Informal Communication

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

As we commemorate the 25th anniversary of the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA), we reaffirm the United States’ strong and enduring commitment to advancing religious freedom for everyone, everywhere.  This instrumental legislation provided a range of new tools to give voice to the persecuted, to empower advocates, and to promote religious freedom around the world.  Freedom of religion or belief is a bedrock American value.  Twenty-five years ago, when

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

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Washington, D.C.

Benjamin Franklin Room

QUESTION:   We go now to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is at the State Department.  Good morning to you, Mr. Secretary.

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Good morning, Margaret.  Good to be with you.

QUESTION:  Tension is very high in the region.  Are you changing your security posture?  Are you pulling any U.S. personnel out of the area?

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Marga

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Regions: Egypt , Gaza Strip , Iran , Israel , United Kingdom

Topics: Countering Terrorism, Human Rights and Democracy

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

The United States welcomes the signing of an electoral roadmap agreement between the Unitary Platform and representatives of Nicolas Maduro.  This is a concrete step toward resolution of Venezuela’s political, economic, and humanitarian crisis.

Consistent with our longstanding commitment to provide U.S. sanctions relief in response to concrete steps toward competitive elections and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, the United States Dep

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

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

On behalf of the United States of America, I send my warmest congratulations to the people of Spain as you celebrate your National Day.

Spain is a close ally and a friend with whom we tackle a vast number of urgent global issues. Our friendship is based on shared values and interests such as the fight against climate change, the defence of democracy, and a commitment to an international rules-based order.

The United States is grateful for Spain’s

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Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

On behalf of the Government and the people of the United States of America, I extend to Prime Minister Sudani and the Iraqi people our sincere congratulations as you celebrate your independence.

The 360-degree strategic partnership that exists between our two countries continues to advance our shared values as we work together to address global challenges like tackling climate change, promoting economic development, advancing human rights, protecting th

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Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

On behalf of the United States of America, I send my warm wishes to the people of Germany as they celebrate 33 years of reunification on this German Unity Day.

The American and German people share an inherent commitment to defend and promote democratic institutions, human rights, and fundamental freedoms. Over the years, our friendship has grown into a multi-faceted partnership. Today, the United States views Germany as a key G7 partner, vital NATO Ally

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Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Washington, D.C.

Benjamin Franklin Room

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Good afternoon.  Welcome.  Welcome back to the State Department for so many of you.  Welcome to the Ben Franklin Room, newly refurbished.  A lot went into this.  And I think maybe a word about Ben Franklin before we get to today’s event.

As you all know, he was America’s first diplomat, ambassador to France, negotiated our first treaty, charted the Gulf Stream, pioneered el

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Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

On behalf of the Government of the United States of America, I congratulate the people of Turkmenistan as they celebrate Turkmenistan’s National Day on September 27.

The United States maintains an enduring commitment to Turkmenistan’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, rooted in your country’s principle of positive neutrality. As we reflect on our bilateral achievements during the past year, we look to our 32nd year of diplomatic rela

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Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown

Washington, DC

Treaty Room

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Well, good evening, everyone.  It’s a great pleasure to be here with Prime Minister Brown, and a particular pleasure because of the reason we’re here.  When we had the initial summit with our Pacific Island partners back in 2022, President Biden announced his intent to recognize the Cook Islands.  And today, with the exchange of letters signed by t

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Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

On behalf of the Government of the United States of America, I congratulate the people of Malta as you celebrate 59 years of independence. The United States values its longstanding friendship with Malta, which started at the founding of our nation more than two centuries ago.

We are grateful for Malta’s efforts in support of transatlantic and European values, including strong support for Ukraine and its sovereignty in the face of Russia’s aggression. We

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Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

New York City, New York

Palace Hotel

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Thank you, Uzra.  And I actually did not want to interrupt the important intervention that was going on.  (Laughter.)  So we can continue that, or I’m – I’ll pick it up later.  But I am so gratified to see so many colleagues here today both from governments but also from the private sector.  I think it speaks to the importance that we all attach to this effort, initiative,

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Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

New York City, New York

United Nations Headquarters

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Thank you very much.  Mr. Prime Minister, thank you for focusing the Security Council on this critically important issue.  And Mr. Secretary-General, thank you for the moral clarity that you’ve shown in dealing with Russia’s war against Ukraine.

We’re grateful to have been able to welcome President Zelenskyy to this council table, and we thank him.  We thank him

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Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

New York City, New York

Ford Foundation

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Administrator Power, Sam, my friend, thank you – thank you very much, but thank you especially for truly remarkable leadership at USAID.  I see that every day, and I see that around the world whenever I go to one of our missions around the world; where the rubber really meets the road is in the work of USAID, and it’s extraordinary, and it’s making a profound difference in lives a

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Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Washington, D.C.

Treaty Room

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Crown Prince Salman, Your Royal Highness, welcome back to the State Department, to Washington, a city that I know you know very well from your student days just up the road at American University.  We’ve had the chance to discuss that before.  Things have changed a little bit on campus, but we’re delighted to have you back in Washington.

And to the National Security Advisor

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Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Washington, D.C.

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Thank you.  Good morning, everyone.

AUDIENCE:  Good morning.

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Dean Steinberg, Jim, thank you for the honor of joining the SAIS community to help inaugurate this truly magnificent new home.

Jim has contributed so much over his remarkable career, but his most lasting contribution is the generation of thinkers, the generation of d

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Topics: Climate and Environment, Combating Drugs and Crime, Countering Terrorism, Coronavirus (COVID-19), 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

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

I welcome the appointment of Dr. Eileen C. Donahoe as the State Department’s Special Envoy and Coordinator for Digital Freedom in the Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy.

The President’s appointment of Dr. Donahoe reinforces the importance of digital freedom and values-based technology governance work as Administration and Department priorities. As Special Envoy and Coordinator, Dr. Donahoe will leverage her deep technical knowledge and foreign poli

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Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

On behalf of the Government of the United States of America, I share my best wishes to the people of Tajikistan as they mark 32 years of independence on September 9.

The United States reaffirms our commitment to supporting Tajikistan’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. We are proud to continue to strengthen our partnership through economic linkages, expanding people-to-people ties, supporting civil society, and bolstering cooperation

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Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

On behalf of the United States, we again congratulate Bernardo Arévalo on his election as the next president of Guatemala, as confirmed by the vote results certified on August 28.  We salute the people of Guatemala for making their voices heard, and we applaud the many officials and volunteers whose dedication made these elections possible.

The United States remains concerned with continued actions by those who seek to undermine Guatemala’s democracy. 

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Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

On behalf of the United States of America, I extend a warm congratulations to Moldova and its people on 32 years of independence from the Soviet Union.

The United States values Moldova’s shared commitment to strengthen democratic institutions and judicial reforms, foster economic growth, enhance its security, and promote respect for human rights. We look forward to continuing this partnership, including through the U.S.-Moldova Strategic Dialogue, and s

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The Secretary of State

Today the Department of State is taking additional actions to promote accountability for the Ortega-Murillo regime’s relentless attacks on civil liberties by imposing visa restrictions on 100 Nicaraguan municipal officials who participated in efforts to repress civil society organizations, close civic spaces like that of the Universidad Centroamericana, and unjustly detain courageous individuals who support a free civil society, including Bishop Ro

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Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

On behalf of the United States, I would like to congratulate the people of Gabon on the 63rd anniversary of your independence.

The United States stands ready to work directly with Gabon as it strives to diversify its economy, strengthen its maritime security, and counter illicit trafficking of its natural resources.  Our bilateral resolve to promote United States-Gabon trade, bolster Gabon’s security capacity, and further develop conservation efforts de

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

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Washington, D.C.

Press Briefing Room

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Good morning.  Good morning.

QUESTION:  Good morning.

QUESTION:  Well, barely morning.  (Laughter.)

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Speak for yourself, Matt.

Very good to see everyone here.  Actually, I kind of hoped more of you might be on vacation by now but – (laughter) – I see we have a pretty full house

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Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

On behalf of the United States of America, I wish to congratulate the people of the Republic of Chad as you celebrate the 63rd anniversary of your independence.

Our two countries share more than six decades of collaboration on shared priorities. We support the people of Chad in their pursuit of an inclusive democratic transition, leading to free and fair elections that reflect the will of the Chadian people.

As Chad pursues this transition, we re

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Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Today marks three years since the fraudulent presidential election in Belarus and the Alyaksandr Lukashenka regime’s crackdown on the Belarusian people’s demands for freedom. The United States continues to stand with the brave people of Belarus as they seek a country grounded in the rule of law, respect for human rights, and an accountable, democratically-elected government.

Today, the United States is sanctioning eight individuals and five entities for

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Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Washington, D.C.

Thomas Jefferson Room

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Well, good afternoon, everyone.  It’s a pleasure to have Foreign Minister Momen here with us today at the State Department, and important to take account of the fact that the relationship between Bangladesh and the United States has grown tremendously over the last 50 years – economically, our people-to-people ties, work that we’ve been doing more recently on everything f

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Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Washington, DC

Dean Acheson Auditorium

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Well, good afternoon, everyone, and welcome to the State Department and welcome to the second Summit for Democracy.

Jen, to you for your remarkable leadership at the White House Gender Policy Council; to Kat, for yours here at the State Department on Global Women’s Issues:  We could not have a better team, a more dynamic duo, leading our efforts.  And I’m gra

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Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Washington, D.C.

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Good morning, good afternoon, good evening, everyone.  Thank you all so much for joining.  It’s very good to be with friends and partners from around the world as we prepare to open the second Summit for Democracy.

In his first year in office, President Biden launched the summit to look at the future of democracy, which we see is at an inflection point.  Worldwide, we see autocrats violating human right

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Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Washington, D.C.

Thomas Jefferson Room

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Well, good afternoon, everyone.  It is a real pleasure to have Foreign Minister Arriola here.  Julio, welcome to the State Department.  And I’m especially pleased because Paraguay is such a strong strategic partner for the United States, and we are standing together, speaking together, working together in defense of democracy, in defense of human rights, not only in our

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Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Washington, D.C.

Burns Auditorium

ASSISTANT SECRETARY NICHOLS: Good morning. Buenos días. I would like to welcome all of you, especially our guests from Colombia. Bienvenidos a todos. This is the 10th year we mark the – this High-Level Dialogue, and we are honored to host this year. The High-Level Dialogues present remarkable opportunities to engage at a deeper level on our shared interests. The dialogue continu

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Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

On behalf of the United States of America, I would like to convey my warmest congratulations to the people of Bangladesh on your Independence Day.

As you celebrate your 53rd Independence Day, Bangladesh has many reasons to be proud. With a rapidly growing economy, an increasingly well-educated workforce, and a dynamic youth demographic, Bangladesh is quickly becoming a regional leader. By generously welcoming Rohingya fleeing genocide, you have demonstr

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Topics: Climate and Environment, Coronavirus (COVID-19), Global Health, Human Rights and Democracy, Refugee and Humanitarian Assistance

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

The United States continues to promote accountability for the Lukashenka regime’s violence surrounding the fraudulent August 2020 presidential election in Belarus, its ongoing brutal crackdown against the pro-democracy movement and other elements of Belarusian society, its flagrant human rights abuses, and its facilitation of the Russian Federation’s illegal war against Ukraine.

Specifically, the U.S. Department of the Treasury is designating today two

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Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Addis Ababa University

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Well, good evening, everyone.  It is great to be back in Africa, but also to make my first appearance to Ethiopia as Secretary of State.

I’m here in Ethiopia – and then on to Niger – to reaffirm the pledge that President Biden made at the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit late last year.  As he put it, the United States is “all in on Africa, and all in with Africa.”  That mea

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Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Muslims worldwide too often face discrimination and hatred based on their religious beliefs. Last year, the United Nations declared March 15 as the International Day to Combat Islamophobia. This date also marks four years since the terrorist attacks on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. On that day, a gunman killed 51 Muslim worshippers in two mosques and injured another 40.

Every person, everywhere has the right to freedom of thought, conscience

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