Informal Communication

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Washington, D.C.

Treaty Room

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Good morning, everyone.  It is, as always, a pleasure to receive the prime minister here at the State Department in Washington.

Qatar has been an exceptional partner for the United States, and today we’ll be having our strategic dialogue, going through the many issues that we’re working on together, both on a bilateral basis, a regional basis, and a global basis.  And Qatar has been c

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Regions: Afghanistan, Israel , Qatar , United Kingdom , United States , Yemen

Topics: Climate and Environment, Energy, Refugee and Humanitarian Assistance, Treaties and International Agreements

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Doha, Qatar

Diwan Annex

PRIME MINISTER AL THANI: (Via interpreter) In the name of God the merciful, the compassionate, peace be upon you.  I am pleased to welcome His Excellency Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Doha.  We have had several meetings in the past weeks, so whether in Doha, Washington, and today we meet again in Doha.

First, I would like to inform the media that we have received a reply from Hamas with regar

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

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Washington, D.C.

Treaty Room

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Well, good afternoon, everyone.  I’m very pleased to have Sigrid Kaag here at the State Department to talk about her absolutely vital mandate conferred by the United Nations Security Council to help maximize the humanitarian assistance that’s getting in to people in need in Gaza, and also to think about and plan for the longer-term reconstruction of Gaza when the conflict ends.  I’ve had the

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Topics: Refugee and Humanitarian Assistance, Treaties and International Agreements

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

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Davos, Switzerland

World Economic Forum

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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Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

The Department of State is today designating Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada (KSS) and its Secretary General Hashim Finyan Rahim al-Saraji as Specially Designated Global Terrorists. KSS terrorist activity has threatened the lives of both U.S. and Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS personnel in Iraq and Syria.

Concurrently, the Department of the Treasury is designating six individuals affiliated with Iran-aligned militia group Kata’ib Hizballah (KH). Iran, throug

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Topics: Countering Terrorism

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

The Secretary of State

President Biden has appointed former Ambassador David Satterfield as the Special Envoy for Middle East Humanitarian Issues. Special Envoy Satterfield will lead U.S. diplomacy to urgently address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, including work to facilitate the provision of life-saving assistance to the most vulnerable people and promote the safety of civilians, in coordination with the United Nations and U.S. partners. He will lead a whole-of-government campaign to mitigate

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Topics: Countering Terrorism, Refugee and Humanitarian Assistance

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

Ten years ago the Assad regime launched rockets carrying the deadly nerve agent sarin into the Ghouta district of Damascus, killing more than 1,400 people.

The United States remembers and honors the victims and survivors of the Ghouta attack and of the other chemical attacks launched by the Assad regime. Ten years on, we continue to seek justice and accountability for those responsible for these horrific acts.

Despite its international obligation

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Topics: Human Rights and Democracy

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

The United States remains committed to disrupting al-Qa’ida affiliates who exploit under-governed spaces and conflict zones in Syria.  Groups like Hurras al-Din (HaD) are responsible for killings, kidnappings, and violence targeting of members of religious minority groups.

Today, the Department of State is designating Sami Mahmud Mohammed al Uraydi as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist for his leadership role in HaD.

The Department’s Rewards

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Topics: Countering Terrorism

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s family members and associates rely on the illicit drug trade to fund his regime’s violent oppression and abuse of the Syrian people.  Today, the United States is taking action, in coordination with the United Kingdom, by designating six of these individuals, and two entities owned by one of those individuals, for facilitating the production and export of the amphetamine-type stimulant known as Captagon in Syria and Lebanon.

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Regions: Syria , United Kingdom , United States

Topics: Combating Drugs and Crime, Economic Prosperity and Trade Policy