Secretary Remarks

Remarks John Kerry Secretary of State C Street Lobby Washington, DC January 19, 2017 SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you. (Cheers.) Thank you, thank you, thank you very much. Thank you. (Applause.) Thank you. I accept the nomination. (Laughter.) Thank you very much. That was – that silenced it pretty fast. (Laughter.) I am leaving here, obviously, with sadness. It’s bittersweet because you leave. But I actually am excited about the next chapter. And I have a feeling we’re all going to continue to cross paths, co...

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Regions: China, Colombia , Cuba , France , Korea, North , Saudi Arabia , South Africa , Syria , Ukraine , United Kingdom , United States

Topics: Climate and Environment, Economic Prosperity and Trade Policy, Energy, Global Health, Science, Technology, and Innovation

Remarks John Kerry Secretary of State Paris, France January 15, 2017 SECRETARY KERRY: Look, I – first of all, I am grateful to the French for being willing to host the conference and I appreciate and respect their moral engagement and passion with the issue of peace, which I know matters to them deeply. And I think that – I really do believe that it is important that 70 nations, particularly – well, entities, but mostly nations – came together to reinforce the two-state solution ...

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Regions: France , Israel , United Kingdom , United States

Topics: Countering Terrorism, Human Rights and Democracy, Science, Technology, and Innovation

Remarks John Kerry Secretary of State Ho Chi Minh University of Technology and Education Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam January 13, 2017 SECRETARY KERRY: President Dung, thank you very, very much for that introduction. Xin Chao Viet Nam. (Applause.) I want to thank Party Secretary Dinh La Thang, and the People's Committee Chairman Nguyen Thanh Phong. I'm very, very grateful for your welcome. I'm honored to be here, And I'm very pleased to be here in a building the president just told me was b...

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Regions: Cambodia , China, Laos , Thailand , United Kingdom , United States , Vietnam

Topics: Climate and Environment, Economic Prosperity and Trade Policy, Energy, Global Health, Human Rights and Democracy, Refugee and Humanitarian Assistance, Science, Technology, and Innovation, The Ocean and Polar Affairs

Remarks John Kerry Secretary of State U.S. Institute of Peace Washington, DC January 10, 2017 MS WOODRUFF: Thank you, Nancy. I’m delighted to be here and, Mr. Secretary, I understand you sprinted across the street. Is that right? SECRETARY KERRY: My sprinting days are reduced, but I came. I got here. (Laughter.) MS WOODRUFF: Well, there – you were spied hurrying, I’ll put it that way. SECRETARY KERRY: “Spied,” right. (Laughter.) MS WOODRUFF: So the format is that I’m ...

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Regions: Afghanistan, Argentina, China, Colombia , France , Iran , Iraq , Japan , Korea, North , Russia , Saudi Arabia , Syria , Tunisia , Turkey , Ukraine , United Kingdom , United States , Yemen

Topics: Climate and Environment, Energy, Global Health, Human Rights and Democracy, Refugee and Humanitarian Assistance, Science, Technology, and Innovation, The Ocean and Polar Affairs

Remarks John Kerry Secretary of State Annapolis, MD January 10, 2017 SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you very much. Please, please, be seated. Admiral, thank you very, very much for welcoming me here to this storied academy. I am really privileged to be here, and I’m anxious to hear your questions and look forward to having a little bit of a dialogue if we can. I want to recognize Admiral Frank Pandolfe, who is class of 1980. He has served as a liaison between the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the State Depart...

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Regions: Afghanistan, Antarctica, China, Egypt , France , Iran , Iraq , Korea, North , Russia , Saudi Arabia , Syria , United Kingdom , United States , Vietnam , Yemen

Topics: Climate and Environment, Energy, Global Health, Refugee and Humanitarian Assistance, Science, Technology, and Innovation, The Ocean and Polar Affairs

Remarks John Kerry Secretary of State Department of State Washington, DC January 10, 2017 UNDER SECRETARY KENNEDY: Secretary Baker was not able to be with us here this evening, but it’s now my honor to read a letter from the 61st Secretary of State: “Ladies and gentlemen, good evening. I regret that I am unable to join Secretary Kerry and my former secretary colleagues, all of whom have been crucial to the creation of the U.S. Diplomacy Center Pavilion. The completion of the Diplomacy Center...

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Regions: France , Iran , United Kingdom , United States

Topics: Climate and Environment, Countering Terrorism, Global Health, Human Rights and Democracy, Science, Technology, and Innovation

Remarks John Kerry Secretary of State Cambridge, Massachusetts January 9, 2017 SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you very much for a generous welcome to somebody who is about to become one of the most visibly unemployed people in America. (Laughter.) I am really thrilled to be here. Great, always, to be home, but it’s special to be here at MIT. And I want to begin by thanking Dean Schmittlein. Thank you very, very much. It&...

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Regions: Antarctica, Brazil , Chile, China, India , New Zealand , Saudi Arabia , United Kingdom , United States

Topics: Climate and Environment, Economic Prosperity and Trade Policy, Energy, Global Health, Refugee and Humanitarian Assistance, Science, Technology, and Innovation, The Ocean and Polar Affairs, Treaties and International Agreements

Press Statement John Kerry Secretary of State Washington, DC January 8, 2017 On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I want to thank the Government of Mexico for their swift and decisive arrest of a suspect in the heinous attack against our Foreign Service Officer colleague in Guadalajara, Mexico. The safety and security of U.S. citizens and our diplomatic staff overseas are among our highest priorities. My thoughts and prayers remain with this officer and his family during thi...

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Regions: Mexico

Interview John Kerry Secretary of State Department of State Washington, DC January 6, 2017 QUESTION: I want to start with Russia, and I know you said you have talked to your counterparts about the hacking. Did you say to them that you knew it went to the highest levels in the Russian Government? SECRETARY KERRY: In every way possible, the Russians were informed about our knowledge and displeasure about what was happening. QUESTION: Again, did they realize you knew that it was at the highest levels of th...

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Regions: Iran , Mexico , Russia , Syria , Ukraine , United Kingdom , United States

Topics: Climate and Environment, Economic Prosperity and Trade Policy, Human Rights and Democracy, The Ocean and Polar Affairs, Treaties and International Agreements

Remarks John Kerry Secretary of State Cabinet Exit Memo Washington, DC January 5, 2017     Introduction When President Obama took office in 2009, the United States was engaged in two costly wars, faced the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, and had a diminished standing with many of our allies and partners around the world. The starting point for this Presidency was one of the toughest I have ever seen in my decades of public service. Over the past eight years, President Ob...

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Regions: Afghanistan, Antarctica, Argentina, Canada , Chad , Chile, China, Cuba , France , India , Iran , Iraq , Israel , Italy , Korea, North , Libya , Nigeria , Russia , Saudi Arabia , Somalia , Sudan , Syria , Thailand , Ukraine , United Kingdom , United States , Western Hemisphere, Yemen

Topics: Arms Control and Nonproliferation, Climate and Environment, Countering Terrorism, Economic Prosperity and Trade Policy, Energy, Global Health, Human Rights and Democracy, Refugee and Humanitarian Assistance, Science, Technology, and Innovation, The Ocean and Polar Affairs, Treaties and International Agreements

Remarks John Kerry Secretary of State Washington, DC January 5, 2017 SECRETARY KERRY: Hi, everybody. Matt, welcome back. QUESTION: Happy New Year. Thank you. SECRETARY KERRY: Congratulations, Matt. QUESTION: Thank you. Thank you very much. SECRETARY KERRY: A little Vaille. QUESTION: Yeah. SECRETARY KERRY: No sleep. QUESTION: Happy New Year, Mr. Secretary. QUESTION: What’s that? SECRETARY KERRY: What? QUESTION: Happy New Year, sir. SECRETARY KERRY: Happy New Year to everybody. Thank you all. Great ...

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Regions: Afghanistan, Antarctica, China, Colombia , Cuba , Egypt , France , Iran , Iraq , Israel , Korea, North , Libya , Nigeria , Norway , Russia , Sudan , Syria , Turkey , Ukraine , United Kingdom , United States

Topics: Climate and Environment, Countering Terrorism, Energy, Global Health, Human Rights and Democracy, Refugee and Humanitarian Assistance, Science, Technology, and Innovation, The Ocean and Polar Affairs

Press Statement John Kerry Secretary of State Washington, DC January 1, 2017 On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I congratulate Haiti and its citizens on this day of national celebration as Haiti marks the 213th anniversary of its independence. Nearly one million people in the United States are of Haitian ancestry. Our shared pride in that heritage resulted this year in the designation of Little Haiti as an official neighborhood of Miami, Florida. The vibrancy of Little Hai...

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Regions: Haiti , United States

Press Availability John Kerry Secretary of State Brussels, Belgium December 6, 2016 SECRETARY KERRY: Well, good afternoon, everybody. I am pleased to be back in Brussels – obviously, a little bit bittersweet – to be here with my NATO colleagues for the last ministerial as Secretary of State, but I’m happy to be with my colleagues and pleased to be back in Brussels. There’s nothing nostalgic about our need to constantly reaffirm the importance of collective defense and democratic ...

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Regions: Afghanistan, Antarctica, Belgium , Egypt , Iran , Israel , Russia , Syria , Ukraine , United Kingdom , United States

Topics: Climate and Environment, Countering Terrorism, Economic Prosperity and Trade Policy, Energy, Global Health, Human Rights and Democracy, Science, Technology, and Innovation, The Ocean and Polar Affairs

Remarks John Kerry Secretary of State Berlin, Germany December 5, 2016 MODERATOR: So my job is to introduce a man who needs no introduction. As I said in there, literally, the most consequential Secretary of State in my lifetime, which is longer than I think I would like to admit. (Laughter.) And when you just think about what this man has been able to accomplish, the impossible to the impossible to the impossible – whether it’s getting China to agree to carbon emission limits or putting tog...

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Regions: China, France , Germany , Greece , Iran , Israel , Italy , Syria , United Kingdom , United States

Topics: Climate and Environment, Countering Terrorism, Energy, Global Health, Human Rights and Democracy, Refugee and Humanitarian Assistance, Science, Technology, and Innovation

Remarks John Kerry Secretary of State The Willard Hotel Washington, DC December 4, 2016 SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you very much. That’s really wonderful. Thank you. MR INDYK: Haim is going to unveil a plaque that we made for you for the occasion. MR SABAN: I’m the unveiler-in-chief. (Laughter.) Okay, so I was told -- SECRETARY KERRY: Wow. MR SABAN: I was told to read. Who paid for this? Brookings or me? (Laughter.) It looks really expensive, doesn’t it? (Laughter.) But you know what? Ther...

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Regions: Egypt , France , Germany , Iran , Israel , Japan , Jordan , Kuwait , Libya , Pakistan , Philippines , Russia , Saudi Arabia , Syria , Taiwan , Turkey , United Kingdom , United States , West Bank , Yemen

Topics: Energy, Human Rights and Democracy, Refugee and Humanitarian Assistance, Science, Technology, and Innovation

Remarks John Kerry Secretary of State Washington, DC December 3, 2016 SECRETARY KERRY: Hello everyone. On behalf of the entire State Department, I am really pleased to join in recognizing the 25th annual International Day set aside to honor the one billion people around the world who have disabilities. Here in the United States, after many, many years of discrimination and delay, we have finally made substantial progress in ensuring that persons with disabilities are able to exercise their full rights. ...

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Regions: Armenia , Georgia , Kenya , Peru , United States

Topics: Energy, Human Rights and Democracy

Remarks John Kerry Secretary of State Parco dei Principi Hotel Rome, Italy December 2, 2016 SECRETARY KERRY: (Via interpreter) Thank you very much, Paolo, and good evening. I would like to thank Foreign Minister Gentiloni, the president of the Italian Republic, the Instituto di Studi Internazionale for hosting this successful conference on the Mediterranean. (Inaudible) a special friendship. I am very grateful to you for the many courtesies that you have afforded me as Secretary of State, and it’s...

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Regions: Antarctica, China, France , Iran , Iraq , Italy , Libya , Russia , Saudi Arabia , Syria , Tunisia , Turkey , United Kingdom , United States , Yemen

Topics: Climate and Environment, Countering Terrorism, Economic Prosperity and Trade Policy, Energy, Global Health, Human Rights and Democracy, Refugee and Humanitarian Assistance, Science, Technology, and Innovation, The Ocean and Polar Affairs

Press Statement John Kerry Secretary of State Washington, DC December 1, 2016 The United States welcomes yesterday's vote by the Colombian congress - by a substantial margin - to approve the peace accord negotiated between the Colombian Government and the FARC, an accord that we believe will help achieve a just and lasting peace for all Colombians. Under the accord, the FARC will demobilize, disarm, and form a political organization that will participate in Colombia's democratic system. The Colo...

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Regions: Colombia , United States

Topics: Arms Control and Nonproliferation

Remarks John Kerry Secretary of State The Ritz Carlton Washington, DC November 29, 2016 SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you very, very much, Karen. “Under the weather” is a polite word for the crud. (Laughter.) Anyway, thank you, Karen, for a wonderful introduction. And it’s with great pride that I accept the nomination. (Laughter.) Shh. It’s a little dangerous right now. (Laughter.) I am suffering from a bunch of grandchildren, all of whom are sniveling at...

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Regions: Afghanistan, Antarctica, China, Colombia , Cuba , Germany , Honduras , Iran , Japan , Korea, North , Lebanon , Libya , Russia , Saudi Arabia , Syria , Ukraine , United Kingdom , United States , Yemen

Topics: Climate and Environment, Countering Terrorism, Economic Prosperity and Trade Policy, Energy, Global Health, Global Women's Issues, Human Rights and Democracy, Refugee and Humanitarian Assistance, Science, Technology, and Innovation, The Ocean and Polar Affairs

Press Statement John Kerry Secretary of State Washington, DC November 26, 2016 We extend our condolences to the Cuban people today as they mourn the passing of Fidel Castro. Over more than half a century, he played an outsized role in their lives, and he influenced the direction of regional, even global affairs. As our two countries continue to move forward on the process of normalization -- restoring the economic, diplomatic and cultural ties severed by a troubled past -- we do so in a spirit of friend...

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Regions: United States

Remarks John Kerry Secretary of State Grand National Theater Lima, Peru November 18, 2016 SECRETARY KERRY: Scott, thank you very much. My apologies to all on two counts: one for arriving, and then two for leaving almost as fast as I arrived. (Laughter.) But I received a call from the State Department; unfortunately, I needed to take it. But my apologies to all. Scott, thank you so much. Thanks for helping to lead this effort. I’m delighted to see that you are balancing the needs of customers with ...

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Regions: Afghanistan, Peru , South Africa , United Kingdom , United States

Topics: Energy, Global Women's Issues, Human Rights and Democracy, Science, Technology, and Innovation

Remarks John Kerry Secretary of State Lima, Peru November 17, 2016 QUESTION: How are your meetings going so far? SECRETARY KERRY: Very good. Excellent. QUESTION: Any concerns about protectionism in the United States after Trump’s election? SECRETARY KERRY: I haven’t heard a word of it yet. STAFF: Thank you, everyone. Thank you. SECRETARY KERRY: No, everybody is looking forward to building on a good, solid trade relationship and we had good discussions. QUESTION: Will the United States still ...

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Regions: Peru , United States

Topics: Economic Prosperity and Trade Policy

Remarks John Kerry Secretary of State Lima, Peru November 17, 2016 QUESTION: Mr. Foreign Minister -- QUESTION: Mr. Kerry, if I may ask you, how did it go? SECRETARY KERRY: We had a constructive, important conversation about a number of topics ranging from Yemen to Libya to Syria, obviously, as well as Ukraine and bilateral concerns. So we had a very broad discussion. FOREIGN MINISTER LAVROV: It was a good meeting. QUESTION: Did you mention by any chance the incident that happened at the Department of St...

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Regions: Libya , Peru , Ukraine , United Kingdom , Yemen

Remarks John Kerry Secretary of State Marrakech, Morocco November 16, 2016 SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you so much, everybody. I apologize for being a few moments late. There was a fire and then there was some traffic backed up, and so here I am and here are you, and thank you for being here. Let me begin by thanking our terrific U.S. Special Envoy for Climate Change Jonathan Pershing. I couldn’t be luckier than to have him in this job. He was over at the Energy Department for a while. We stole him fro...

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Regions: Antarctica, Brazil , China, Fiji , France , Greenland , India , Morocco , New Zealand , United Kingdom , United States

Topics: Climate and Environment, Energy, Global Health, Science, Technology, and Innovation, The Ocean and Polar Affairs

Press Statement John Kerry Secretary of State Washington, DC November 15, 2016 On behalf of the entire State Department, I congratulate Ambassador Rick Olson on his retirement after three decades of dedicated service to the country. Rick is quite simply one of our most distinguished diplomats, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service who has been on the forefront of our work in the Middle East, Africa, and most recently in Afghanistan and Pakistan. He has brought extraordinary experience and leader...

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Regions: Afghanistan, Pakistan

Remarks John Kerry Secretary of State Premier House Wellington, New Zealand November 13, 2016 PRIME MINISTER KEY: Okay, good morning. So we had a great opportunity to welcome Secretary Kerry to New Zealand and to catch up with him after his brief but I’m sure important trip down to Antarctica. Let me just start by saying what we’ve been saying for a very long period of time, that the relationship with the United States is probably in the best shape it’s been for decades. I think a grea...

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Regions: Afghanistan, Antarctica, Australia , China, Iraq , Nauru , New Zealand , Peru , United Kingdom , United States , Vietnam

Topics: Climate and Environment, Countering Terrorism, Economic Prosperity and Trade Policy, Energy, Global Health, Human Rights and Democracy, Refugee and Humanitarian Assistance, The Ocean and Polar Affairs

Remarks John Kerry Secretary of State Pukeahu National War Memorial Wellington, New Zealand November 13, 2016 SECRETARY KERRY: Mr. Ambassador, Mark, thank you very, very much. Thank you also for your tremendous linguistic display a little bit earlier. (Laughter.) I’m delighted to be here with all of you. Minister Brownlee and General Keating, thank you very much for honoring us by being here today, and to all of you parliamentarians, counselors, and distinguished guests all. It’s a great hon...

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Regions: Afghanistan, New Zealand , United Kingdom , United States , Vietnam

Topics: Human Rights and Democracy, Refugee and Humanitarian Assistance

Press Statement John Kerry Secretary of State Washington, DC November 12, 2016 I want to congratulate the government and people of Colombia on achieving a revised peace agreement. President Santos and his negotiating team, those from the "No" campaign, and other important sectors of Colombian society deserve credit for engaging in a far reaching and respectful national dialogue following the plebiscite. This agreement has the benefit of many hours of discussion between supporters and critics o...

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Regions: Colombia

Press Statement John Kerry Secretary of State Washington, DC November 3, 2016 On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I offer warm congratulations to the people of Panama as you observe the 113th anniversary of your nation’s independence on November 3. Panama and the United States share a long history of friendship based on our common values, rich cultural bonds, and close people-to-people ties. We applaud your successful completion of the Panama Canal expansion – a...

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Regions: Panama , United States

Topics: Economic Prosperity and Trade Policy

Remarks John Kerry Secretary of State Ben Franklin Room Washington, DC November 3, 2016 SECRETARY KERRY: Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, mabuhay . AUDIENCE: Mabuhay. SECRETARY KERRY: I’m happy really happy to welcome everybody. What a crowd. This is amazing. Are you running for office? (Laughter.) AMBASSADOR KIM: Next job. SECRETARY KERRY: Next job. (Laughter.) Obviously, one of our most popular diplomats, and impressive. I am really delighted that so many of you could come and join us...

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Regions: Australia , Korea, North , Philippines , United States

Topics: Treaties and International Agreements

Remarks John Kerry Secretary of State Loy Henderson Auditorium Washington, DC November 2, 2016 SECRETARY KERRY: Good morning. AUDIENCE: Good morning. SECRETARY KERRY: How are you doing? Everybody good? AUDIENCE: Yeah. Good. SECRETARY KERRY: Good. The loudest “yeah” was over here. Where are you from? QUESTION: Sri Lanka. SECRETARY KERRY: Sri Lanka. Well, you have reason to be loud. That’s good. I appreciate – Sri Lanka’s done some amazing things in the last years. So Evan, t...

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Regions: Afghanistan, China, France , Iran , Iraq , Italy , Kazakhstan , Libya , Russia , Syria , Tajikistan , United Kingdom , United States

Topics: Climate and Environment, Countering Terrorism, Economic Prosperity and Trade Policy, Energy, Human Rights and Democracy, Science, Technology, and Innovation, The Ocean and Polar Affairs

Press Statement John Kerry Secretary of State Washington, DC November 1, 2016 On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I congratulate the people of Antigua and Barbuda on the 35th anniversary of your nation’s independence on November 1. The United States values its longstanding friendship with you and looks forward to continued cooperation between our countries in support of the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative and our shared commitment to sustainable development, human...

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Regions: United States

Topics: Climate and Environment, Human Rights and Democracy

Remarks John Kerry Secretary of State London, United Kingdom October 31, 2016 MR KHAN: Can I thank you all very much for coming to this town hall meeting at the best town hall in the world, city hall. This is my living room, and I’m really pleased that we have the U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in city hall today. And Secretary Kerry has agreed to take loads of questions from the floor, but those who manage his time say you’re going to get time for three. (Laughter.) So can I have an ide...

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Regions: Afghanistan, Canada , China, Iran , Russia , United Kingdom , United States , Vietnam

Topics: Climate and Environment, Countering Terrorism, Economic Prosperity and Trade Policy, Energy, Global Health, Human Rights and Democracy, The Ocean and Polar Affairs

Press Availability John Kerry Secretary of State Tipperary, Ireland October 30, 2016 FOREIGN MINISTER FLANAGAN: Good morning, everybody. Welcome to the Golden Vale of Tipperary on this beautiful autumn morning, and in particular I want to especially welcome Secretary of State John Kerry not only to Ireland but to the heart of Ireland to receive the highly acclaimed Tipperary International Peace Award. Today, the Secretary of State joins a long list of awardees which includes Nelson Mandela, Mikhail Gorb...

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Regions: Canada , Iran , Ireland , Korea, North , Russia , Syria , United Kingdom , United States , Vietnam , Yemen

Topics: Climate and Environment, Countering Terrorism, Economic Prosperity and Trade Policy, Global Health, Human Rights and Democracy, Refugee and Humanitarian Assistance

Interview John Kerry Secretary of State Chicago, Illinois October 26, 2016 QUESTION: Secretary Kerry, welcome. I – we’re 80-some days from the – as we sit here today at the University of Chicago, we’re 80-some days from the end of this administration. It seems like a good time to kind of look back a little bit at your life and your career. And I wanted to ask you, I’m so intrigued by the fact that your dad was in the Foreign Service. And I was – what influence did tha...

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Regions: China, France , India , Iran , Iraq , Israel , Italy , Russia , Spain , Syria , Ukraine , United Kingdom , United States , Vietnam , West Bank

Topics: Climate and Environment, Economic Prosperity and Trade Policy, Energy, Global Health, Human Rights and Democracy, Refugee and Humanitarian Assistance, Science, Technology, and Innovation, The Ocean and Polar Affairs

Remarks John Kerry Secretary of State Hilton Chicago Hotel Chicago, Illinois October 26, 2016 SECRETARY KERRY: Well, good evening, everybody. And thank you, very, very much to Ivo Daalder. Thank you, sir, Mr. Ambassador. And thanks to the Chicago Council for Global Affairs for inviting me here. And a profound thank you to Ambassador Lou Susman for his very generous introduction. And most importantly, Marge and Lou, thank you for many, many years of extraordinary friendship. I really value it. And I thin...

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Regions: Afghanistan, Canada , China, Iran , Israel , Japan , Korea, North , Nigeria , Russia , Rwanda , Saudi Arabia , Somalia , Syria , United Kingdom , United States , Vietnam

Topics: Arms Control and Nonproliferation, Climate and Environment, Countering Terrorism, Economic Prosperity and Trade Policy, Energy, Global Health, Human Rights and Democracy, Refugee and Humanitarian Assistance, Science, Technology, and Innovation, The Ocean and Polar Affairs

Remarks John Kerry Secretary of State Chicago, Illinois October 26, 2016 MODERATOR: It is an honor to welcome a Secretary of State to the University of Chicago. It is part of the mission of the Institute of Politics to facilitate these kinds of opportunities for you to interact with practitioners and leaders, and so we’re really pleased on that account. But I – our other mission is somewhat larger than that, which is: We live in a somewhat dispirited time in our politics. I don’t know ...

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Regions: Afghanistan, China, France , Georgia , Germany , Iran , Iraq , Israel , Japan , Korea, North , Lebanon , Nigeria , Philippines , Qatar , Russia , Saudi Arabia , Somalia , Syria , Turkey , United Kingdom , United States , Vietnam , Yemen

Topics: Arms Control and Nonproliferation, Climate and Environment, Countering Terrorism, Energy, Global Health, Human Rights and Democracy, Science, Technology, and Innovation, The Ocean and Polar Affairs, Treaties and International Agreements

Remarks John Kerry Secretary of State Washington, DC October 21, 2016 SECRETARY KERRY: Good morning everybody. I’m delighted to welcome my friend, Foreign Minister al-Sabah from Kuwait, to Washington and to this strategic dialogue that we will engage in this morning. The truth is we meet frequently and I want to thank the Amir of Kuwait and the Government of Kuwait for their tremendous commitment to this relationship, for the extraordinary cooperation that we receive on a whole host of issues. And...

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Regions: Iraq , Korea, North , Kuwait , Lebanon , Syria , United States

Topics: Countering Terrorism, Economic Prosperity and Trade Policy, Refugee and Humanitarian Assistance

Remarks John Kerry Secretary of State Fisher Stevens, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Piers Sellers UN Headquarters New York City October 20, 2016 MR STEVENS: Thank you all for coming this evening. It’s quite an honor to screen in this incredible place. Thank you, Secretary-General, again. So you guys got to know these two gentlemen to my – these three gentlemen to my left at the film – during the film tonight: Piers Sellers, NASA-Goddard Space Institute; Secretary of State John Kerry, legend &...

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Regions: Argentina, China, India , United Kingdom , United States

Topics: Climate and Environment, Economic Prosperity and Trade Policy, Energy, Global Health, Science, Technology, and Innovation, Treaties and International Agreements

Remarks John Kerry Secretary of State Secretary of State's Outer Office Washington, DC October 20, 2016 SECRETARY KERRY: Hello, everybody. Good afternoon to you. The Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia Adel al-Jubeir and I have had a very in-depth, comprehensive conversation about a number of issues that we are working on together. And I want to report to you on a few of the topics, and we both want to make a clarification statement with respect to Yemen. Let me say, first of all, that we did discuss the v...

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Regions: France , Japan , Libya , Russia , Saudi Arabia , United Kingdom , Yemen

Topics: Arms Control and Nonproliferation, Refugee and Humanitarian Assistance, Treaties and International Agreements

Remarks John Kerry Secretary of State Lancaster House London, United Kingdom October 16, 2016 FOREIGN SECRETARY JOHNSON: Good afternoon, everybody. Thank you very much for coming. As everybody knows, the situation in Aleppo is getting worse and worse. There’s continuing bombardment of innocent civilians, 100,000 kids now under a terrible, medieval siege. Casualties continue to mount. And more and more people, as a result of this action by the Assad regime and its supporters, are being radicalized....

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Regions: France , Italy , Russia , Syria , United Kingdom , United States

Topics: Countering Terrorism, Energy, Refugee and Humanitarian Assistance

Remarks John Kerry Secretary of State Plenary Hall, Convention Center Kigali, Rwanda October 14, 2016 SECRETARY KERRY: Well, good afternoon everybody. I want to begin by thanking the president of this Meeting of the Parties, Minister Biruta, and the Government of Rwanda for the terrific job that they have done in hosting everybody all of this week here in beautiful Kigali. I also want to thank the terrific administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – my friend, Gina McCarthy –...

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Regions: Argentina, Rwanda , Saudi Arabia , United States

Topics: Climate and Environment, Energy, Global Health, Refugee and Humanitarian Assistance, Science, Technology, and Innovation

Press Statement John Kerry Secretary of State Washington, DC October 11, 2016 The State Department is deeply committed to protecting and strengthening the rights of girls worldwide, and on this fifth annual International Day of the Girl, we recognize that addressing the distinct challenges facing girls, particularly adolescent girls, is critical to our ability to achieve U.S. foreign policy goals, including gender equality. Poverty, gender-based violence, a lack of education, and barriers to equal oppor...

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Regions: Honduras , Malawi , Tanzania , United States

Topics: Global Women's Issues, Science, Technology, and Innovation

Remarks John Kerry Secretary of State Palo Alto, California October 10, 2016 MS BOYD: So, Mr. Secretary, welcome to Silicon Valley and thank you for joining us today. SECRETARY KERRY: Happy to be here. Thank you. MS BOYD: I’m going to dive right in because we have a little bit less time than we planned. And I wanted to start with the big news from Friday. And since so much news broke on Friday, I should probably be a little more specific. (Laughter.) So on Friday, the Obama Administration official...

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Regions: Argentina, China, Cuba , France , Iran , Russia , United Kingdom , United States , Vietnam

Topics: Climate and Environment, Countering Terrorism, Economic Prosperity and Trade Policy, Energy, Global Health, Human Rights and Democracy, Science, Technology, and Innovation, The Ocean and Polar Affairs

Press Statement John Kerry Secretary of State Washington, DC October 7, 2016 I extend my warmest congratulations and that of the entire U.S. Department of State to Colombia President Juan Manuel Santos for his selection as this year’s winner of the Nobel Prize for Peace. President Santos is being recognized for his tireless effort to negotiate a definitive end to the conflict between his government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC. That conflict, which has raged for more tha...

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Regions: Colombia , United States

Remarks John Kerry Secretary of State Treaty Room Washington, DC October 7, 2016 SECRETARY KERRY: Hey. Good – I mean, good morning. (Laughter.) My great pleasure to welcome Jean-Marc Ayrault to Washington, and I’m really very happy to have our French counterpart here with us. France, of course, the oldest alliance and relationship with the United States, and a great friend and partner in everything that we undertake, ranging from Iran nuclear agreements to Africa and unrest and terrorism, to...

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Regions: France , Iran , Russia , Syria

Topics: Countering Terrorism, Refugee and Humanitarian Assistance, Science, Technology, and Innovation, Treaties and International Agreements

Remarks John Kerry Secretary of State Wilson Center Washington, DC September 28, 2016 SECRETARY KERRY: Jane, thank you for a wonderful introduction. I hugely appreciate your support, your counsel. And obviously, we are living in complicated times. I want to thank you for many, many years of remarkable service to our country. Jane was reminding me as we were walking up here that we were by happenstance on a flight together not so many years ago, and she secretly informed me of the offer from the Wilson C...

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Regions: Australia , Canada , Chile, China, France , Germany , Israel , Italy , Japan , Korea, North , Korea, South , Philippines , United Kingdom , United States , Vietnam

Topics: Arms Control and Nonproliferation, Climate and Environment, Countering Terrorism, Economic Prosperity and Trade Policy, Energy, Global Health, Human Rights and Democracy, Science, Technology, and Innovation, The Ocean and Polar Affairs

Interview John Kerry Secretary of State Cartagena, Colombia September 26, 2016 QUESTION: Secretary of State John Kerry, welcome to Cartagena. SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you. QUESTION: Welcome to NTN24 and RCNTV. SECRETARY KERRY: My pleasure. Nice to be with you. QUESTION: Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Kerry. Mr. Secretary, United States has strongly supported the Colombian peace process since day one. What are the main reasons for this support? SECRETARY KERRY: Well, we’ve been deeply invested in Colombia...

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Regions: Colombia , Norway , United States

Topics: Arms Control and Nonproliferation, Combating Drugs and Crime, Countering Terrorism

Remarks John Kerry Secretary of State Escuela Taller Cartagena, Colombia September 26, 2016 SECRETARY KERRY: So I’m just trying to measure how long ago you all were starting out with a different set of courses. So let me first of all tell you how really proud we are and how grateful we are that you’ve made the decisions that you’ve made. You’ve gained a lot of wisdom in a short period of life, and all of us who are involved in trying to work for peace congratulate you on the deci...

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Regions: Colombia , Norway , United States

Remarks John Kerry Secretary of State Cartagena, Colombia September 26, 2016 PRESIDENT SANTOS: Let me start by saying welcome to you, Secretary Kerry, and others on your team. You know that the presence here of a bipartisan delegation is very important because you can also feel very proud that you had a very important stake in this process and the U.S. has been supportive in this process since the very beginning. You can also claim part of the success, as I said before, to the Plan Colombia between Paz ...

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Regions: Colombia , Norway , United Kingdom , United States

Remarks John Kerry Secretary of State Cartagena, Colombia September 26, 2016 MR KIRBY: (In progress) – time, so I’m not going to eat it up with too much on the intro side. The Secretary is going to open it up here with a few comments about the importance of our time here in Cartagena and the signing of this peace accord, and then we’ll open it up for questions. We’ve got about 15 minutes, 20 for this. We’ve got about 15 minutes total, okay? QUESTION: Great. MR KIRBY: But I ...

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Regions: China, Colombia , Cuba , Norway , Russia , United States , Venezuela , Western Hemisphere

Topics: Arms Control and Nonproliferation, Climate and Environment, Countering Terrorism, Energy, Global Health, Refugee and Humanitarian Assistance, Science, Technology, and Innovation

Remarks John Kerry Secretary of State Palace Hotel New York City September 22, 2016 SECRETARY KERRY: Well, good morning, folks. I’m sorry we’re running just a moment late, and I apologize to everybody for that. I want to thank everyone for coming, distinguished ministers, my colleagues, my cabinet colleague Secretary of Energy Ernie Moniz, and Foreign Minister Malcorra of Argentina, Commissioner Canete, the European commissioner, Minister Biruta of Rwanda, Ambassador Liu of China. Thank you,...

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Regions: Argentina, China, United States

Topics: Climate and Environment, Energy, Global Health

Remarks John Kerry Secretary of State The Palace Hotel New York City September 22, 2016 SECRETARY KERRY: Well, good morning, everybody, and good morning, Cathy, and thank you so much for your brilliant stewardship of this initiative. I really appreciate what you are doing. Everywhere I go around the world, Cathy is there with an army of women – (laughter) – that she has helped to organize somewhere in the world, and it’s wonderful to see what she is doing. And I am blessed to work with...

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Regions: Canada , United Kingdom , United States

Topics: Energy

Press Statement John Kerry Secretary of State Washington, DC September 21, 2016 On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I offer best wishes to the people of Belize as you celebrate 35 years of independence on September 21. The United States values our close friendship with Belize and the many ties our countries share. We work together to empower youth, strengthen the rule of law, promote trade, and enhance citizen security. I look forward to deepening the cooperation between ou...

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Regions: Belize , United States

Topics: Economic Prosperity and Trade Policy

Remarks John Kerry Secretary of State Residence of the Kuwaiti Permanent Representative to the United Nations New York City, NY September 20, 2016 SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you, your highness. I appreciate it. It’s good to visit with you, and I want to thank you for your incredible support, for hosting us in many ways, and for the great generosity of Kuwait for the issue of refugees. Your support of President Obama’s initiative and his efforts was very, very welcome, and we really appreciate it.

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Regions: Kuwait

Topics: Refugee and Humanitarian Assistance

Interview John Kerry Secretary of State Palace Hotel New York City, NY September 19, 2016 QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, thank you so much for joining us on your last UNGA. I just have to ask you about these explosions last night. I know the mayor discounted terrorism, but is it a little early for that, especially given the fact that these devices might have been similar to the Boston Marathon? SECRETARY KERRY: Well, I have to leave the judgment to the mayor and his team. They’re really an outstanding f...

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Regions: China, Colombia , Iran , Jordan , Norway , Russia , Syria , United Kingdom , United States , West Bank

Topics: Countering Terrorism, Energy, Global Health, Human Rights and Democracy, Refugee and Humanitarian Assistance

Press Statement John Kerry Secretary of State Washington, DC September 19, 2016 On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I congratulate the people of the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis as you celebrate the 33rd anniversary of your beautiful nation’s independence on September 19. Our countries enjoy a close friendship rooted in our deep respect for democratic principles and individual freedoms. The United States shares your commitment to inclusive and sustainable growt...

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Regions: United States

Topics: Energy, Global Health

Remarks John Kerry Secretary of State Palace Hotel New York City, NY September 18, 2016 SECRETARY KERRY: Good morning, everybody, and welcome to an important event to kick off a lot of events here in the course of the UNGA week. My co-chair and good friend, Borge Brende, and I are really delighted to welcome everybody here. And we’re particularly happy today that we are able to welcome President Santos of Colombia, and needless to say, we are really grateful to so many members of the Global Demini...

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Regions: Afghanistan, Cambodia , Colombia , Norway , Syria , United States

Topics: Countering Terrorism, Refugee and Humanitarian Assistance

Remarks John Kerry Secretary of State 92nd Street Y New York City, NY September 18, 2016 SECRETARY KERRY: What a great welcome. Thank you all. How are you? Everybody good? That’s a lousy answer. How are you? (Applause.) Thank you. QUESTION: That was a rock star welcome. SECRETARY KERRY: You’re the rock star. Thank you. Happy to be here. I can’t see over this thing. QUESTION: I’m very lucky to spend the next 20 minutes asking Secretary Kerry questions about American leadership, an...

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Regions: Afghanistan, China, Colombia , France , Germany , Iran , Iraq , Japan , Norway , Russia , Saudi Arabia , Syria , Ukraine , United Kingdom , United States

Topics: Climate and Environment, Economic Prosperity and Trade Policy, Global Health, Human Rights and Democracy, Science, Technology, and Innovation, The Ocean and Polar Affairs

Press Statement John Kerry Secretary of State Washington, DC September 16, 2016 On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I offer warm wishes to the people of Chile as you observe your nation’s Independence Day on September 18. The United States values its close and productive partnership with Chile. Our countries are bound together by our deep commitment to democracy, the rule of law, and respect for human rights. My government is proud to work with yours to support peace ...

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Regions: Chile, United States

Topics: Climate and Environment, Energy, Global Health, Human Rights and Democracy

Press Statement John Kerry Secretary of State Washington, DC September 16, 2016 On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I congratulate the people of Mexico as you celebrate the 206th anniversary of your nation’s independence. The United States and Mexico are not only neighbors, but close partners and friends. Our relationship is based on a host of shared interests, people-to-people ties, and a commitment to democratic values. After more than two centuries of living side-b...

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Regions: Mexico , United States

Topics: Human Rights and Democracy

Remarks John Kerry Secretary of State Washington, DC September 16, 2016 MR HELLMAN: Hello. Thanks very much. Welcome, everyone. It’s wonderful to see such an enthusiastic crowd. Let me welcome Secretary Kerry, Adrian Grenier. Thank you for joining us today as part of the first ever Our Ocean, One Future Leadership Summit. We’ve got a limited time. I’ve got a pack of questions that you’ve already given me in advance, but I’d like to just get things started by asking the Secr...

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Regions: Chile, China, Estonia , France , South Africa , Thailand , United Kingdom , United States

Topics: Climate and Environment, Economic Prosperity and Trade Policy, Energy, Global Health, Refugee and Humanitarian Assistance, Science, Technology, and Innovation, The Ocean and Polar Affairs

Remarks John Kerry Secretary of State Loy Henderson Auditorium Washington, DC September 16, 2016 SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you. Sheldon, thanks so much. Thank you for taking time on a Friday. I know you guys are extraordinarily busy, and I am very appreciative that you came down here to chair this particular panel, and I’m even more appreciative of our great friendship. Sheldon is a near-neighbor of Massachusetts obviously, Rhode Island – a great sailing state – and Sheldon himself is an ...

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Regions: Canada , Indonesia , Norway , Russia , Senegal , United States

Topics: Climate and Environment, Global Health, Science, Technology, and Innovation, The Ocean and Polar Affairs

Press Statement John Kerry Secretary of State Washington, DC September 15, 2016 On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I congratulate the people of Costa Rica as you celebrate the 195th anniversary of your nation’s independence on September 15. Our countries enjoy a longstanding and remarkably strong friendship, rooted in our shared values and commitment to keeping our citizens safe, supporting democratic institutions, defending human rights, and expanding economic oppor...

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Regions: Costa Rica , United States

Topics: Climate and Environment, Global Health, Human Rights and Democracy

Press Statement John Kerry Secretary of State Washington, DC September 15, 2016 On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I send best wishes to the people of El Salvador as you mark the anniversary of your nation’s independence. The United States values its abiding friendship and the close family and commercial ties that exist between our two countries. My government is firmly committed to working closely with you as El Salvador seeks to expand economic opportunity, strengt...

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Regions: El Salvador , United States

Press Statement John Kerry Secretary of State Washington, DC September 15, 2016 On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I extend our best wishes to the people of Guatemala as you celebrate the 195th anniversary of your nation’s independence on September 15. In the last year, Guatemala accomplished a peaceful transfer of power under extraordinary circumstances. As a result, Guatemalans are a potent example to the rest of the region of the power of active citizens in a demo...

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Regions: Guatemala , United States

Topics: Human Rights and Democracy

Press Statement John Kerry Secretary of State Washington, DC September 15, 2016 On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I congratulate the people of Honduras on the 195th anniversary of your nation’s independence. The United States is pleased to have a valued partner in Honduras. My government values deeply our ability to work together to strengthen democratic institutions, improve security, promote economic growth, and foster an environment in which the rule of law is up...

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Regions: Honduras , United States

Topics: Human Rights and Democracy

Press Statement John Kerry Secretary of State Washington, DC September 15, 2016 On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I am pleased to congratulate the people of Nicaragua as you commemorate 195 years of independence on September 15. Independence Day is an opportunity for Nicaraguans everywhere to remember the men and women from past generations who have contributed to your proud nation’s history. Nicaragua is well known for its rich cultural diversity and for the energy...

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Regions: Nicaragua

Topics: Energy

Remarks John Kerry Secretary of State Loy Henderson Auditorium Washington, DC September 15, 2016 SECRETARY KERRY: Well, good afternoon, everybody. I hope you had a great lunch. And thank you for helping to make the morning as stimulating and informative as it was. How come all the cameras are out now? You didn’t do this when I was here earlier. (Laughter.) What’s going on here? Oh. A whole – (laughter) – I know a lot of you first came to know Leonardo DiCaprio as an image on a sc...

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Regions: Fiji , Kiribati , Madagascar , Palau

Topics: Climate and Environment, Energy, Global Health, Science, Technology, and Innovation

Remarks John Kerry Secretary of State Washington, DC September 15, 2016 SECRETARY KERRY: I’m very happy to welcome Foreign Minister Loizaga of Paraguay here to Washington, and I want to thank him for the June dialogue that our countries had, for the strong partnership we have. And we’re very grateful for the peacekeeping role that Paraguay plays, for the democracy-building role that it plays. It’s been very important to the Haiti elections, important to the challenges of dealing with V...

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Regions: Haiti , Paraguay , United States

Topics: Climate and Environment, Global Health, Human Rights and Democracy

Remarks John Kerry Secretary of State Loy Henderson Auditorium Washington, DC September 15, 2016 SECRETARY KERRY: Well, good morning everybody. And Cathy, thank you very, very much. I hope everybody here will join me in expressing our gratitude to Cathy and her team who have done an absolutely superb job of preparing this, putting this together. Cathy, thank you very, very much. Appreciate it. (Applause.) I also want to express my profound gratitude to all of the foreign ministers, environ ministers, am...

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Regions: Chile, China, France , United Kingdom , United States

Topics: Climate and Environment, Combating Drugs and Crime, Energy, Global Health, Human Rights and Democracy, Treaties and International Agreements

Remarks John Kerry Secretary of State Long View Gallery Washington, DC September 14, 2016 SECRETARY KERRY: Hello, everybody. AUDIENCE: Hello. SECRETARY KERRY: Ted, thank you very, very much. It is true, I met Ted when he was doing a little something at a place called Cheers up in Boston – (laughter) – and I actually got to be in a Cheers episode, if you want to know the truth, where Cliff and Norm met me as I was walking down the street, which I happened to live about five doors away from Ch...

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Regions: Cambodia , Chile, Thailand

Topics: Climate and Environment, Energy, Global Health, Science, Technology, and Innovation, Treaties and International Agreements

Remarks John Kerry Secretary of State Washington, DC September 12, 2016 SECRETARY KERRY: Good afternoon, everybody. Happy Monday to all of you. Let me begin, if I can, just by – you can sort of see it with some of the banners and the large fish out in front of the State Department that this is a big week for the department, because on Thursday and Friday we’re going to be hosting our third Our Ocean conference, which we started two years ago with the meeting that took place in Chile interrup...

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Regions: Albania , Chile, Iran , Italy , Norway , Russia , Syria , Turkey , United Kingdom , United States

Topics: Countering Terrorism, Human Rights and Democracy, Refugee and Humanitarian Assistance

Press Statement John Kerry Secretary of State Washington, DC September 7, 2016 On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I send our best wishes to the people of Brazil as you celebrate the 194 th anniversary of your nation’s independence on September 7. Just over a month ago, I had the honor of visiting Brazil as head of the U.S. delegation to the 2016 Olympic Games in the " Cidade Maravilhosa " of Rio de Janeiro. I congratulate Brazil for its extraordinary effort...

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Regions: Brazil , United States , Western Hemisphere

Topics: Climate and Environment, Global Health

Press Statement John Kerry Secretary of State Washington, DC August 25, 2016 After over fifty years of conflict and four years of difficult negotiations, a final peace accord has been reached by the Colombian government and the FARC. The United States strongly supports this accord that can achieve a just and lasting peace for all Colombians. I salute the courage and leadership of President Santos, whose unwavering commitment to peace made these breakthroughs possible. I also want to recognize the hard w...

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Regions: Colombia , Norway , United States

Topics: Human Rights and Democracy

Press Statement John Kerry Secretary of State Washington, DC August 25, 2016 On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I congratulate the people of Uruguay as you celebrate the 191 st anniversary of your nation’s independence on August 25. The United States places a high value on its enduring friendship with Uruguay, a friendship based on the many interests and values we share, including a mutual commitment to democracy, human rights, social justice, and peace. Together, we...

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Regions: United States , Uruguay

Topics: Economic Prosperity and Trade Policy, Human Rights and Democracy

Remarks John Kerry Secretary of State Embassy Abuja Abuja, Nigeria August 24, 2016 SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you so much. Thank you very much. Good morning, everybody. How are you? Everybody good? AUDIENCE: (Cheering.) SECRETARY KERRY: Now, let’s do a little organizing here. You’re getting wet, man. (Laughter.) So I want you – push back a little bit so – now we – I want you to get out of the water. Both sides – you got to organize this a little bit. I want you to show th...

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Regions: China, Italy , Nigeria , United Kingdom , United States

Topics: Energy, Global Women's Issues, Human Rights and Democracy

Press Statement John Kerry Secretary of State Washington, DC August 10, 2016 On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I congratulate the people of Ecuador as you celebrate the 207th anniversary of your nation’s Proclamation of Independence on August 10. The friendship between our countries is long standing, and so my nation was shocked and grieved by the devastating earthquake that struck your northern coastal region this past April. The United States admires the determina...

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Regions: Ecuador , United Kingdom , United States

Interview John Kerry Secretary of State Copacabana Beach Rio de Janeiro, Brazil August 6, 2016 QUESTION: Secretary of State John Kerry attended the opening ceremony last night, his first in person. He is leading the U.S. delegation here at the games, joined by nine-time Olympic gold medalist Mark Spitz who’s a part of the delegation as well. Good morning to both of you, gentlemen. Thanks for -- SECRETARY KERRY: Good morning. MR SPITZ: Good morning. QUESTION: -- for getting up so early, or staying ...

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Regions: Brazil , France , Iran , United Kingdom

Topics: Refugee and Humanitarian Assistance

Interview John Kerry Secretary of State Copacabana Beach Rio de Janeiro, Brazil August 6, 2016 QUESTION: Secretary of State John Kerry is in Brazil as the head of the U.S. presidential delegation. I had a chance to catch up with him this morning on Copacabana Beach. It’s been a busy trip for Secretary of State John Kerry in Rio as he represents the United States. Kerry attended Friday night’s opening ceremony, his first one at an Olympic Games. SECRETARY KERRY: Being there is thrilling, and ...

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Regions: Brazil , United Kingdom

Press Statement John Kerry Secretary of State Washington, DC August 6, 2016 On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I congratulate the people of Jamaica as you celebrate the 54th anniversary of your nation’s independence. The United States considers Jamaica a close friend and strong partner. Your vibrant democratic institutions, independent judiciary, and robust parliamentary system set a positive example throughout our hemisphere. The United States is proud of the work o...

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Regions: Jamaica , United States

Topics: Energy

Remarks John Kerry Secretary of State Naval Academy Rio de Janeiro, Brazil August 5, 2016 SECRETARY KERRY: I don’t want to temper this energy at all, but I want to say how proud we are of all of you just for getting here, being here and representing the United States of America. And so many of you I’ve actually watched. I watched some of the trials during the times when I was not on the phone with a Russian or a Chinese or somebody. (Laughter.) But I wanted to tell you on behalf of the whole...

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Regions: Brazil , China, Eritrea , Russia , United Kingdom , United States

Topics: Energy, Refugee and Humanitarian Assistance

Remarks John Kerry Secretary of State Palacio Itamaraty Rio de Janeiro, Brazil August 5, 2016 FOREIGN MINISTER SERRA: (Via interpretation) Good afternoon. I want to begin by saying that the visit of Secretary John Kerry and the very productive meeting we just had may represent the first step of a new phase in the relationship between Brazil and the United States – they may represent, and I am certain, I am confident that they will represent. The closeness between U.S. and Brazil is bolstered by Pr...

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Regions: Afghanistan, Brazil , China, Cyprus , Russia , United Kingdom , United States , Venezuela

Topics: Climate and Environment, Economic Prosperity and Trade Policy, Energy, Global Health, Human Rights and Democracy, Refugee and Humanitarian Assistance, Science, Technology, and Innovation

Press Availability John Kerry Secretary of State San Martin Palace Buenos Aires, Argentina August 4, 2016 FOREIGN MINISTER MALCORRA: (Via interpretation, in progress) …to this press conference to be followed by a working lunch, which some ministers will be joining to expand on some of the items on our agenda. We have essentially – we have – hello? (Interruption to interpretation.) (Via interpretation, in progress) …meeting between the teams of the foreign ministry and the State...

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Regions: Argentina, Colombia , Iran , Syria , United Kingdom , United States , Venezuela

Topics: Climate and Environment, Combating Drugs and Crime, Countering Terrorism, Economic Prosperity and Trade Policy, Energy, Global Health, Human Rights and Democracy, Refugee and Humanitarian Assistance

Remarks John Kerry Secretary of State Buenos Aires, Argentina August 4, 2016 (Applause.) Well, good morning. Good morning, everybody. Thank you very, very much. Thank you for the introduction. Thank you for being here. I’m really delighted to have a chance to be able to share a few thoughts with all of you this morning. My thanks to AmCham Argentina, to Manuel Aguirre, to Alejandro Diaz, and to Daniel Martin for making this event possible. I really appreciate it very, very much. And I want to than...

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Regions: Argentina, Belgium , Chile, United Kingdom , United States

Topics: Climate and Environment, Economic Prosperity and Trade Policy, Energy, Global Health, Human Rights and Democracy, Science, Technology, and Innovation, The Ocean and Polar Affairs

Remarks John Kerry Secretary of State San Martin Palace Buenos Aires, Argentina August 4, 2016 FOREIGN MINISTER MALCORRA: So, Mr. Secretary, this is great to have you in Buenos Aires. And we really appreciate you for taking the time and visiting us. And we have a very, very important number of issues to discuss. So welcome to Buenos Aires, and the floor is yours. SECRETARY KERRY: Well, Susana, thank you very much. I feel a very generous welcome here and we are really happy to be here. President Obama&rs...

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Regions: Argentina

Press Availability John Kerry Secretary of State Treaty Room Washington, DC August 1, 2016 SECRETARY KERRY: Well, good afternoon, everybody. Buenas tardes . I am delighted to be joined by my friend and my colleague Foreign Minister Maria Holguin of the Republic of Colombia. And we have been delighted over the course of the last day and a half or so to be engaged in the sixth session of the U.S.-Colombia High-Level Partnership Dialogue. It is underway here at the department, and I think Maria Angela woul...

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Regions: Afghanistan, Chile, Colombia , Cuba , Ecuador , Norway , Russia , United Kingdom , United States , Venezuela

Topics: Arms Control and Nonproliferation, Climate and Environment, Combating Drugs and Crime, Countering Terrorism, Economic Prosperity and Trade Policy, Energy, Global Health, Human Rights and Democracy, Refugee and Humanitarian Assistance, Treaties and International Agreements

Press Statement John Kerry Secretary of State Washington, DC July 28, 2016 On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I congratulate the people of Peru as you celebrate the 195 th anniversary of your nation’s independence on July 28. Peru and the United States have enjoyed a long friendship rooted in our mutual respect for freedom, good governance, and the rule of law. This year’s presidential election reaffirmed the strength and vibrancy of your democracy, and I look ...

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Regions: Peru , United States

Topics: Human Rights and Democracy

Remarks John Kerry Secretary of State Manila, Philippines July 27, 2016 MS OPOSA: According to the Secretary John Kerry, the ocean is sort of in his DNA. He grew up with an affinity for the sea, first as a young boy in Massachusetts fishing and clamming, and then as an officer in the U.S. Navy. This passion for the blue world was evident when he was a U.S. senator. As chairman of the Senate Oceans and Fisheries Subcommittee, he oversaw the rewriting of fishery laws, the creation of the Stellwagen Bank S...

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Regions: Chile, Indonesia , Norway , Philippines , United Kingdom , United States

Topics: Climate and Environment, Energy, Global Health, Global Women's Issues

Remarks John Kerry Secretary of State Vienna, Austria July 22, 2016 SECRETARY KERRY: Listen, I just wanted to come by and say thank you to all of you. There are different types of stakeholders here, obviously – some of you representing industry and some NGO types and others. But all in all you’re all arguing the same arguments and you’re all here to get this done. I think we would not be where we are without your serious engagement in this. And I think particularly for the industry fol...

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Regions: Austria , United Kingdom , United States

Topics: Climate and Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation, Treaties and International Agreements

Remarks John Kerry Secretary of State Vienna International Center Vienna, Austria July 22, 2016 SECRETARY KERRY: So I should start right now? I apologize, I gather I was already asked – (laughter) – and there’s nothing like a nice gap between announce and appearance, but good afternoon to everybody here. And I want to express my personal gratitude for the opportunity to be able to share a few thoughts with everybody. I am really honored to be here. I’m delighted to be here. And I...

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Regions: Austria , Canada , Greenland , Iran , Norway , Pakistan , United States

Topics: Climate and Environment, Countering Terrorism, Energy, Global Health

Press Statement John Kerry Secretary of State Washington, DC July 20, 2016 On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I send best wishes to the people of Colombia as you celebrate your independence on July 20th. As you mark this historic day, Colombians can celebrate significant progress in your quest for a just and lasting peace. Sustaining this progress has required courage, leadership, and determination. The stakes are too high to take anything for granted, but the perseverance...

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Regions: Colombia , United States

Topics: Human Rights and Democracy

Remarks John Kerry Secretary of State Ben Franklin Room Washington, DC July 20, 2016 SECRETARY KERRY: Well, good morning, everybody, and welcome to the State Department, welcome to Washington, D.C., welcome to the Ben Franklin Room and to this pledging conference in support of Iraq, and we are very, very appreciative. In complicated times and times when everybody’s budget faces many different pressures, we’re really grateful that so many countries have come together with such a sense of purp...

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Regions: Canada , Iraq , Syria

Topics: Countering Terrorism, Refugee and Humanitarian Assistance, Science, Technology, and Innovation

Remarks John Kerry Secretary of State Canadian Foreign Minister Stephane Dion, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Japanese State Minister Yoji Muto, Kuwait Foreign Minister Sabah Al Khalid Al Sabah, and Netherlands Foreign Minister Albert Gerard Koenders Dean Acheson Washington, DC July 20, 2016 SECRETARY KERRY: Well, good afternoon everyone and welcome. I’m (inaudible) looking forward to it. It’s just a opportunity for you to question our co-hosts and all of us with respect to...

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Regions: Canada , Germany , Iraq , Kuwait , Netherlands , Russia , Syria , Turkey , United Kingdom , United States

Topics: Countering Terrorism, Energy, Human Rights and Democracy, Refugee and Humanitarian Assistance

Press Availability John Kerry Secretary of State Justus Lipsius Building Brussels, Belgium July 18, 2016 HIGH REPRESENTATIVE MOGHERINI: Thank you very much. John, welcome. It’s an honor and it’s been a pleasure to welcome you for the first time at the Foreign Affairs Council with the 28 foreign ministers of our union just a few days after our leaders summit in Warsaw, where we clearly reaffirmed that transatlantic unity has never been so important and so strong. And the EU-U.S. relationship ...

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Regions: Belgium , Canada , France , Germany , Russia , Syria , Turkey , Ukraine , United Kingdom , United States

Topics: Countering Terrorism, Economic Prosperity and Trade Policy, Global Health, Human Rights and Democracy, Refugee and Humanitarian Assistance, Treaties and International Agreements

Remarks John Kerry Secretary of State Osobnyak Moscow, Russia July 15, 2016 FOREIGN MINISTER LAVROV: (Via interpretation) Dear Secretary of State, dear colleagues, I’d like to welcome you (inaudible). We’ll continue the dialogue that was launched yesterday in the meeting with the president of the Russian Federation. I believe that it was fruitful. I believe that with regard to Syria and the region of the Middle East that dialogue contributed to prioritizing the need to step up our joint effo...

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Regions: Russia , Syria , United Kingdom , United States

Topics: Countering Terrorism

Remarks John Kerry Secretary of State Washington, DC July 14, 2016 (As Delivered) SECRETARY KERRY: Hello and welcome, everybody. I’m very sorry that I couldn’t be with you in person today, but I’m super pleased to have a chance nonetheless to just share a few thoughts with you. I know that when you read the headlines or browse through posts on Facebook or Twitter and reflect on the many different threats that we’re facing in the world today, it can be difficult to imagine that ou...

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Regions: Iran , Korea, North , United States

Topics: Arms Control and Nonproliferation, Science, Technology, and Innovation, Treaties and International Agreements

Remarks John Kerry Secretary of State Washington, DC July 12, 2016 SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you. Thank you, Shaarik and thank you, all distinguished guests, everybody, a very good evening to you. Assalamu alaikum . AUDIENCE: Assalamu alaikum . SECRETARY KERRY: Eid Mubarak . AUDIENCE: Eid Mubarak . SECRETARY KERRY: Very, very happy to have you here to celebrate this. I don’t know about Mandy’s prayer to God for my future. I thought he was – (laughter) – I thought he was on my side. ...

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Regions: Argentina, Greece , Syria , United Kingdom , United States

Topics: Countering Terrorism, Refugee and Humanitarian Assistance

Remarks John Kerry Secretary of State Washington Passport Agency Washington, DC July 12, 2016 SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you. Thank you, Michele, very, very much. (Applause.) Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Michele, thank you very, very much. Today is also an education for me. You have no idea how many times I drive by here. I had no idea – (laughter) – we had this brilliantly beautiful office over here in this building, so it’s – you’re broadening my horizons even today. I go...

Roles: Everyone: All Users

Regions: China, Cyprus , United Kingdom , United States

Topics: Countering Terrorism, Science, Technology, and Innovation

Press Statement John Kerry Secretary of State Washington, DC July 11, 2016 The United States is grateful to the Republic of Serbia for offering humanitarian resettlement to two individuals formerly in U.S. custody at the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, detention facility. On July 11, the Department of Defense announced the transfer of a Tajik national, Muhammadi Davlatov, and a Yemeni national, Mansur Ahmad Saad al-Dayfi, to Serbia. Each detainee was unanimously approved for transfer by six U.S. government depart...

Roles: Everyone: All Users

Regions: United States

Topics: Refugee and Humanitarian Assistance