Foreign Affairs

Statement from Senior Advisor and Chief Spokesperson Symone Sanders on Staff Member Close Contact to the Vice President

It is in the public's interest to know if any of the four principals (President, Vice President, First Lady, and Second Gentleman) are considered to have been in close contact with a White House official who subsequently tested positive for COVID-19 shortly after that contact. The criteria for what is considered a "close contact" with the principals...

Updated: Wed Dec 22 2021

A Memorandum for the Secretary of Defense on Presidential Determination Pursuant to Section 303 of the Defense Production Act

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 303 of the Defense Production Act of 1950, as amended (the "Act") (50 U.S.C. 4533), I hereby determine, pursuant to section 303(a)(5) of the Act, that: (1) Radiation-Hardened and Strategic Radiation-Hardened Microelectronics, their components,...

Updated: Tue Dec 21 2021

Background Press Call By Senior Admin Officials On National Security Advisor Sullivan's Upcoming Travel To The State Of Israe

Via Teleconference (December 20, 2021) 5:15 P.M. EST MODERATOR: Thanks a lot. And, everyone, thank you for joining us today. Apologies for the delay. Again, this call is with a senior administration official. It is about senior administration official travel to Israel and the West Bank. Today's briefing will be on background, attributable to a "senior administration...

Updated: Tue Dec 21 2021

Memorandum on the Presidential Determination Pursuant to Section 303 of the Defense Production Act of 1950, as amended

Presidential DeterminationNo. 2022-07 MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE SUBJECT: Presidential Determination Pursuant to Section 303 of the Defense Production Act of 1950, as amended By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 303 of the Defense Production Act of 1950, as amended...

Updated: Tue Dec 21 2021

Memorandum on the Presidential Determination with Respect to the Efforts of Foreign Governments Regarding Trafficking in Pers

Presidential DeterminationNo. 2022-06 MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE SUBJECT: Presidential Determination with Respect to the Efforts of Foreign Governments Regarding Trafficking in Persons Consistent with section 110 of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7107) (the "Act"), as amended, I hereby determine as follows: As provided for in section 110(d)(1)(A)(i) of...

Updated: Tue Dec 21 2021

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

Today, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. declared that a major disaster exists in the State of Alabama and ordered Federal assistance to supplement state, tribal, and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by severe storms and flooding from October 6 to October 7, 2021. The President's action makes Federal funding available to affected individuals...

Updated: Tue Dec 21 2021

Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki, December 20, 2021

James S. Brady Press Briefing Room 3:03 P.M. EST MS. PSAKI: Hi everyone. Happy Monday. Q Happy, happy. MS. PSAKI: Happy, happy. Okay. One note for all of you at the top. President Biden has nominated and the Senate has confirmed the most diverse class of federal judges in history at a rate not seen...

Updated: Tue Dec 21 2021

Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki, December 21, 2021

James S. Brady Press Briefing Room 2:15 P.M. EST MS. PSAKI: Okay. You know how we love visual aids here, so we wanted to have a few for all of you. I don't have anything at the top. And they'll pull these up in a moment as we talk about COVID, which I assume we...

Updated: Tue Dec 21 2021

Remarks by President Biden on the Fight Against COVID-19

State Dining Room 2:42 P.M. EST The longer the virus is around, the more likely variants form that may be deadlier than the ones that have come before.THE PRESIDENT: Good afternoon. I promised when I got elected that I'd always give it to you straight from the shoulder - the good, the bad, the truth....

Updated: Tue Dec 21 2021

Statement from Press Secretary Jen Psaki on Staff Member Close Contact to the President

As we stated last summer, we believe it is in the public's interest to know if any of the four principals (President, Vice President, First Lady, and Second Gentleman) are considered to have been in close contact with a White House official who subsequently tests positive for COVID-19 shortly after that contact. The criteria for...

Updated: Tue Dec 21 2021

Armenia - Azerbaijan - France welcomes Azerbaijan's release of 10 Armenian prisoners on December 19, 2021

France welcomes the release of 10 Armenian prisoners on December 19. This is an important gesture on the part of Azerbaijan in helping to deescalate tensions and rebuild trust between the Parties. We welcome the EU's involvement in this case and, along with the EU, will continue to encourage dialogue between Armenia and Azerbaijan. France calls on the Parties to pursue the full and effective implementation of the commitments included in the agreement reached on November 9, 2020, especially (...)

Updated: Mon Dec 20 2021

Chili - Q&A - (20 Dec. 2021)

Q: Do you have any comment on Gabriel Boric's election as the new president of Chile? What kind of relationship do you expect to have with the new head of State? A: France congratulates Gabriel Boric on his election as president of the Republic of Chile and offers him its best wishes for success in his new office. We assure the Chilean authorities and people of our friendship and our determination to continue strengthening our bilateral relations in every field, and particularly on climate (...)

Updated: Mon Dec 20 2021

Costa Rica - Visit by Jean-Yves Le Drian (Dec. 22-23, 2021)

Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian will be in Costa Rica on December 22 and 23. The Minister will meet with Costa Rican authorities and will be hosted by Costa Rican President Carlos Alvarado Quesada. He will also meet with his counterpart, Rodolfo Solano Quiros, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship. They will address the regional situation, especially in Haiti and Nicaragua. Also discussed will be cooperation with the Alliance for Multilateralism and (...)

Updated: Mon Dec 20 2021

Egypt - Q&A - (20 Dec. 2021)

Q: Do you concur with the German Foreign Ministry's statement that the September 20 [sic] verdict for three human rights activists in Egypt "will show where the human rights situation is heading" in that country, which says it has launched a "new strategy for human rights"? R: France reiterates its commitment to human rights in Egypt. This issue is brought up regularly at the highest levels as part of the candid, rigorous dialogue France maintains with the Egyptian authorities, as are (...)

Updated: Mon Dec 20 2021

FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Celebrates Expansion of Locally-Led Conservation Efforts in First Year of "America th

Progress Report Highlights Land and Water Projects Underway as U.S. Pursues First-Ever National Conservation Goal Today, the Biden-Harris Administration issued its first annual progress report on the America the Beautiful initiative, highlighting steps the Administration has taken over the past year to support locally-led and voluntary efforts to conserve, connect, and restore lands and waters...

Updated: Mon Dec 20 2021

Joint statement issued by the United States and France following the first meeting of the United States-France bilateral clea

France and the United States held the first meeting of the U.S.-France Bilateral Clean Energy Partnership (Partnership) on December 14, 2021 in Paris. This meeting was the first meeting to implement the commitment reaffirmed in October by the President of the United States and the President of the French Republic to closer bilateral and transatlantic cooperation. Both Presidents confirmed they would continue to address the climate crisis by supporting the aims of the 26th UN Climate (...)

Updated: Mon Dec 20 2021

Libya - Q&A - (20 Dec. 2021)

Q: Might elections still be held on December 24, and would a postponement be compatible with the goals established at the Paris Conference in November? A: It is up to Libya's High National Election Commission (HNEC) to announce the election timetable as part of the Libyan roadmap endorsed by UN Security Council resolution 2570 adopted at the Paris International Conference for Libya on November 12, agreed to by the transition authorities and endorsed by the UN Security Council. The HNEC (...)

Updated: Mon Dec 20 2021

Mexico - Visit by Jean-Yves Le Drian (Dec. 20-21, 2021)

Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian will be in Mexico on December 20 and 21. He will be hosted by the Mexican President, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, and will meet with his counterpart, Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard. With France and Mexico both belonging to the G20 and the OECD, Mr. Le Drian will reaffirm France's wish to promote and champion an effective multilateral system, among other things within the UN Security Council. He will also address regional crises, (...)

Updated: Mon Dec 20 2021

President Biden Announces Intent to Appoint Commissioners to the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native H

WASHINGTON - Today, President Biden announced his intent to appoint the following leaders as commissioners to the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders: The Commission will advise the President on ways the public, private, and non-profit sectors can work together to advance equity and opportunity for every Asian American, Native...

Updated: Mon Dec 20 2021

Statement by NSC Spokesperson Emily Horne on National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan's Call with Yuriy Ushakov, Foreign Polic

Today, Jake Sullivan spoke with Yuriy Ushakov, Foreign Policy Advisor to President Vladimir Putin of Russia. He indicated U.S. readiness to engage in diplomacy through multiple channels, including bilateral engagement, the NATO-Russia Council, and the OSCE. He made clear that any dialogue must be based on reciprocity and address our concerns about Russia's actions, and...

Updated: Mon Dec 20 2021