MS ALBRIGHT:  Hello.  Thank you all so much for joining us, and I thank with deep appreciation the Government of Kiribati for partnering with the Millennium Challenge Corporation. Specifically, I want to recognize all of our friends, officials from the Government of Kiribati, who have joined us here today, including His Excellency Taneti Maamau, the […]

ASSISTANT SECRETARY KRITENBRINK:  Good evening, everyone.  Good evening, everyone, and welcome to the State Department and to the Benjamin Franklin Room.  Esteemed guests and friends from across the Pacific, it is my honor to welcome you tonight to our dinner program and to introduce our co-hosts, the Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the U.S. […]

The United States is leading global efforts to stop the illicit manufacture and trafficking of fentanyl, a leading cause of death of people age 18 to 49 in the United States.  Today, we are taking action to target transnational criminals responsible for a significant portion of the illicit fentanyl, cocaine, and other deadly drugs trafficked […]

In support of the Global Methane Pledge and Clean EDGE (Enhancing Development and Growth through Energy) Asia initiative, the Department of State’s Bureau of Energy Resources (ENR) Assistant Secretary Geoffrey R. Pyatt and Department of Commerce, Commercial Law Development Program (CLDP) Chief Counsel Stephen Gardner jointly announce the launch of the Methane Abatement for Oil and […]

The following is the text of a joint statement by the Governments of the United States of America and Bulgaria. Begin text: On September 25, 2023, the United States and Bulgaria held the second high-level Strategic Dialogue to discuss bilateral, regional, and global issues of priority importance for both countries.  The Dialogue aligned with the […]

The United States and Bulgaria signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) today that increases cooperation to counter foreign information manipulation. The MOU – signed by Under Secretary of State for Public Affairs and Public Diplomacy Liz Allen and Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mariya Gabriel – provides a strong foundation for […]

Today Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and Prime Minister of the Cook Islands Mark Brown signed a joint statement commemorating the establishment of diplomatic relations between the United States and the Cook Islands. This historic step reaffirms our joint commitment to deepen our cooperation as equal and sovereign partners, guided by respect, genuine engagement, […]

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 […]