Foreign Affairs

Cuba - Q&A (15 Nov. 2021)

Q: On Saturday the Cuban authorities withdrew press accreditations from journalists with the EFE agency posted in the country ahead of an opposition march called for today. Some were subsequently returned. Do you have any comment on this measure against journalists? A: France reiterates its commitment to the freedom of the press and to the safety of journalists and all those who contribute to the public debate. It urges the Cuban authorities to return the accreditations to the concerned (...)

Updated: Mon Nov 15 2021

European Union - M. Jean-Yves Le Drian's participation in the Foreign Affairs Council (Brussels, 15 November 2021)

M. Jean-Yves Le Drian, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, will take part in the European Union's Foreign Affairs Council, which is to meet in Brussels on Monday 15 November 2021. On the Sahel, the Minister will argue that the European Union should support the action of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in relation to Mali and swiftly adopt a legal framework in order to take restrictive measures similar to those taken by the African regional organization against (...)

Updated: Mon Nov 15 2021

Executive Order on Implementation of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and in order to effectively implement the historic infrastructure investments in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (the Act), it is hereby ordered as follows: Section 1. Background. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is...

Updated: Mon Nov 15 2021

Moldova - Meeting between Clément Beaune and the Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration (Paris, Nov. 12, 2021)

Clément Beaune, Minister of State for European Affairs, attached to the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, is hosting Nicu Popescu, the Moldovan Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, today. Following on from the visit to Paris by Moldovan President Maia Sandu this past February and the visit by the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs to Chi?in?u in September, Mr. Beaune will discuss the various aspects of our bilateral relationship, particularly in the economic and (...)

Updated: Mon Nov 15 2021

Nominations Sent to the Senate

NOMINATIONS SENT TO THE SENATE: Amanda Bennett, of the District of Columbia, to be Chief Executive Officer of the United States Agency for Global Media, vice Michael Pack. Brandon B. Brown, of Louisiana, to be United States Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana for the term of four years, vice David C....

Updated: Mon Nov 15 2021

President Biden Announces Additional Nominees

WASHINGTON - Today, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to serve in key roles: Elizabeth H. Richard, Nominee for Coordinator for Counterterrorism at the Department of State, with the rank and status of Ambassador at Large Robert P. Storch, Nominee for Inspector General of the Department of Defense Sharon Bradford...

Updated: Mon Nov 15 2021

Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki, November 15, 2021

James S. Brady Press Briefing Room 1:51 P.M. EST MS. PSAKI: Hi, everyone. Okay. I just have one item for all of you at the top. Obviously, an exciting day here at the White House, but I also wanted to note that the President - which we announced, of course - but signed an executive...

Updated: Mon Nov 15 2021

Remarks by President Biden at the Tribal Nations Summit

Via TeleconferenceSouth Court Auditorium 11:50 A.M. EST THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, Madam Secretary. And I say to the press, "Excuse my back." (The President turns to the video call screen behind him.) Next time in Washington, okay? I see you all up on the board behind me, and I hope we do this in person. I...

Updated: Mon Nov 15 2021

Russia - Q&A (12 Nov. 2021)

Q: The UN Security Council, which met yesterday, did not produce a resolution but only a communiqué from France and the other nations, with the exception of Russia and China. What importance can such a communique have and how does it affect today's 2+2? Has the United States warned you that according to their analyses, Russia could be preparing to invade Ukraine in a move echoing its annexation of Crimea in 2014? A: I refer you to the communiqué issued today following the meeting between the (...)

Updated: Mon Nov 15 2021

Sudan - Political situation (Nov. 12, 2021)

France condemns the continued arrests of a political nature in Sudan over recent days and demands the immediate release of all those being detained. France reaffirms its commitment to the principles set forth in the Constitutional Document of August 2019 and calls for the reestablishment of the transitional institutions in Sudan that reflect the democratic aspirations of the Sudanese people. Progress toward a civilian democratic government remains the basis for international support for (...)

Updated: Mon Nov 15 2021

U.S. - Visit by Franck Riester (New York, Washington and Chicago, Nov. 12-18 2021)

Franck Riester, Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade and Economic Attractiveness, attached to the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, is currently visiting the United States. He will travel successively to New York, Washington and Chicago, moving ahead on economic and trade issues that are vital to our bilateral relationship. The visit will focus on promoting the attractiveness of the French economy. Mr. Riester will meet with U.S. administration officials and lawmakers. He will (...)

Updated: Mon Nov 15 2021

FACT SHEET: Renewed U.S. Leadership in Glasgow Raises Ambition to Tackle Climate Crisis

International Community Put Forward Innovative Efforts to Build a Clean Energy Economy and Create Jobs The United States Will Continue to Push for Action Beyond Glasgow and Keep 1.5 Degrees Celsius Goal Alive On day one at the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), President Joe Biden made clear that Glasgow must raise global ambition during this decisive decade of climate action...

Updated: Sun Nov 14 2021

President Biden Announces Former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu as Senior Advisor and Infrastructure Coordinator

Ahead of signing the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act tomorrow, President Biden is naming Mitch Landrieu as senior advisor responsible for coordinating for implementation of this historic bipartisan infrastructure law. In this role, Landrieu will oversee the most significant and comprehensive investments in American infrastructure in generations-work that independent experts verify will create millions of...

Updated: Sun Nov 14 2021

A Proclamation on America Recycles Day, 2021

In recent months, I have traveled across the country to see firsthand the devastating toll of climate change. I have walked down streets in Louisiana, New Jersey, and New York where deadly storms and floods have destroyed the lives of working families, wiping homes and businesses off the map. I have sat with firefighters in...

Updated: Fri Nov 12 2021

A Proclamation on American Education Week, 2021

I have always believed that our children are the kite strings that hold our national ambitions aloft - when we invest in their education, we are investing in the future of our Nation. During American Education Week, which marks its 100th anniversary this year, we celebrate the unparalleled power of education to lift our country...

Updated: Fri Nov 12 2021

A Proclamation on National Apprenticeship Week, 2021

For decades, Registered Apprenticeships have been a reliable pathway to the middle class. Apprenticeships train workers for good jobs and allow them to earn while they learn. These educational experiences are especially important for workers who did not attend college, as they provide these workers with the type of specialized training needed for the jobs...

Updated: Fri Nov 12 2021

Belarus - Q&A - (Nov 10, 2021)

Q: Is France in favor of sending personnel from the Frontex European Border and Coast Guard Agency to Poland, Lithuania and Latvia? What is the procedure for making that request? If France were to send police officers to the border, would they be identified as Frontex personnel? A: As we said yesterday, France expresses its solidarity with Poland, as well as Lithuania and Latvia, in the face of the Belarusian regime's unacceptable exploitation of migratory flows. We provided material (...)

Updated: Fri Nov 12 2021

Bills Signed: H.R. 3475 and H.R. 4172

On Friday, November 12, 2021, the President signed into law: H.R. 3475, which designates the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic in Columbus, Georgia, as the Robert S. Poydasheff VA Clinic, Thank you to Representatives Bishop, Ferguson, Johnson, A. Scott, D. Scott, Carter, Williams, Allen, McBath, Loudermilk, Bourdeaux, Clyde, Hice, and Green and Senators...

Updated: Fri Nov 12 2021

Caucasus - Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs' meetings with his Armenian and Azerbaijani counterparts and joint meeting

A year after fighting ceased in Nagorno-Karabakh, M. Jean-Yves Le Drian, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, held a meeting today with Messrs Ararat Mirzoyan and Jeyhun Bayramov, the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan respectively, for separate bilateral meetings during their visit to France for the UNESCO General Assembly. Following these bilateral meetings, the Minister opened a joint meeting of the Armenian and Azerbaijani ministers under the aegis of the Minsk Group's (...)

Updated: Fri Nov 12 2021

Iran - Q&A (10 Nov 2021)

Q: Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi said that Israel is accelerating its operational preparations for a possible strike against Iranian nuclear facilities. Do such statements complicate your efforts to reach an agreement in Vienna? A: Iran says it is prepared to return to the Vienna negotiations, which it had suspended on June 20, on November 29. Deputy Minister Ali Bagheri Kani reaffirmed this intention during his consultations with the Political Director on November 9. (...)

Updated: Fri Nov 12 2021

Memorandum to the Secretary of State, Secretary of Treasury, and Secretary of Energy on the Presidential Determination Pursua

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, after carefully considering the reports submitted to the Congress by the Energy Information Administration, including the report submitted in August 2021, and other relevant factors, including global economic conditions, the level of spare capacity, and the availability...

Updated: Fri Nov 12 2021

President Biden Announces Additional Nominees

WASHINGTON - Today, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to serve in key roles: Amanda Bennett, Nominee for Chief Executive Officer at the United States Agency for Global Media Jose Emilio Esteban, Nominee for Under Secretary for Food Safety at the Department of Agriculture Geeta Rao Gupta, Nominee for Ambassador...

Updated: Fri Nov 12 2021