MACEDONIA IS GREECE:U.S. Department of State Weekly Digest Bulletin

 

 

 

More

1 of 4

U.S. Department of State Weekly Digest Bulletin Inbox x U.S. Department of State <usstatebpa@public.govdelivery.com> 11:56 AM (56 minutes ago)  to me Secretary's Remarks: Remarks at the Opening Ceremony of the U.S.-Qatar Strategic Dialogue 01/13/2019 You are subscribed to Secretary's Remarks for U.S. Department of State. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Secretary's Remarks: Remarks at the Opening Ceremony of the U.S.-Qatar Strategic Dialogue 01/13/2019 07:13 AM EST Remarks Michael R. Pompeo Salwa Room, Sheraton Doha Doha, Qatar January 13, 2019 FOREIGN MINISTER AL THANI: (Via interpreter, in progress) that link our two countries in order to reinforce a deep partnership and cooperation in all aspects economic and also military relations, which are the most important pillars of such a relationship and that effectively contribute to the reinforcement of international and regional stability. We aspire that this dialogue is going to lead to the discussion of joint efforts with regard to the support of the situation in the Middle East and also mediation in Afghanistan and also dealing with the crisis in the region, particularly the crisis in Iraq, Syria, and Libya, and also combating terrorism. I do reinforce the commitment of the state of Qatar, the strategic relationship with the United States of America, and also the continuation of dialogue in keeping with the interests of our two countries. And at the end, I would like to reiterate my welcome to you here in the state of Qatar. Thank you so much. SECRETARY POMPEO: Thank you. Thank you for welcoming me so kindly, Foreign Minister Al Thani, and thank you for welcoming me on what is my first trip to this country as Secretary of State. I’ve been here before but not in this current role, and I wanted you to know President Trump sends his best wishes to the – his highness the emir and all of the Qatari people, so thank you. It’s an honor for me to participate in the second U.S.-Qatar Strategic Dialogue, the first one to be hosted here in Doha. Our strategic partnership spans many areas and continues to grow, as demonstrated by the sheer number of topics we will discuss here today amongst our two teams. Defense and security, counterterrorism, labor, trade and investment, energy, education, and culture are all on the agenda and all important parts of our relationship. The United States and Qatar are working together to address a number of regional security challenges, including in Afghanistan and Iraq. Our defense relationship is extensive, important, and growing. Qatar is host to 13,000 U.S. and coalition service members at Al Udeid Air Base, and has served as the primary staging area for our coalition to defeat ISIS. Thank you for the support you provide us with the airbase. You should know that I speak for the American people when I say we are grateful for your country’s willingness to make sure that the airbase can meet the needs of the U.S. military for decades to come. We look forward to signing these new agreements today greatly because your country has also moved decisively to implement critical enhancements to our bilateral counterterrorism cooperation. Our relationship with Qatari law enforcement has never been better, and we look forward to further engagement as Qatar prepares for the 2022 World Cup. But military and security cooperation is not the only two – are not the only two ways our countries are growing closer. Our commercial relationship continues to thrive, with robust trade and expanding investments in both of our countries. The sheer number and diversity of U.S. companies that are here today for parallel discussions demonstrates the strength and potential of our commercial relationship. I’m excited to sign new agreements on education and cultural exchanges as well. The people-to-people ties between our two countries have played a key role in America’s strong bilateral relationship with your country, and we look forward to growing our academic exchanges, scholarships, language learning, and study abroad opportunities, among many others. Let’s make 2019 a year of advancements on security, commerce, energy, labor, reform, and other topics. Thank you again for hosting me here today and thanks for hosting our entire delegation as well. The Office of Website Management, Bureau of Public Affairs, manages this site as a portal for information from the U.S. State Department. External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein. Secretary's Remarks: Remarks With Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani at a Press Availability 01/13/2019 You are subscribed to Secretary's Remarks for U.S. Department of State. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Secretary's Remarks: Remarks With Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani at a Press Availability 01/13/2019 09:34 AM EST Remarks Michael R. Pompeo Dukhan Hall Doha, Qatar January 13, 2019 FOREIGN MINISTER AL THANI: (Via interpreter) In the name of God, most gracious, most compassionate, at the outset I would like to thank His Excellency the Secretary of State Mr. Mike Pompeo for visiting Doha, and I would like to welcome him on his first visit as a secretary of state. We are looking forward towards further such visits. We highly value and appreciate his partaking in the second U.S.-Qatari Strategic Dialogue, which reflects the excellent historical relations between our two countries and the alliance that was built in the last decades. Today we are here to build on the outputs of the first Strategic Dialogue, and during our conversation, seven sessions are being held for further expanded discussions on different sectors: commercial, business, education, defense, security, and others. Our partnership with United States is a strong partnership based on very strong premises, based on an understanding and – mutual understanding and interests. We have signed three agreements today on education, culture, and an MOU for supporting defense activities in Al Udeid Air Base, and we are looking forward towards the tangible results of this dialogue for our strategic relations to witness a quality bond, a quality progress. I’ve had – we have had a bilateral meeting with the Secretary of State, and we’ve discussed all the issues of interest for our countries, regional issues, regional security issues starting with the Gulf Cooperation Council and the peace process in the Middle East, as well as the reconciliation in Afghanistan, along with other issues such as Syria and counterterrorism. We are looking forward to the outputs of this meeting to be the foundation of a stronger future phase of relations between our two countries, and we hope that further political coordination continues on all issues of regional security of interest to both our countries. Thank you, Your Excellency, for your attendance, and thank you for participating with this important Strategic Dialogue and this visit. SECRETARY POMPEO: Thank you. Thank you, Foreign Minister Al Thani. Thanks for hosting the team here today in Doha. It was an honor to participate in the Strategic Dialogue. I know our teams did great work as well. Your country has been a great friend to the United States in many ways, and we’re deeply appreciative of that. As President Trump noted when he hosted His Highness the emir at the White House last year, great things are happening in the relationship, and that’s certainly still true. Both of our governments have taken concrete steps to implement agreements signed at last year’s inaugural Strategic Dialogue in Washington, including in the fields of counterterrorism, combating trafficking in persons, cybersecurity, nuclear safeguards, and energy cooperation. Today we reached a few new agreements that will grow and make our relationship even more robust. We focused first and foremost on security and defense partnership. We signed a new MOU on the expansion of our presence at Al Udeid. As the host of hundreds – excuse me, as the host of thousands of U.S. military personnel and the CENTCOM forward headquarters, this base is key to American security and our shared efforts to promote regional stability. We thank Qatar for its dedication to improving and modernizing it. Today in our conversations I stressed the importance of unity among the Gulf Cooperation Council members. President Trump and I both believe the ongoing dispute in the region has dragged on for too long and the dispute benefits adversaries and harms our mutual interests. Our nations do important work and we have important work to continue to do together, and the United States hopes the parties involved will see once again the benefits of cooperation and take actions necessary to rebuild unity in their ranks. A united GCC is essential to the success of the Middle East Strategic Alliance, which we hope will include the GCC, Egypt, and Jordan. The United States has continued to advance discussions on this alliance since the initial meeting of the GCC+2 at the UN General Assembly back in the fall in September, and I raised this topic again with Minister Al Thani and will do so with His Highness as well. But in addition to defense and security partnership, we also discussed our steadily expanding trade and investment relationship. We are proud to have more than 120 of our companies operating here, creating opportunities for our people and yours. I know there’s more to follow. Your impressive efforts to improve labor regulations, to promote transparency, and to protect the dignity of over 2 million foreign workers here was also a focus of our efforts today. We had several other agreements that the dialogue yielded. On education, we’ve agreed to share best practices and expertise with each other. This cooperation will help enrich, strengthen – and strengthen educational practices, and we will conduct exchange programs to promote educational opportunity and development. We also signed a statement of intent to promote our cultural ties. You can expect to see new events, youth engagement exchanges for rising leaders in a variety of fields, and relationships between cultural institutions that will allow Americans and Qataris to learn more about each other. Our growing partnership with Qatar continues America’s long record of helping Middle East nations live in peace and prosperity. The United States looks forward to building on this momentum, strengthening our ties, and promoting our sustained cooperation. Thank you very much, Foreign Minister, for hosting me and my team here today. QUESTION: (Via interpreter) My question to Your Excellency: Anthony Zinni’s resignation, does it mean that the United States is no longer focused on the Middle East? And what has the U.S. done regarding the humanitarian issue when it comes to the GCC crisis with families being separated forcefully? SECRETARY POMPEO: So two questions there. The first question is the departure of Mr. Zinni in no way reflects any change in America’s Middle East efforts, our strategy, or our ongoing commitment to the region. It was a time when it was time for change. He made this decision to move on, but America’s commitment remains unchanged. We will continue to have a robust set of dialogue around the very issues that he was handling on our – on the United States’ behalf. And with respect to humanitarian issues here and elsewhere in the region, I think the United States stands second to none in the – not only the amount, the dollars that we have committed to avoiding humanitarian crises in the region, but also our personal commitment, the things that my team on the ground here in Doha and throughout the region does to make sure that we’re responding to humanitarian challenges wherever we find them. QUESTION: (Via interpreter) Said‎ Boukhafa from Al Jazeera. My first question is to Mr. Al Thani. We’ve recently saw a lot of Qatari diplomacy being active, starting with the Doha Forum that has hosted a number of high-level officials, mainly the UN secretary-general. Is Qatar still concerned with the issues of mediation that it had led before? My second question is to the Secretary of State, Mr. Pompeo. You’ve announced that the United States is currently working on preparing an international conference to discuss Middle Eastern issues in Poland. I would like to ask the Secretary of State what are the chances of success of such a summit while a lot of crises are ongoing in the region. Thank you. FOREIGN MINISTER AL THANI: (Via interpreter) Now for the Qatari diplomatic activity, it’s continuous and it hasn’t stopped. Be it through conferences or through the Qatari diplomacy endeavors on many issues, Qatar supports the efforts of reconciliation and mediation in many regions, mainly the Darfur issue, which still continues under Qatari mediation, and we have called on other parties to join the Doha agreement. Furthermore, Qatar is actively partaking in the Afghanistan reconciliation process. We hosted the political bureau of Taliban, and we are working together with our partners, the United States, in order to establish peace in Afghanistan. Furthermore, there are other files that we are working on and we are constantly consulting with the United States over with a number of other parties involved, be it the issue of Syria, the peace process in the Middle East. So we look – we always look for the diplomacy to be the solution for such crises and to end the humanitarian crisis and hardships of our peoples, and this is considered to be as a common denominator in the U.S. and Qatari policies. SECRETARY POMPEO: Your question to me was about the ministerial that will be held in the middle of February in Warsaw. One of our objectives – they’re manifold. One of the things I think the world will see as we come together is the enormous coalition that is prepared to assist in creating stability and peace here in the Middle East. And so we will gather around a number of different topics. Certainly, the coalition that continues to fight ISIS around the world will be part of that. We’ll have conversations about counterterrorism and how the whole globe – there’ll be countries at this from Asia, from Africa, from all across the world. It won’t be confined to the United States and Europe and the Middle East. There’ll be a broad coalition of countries present, and we’ll work on many issues, including how it is we can get the Islamic Republic of Iran to behave more like a normal nation. So there’ll be many topics discussed by this broad coalition, and we hope to have a set of deliverables that come out of it that are important as we move forward in 2019. MR PALLADINO: Francesco Fontemaggi from AFP. QUESTION: Thank you. Mr. Secretary, how does that dispute between Qatar and Saudi undermines this effort to counter Iran? And also, can you tell us what you expect to ask to – in Riyadh to Mohammed bin Salman about the killing of Jamal Khashoggi? And just a very last quick one: Can you confirm that the White House asked in September to provide military options to strike Iran? Thank you. SECRETARY POMPEO: With respect to your third question, I don’t have any comment. With respect to your second question, we will continue to have conversation with the crown prince and the Saudis about ensuring that the accountability is full and complete with respect to the unacceptable murder of Jamal Khashoggi, so we’ll continue to talk about that and make sure we have all the facts so that they are held accountable, certainly by the Saudis but by the United States as well where appropriate. And as for the GCC, in my statement I made clear we’re all more powerful when we’re working together, when disputes are limited, and when we have common challenges in the region and around the world, disputes between countries that have a shared objective are never helpful. They never permit you to have as robust a and powerful a response to common adversaries or common challenges as if – as you might when countries have a dispute between them. We see this all the time. We have lots of places where we’re building out coalitions and there are challenges between different parts of the coalition. It’s something we work through, work around, and we’re hopeful that the unity of the GCC will increase in the days and weeks and months ahead. MR PALLADINO: That concludes our press conference. SECRETARY POMPEO: Thank you. The Office of Website Management, Bureau of Public Affairs, manages this site as a portal for information from the U.S. State Department. External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein. Secretary's Remarks: Interview With Margaret Brennan of CBS's Face the Nation 01/13/2019 You are subscribed to Secretary's Remarks for U.S. Department of State. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Secretary's Remarks: Interview With Margaret Brennan of CBS's Face the Nation 01/13/2019 11:50 AM EST Interview Michael R. Pompeo Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates January 13, 2019 QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, we are in the middle of this shutdown, and I know a number of State Department employees are not getting paid, including a quarter of U.S. employees in foreign countries. You’ve been going to U.S. embassies. What are you telling staff about when they can expect a paycheck? SECRETARY POMPEO: Look, it’s unfortunate that we’re in this shutdown. I wish we weren’t too. I hope that it’s resolved quickly, and I’ve certainly told our teams that. But you have to know these great Americans who are working in our embassies around the world, they understand the mission and they understand its importance. They understand that whether the government is open or closed they have a task to do, and they are hard at it. QUESTION: Well, I do want to ask you since we are so focused on what’s happening with the shutdown here at home, the State Department, when it comes to border issues, has issued a report in 2017 about counterterrorism, and it says that there is no credible evidence that international terrorist groups have established bases in Mexico or sent operatives via Mexico into the United States. It adds the southern border is vulnerable, but terrorist groups likely seek other means of trying to enter the United States. How does this match with the claim that there is a border security crisis? SECRETARY POMPEO: Make no mistake about it, Margaret; keeping our southern border secure is an important national security component. It’s critical that we do that while – there’s a real risk to the United States of America. We need to take this seriously. We need to secure our southern border. We need to make sure that those who want to do us harm don’t have a way to access us in that way. There are many things we have to do; one of the reasons I’m in the Middle East is to work on prevailing against terror. There are lots of elements of this, but border security is certainly an important component. QUESTION: So is the State Department report wrong to say that this is not how terrorists are trying to enter the United States? SECRETARY POMPEO: Margaret, terrorists try to get into our country lots of ways. One of the ways they can come in is across our southern border. What you saw was an unclassified report. Make no mistake about it; terrorists will always find the weakest link, and we need to make sure that the weakest link in our national security isn’t our southern border. QUESTION: I want to get to your trip through the Middle East, but I first want to ask you about this New York Times report that says right after President Trump fired former FBI Director James Comey, the FBI began investigating whether President Trump himself was a potential threat to national security and whether he had been working for Russia or unintentionally influenced by Moscow. What is your reaction to this? SECRETARY POMPEO: I’m not going to comment on New York Times stories, but I’ll certainly say this: The notion that President Trump is a threat to American national security is absolutely ludicrous. QUESTION: Just to clarify, since you were CIA director, did you have any idea that this investigation was happening? SECRETARY POMPEO: Margaret, Margaret, Margaret, I’ve answered this question repeatedly – indeed, on your show. The idea that’s contained in the New York Times story that President Trump was a threat to American national security is silly on its face and not worthy of a response. QUESTION: One of the reasons you’re in the Middle East is to reassure and explain to some of our allies what the U.S. policy in Syria is. So I’d like you to do that for us today, because the Pentagon announced yesterday that it actually has begun its withdrawal from Syria, yet the U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton said that wouldn’t happen until two things: one, the U.S. defeated ISIS; and two, Turkey assured us it wouldn’t go after our Kurdish allies. Have those two conditions been met? SECRETARY POMPEO: Margaret, the President’s guidance is incredibly clear. The roughly 2,000 uniformed soldiers that are in Syria today are going to be withdrawn. That activity is underway. We’re going to do so in an orderly, deliberate way, a way that protects America’s national security, a way that allows us to continue the important mission that they were on. The counterterrorism mission, the effort to make sure that the destruction of ISIS is not only complete but that their resurgence is not possible, our efforts to counter the threat from terrorism stemming from the Islamic Republic of Iran – those are all real missions. The tactical change we’ve made in the withdrawal of those 2,000 troops is just that, a tactical change. The mission remains the same. QUESTION: So has Turkey’s president promised you not to attack our Kurdish allies? SECRETARY POMPEO: Yeah, look, when President Erdogan and President Trump spoke, they talked about this issue. The Turks have made clear that they understand that there are folks down in Syria that have their rights. We also want to make sure that those in Syria aren’t attacking, terrorists aren’t attacking Turkey from Syria. We’re fully engaged. Ambassador Jeffrey is fully engaged in conversations with the Turks as well as with the SDF in Syria to make sure that we accomplish all of those missions. We can do each of those things, Margaret. QUESTION: The SDF among some of the fighters that we were talking about, Kurdish allies there, just to explain for our audience. SECRETARY POMPEO: That’s right. QUESTION: I want to ask you here though, because you know as a diplomat the threat of credible use of military force is what gives you power at the negotiating table. How does taking out U.S. troops from Syria get you any closer to expelling Iran? SECRETARY POMPEO: Margaret, the United States of America can project military power from lots of places in the world. The absence of a couple thousand soldiers on the ground in Syria in no way materially diminishes the capacity of the United States of America and our amazing Armed Forces to deliver American power to accomplish our objectives anywhere in the world. That certainly includes in Syria. It certainly includes into Iran, if need be. We still have those tools. American diplomats still have that leverage and that power standing behind them. I am very confident in our military capabilities here in the Middle East. QUESTION: So by that, are you saying that having U.S. troops in nearby Iraq will fill any kind of vacuum left by pulling out of Syria? SECRETARY POMPEO: Margaret, we have lots of tools in the arsenal. I was out visiting some amazing warriors out at NAVCENT yesterday in Bahrain. We have an enormous amount of American military capacity. Our ability to achieve what we need to do militarily is there. My task as America’s Secretary of State is to make sure that we don’t have to use that tool, that we get the diplomatic outcomes to secure the Middle East and keep it stable and protect the American people as well. QUESTION: When it comes to Iran, the Trump administration has taken some confrontational tactics here – pulling out of the nuclear accord, saying that Iranian threats would be matched here. But we saw this week another American, a Navy vet, Michael White, has been behind Iranian bars since July. So the Trump administration is not stopping Iran from taking Americans hostage. What is happening with this American? SECRETARY POMPEO: This administration is proud of the work that we’ve done to get Americans released all across the world. With respect to the Michael White case in particular, I can’t say much. It’s an ongoing consular matter. But the American people should know we take the security of every American, wherever they are traveling in the world, as one of our foremost priorities. We will continue to work to get each of them back. And your point, your point about the Islamic Republic of Iran, is spot on. It’s why the JCPOA was such a horrible idea. Many Americans are being held there today that were taken by the Iranian regime. These are a group of people who are among the worst terrorists in the world and who have the least respect for human rights in the world, and it’s why this administration has taken the very hard line you just described against Iran. QUESTION: Is the Trump administration open to a prisoner swap with Iran? SECRETARY POMPEO: I’m not going to talk about something like that. QUESTION: Well, I ask you because Michael White’s mother spoke to CBS, and she said she would like the administration to negotiate for her son. She said, “What is a human life worth? I would like the U.S. to negotiate. I want him home.” What can you tell her you’re doing to bring her son home? SECRETARY POMPEO: I have great sympathy for the families of those Americans who are wrongfully detained all across the world, and we do everything we can every day to get their return. We use our diplomatic tools in every corner of the world to reach out to these places, to get these young men and women home. We are intent to do that in Iran. We are intent to do that all across the world. We take this obligation as a solemn one, and this administration has had quite a few successes. I hope we have more. QUESTION: Potentially open to negotiations then? SECRETARY POMPEO: We’re using every tool that we have in our arsenal to get these Americans back home wherever we find them. QUESTION: Ambassador Bolton said the next summit with Kim Jong-un would be in January or February. We’re in that window. When will we see President Trump sit down with the North Korean leader? SECRETARY POMPEO: We’re working out the details, Margaret. You will be among the first to know. QUESTION: I know, sir, you’re at the end of this trip. You will be headed to Saudi Arabia. It has been about a hundred days since Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi was brutally murdered. Will you raise this issue with Mohammed bin Salman, the crown prince? SECRETARY POMPEO: Of course. QUESTION: And what will you say? SECRETARY POMPEO: I’ll say what – Margaret, I’ll say what we have said consistently. America’s position both privately and publicly is the same. This was an outrageous act, an unacceptable murder. Those who were responsible will be held accountable by the United States of America. We’re determined to do that. We’re determined to get at the facts just as quickly and as comprehensively as we can. We have had a policy that’s been remarkably consistent with respect to this. We, like the rest of the world, value human rights all across the globe, and the murder of Jamal Khashoggi was outrageous, and we’ll hold those responsible accountable. And then we’ll talk about all the important things we do with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and all the support they provide to keep Americans in Kansas and Colorado and California and in Washington, D.C., safe. QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, thank you very much for your time. Safe travels. SECRETARY POMPEO: Margaret, thank you very much. You have a great day. The Office of Website Management, Bureau of Public Affairs, manages this site as a portal for information from the U.S. State Department. External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein. Secretary's Remarks: Remarks to Traveling Press 01/14/2019 You are subscribed to Secretary's Remarks for U.S. Department of State. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Secretary's Remarks: Remarks to Traveling Press 01/14/2019 08:41 AM EST Remarks Michael R. Pompeo King Khalid International Airport Riyadh, Saudi Arabia January 14, 2019 SECRETARY POMPEO: So good afternoon, everyone. I had a brief but very productive trip. I had a chance to meet with the Saudi foreign minister, with King Salman, and then, ultimately, with Crown Prince Salman; discussed the issues that relate to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States as they pertain to what I was trying to accomplish on this trip, right. The context for this conversation was the efforts that the Trump administration is making to create a stable and peaceful region here in the Middle East. So our conversations spanned a wide range of those set of objectives. We certainly talked about our effort to counter Iranian malign influence, but we spoke about all the issues in the region, ranging from the continued efforts of Hizballah; we talked about the fact that the – the work that was done in Sweden on Yemen was good, but we need both sides to honor those commitments. To date, the Iranian-backed Houthis have chosen not to do that. We spoke about human rights issues here in Saudi Arabia – women activists. We spoke about the accountability that – and the expectations that we have. The Saudis are friends, and when friends have conversations, you tell them what your expectations are. And I think the Trump administration has made clear our expectation that all of those involved in the murder of Khashoggi will be held accountable. So we spent time talking about human rights issues, the Khashoggi case in particular, and we also talked about Syria and the President’s decision to withdraw our 2,000 uniformed personnel from Syria and what that means and how we will continue the campaign against ISIS/Daesh, and the other important interests that the United States has in the region and that the Saudis share as our partner in those efforts. With that, I’m happy to take any questions. MR PALLADINO: Let’s start with Nick. QUESTION: Mr. Secretary -- SECRETARY POMPEO: Yes, Nick. QUESTION: -- in the President’s tweets this morning about Turkey, he referenced the idea of a 20-mile safe zone but didn’t say much beyond that. Could you elaborate a little bit on what he meant? That tweet’s caused some confusion. SECRETARY POMPEO: Only to say that we continue to have conversations with all the players involved in our goal. Remember the objective is to create a political process that will lead to the Saudi[1] people having the opportunity to create a nation for themselves – a unified Syria where the people of Syria have the opportunity to create a good outcome for themselves. So it’s in that context that we address all of the various issues there, whether it’s the Iranian influence there, the Russians’ activities. And in – with respect to those tweets, the issues along the Syrian-Turkey border in the north, we continue to have conversations. I spoke with my foreign minister counterpart yesterday to have conversations about what that will look like. The President’s aim there, I think, is the one that we have been talking about for some time, which is that we want to make sure that the folks who fought with us to take down the caliphate in ISIS have security, and also that terrorists acting out of Syria aren’t able to attack Turkey. Those are the twin aims. And so the precise methodology which by we will achieve that – that security for both of those elements along that border – is something we’re still working on. And so if we can get a space – call it a buffer zone, others might have a different name for it – if we can get the space and the security arrangements right, this will be a good thing for everyone in the region. MR PALLADINO: Andrea. QUESTION: Mr. Secretary -- SECRETARY POMPEO: Yes, ma’am. QUESTION: -- thank you very much for doing this. Can you elaborate on what your expectations are regarding Khashoggi and what the crown prince responded and whether you believe it’s credible that this plot could have been hatched and carried out without his knowledge? SECRETARY POMPEO: Our expectations have been clear from early on: Every single person who has responsibility for the murder of Jamal Khashoggi needs to be held accountable. And the crown prince – I spoke about this with King Salman as well – they both acknowledged that that accountability needed to take place. They talked about the process that’s occurring inside of the country, both the investigative process and the judicial process that’s taking place, and they reiterated – it’s not new – they reiterated their commitment to achieve the objective, the expectations that we have set for them. QUESTION: Did he still describe it as a rogue operation? SECRETARY POMPEO: I’m not going to talk about the details of the conversations. They – the expectations that we’ve set for them are very clear. We’ve spoken about this a great deal and their continued commitment to continue to pursue all those connected is something that they have not wavered from since the first time we’ve had conversations with them. QUESTION: (Off-mike.) MR PALLADINO: Okay. Barbara. Barbara next, actually. Let’s go to Barbara. QUESTION: Sir, in terms of the discussions you’re having about the arrangement along the Turkey-Syria border, there have been some rumors that that might involve an Arab force that’s acceptable to both sides. That’s one of the things on the table. Can you say anything about that? And also, can you say anything about the women activists in jail? Did you get any commitments about whether they might be released or how they’ve been treated or what the situation is with that? SECRETARY POMPEO: We spoke in particular – we spoke about a number of human rights issues, certainly including the women’s rights activists. Their commitment was that the process – the lawful, judicial process here would take place, they would do so quickly, and that they would continue down that path. They understand the concerns that some have and they are going to do their best to communicate as appropriate. So – and your first question was about Syria and the Arab forces. QUESTION: There’s a – one of the things out of the discussions was an Arab force. SECRETARY POMPEO: I don’t – there’s lots of things under discussion. There are lots of possibilities about how we might achieve the end state that I described in my earlier response. MR PALLADINO: Okay, Matt. QUESTION: Yeah, I just wanted – you had mentioned that you talked with the Turkish foreign minister yesterday. You talked to him again, after Saturday, or what was that – you told us -- SECRETARY POMPEO: I spoke with – no, I’ve had one conversation on this trip with him. The day -- QUESTION: Okay, so there wasn’t a second one? MR PALLADINO: We -- SECRETARY POMPEO: There hasn’t been a second one. MR PALLADINO: We did the release, so you’ve got the readout of that call, correct? QUESTION: Yeah, I do, but I just want to make sure there wasn’t a second call. SECRETARY POMPEO: There’s only been a single call. QUESTION: Especially because of the threat that appears to be implied in the President’s tweet about devastating Turkey economically if the Kurds are hurt. Can you offer any -- SECRETARY POMPEO: The administration has been very consistent with respect to our requirement that the Turks not go after the Kurds in ways that are inappropriate. If there are terrorists, we’re all about taking down extremists wherever we find them. I think – I think the President’s comments this morning are consistent with that. QUESTION: What did he mean by economic devastation? SECRETARY POMPEO: You’d have to ask – you’d have to ask him. MR PALLADINO: Okay. SECRETARY POMPEO: I – we’ve applied sanctions in many places around the world. I assume he’s speaking about those kinds of things, but you’d have to ask him. Yes, please. MR PALLADINO: Adam. QUESTION: Yes, thank you. Two brief ones for you. I was hoping you could elaborate just briefly on how U.S. and Saudi in these talks are specifically working to combat Iran in Yemen and Syria. What do they expect? What are you communicating back? And I was also hoping you could tell us a little bit about the nature of your conversations with the President on the trip. What has he communicated – expectations – and what have you communicated back? SECRETARY POMPEO: You mean with President Trump? QUESTION: Yeah. SECRETARY POMPEO: During the trip we’ve talked about lots of things, many of which have nothing to do with the Middle East. The world goes on while I travel. So we’ve had conversations about -- QUESTION: Has he had specific expectations for this trip specifically? SECRETARY POMPEO: Oh, yes, we had – yes, but most of those we had conversations about over the weeks that preceded this trip as we were laying out those conversations. So I’ve certainly provided him updates on the conversations I’ve been having on the trip as well, but in terms of the expectations and the things we’re hoping to achieve, it’s been pretty consistent with what all of the United States Government agreed to along with the President in preparation for the trip. What was – your second question was about Iran? QUESTION: The first was -- SECRETARY POMPEO: Yeah. QUESTION: -- hoping you could just characterize the conversations you just came from in terms of Iranian action in Yemen and Syria, what the Saudis are expecting, what you’re communicating back. SECRETARY POMPEO: So this all – step back and this all starts with extremism in whatever form you find it. In this case you have Iranian-backed Houthis, Iranian-backed Hizballah, Iranian-backed Shia militias in Iraq, Iranian-backed forces in Syria, and in each case the root of the challenge stems from the revolutionary nature of the Islamic regime and their efforts abroad. And so they’re focused on doing the things they can do. I talked to – I shared with the crown prince and with the king, if I recall correctly, my conversations to help Iraq as well. We want an Iraq that is independent, sovereign, and how it is we might do that – there are lots of economic things we can do to assist Iraq in getting back on its feet, which will permit them to be more independent and have more control and be more sovereign. I shared with the crown prince my conversations when I traveled to Iraq. So we had a chance to have a wide series of conversations about how it is – America’s continued effort on the economic and financial front – to attempt to convince the Iranian people that America is serious about empowering them and creating opportunities for the Iranian people. We talked about each of those things today. QUESTION: Thank you. MR PALLADINO: Let’s go to Tracy. QUESTION: Hi, yes. Did you come away from your meeting with the crown prince reassured or convinced or more optimistic that they’re really going to get to the bottom of the Khashoggi case? Any kind of assurances? Any kind of change? SECRETARY POMPEO: No change. They’ve provided assurances since the beginning. QUESTION: So nothing has changed? It’s the same line? SECRETARY POMPEO: They still are working through their fact-finding process. You should know that the United States continues to work through its fact-finding process as well. That is, our efforts to uncover the facts surrounding this. And then, consistent with the President’s commitment to hold everyone accountable, we continue inside the United States Government to do that as well. MR PALLADINO: Let’s go to Matt. QUESTION: Are you leaving satisfied -- MR PALLADINO: Matt. Matt. QUESTION: To follow up on that -- QUESTION: Mr. Secretary -- SECRETARY POMPEO: Yes. MR PALLADINO: Matt. Go ahead, Matt. QUESTION: -- The Washington Post reported that no detailed records exist within the U.S. Government of President Trump’s meetings with Vladimir Putin. Is that true? SECRETARY POMPEO: I’ll leave that to the White House. These were presidential conversations. I’ll -- MR PALLADINO: Let’s go to Edward. SECRETARY POMPEO: -- let the White House respond to that. MR PALLADINO: Edward. QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, two questions. One is: How do you reconcile your calling for full accountability with the CIA’s assessment, which they’ve already made, that the crown prince himself ordered the killing? That’s the first question. SECRETARY POMPEO: Yeah. QUESTION: The second one is: What are the specific policy tools you want these countries to exercise in regard to these Iranian-backed militias? Like, are you implying that they should put their own forces in the field or are there other policy tools that you’re (inaudible)? SECRETARY POMPEO: So, first one first: I don’t talk about CIA assessments. Second one: All of the tools that independent nations exercise to attain their independence and sovereignty, we are hopeful we can collectively – the United States certainly, but countries throughout the Middle East – I spoke with King Abdullah about this; I spoke with – I spoke with President Sisi about this. Each of those countries – I spoke – I spoke with the Emiratis about this. Each of those countries wants to do what it can to build out that independent, sovereign Iraq, to help their government get on its feet and have the Iraqi independence that we’ve been working on, the United States has been working on for now decades. And so all the tools available with regard to their security forces, yes, we want those security forces to be in the control of the Iraqi Government and we want them to have full control over all of their security forces, just in the same way we expect that of every sovereign nation. QUESTION: But the question is more about the militias throughout – the Iranian-backed militias throughout the region. SECRETARY POMPEO: Throughout the – that’s the region. (Laughter.) QUESTION: You – but you talked specifically about Iraq. SECRETARY POMPEO: Yes, that’s certainly the region, but we have – sure, you have Iranian-backed forces in -- QUESTION: Syria. SECRETARY POMPEO: -- in Syria, you have them in Lebanon, you have them in Yemen. It’s a five-capital strategy, right? This has been the – this is the history of Iran’s efforts: five capitals. And our effort is to make sure that the Iranian people get control of their capital and that it becomes a nation that is normal and isn’t conducting terror campaigns that are unrivaled anyplace else in the world. MR PALLADINO: Francesco. QUESTION: With the Khashoggi murder, there was a lot of talk back in D.C. – back in D.C. about, most broadly, the behavior of the crown prince. Do you share the view that his behavior can be a concern for the relation with the United States? Did you ask him to change his behavior, that there might be something around that? SECRETARY POMPEO: So the United States relationship is with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. That’s who – that’s who our partner is; that’s who our strategically shared interest is with. So I had – I spoke with the ruler in Saudi Arabia, the king, and the crown prince, and the foreign minister, and we spoke about a wide range of issues. And where we’re working closely together and being successful we want to redouble our efforts, and where friends think the other one is falling short I was very clear and candid about those things where America is not satisfied, where they’re not meeting our expectations. And they – and they appreciate that. By the way, you should know they shared places they think America may not be doing everything. I mean, this is – this is how friends engage. You have conversations where you’re not always exactly in the same place, and each tries to ensure that the other understands their position and why it is they’re there, and then you do your best to move forward together. MR PALLADINO: Conor. QUESTION: I essentially had the same question, Mr. Secretary. There are a lot of different areas where people think that the crown prince has extended the kingdom too far – in Yemen; the episode with Saad Hariri from Lebanon. He will be around for a long time as a young man and a leader in this kingdom. Do you think that he needs to be chastened at all on his behavior? SECRETARY POMPEO: I’ll – I don’t even know where to begin to respond to a question like that. Remember what the United States has; it has a deep, longstanding relationship with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. And so its leaders are going to act for – in their country’s interest. That’s their obligation, the same way mine is to act in America’s best interests. And so we shared with them places we think that the kingdom isn’t doing what it is we wish that they would do. And when they’re doing the things we’re – that make good sense for partners and friends, we were – we tell them about that and we redouble our efforts there. MR PALLADINO: Two more questions. SECRETARY POMPEO: It’s the ninth – about the ninth question that’s been the same question, so if there’s – if there’s anything anybody else might like to talk about, I’m -- QUESTION: I have a very different – I have a very different one. MR PALLADINO: Let’s go to Courtney. SECRETARY POMPEO: -- I’m happy to take a shot at something a little bit different, perhaps. It’s been a very productive trip and we’ve talked about lots of really important things, and we ought to talk about those here this afternoon. QUESTION: A different question. Mr. Secretary, how did – how did the Saudi leaders react to your comments in Doha yesterday talking about trying to resolve the Gulf dispute and the – and improving the prospects for (inaudible)? SECRETARY POMPEO: Yeah, I had – yeah, actually we spent more time talking about the remarks in Cairo, which they thought were well placed and consistent with both America’s policy and what it is they hope we’ll continue to do. That is, they think we have the right understanding of the challenges that are here in the Middle East, that this administration does. But we did talk about how we might put the Gulf back in a better place. I think they’d like to see that too. It’s a matter of us all figuring out how to do it together, but mostly, those countries figuring out how they can put it back together. We’ll -- QUESTION: How -- SECRETARY POMPEO: We can certainly – we can certainly provide assistance and support, but at the end of the day, those countries have to get back together. My conversation with them was to share places where it diminishes our capacity to all work together, and I, for that reason, have a keen interest and America has a keen interest in putting those countries back in a better place together. MR PALLADINO: Lesley, go ahead. QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, first of all, condolences. I’m sorry for your loss. SECRETARY POMPEO: Thank you very much. QUESTION: (Inaudible.) Second of all, I just want to be clear about the President’s tweet and how it’s affected the relationship with Turkey given that the lira has been very hard-hit today. Do you think that, in any way, this could compromise your plans for a withdrawal and that Turkey would continue to go ahead with this plan for it to step in? SECRETARY POMPEO: It’s a fair question. So I haven’t had a chance to have any conversations with the Turks as of yet, since the President’s tweets went out, but I will. I’m sure I’ll talk to them before too long. I don’t think it changes the President’s decision for our 2,000 uniformed personnel to depart Syria. I don’t think it’ll change that. I think in some ways it sets – it just demarks the importance that we place on this, the importance that we – we want a secured border for all of the parties, not even just the Turks and the Kurds; there are Arabs, there are Christians in the region that we want – we want that to be a place where there isn’t violence as there’s been over these past years. We want – and a good part of that region, there are still – depending on how you define the region, there are still millions of displaced persons in that region too. We want to take that violence level down so that we can begin to return the displaced persons to that region as well. I actually think the President’s remarks are pretty clear about what America hopes to achieve in these conversations with all of the parties, the Turks certainly included amongst them. MR PALLADINO: Last question, Michele. QUESTION: Yeah. When you talked in Cairo about rejecting false overtures from enemies, which I assume is Iran, does that rule out the possibility of humanitarian dialogue about prisoners? There’s a new – another American that we’ve learned of since you’ve been on this trip. And then, real quickly, did you raise the April Corley case in Egypt? SECRETARY POMPEO: Yes on the April Corley case, and with respect to conversations about prisoners, there are few things that occupy more of my mind than getting Americans back from everyplace, and the Iranian regime has been particularly brutal with respect to the unlawful detention of Americans. I mean, Bob Levinson goes back now years. I don’t want to say more than to say that we are very focused. We have the whole team, certainly at the State Department but across the entire United States Government, that night and day tirelessly is working to return Americans wherever they’re wrongfully detained. And that certainly includes folks that are held inside the Islamic Republic of Iran as well. I’ll take one – I’ll take one more. QUESTION: Can Oman be helpful on that? SECRETARY POMPEO: Yes, they have – they have – Oman has historically been helpful on that. I’m sure this will be part of my conversation in what I guess is now my final stop. So, yeah. Anyway, all right. Well, thank you all very much. Thanks. Thanks for your time. MR PALLADINO: Okay, thank you, all. Thank you, Mr. Secretary. QUESTION: Thank you. # # # [1] Syrian The Office of Website Management, Bureau of Public Affairs, manages this site as a portal for information from the U.S. State Department. External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein. Secretary's Remarks: Iran's Firing of Space Launch Vehicle Defies International Community 01/15/2019 You are subscribed to Secretary's Remarks for U.S. Department of State. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Secretary's Remarks: Iran's Firing of Space Launch Vehicle Defies International Community 01/15/2019 04:13 PM EST Press Statement Michael R. Pompeo Washington, DC January 15, 2019 In continued defiance of the international community and UN Security Council Resolution 2231, the Iranian regime fired off a space launch vehicle today. Such vehicles incorporate technologies that are virtually identical and interchangeable with those used in ballistic missiles, including intercontinental ballistic missiles. Today’s launch furthers Iran’s ability to eventually build such a weapon. We have been clear that we will not stand for Iran’s flagrant disregard for international norms. The United States is working with our allies and partners to counter the entire range of the Islamic Republic’s threats, including its missile program, which threatens Europe and the Middle East. The Office of Website Management, Bureau of Public Affairs, manages this site as a portal for information from the U.S. State Department. External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein. Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor: U.S. Commitment to Religious Freedom 01/16/2019 You are subscribed to Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor for U.S. Department of State. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor: U.S. Commitment to Religious Freedom 01/16/2019 10:09 AM EST Press Statement Michael R. Pompeo Washington, DC January 16, 2019 Today the United States honors National Religious Freedom Day. On this day in 1786, the Virginia General Assembly adopted Thomas Jefferson’s Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom. It begins with a groundbreaking statement: “Almighty God hath created the mind free.” This Statute goes on to guarantee freedom of religion to people of all faiths and would inspire the religious freedom protections in the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, and which in turn inspired the protections enshrined in Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Every person around the world should be free to believe, or not believe, in accordance with their conscience. Governments have a duty to protect religious freedom, and promoting this freedom is a key foreign policy priority for the Trump Administration. As part of our commitment to this freedom, the United States will host the second Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom July 16-18, 2019, in Washington, D.C. This Ministerial will again gather hundreds of government representatives, religious leaders, survivors of religious persecution, and members of civil society to build on the actions that began with the inaugural Ministerial last year. I look forward to hosting this important meeting and to strengthening the coalition of nations and organizations committed to defending this universal right. The Office of Website Management, Bureau of Public Affairs, manages this site as a portal for information from the U.S. State Department. External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein. Secretary's Remarks: U.S. Commitment to Religious Freedom 01/16/2019 You are subscribed to Secretary's Remarks for U.S. Department of State. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Secretary's Remarks: U.S. Commitment to Religious Freedom 01/16/2019 10:09 AM EST Press Statement Michael R. Pompeo Washington, DC January 16, 2019 Today the United States honors National Religious Freedom Day. On this day in 1786, the Virginia General Assembly adopted Thomas Jefferson’s Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom. It begins with a groundbreaking statement: “Almighty God hath created the mind free.” This Statute goes on to guarantee freedom of religion to people of all faiths and would inspire the religious freedom protections in the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, and which in turn inspired the protections enshrined in Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Every person around the world should be free to believe, or not believe, in accordance with their conscience. Governments have a duty to protect religious freedom, and promoting this freedom is a key foreign policy priority for the Trump Administration. As part of our commitment to this freedom, the United States will host the second Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom July 16-18, 2019, in Washington, D.C. This Ministerial will again gather hundreds of government representatives, religious leaders, survivors of religious persecution, and members of civil society to build on the actions that began with the inaugural Ministerial last year. I look forward to hosting this important meeting and to strengthening the coalition of nations and organizations committed to defending this universal right. The Office of Website Management, Bureau of Public Affairs, manages this site as a portal for information from the U.S. State Department. External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein. Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor: United States Calls for a Lawful, Transparent Process To Resolve Electoral Disputes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo 01/16/2019 You are subscribed to Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor for U.S. Department of State. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor: United States Calls for a Lawful, Transparent Process To Resolve Electoral Disputes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo 01/16/2019 12:41 PM EST Press Statement Robert Palladino Washington, DC January 16, 2019 The United States stands with the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) at this historic moment. It is the people who should determine their country’s future through a fully transparent and constitutional process. The United States recognizes the legitimate concerns over the transparency of the electoral process. As the tabulation process continues, we urge the National Independent Electoral Commission (CENI) to ensure that the final declared results reflect the will of the Congolese people, as expressed through the ballot box on December 30, 2018. The United States supports the lawful right of candidates to file a legal challenge to the election results and urges the Constitutional Court to execute a lawful, fair, and transparent process for resolving electoral disputes. The United States will hold accountable those who perpetrate election violence or undermine democratic processes. Maintaining peace in the DRC depends on a fully transparent and legal process to resolve any concerns regarding election results. The Office of Website Management, Bureau of Public Affairs, manages this site as a portal for information from the U.S. State Department. External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein. Stay connected with the State Department:     External links found in this content or on Department of State websites that go to other non-Department websites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein. Update your subscriptions, modify your password or email address, or stop subscriptions at any time on your Subscriber Preferences Page. You will need to use your email address to log in. If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please contact subscriberhelp.govdelivery.com.