Foreign Affairs

Bulgaria and North Macedonia (17 Mar.2022)

The Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs spoke separately with his Bulgarian and North Macedonian counterparts, Teodora Genchovska and Bujar Osmani. France commended the constructive atmosphere that has characterized discussions between the two countries and emphasized that a balanced, mutually acceptable compromise would be especially important in view of the war in Ukraine and tensions in the vicinity of the EU. France reiterated that should an agreement be reached, as President of (...)

Updated: Fri Mar 18 2022

Moldova - Conversation between M. Jean-Yves Le Drian and Mr Nicu Popescu, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affai

M. Jean-Yves Le Drian, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, spoke today to Mr Nicu Popescu, Moldova's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration. Their discussion focused on the implementation of France's action plan to support Moldova in dealing with the consequences of the war in Ukraine, which was prepared following the Minister's on-the-spot visit on 3 March. The two ministers prepared for the meeting of the Council of the European Union on 21 March, (...)

Updated: Fri Mar 18 2022

President Biden Announces Key Nominees

WASHINGTON - Today, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to serve as key leaders in his administration: Candace Bond, Nominee for Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago Timmy Davis, Nominee for Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the State of Qatar Puneet Talwar, Nominee for Ambassador...

Updated: Fri Mar 18 2022

Remarks by President Biden at the Presentation of the Shamrocks

East Room 5:47 P.M. EDT PRESIDENT BIDEN: Well, Happy Saint Patrick's Day, everyone. It's great to see you all here. And last year, because of the pandemic, the Taoiseach and I had to hold our meeting virtually. How you doing, pal? We got all the Irish here today. (Laughter.) And this is the first year...

Updated: Fri Mar 18 2022

FACT SHEET: Biden Administration Launches Effort to Improve Ventilation and Reduce the Spread of COVID-19 in Buildings

Earlier this month, the Biden-Harris Administration released the National COVID-19 Preparedness Plan, a roadmap to move the country forward safely and continue to fight COVID-19 as Americans get back to their more normal routines. Today the Administration is launching the Clean Air in Buildings Challenge, a key component of the President's Plan, that calls on...

Updated: Thu Mar 17 2022

Mali - Q&A (17 Mar. 22)

Q: What is your reaction to the Malian junta's decision to suspend broadcasting by RF1 and France 24? A: France deplores the Malian authorities' announcement that they are initiating a process to suspend broadcasting by RF1 and France 24, and the restrictions that are being imposed on all Malian media outlets. These measures constitute serious attacks on press freedom. Out of respect for the memory of the victims of the genocide against the Tutsis in Rwanda, France strongly condemns the (...)

Updated: Thu Mar 17 2022

President Biden Announces Key Regional Appointments for USDA, FEMA, and HUD

WASHINGTON - Today, President Joe Biden appointed the following individuals to serve in key regional leadership roles at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) at the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD): Julia Wickard, USDA State Executive Director, Farm Service Agency,...

Updated: Thu Mar 17 2022

Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki, March 16, 2022

James S. Brady Press Briefing Room 3:09 P.M. EDT MS. PSAKI: Hi, everyone. Good afternoon. A couple of items for all of you at the top. Today marks one year since eight people - six of them women of Asian descent - were tragically killed by a gunman who attacked three Asian-run businesses. In the...

Updated: Thu Mar 17 2022

Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki, March 17, 2022

James S. Brady Press Briefing Room 2:55 P.M. EDT MS. PSAKI: Hi, everyone. Sorry, I think I jumped the two-minute gun. I was just excited to see you all on St. Patrick's Day. Okay, a couple of items for all of you at the top. Today, we wanted to highlight the strong unemployment claim data...

Updated: Thu Mar 17 2022

Readout of President Biden's Virtual Meeting with Taoiseach Micheál Martin of Ireland

President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. met virtually today with Taoiseach Micheál Martin of Ireland, upholding a longstanding White House tradition on St. Patrick's Day that symbolizes the deep ties and historic partnership between our countries. The President expressed regret that he and the Taoiseach were unable to meet in person and wished him a speedy...

Updated: Thu Mar 17 2022

Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by First Lady Jill Biden to Celebrate St. Patrick's Day

The White House Thank you! It's my pleasure to welcome all of you-so many good friends-to the White House! And we are pleased to welcome the Taoiseach of Ireland, Micheál Martin, and his wife Mary, as well as the Irish Delegation, to Washington, D.C. To love Joe Biden is to know Ireland. Picture me on our first few dates, dressed in bell bottoms and a peasant shirt. I wore my hair down to my waist-and...

Updated: Thu Mar 17 2022

Remarks by President Biden at the Annual Friends of Ireland Luncheon

Rayburn RoomU.S. Capitol 12:43 P.M. EDT THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much, Nancy. That was very kind. (Applause.) Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Thanks. Father, before I begin - bless me, Father, for I'm about to sin. (Laughter.) I - well, I just want you to know, I may be Irish,...

Updated: Thu Mar 17 2022

Remarks by President Biden at the Ireland Funds 30th National Gala

National Building MuseumWashington, D.C. 7:39 P.M. EDT THE PRESIDENT: Hello, hello, hello. (Applause.) Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Really. Please. Thank you. (Applause.) Thank you. Please. Thank you very much. Caitriona, thank you for that introduction. And it's good to be back at this wonderful event...

Updated: Thu Mar 17 2022

Statement by President Joe Biden on the White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator

I called on Jeff Zients to lead my Administration's COVID-19 response because there is no one better at delivering results than Jeff. COVID-19 is the greatest public health crisis we've faced in my lifetime and it required the country to build from scratch an emergency response infrastructure that could quickly and equitably get people life-saving...

Updated: Thu Mar 17 2022

Statement of the G7 Non-Proliferation Directors Group on a Nuclear Safety and Security Framework for Ukraine (15 Mar. 22)

G7 leaders and ministers have condemned Russia's military aggression against Ukraine. Profoundly concerned, in this context, by Russian attacks at and in the direct vicinity of nuclear facilities in Ukraine, and condemning any acts compromising the safety of nuclear installations devoted to peaceful purposes, Mindful that the risk to civilians from damage to a nuclear site during armed conflict has the potential to increase dramatically and that the radiological risk to civilians and the (...)

Updated: Thu Mar 17 2022

The Conference of Tourism Ministers (17-18 March2022)

The Conference of Tourism Ministers will be held in Dijon on 17-18 March 2022. It will be chaired by Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne, Minister Delegate for Tourism, alongside Thierry Breton, European Commissioner for the Internal Market. Together, we share common initiatives, with the aim of achieving recovery in the sector, increasing tourism of Europeans in Europe and transitioning to a more sustainable model. What is the goal of the Conference of Tourism Ministers? Tourism is a driver of the (...)

Updated: Thu Mar 17 2022

Ukraine - Conversation between Jean-Yves Le Drian and his Ukrainian counterpart (17 Mar. 22)

Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian spoke today with Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba. The two ministers reviewed in detail the support provided jointly to Ukraine by France and its partners as a consequence of the war provoked by Russia. The Minister confirmed that a ?300 million financial assistance package will be released in the coming days in line with the French President's commitment to President Zelensky. He pledged to continue our efforts (...)

Updated: Thu Mar 17 2022

War in Ukraine - International Court of Justice (17 Mar.22)

France welcomes the important ruling issued on 16 March 2022 by the International Court of Justice on the war in Ukraine. Among other things, the ruling orders Russia to suspend the military operations begun on 24 February 2022, whose stated pretexts are to prevent and punish an alleged genocide in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions in Ukraine. This order follows the requests Ukraine submitted to the Court on 27 February in addition to the Request it filed against Russia, on the basis of the (...)

Updated: Thu Mar 17 2022

Fact Sheet on U.S. Security Assistance for Ukraine

President Biden today announced an additional $800 million in security assistance to Ukraine, bringing the total U.S. security assistance committed to Ukraine to $1 billion in just the past week, and a total of $2 billion since the start of the Biden Administration. The assistance will take the form of direct transfers of equipment from...

Updated: Wed Mar 16 2022

Fact Sheet: Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA)

This week, President Biden signed into law the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022, bipartisan legislation passed by Congress as part of the Omnibus appropriations package. One of the driving forces of President Biden's career has been fighting back against abuses of power. That force led him to write and champion the groundbreaking...

Updated: Wed Mar 16 2022