Informal Communication

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Ritz-Carlton Hotel

QUESTION:  Mr. Secretary, thank you for joining us.

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Thank you for having me.

QUESTION:  This is your sixth tour in the region since the war started in October.  Are you carrying any more initiatives to end the bloodshed in Gaza?

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  We are.  We’re pressing for an immediate ceasefire t

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Regions: Egypt , Iran , Israel , Jordan , Lebanon , Qatar , United Kingdom , United States , West Bank , Yemen

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

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

The United States has consistently opposed actions that undermine stability in the West Bank and the prospects of peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians alike. This includes attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians and Palestinian attacks against Israelis.  There is no justification for extremist violence against civilians, whatever their national origin, ethnicity, or religion.

The United States is today implementing a series of measu

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Regions: Israel , United States , West Bank

Topics: Countering Terrorism

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Tel Aviv, Israel

The David Kempinski Tel Aviv Hotel

QUESTION:  Mr. Secretary, thank you so much for being with us today.

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Good to be with you, Andrea.

QUESTION:  This is the fourth time you have been in Israel since October 7th, and you have said from the beginning that massacre had to be responded to, that Israel had to invade.  But now it’s been a hundred days;

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Regions: Iran , Israel , Lebanon , Qatar , United Kingdom , United States , West Bank

Topics: Refugee and Humanitarian Assistance

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Dean Acheson Auditorium

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Well, good afternoon, everyone.  It’s genuinely a pleasure to welcome Foreign Secretary Cameron here to the State Department, to Washington.  The infamous special relationship has never been more important than it is now, and I think that’s reflected in the conversations we’ve had.  Actually, we began on the phone almost immediately after your appointment, then we were in Brussels together jus

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

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

The United States has consistently opposed actions that undermine stability in the West Bank, including attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians, and Palestinian attacks against Israelis. We have underscored to the Israeli government the need to do more to hold accountable extremist settlers who have committed violent attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank. As President Biden has repeatedly said, those attacks are unacceptable. Last week in Isra

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Regions: Israel , United States , West Bank

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Brussels, Belgium

NATO Headquarters

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Well, good afternoon, everyone.

In March of 2021, I came here to NATO to affirm President Biden’s commitment to rebuild, to revitalize, to re-energize our core alliances and partnerships.  Indeed, they’re our greatest strategic asset: an unmatched network of alliances and partnerships.

And I did this at NATO because some back then were questioning its relevance, its capa

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Regions: China, Egypt , Iran , Israel , Korea, North , Qatar , Russia , Ukraine , United Kingdom , United States

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

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

New Delhi, India

Leela Palace

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Good afternoon.  So we just had a very productive 2+2 session with Secretary of Defense Austin and our Indian counterparts.  This builds on the important visit that Prime Minister Modi made to the United States followed by President Biden’s visit here for the G20.  And we continue – India and the United States – to deepen our partnership, to deepen our collaboration on everything

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Regions: Canada , India , Israel , United Kingdom , United States

Topics: Countering Terrorism, Refugee and Humanitarian Assistance

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Tokyo, Japan

The Okura

QUESTION:  Okay, so thank you so much for sharing your time with us today.  Let me start with this question.  As you have repeatedly mentioned, Israel has the right to defend itself.  But at the same time, that does not mean they can do anything – that’s what we all understand.  And I believe that is one of the reasons why you have visit the Middle East twice a month, and talked with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

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Regions: China, Israel , Japan , Korea, South , Ukraine , United Kingdom , United States , West Bank

Topics: Countering Terrorism, Refugee and Humanitarian Assistance

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Tokyo, Japan

The Okura

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Good evening, everyone.  We just concluded a pretty packed two days – coming at a very intense time for our countries and for the world.

I want to begin by thanking Foreign Minister Kamikawa for the very warm hospitality here in Tokyo, and to her and Prime Minister Kishida for Japan’s leadership during this historic year for the G7.

The G7 has strengthened its role as the steering co

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Topics: Arms Control and Nonproliferation, Climate and Environment, Countering Terrorism, Refugee and Humanitarian Assistance

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Ankara, Türkiye

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Amman, Jordan

St. Regis Hotel

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER SAFADI: Good evening to you all.  I’ll start in Arabic and then I’ll switch to English if you don’t mind.  So —

(Via interpreter) In the name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Gracious, I welcome Their Excellencies Sameh, Tony and the other colleagues, the foreign ministers of United Arab Emirates and Qatar and Saudi Arabia, and the secretary general of the Palestinian

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Regions: Egypt , Gaza Strip , Israel , Jordan , Qatar , United Arab Emirates , United Kingdom , United States

Topics: Countering Terrorism, Refugee and Humanitarian Assistance

New York City, New York

United Nations Headquarters

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Mr. President, thank you for convening this ministerial and for convening this council.  And thank you very much, Special Coordinator Wennesland, Deputy Special Coordinator Hastings, for your important briefings.

Mr. Secretary-General, we’re grateful for your leadership in this incredibly challenging time, particularly in helping get humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza.

And to the entire

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Topics: Countering Terrorism, Refugee and Humanitarian Assistance

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

Washington, D.C.

Benjamin Franklin Room

QUESTION:  We go now to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who joins us from the State Department here in Washington.  Good to have you with us, Mr. Secretary.  I know you have been working —

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Thanks, Margaret.

QUESTION:  — straight through on this.  Can you answer the question yet of whether the Hamas assault is over?  Are there more attacks

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Regions: Iran , Israel , Saudi Arabia , United Kingdom , United States

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