britain. The Minister Delegate will advocate for French and European priorities relating to international trade: specifically, boosting the resilience of value chains and fairer, more sustainable global trade rules. He will argue in favor of strengthening the rules (...)

Updated: Thu Oct 21 2021

Mali - Q&A - Press release (21 Oct. 21)

Q : The Malian authorities officially tasked the Ministry of Religious Affairs with talking to certain jihadist groups and are now communicating openly. Is this dialogue compatible with Operation Barkhane's fight against terrorism in that country? From your standpoint, can it be open to certain groups? France is engaged in the Sahel alongside its European and international partners at the request of the countries of the region in a common fight against terrorist groups. The last N'Djamena (...)

Updated: Thu Oct 21 2021

Afghanistan - Evacuation flights (21 Oct. 21)

New evacuation operations between Kabul and Doha were carried out in recent days by Qatar. They made it possible for 15 French dependents to join their families, and for 21 Afghan men and women who were at high risk due to their work to receive protection. Early next week, the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs will oversee their transfer to France. France thanks the Qatari authorities for their efforts and for their crucial assistance, which has made it possible to evacuate 124 (...)

Updated: Thu Oct 21 2021

Algeria - Q&A - (20 October 2021)

Q: How would you respond to remarks by the Algerian ambassador to France, who says it would be unacceptable for Algeria - which has the largest foreign community in France, with 18 consulates - not to use its leverage to intervene not only in Algerian politics, but also in French politics? A: Last week the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs reaffirmed France's deep commitment to respecting Algerian sovereignty. It goes without saying that we also expect all of our partners to respect our (...)

Updated: Wed Oct 20 2021

FACT SHEET: Biden Administration Announces Update on Operational Planning for COVID-19 Vaccinations for Kids Ages 5-11

Administration to Make Vaccination Convenient, Easily Accessible, and Free for Kids Ages 5-11 if Authorized by the FDA and CDC Since taking office, President Biden has mobilized a whole-of-government effort to get Americans vaccinated and end the pandemic. Today, 2 in 3 eligible individuals - 189 million Americans - are fully vaccinated. That's an increase...

Updated: Wed Oct 20 2021

Mexico - Opening of a French Consulate General in Monterrey (20 October 2021)

France is opening a consulate general in Monterrey, Mexico, today. It will serve our fellow citizens and expand France's economic and cultural presence in three very dynamic northern Mexican states: Nuevo León, Coahuila and Tamaulipas. The Consulate General of France in Monterrey will host an office of the French Institute for Latin America (IFAL), a Campus France space, and a branch of the Franco-Mexican Chamber of Commerce and Industry. It will work to strengthen university cooperation, (...)

Updated: Wed Oct 20 2021

Nomination Sent to the Senate

NOMINATION SENT TO THE SENATE: James C. O'Brien, of Nebraska, to be Head of the Office of Sanctions Coordination, with the rank of Ambassador. (New Position) # # #

Updated: Wed Oct 20 2021

North Korea - Ballistic missile launch (19 October 2021)

France was deeply concerned to learn that North Korea fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile yesterday. France has condemned North Korea's repeated launches in recent weeks which undermine both regional and international peace and security. France once again urges North Korea to abide by UN Security Council resolutions and to engage in a process of total, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization. The Security Council will meet today to discuss this (...)

Updated: Wed Oct 20 2021

Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki, October 19, 2021

James S. Brady Press Briefing Room 1:07 P.M. EDT MS. PSAKI: Hi, everyone. All right, a couple of items for all of you at the top. With the pandemic taking a toll on so many young people, today we released a comprehensive overview of actions in the administration that we're taking to improve access and care...

Updated: Wed Oct 20 2021

Press Briefing by White House COVID-19 Response Team and Public Health Officials

Via Teleconference 8:48 A.M. EDT MR. ZIENTS: Good morning, and thanks for joining us. Today, I'll first turn to Drs. Walensky and Fauci to cover the state of the pandemic and the importance of vaccinations. Then, Dr. Murthy and I will provide an update on the work we're doing to prepare for potential vaccinations for...

Updated: Wed Oct 20 2021

Press Gaggle by Press Secretary Jen Psaki En Route Avoca, PA

Aboard Air Force OneEn Route Avoca, Pennsylvania 3:57 P.M. EDT MS. PSAKI: Good afternoon. Thanks for joining our trip to Scranton. Just a few details about today: As you may have seen, Senator Bob Casey is joining us on the flight to Scranton. And throughout the day, the President will also spend time with Governor Tom Wolf,...

Updated: Wed Oct 20 2021

Statement by NSC Spokesperson Emily Horne on National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan's Meeting with The Elders

National Security Advisor Sullivan met today with representatives of The Elders, an organization of prominent former world leaders founded in 2007 by former President Nelson Mandela. They discussed the importance of U.S. leadership in addressing threats to peace and security, including tackling the climate crisis, advancing nuclear arms control, ending the COVID-19 pandemic and strengthening...

Updated: Wed Oct 20 2021

Statement by President Joe Biden on Protecting the Sacred Right to Vote

The United States Senate needs to act to protect the sacred constitutional right to vote, which is under unrelenting assault by proponents of the Big Lie and Republican Governors, Secretaries of State, Attorneys-General, and state legislatures across the nation. It is urgent. Democracy - the very soul of America - is at stake. Today, Senate Democrats would like to start debate on the Freedom to Vote Act. Senate Democrats have worked hard to ensure this bill includes...

Updated: Wed Oct 20 2021

Statement by Press Secretary Jen Psaki on the President's Meetings with Members of Congress

After a day of constructive meetings, the President is more confident this evening about the path forward to delivering for the American people on strong, sustained economic growth that benefits everyone. The discussions focused around a shared commitment to the care economy, ensuring working families have more breathing room, addressing the climate crisis, and investing...

Updated: Wed Oct 20 2021

Belarus - Q&A - (19 October 2021)

Q: According to media reports, Belarus-born detainee Sergey Saveliev, who allegedly released a video showing rape and torture in a Russian prison, requested asylum in France. Can you confirm that? A: No comment.

Updated: Tue Oct 19 2021