Since 1991, Special Measures Agreements have reflected our shared commitment to a stable stationing environment for U.S. forces in the Republic of Korea (ROK) and a robust combined defense posture. As an exceptional measure to Article 5 of the U.S.-ROK Status of Forces Agreement, the ROK has contributed to the stationing of U.S. forces by […]

Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Jose W. Fernandez is attending the “Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada Convention (PDAC)” in Toronto, Canada. As Chair of the Minerals Security Partnership (MSP), he welcomed Estonia as the newest member of the MSP. With the addition of Estonia, the MSP now counts 14 […]

The partners of the Minerals Security Partnership (MSP) held a Graphite Supply Chain Deep-Dive meeting on March 4 in Toronto, following the MSP principals’ meeting on March 3.  The graphite meeting was hosted by the Government of the Republic of Korea, in cooperation with the MSP partners, including the United States, the current chair of […]

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Morning, everyone, and welcome – welcome to the White House. To the First Lady, Dr. Biden, thank you for again opening this remarkable place for this particular celebration, but also for being such an extraordinary role model for women and girls here in our country but also around the world, and for your […]

Coordinator on Global Anti-Corruption Richard Nephew will travel to Panama from March 5-6. During his visit, he will discuss current anti-corruption efforts and challenges and identify areas for further cooperation.  Coordinator Nephew will meet with government officials, including justice sector, law enforcement, and legislative representatives, as well as civil society and the private sector. His […]

The text of the following statement was released by the Governments of the United States of America and Australia, Canada, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the European Union following the conclusion of the Minerals Security Partnership Principals’ meeting in Toronto. On Sunday, March […]

U.S. Senior Official for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ambassador Matt Murray will travel to Lima, Peru from March 4 to 8 for the First Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM1) and Related Meetings of the APEC Peru 2024 host year to discuss initiatives and work plans for the year.  During this meeting cluster, the United States will share outcomes […]

U.S. Department of State Special Envoy for Global Youth Issues Abby Finkenauer will travel to Australia and Thailand from March 4-15, 2024. Special Envoy Finkenauer’s trip will focus on engaging with emerging leaders and advocates in the Indo-Pacific region, fostering dialogue on crucial issues such as civic engagement, women’s leadership, and social empowerment. During her visit to Melbourne, Australia, Special […]

In its latest report as part of the Conflict Observatory, the Yale University Humanitarian Research Lab (Yale HRL) documented 223 incidents of damage to power generation and transmission infrastructure across 17 oblasts in Ukraine. In the majority of these incidents, the damaged infrastructure was far from the front lines of conflict, calling into question whether […]

The United States is today designating eleven Zimbabwean individuals and three entities, including President Emmerson Mnangagwa, under the Global Magnitsky sanctions program for their connection to corruption or serious human rights abuses.  These designations are part of a stronger, more targeted sanctions policy towards Zimbabwe the United States is implementing following President Biden’s approval of […]