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

Russia’s recent presidential election occurred in an environment of intense repression of independent voices and the imprisonment, death, or exile of virtually all genuine political opposition.  The Kremlin has systematically marginalized groups advocating for democratic processes and rule of law, including election monitors.  Russian authorities also denied anti-war candidates’ registration for the presidential election on spurious technical pretenses and did

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Regions: Ukraine , United Kingdom , United States

Topics: Human Rights and Democracy

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Seoul, Republic of Korea

Shilla Hotel

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Thank you, everyone.  Thank you, and good morning again.  Thank you.

So I again want to thank President Yoon and Foreign Minister Cho for bringing us together to discuss what is one of the most transformational forces that’s shaping our future, our world, our democracies – and that is artificial intelligence.

I think it’s hard to overstate the extent to which

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Regions: Chile, United Kingdom , United States

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

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Washington, D.C.

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Victoria Nuland has let me know that she intends to step down in the coming weeks as Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs – a role in which she has personified President Biden’s commitment to put diplomacy back at the center of our foreign policy and revitalize America’s global leadership at a crucial time for our nation and the world.

Toria’s tenure caps three and a half decades of remarkable public service under six Presidents and ten Secret

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Regions: China, United Kingdom

Topics: Human Rights and Democracy

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

On behalf of the United States of America, please accept my best wishes to the people of Bulgaria on the 146th anniversary of the Day of Liberation of Bulgaria.

The United States deeply values our more than 120 years of diplomatic relations with Bulgaria. Our partnership, based on shared democratic ideals, fosters peace and prosperity for both our nations and contributes to the unity and security of Europe and the transatlantic community.

We reco

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Topics: Energy

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Washington, D.C.

Thomas Jefferson Room

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Washington, D.C.

Loy Henderson Auditorium

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Good morning.  (Applause.)

MS AMIRI:  Good morning, everyone.  It is my distinct honor to welcome you to the Alliance for Afghan Women’s Economic Resilience Summit.  Today marks 898 days since Afghan girls were banned from secondary school, 890 days since Afghan women were told to stay home from work.  As a woman, imagine being stripped of your

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Regions: Afghanistan, Albania , Indonesia , United Kingdom , United States

Topics: Human Rights and Democracy, Refugee and Humanitarian Assistance

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

On behalf of the United States, I extend my warmest congratulations to the people of Estonia as they celebrate their National Day.

Estonia’s unwavering commitment to democracy, human rights, and the rule of law continues to inspire us all. As we mark this significant occasion, we commend Estonia for its leadership in fostering innovation, economic prosperity, and security on the regional and global stage. The enduring friendship between the United

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Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Tomorrow marks two years since Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine.  After ten years of conflict, sovereign, democratic Ukraine remains courageous in the face of formidable odds.  The United States will continue to stand resolutely with the Ukrainian people in their defense of their homeland.  Putin’s war threatens not only Ukraine, but also the security of the United States, our NATO Allies, and the free and open international order we

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Regions: Russia , Ukraine , United Kingdom , United States

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

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Munich, Germany

Bayerischer Hof

MODERATOR:  (In progress) for Germany.  Welcome.  (Applause.)

Antony Blinken, Secretary of State of the U.S.  (Applause.)  Nice to have you.

And Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs, Republic of India.  Minister.  (Applause.)

I hope that based on the topic of the session that you will not all agree with each other and we can have some sparks.  We have about 43

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Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

On behalf of the United States of America, I extend heartfelt congratulations to the people of Lithuania as you celebrate your independence.

As President Biden said in his July 12 speech at Vilnius University, “Lithuania stands today as a stronghold of liberty and opportunity, a proud member of the European Union and NATO.”  This year, you will celebrate the 20^th anniversary of your membership in both organizations, marking your important par

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Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Bayerischer Hof Munich, Germany

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Well, good evening, everyone, and it’s a great pleasure for me to have the opportunity to see the vice chancellor again.  It’s quite simple for the United States:  Germany is our indispensable ally and partner.  And on virtually every single challenge we’re facing, whether it’s regional, whether it’s global, we are together.  And because of that, we’re stronger.  So, I’m looking forward to cover

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Regions: Germany , Russia , Ukraine , United Kingdom

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Bayerischer Hof Munich, Germany

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Well, good morning, everyone.  It’s so good to have our Bulgarian colleagues here with us today.  I’m very much looking forward to this meeting.  Bulgaria is an extraordinary partner for the United States, for Europe.  We see that playing out every single day in a whole variety of ways, but we are working together to rapidly increase our civil nuclear cooperation.  Of course, we’re also working

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Regions: Bulgaria , Romania , Russia , United Kingdom

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Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Washington, D.C.

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Good afternoon, everyone.  Georgios, my friend, welcome.  It is always good to see you and always an important occasion to say we’re so grateful for the partnership between our countries.  Administrator Nelson, Bill, wonderful to have you here today.  Dr. Daglis, you as well.  Thank you to both of you for all that you do to further our understanding of space to the benefit of everyone here on Earth.<

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Regions: Cyprus , Greece , 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, Treaties and International Agreements

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Tel Aviv, Israel

David Kempinski Hotel

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Good evening.  This is my fifth visit to the region and seventh visit to Israel since October 7th.  I’m back first and foremost to consult directly with our partners on the joint efforts to bring all of the remaining hostages home.  I’ve met with families of the hostages multiple times during prior visits, as well as in Washington, and I expect to see them again tomorrow.

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Regions: Egypt , Iran , Israel , Lebanon , Qatar , Saudi Arabia , Ukraine , United Kingdom , United States

Topics: Countering Terrorism, Refugee and Humanitarian Assistance

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Well, good afternoon, everyone.  First, let me say what a pleasure it is as always to have Secretary General Stoltenberg here in Washington at the State Department.  Let me first note the drone attack yesterday by Iranian-backed militia on U.S. forces in Jordan.  It killed three of our soldiers, wounded many others. First and foremost, I’m thinking of those who lost the

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Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Luanda, Angola

Luanda Science Center

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  It’s a particular pleasure to be here in Angola’s brand-new science museum, to get a chance to see the museum.  I can just see the generations of young Angolans who will come here to be inspired, to have their eyes opened, maybe choose careers in science, and to add to the incredible storehouse of human knowledge.  It’s a wonderful facility, but it’s also, I think, symbolic

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Topics: Climate and Environment, Coronavirus (COVID-19), Energy, Global Health, Science, Technology, and Innovation

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire

Via Translation

QUESTION:  Hello, Antony Blinken.

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Hello.

QUESTION:  Ivory Coast shares borders with countries that are completely overwhelmed by insecurity, such as Mali and Burkina Faso.  What type of assistance does the United States propose to help Ivory Coast repel these threats?

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Specifically,

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Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Abidjan, Côte D’Ivoire

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Thank you very much.  Well, good afternoon, everyone.   And for me, it was both a pleasure and fascinating to be here, both with my colleague from the African Development Bank and also from AfricaRice, just to see the extraordinary work that’s being done to get to a place where, as President Biden has said, Africa feeds itself – and actually, more than itself, a place where Africa feeds the wor

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Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire

PRESIDENT OUATTARA:  (Via interpreter) Ladies and gentlemen, this is an honor for me to welcome Mr. Blinken, Secretary of State – that is the minister of state, minister of foreign affairs from U.S.A. side – in this occasion of his visit.

So we had a pleasant meeting.  We have been good and happy to confirm exceptional partnership between U.S.A. and Côte d’Ivoire.  And I mentioned the fact that we do apprec

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Topics: Countering Terrorism, Global Health

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Cabo Verdean Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva

Praia, Cabo Verde

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Davos, Switzerland

World Economic Forum

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Gemeinde Davos, Switzerland

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock

Davos, Switzerland

World Economic Forum

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Davos, Switzerland

World Economic Forum

PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY:  Thank you so much.  Secretary, please.

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Well, I’m not sure who’s hosting.  So good to see you, all of our colleagues, and I just want to start by conveying President Biden’s strong, enduring support for Ukraine – this at a time when you continue to face an almost daily onslaught from Russia attacking infrastructure, attacking civilians.  And we s

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Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Manama, Bahrain

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

Crete, Greece

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Good evening, everyone.  So we had, I think, a very productive day of meetings both in Türkiye and here in Greece with both our Turkish and Greek Allies and partners.  We talked about our NATO Alliance, the tremendous solidarity that we have and continue to have in supporting Ukraine against the Russian aggression.  We talked a little about steps to prepare for the NATO Summit that will take place in Washington e

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Topics: Refugee and Humanitarian Assistance

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Crete, Greece

PRIME MINISTER MITSOTAKIS:  Well, Mr. Secretary, it’s a real – it’s a real pleasure to welcome you to our house in Souda Bay, and I can’t really think of a place that better symbolizes the depth of our strategic partnership than this place here on the Island of Crete, and I am very happy to welcome you at a time where I honestly feel that our bilateral relationship is probably at the best it has ever been.  These are difficult and c

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Regions: Greece , United Kingdom , United States

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Rasmussen

Washington, D.C.

Treaty Room

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Washington, D.C.

Treaty Room

Secretary Blinken:  Good morning, everyone.  To Defense Minister Häkkänen, to Foreign Minister Valtonen, so wonderful to have you here.  And welcome to all of you.  Welcome to the State Department.  Welcome as the United States and Finland take yet another step in what has truly been an historic year for our friendship.  We throw around the word “historic” sometimes; this really meets the mark.

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Washington, D.C.

QUESTION:  For the latest on the conflict, we’re joined now by Secretary of State Antony Blinken.  We appreciate your time this morning, Mr. Secretary.  You had five Democratic senators send a letter to you, the Defense Secretary, the President this week calling for increased accountability for Israel’s use of American weapons.  And yet your State Department is now pushing through the sale of 13,000 rounds of tank ammunition for

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Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Washington, D.C.

QUESTION:  Joining me now is Secretary of State Antony Blinken.  Mr. Secretary, thanks for joining us.  So the U.S. stood alone at the UN Security Council on Friday to block the ceasefire, and the administration is sidestepping Congress to rush more weapons to Israel.  You said this week there is, quote, a “gap between … the intent to protect civilians, and the actual results that we’re seeing on the ground” in Gaza.  Can you de

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Topics: Countering Terrorism, Refugee and Humanitarian Assistance

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

The United States is marking Human Rights Day and the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 10th by taking actions to promote accountability for human rights abuses and violations.  Together, the Departments of State and the Treasury today have imposed visa restrictions and sanctions on 37 individuals in 13 countries.

With today’s actions, the United States is addressing some of the most challenging and harmful forms

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Regions: Canada , China, Haiti , Sudan , Uganda , United Kingdom , United States

Topics: Climate and Environment, Human Rights and Democracy

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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Regions: British Indian Ocean, China, Finland , France , Guyana , Iran , Israel , Mauritius , Qatar , Russia , Rwanda , Taiwan , Ukraine , United Kingdom , United States , Venezuela , West Bank

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

On behalf of the United States of America, I extend warm wishes to Finland on the celebration of its 106th anniversary of independence.

Finland stands as a cherished and enduring partner, buttressed by the shared pillars of democracy, freedom, and the rule of law. Our partnership is a testament to the strength derived from these fundamental principles.

This year holds particular significance for our relationship, as Finland acceded to the Washing

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Topics: Human Rights and Democracy, Treaties and International Agreements

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Washington, D.C.

Ritz-Carlton Hotel

MODERATOR:  So on behalf of the broad, diverse USGLC Coalition, business and NGO leaders, military, faith leaders, mayors and farmers from all 50 states, we are honored to pay tribute to Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken with the USGLC’s Global Leadership Award for truly making our world a better, safer place.  Please welcome Secretary Blinken to the stage.  (Applause.)

MS SCHRAYER:  Ple

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Topics: Climate and Environment, Coronavirus (COVID-19), Energy, Global Health, Refugee and Humanitarian Assistance, Science, Technology, and Innovation

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Skopje, North Macedonia

FOREIGN MINISTER OSMANI:  Secretary Blinken, dear Tony, dear friends, colleagues, it is such an honor to have the opportunity to have you and to host you at the end of the day.  Thank you for visiting North Macedonia and thank you for participating at the OSCE Ministerial Council, which is in the run-up of North Macedonia’s chairpersonship of the OSCE this year that happened to take place in extraordinary times. 

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Regions: Malta , Ukraine , United Kingdom , United States

Topics: Energy, Human Rights and Democracy

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Brussels, Belgium

NATO Headquarters

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Hello, everyone.  It is always great to be with my friend, my colleague, Dmytro Kuleba, but especially good here at – to be here at NATO and sitting around the table together and making sure and making clear – as we heard from every single country around the NATO table – our enduring commitment to Ukraine, to making sure that Ukraine has what it needs to defend itself against Russian

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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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Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Brussels, Belgium

NATO Headquarters

SECRETARY GENERAL STOLTENBERG:  So Secretary Blinken, dear Tony, welcome back to NATO.  It’s always a great pleasure to have you here, not least because of your strong personal commitment to NATO and the transatlantic alliance.  And today and tomorrow, NATO foreign ministers will address many different pressing security issues, including the Middle East, and I welcome the extension of the pause

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Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Brussels, Belgium

NATO Headquarters

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Good morning, it’s a pleasure to be with my friend and colleague, Foreign Minister Fidan.  We had very, very good consultations and conversations when I was in Ankara just a couple weeks ago.  I’m very much looking forward today to pursuing those.  We obviously have the crisis in Gaza that we are all working to contend with.  We have questions here at NATO as we track toward

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Regions: United Kingdom

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Brussels, Belgium

NATO Headquarters

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Well, good morning, everyone.  Espen, it’s great to be with you.  I am truly pleased for this opportunity to consult with one of our closest partners, closest Allies, a founding member of NATO, at a time of significant challenge but also incredible solidarity for our Alliance.  I know that we’ll be speaking together about our shared commitment to Ukraine as it continues to defend itse

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Regions: Norway , Ukraine , United Kingdom

Topics: The Ocean and Polar Affairs

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

On behalf of the United States of America, I wish to congratulate the people of Latvia as you celebrate the 105th anniversary of your independence.

The strong, vital partnership between Latvia and the United States is rooted in a shared commitment to democracy, human rights, the rule of law, and mutual respect. Together we are committed to maintaining steadfast support for Ukraine and holding Russia accountable for its unprovoked war. As NATO Allies, La

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Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

San Francisco, California

PBS NewsHour

QUESTION:  Mr. Secretary, welcome back to the NewsHour.  Thanks for joining us.

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Good to be with you. 

Secretary Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo, Japanese Foreign Minister Kamikawa Yoko, And Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Nishimura Yasutoshi Before Their Meeting