Twenty-three years ago, I was honored to support the passage of the International Religious Freedom Act, groundbreaking legislation that established the United States as the world's leader in promoting and defending freedom of religion or belief for all people across the globe. Today, on International Religious Freedom Day, I'm proud to recommit the United States...
In our country, everyone has the right to go to work, to go to school, to walk down the street, to pray - not as the other, not as them, but as us. When a white supremacist murdered and injured innocent people at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, a harm was committed against...
Q: With regard to Afghanistan, what is the status of the Afghan ambassador currently in Paris, appointed by Ghani? A: Afghanistan's ambassador to France is still in his post.
Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian spoke on October 22 with Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod. Their conversation dealt mainly with current European issues ahead of the French presidency of the Council of the European Union. They discussed the Sahel and Mali, where Denmark and France are both engaged in Task Force Takuba. The ministers also addressed current work on the Strategic Compass; on the Indo-Pacific, where they agreed to work together to swiftly (...)
President Biden will announce the intent to provide up to $102 million in new initiatives to expand the U.S.-ASEAN Strategic Partnership during the October 26 U.S.-ASEAN Summit, reflecting the Biden-Harris Administration's deep commitment to ASEAN's central role in the U.S. vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific. U.S.-ASEAN Health Futures: The United States is committed...
Through Operation Allies Welcome, the Biden Administration is marshaling a whole-of-America approach to safely, securely and effectively welcoming our Afghan allies and Afghans at-risk. In concert with Welcome.US, private sector leaders are playing a crucial role in this effort, stepping up in meaningful ways to welcome individuals who supported the United States over the past...
Q: Reuters and AFP have reported that the American envoy to Iran had come to Paris for a meeting with his French, British and German counterparts. Can the Ministry confirm that information? And if so, would it be possible to know when that meeting will take place? A : We have indeed held consultations today with our E3 partners and the United States, as we have with other participants in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA), at a critical time given the four-month suspension of (...)
France condemns the Israeli authorities' announcement that several calls for bids would be issued for the construction of more than 1,300 housing units in West Bank settlements. France calls for ending any unilateral measures jeopardizing the two-state solution based on internationally agreed parameters, the only way to arrive at a just and lasting peace in the region.
Jean-Yves Le Drian, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, went to Tripoli today to meet Mohamed Menfi, Chairman of the Presidential Council, Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, Prime Minister, and his own counterpart Najla Mangoush, and to participate in the Libya Stability Support Conference organized by the Government of National Unity. The Minister urged all Libya's leaders to conclude the political process embarked upon. He emphasized how important it is for the presidential and parliamentary (...)
Prime Minister Boris Johnson yesterday spoke to Russian President Putin ahead of the COP26 Summit.
WASHINGTON - Today, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to serve in key roles: Jessica Rosenworcel, Nominee for Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission Gigi Sohn, Nominee for Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission Alan Davidson, Nominee for Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information at the National Telecommunications and Information...
James S. Brady Press Briefing Room 10:15 A.M. EDT MS. PSAKI: Hi, everyone. Okay. Today, joining us - needs hardly an introduction - our National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, who will be previewing the President's trip - second foreign trip - later this week. And he'll take some questions afterwards, and then I will do...
President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. met today with His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and congratulated him on thirty years of moral and spiritual leadership as Ecumenical Patriarch. The President expressed relief at the Ecumenical Patriarch's speedy recovery. They discussed efforts to confront climate change, steps to end the global COVID-19 pandemic, and the importance of...
President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. today joined leaders of the Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN) member states and the ASEAN Secretary General for the annual U.S.-ASEAN Summit. He reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to strengthening our partnership with ASEAN as well as to its centrality and applauded the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific. The President underscored...
Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas, and White House Coordinator for Operation Allies Welcome Jack Markell led a roundtable with CEOs to discuss the role of the private sector in effectively welcoming and resettling our Afghan allies. Today, White House Coordinator for Operation Allies Welcome Jack Markell, Secretary of...
Via TeleconferenceSouth Court Auditorium 9:05 A.M. EDT THE PRESIDENT: Well, thank you, Sultan, for bringing us together today. And I might say, it's good to see you again. We met when I was a United States senator. You would - we've established a relationship, and it's good to see you looking well and running this meeting. Brunei's...
Q: Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said yesterday that the French authorities are continuing to delay the signing of the French-Russian agreement governing the legal status of the Russian Orthodox Spiritual and Cultural Center and are refusing to issue visas to certain Center staff members. Why has the signing of this document been delayed? When is it expected to be signed? And why the refusal to issue visas? A: An intergovernmental agreement to define the legal (...)
"Ministers, Secretary-General, Special Envoy, Ambassadors, Officers, Ladies and gentlemen, We're gathered in Tripoli today at your invitation, Minister, to see how far things have come over the past few months and continue along this path, the one towards Libya's stability. Since my last visit to Tripoli more than six months ago with my Italian counterpart, Luigi di Maio, who is alongside us today, and with our German colleague, the progress made on the political and security fronts has (...)
This afternoon, the President and Vice President joined a meeting with chairs and members of the Congressional Black Caucus, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus, Congressional Women's Caucus, and White House senior staff to discuss continued progress on negotiations for the Build Back Better Act. Their conversations centered on...
Q: U.S. President Joe Biden said publicly that force could be used to defend Taiwan in the event of a military attack by the People's Republic of China. What does France say? R: As an Indo-Pacific nation, France is committed to respecting the status quo. It reaffirms its support for the development of peaceful relations between the two sides of the strait and encourages dialogue for that (...)
Q: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an announced on Saturday that he had ordered the expulsion "as quickly as possible" of 10 ambassadors, including the ambassador of France, who had called for the release of opposition figure Osman Kavala. Has the Quai d'Orsay been officially notified of this decision? How is France responding to this unusual measure? A: The Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs has received no official information from the Turkish authorities on this (...)
Franck Riester, Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade and Economic Attractiveness, attached to the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, will be in Uganda today. There he will be hosted by President Yoweri Museveni. He will convey France's strong condemnation of the attack in Kampala this past Saturday and will express our country's complete solidarity with Uganda. As part of the strengthening of our bilateral relationship, he and the Ugandan president will discuss stepping up our economic (...)
The continued spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global threat to our health and safety. COVID-19 has resulted in more than 733,000 deaths in the United States and more than 4,932,000 deaths worldwide. New variants of SARS-CoV-2 have also emerged globally, and variants that are more transmissible or cause...
Via Teleconference 12:43 P.M. EDT MR. MUNOZ: Hey, everybody. This is Kevin. Happy Monday. Thank you for joining us, and apologies for the delay. A reminder - I just sent an email that you got the factsheet. The factsheet and this call are going to be embargoed now until 2:00 p.m., not 1:00 p.m. So, making sure that everybody is tracking 2:00 p.m. As...
As we continue to work to protect people from COVID-19, today, the Biden Administration is releasing additional detail around implementation of the new international air travel policy requiring foreign national travelers to the United States to be fully vaccinated. This updated policy puts in place an international travel system that is stringent, consistent across the...
