Informal Communication

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Washington, D.C.

Four Seasons Hotel

MR BARKER:  (In progress) at this somewhat busy time.  So we need to start, I think, on the tensions between Russia and Ukraine.  Presidents Biden and Putin have just finished a virtual call.  You’ve talked in the past about your deep concerns about Russia’s renewed plans for aggression in Ukraine with obviously a lot of troops massed at the border.

After this call, are you more or less

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Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Washington, D.C.

Benjamin Franklin Room

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Well, good morning or, almost, good afternoon, everyone.  Just over a year ago, the leaders of Israel and the United Arab Emirates signed the Abraham Accords.  Today, I am honored to host Foreign Minister Lapid, Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah, to review the progress that’s been made in the past year in the normalization of relations, and what more

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Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Kuwait City, Kuwait

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

FOREIGN MINISTER AL-SABAH:  (Via interpreter)  To start, I would like to welcome my friend, Mr. State Secretary Antony Blinken, in his visit, first visit to Kuwait, while I am a minister of – foreign affairs minister.  We were honored today in the morning to meet his highness the amir of the country, Sheikh Jaber (inaudible) Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, and also his highness the prime – the c

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Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Jerusalem

David Citadel Hotel

QUESTION:  Secretary of State Antony Blinken, welcome.  Thank you very much for talking to us today.

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Hi.  Good to be with you.

QUESTION:  This isn’t – you’re of course not a stranger to the region.  This is far from being your first time here, but it’s the first time as Secretary of State.  And I wanted to begin by asking you about t

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Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Jerusalem

David Citadel Hotel

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Good evening, everyone.  Ah, must be a slow night.  (Laughter.)  Good to see you all.

We had, as those of you who’ve been along with us all day know, a fairly busy and certainly very productive day in Jerusalem and Ramallah since arriving this morning.  I traveled here at the request of President Biden, who asked me to come to pursue four basic objectives.  First, to demons

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Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Lloyd J. Austin, Secretary of Defense

Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary General

Brussels, Belgium

NATO Headquarters

MODERATOR:  Good evening.  Welcome to NATO Headquarters, to this press conference with the Secretary General, the Secretary of State, and the Secretary of Defense.  They will make short introductory statements, and then we’ll be able to take a few questions.  Secretary General.

SECRETARY