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U.S. Department of State Weekly Digest Bulletin Inbox x U.S. Department of State <usstatebpa@public.govdelivery.com> 7:36 AM (4 hours ago)  to me Secretary Michael R. Pompeo With Franks Papathanasiou of Hellenic Radio and Television 10/05/2019 You are subscribed to Europe and Eurasia for U.S. Department of State. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Secretary Michael R. Pompeo With Franks Papathanasiou of Hellenic Radio and Television 10/05/2019 08:02 PM EDT QUESTION:  Mr. Secretary, thank you very much for this interview to ERT, the Greek public television.  You met today with Prime Minister Mitsotakis and ministers of the government.  What is your sense in terms of doing business?  Would you bet your money?  Would you invest in Greece? SECRETARY POMPEO:  (Laughter.)  As a political figure, Secretary of State, I’m out of that, but if I were back in the private sector I absolutely would.  I’ve watched this leadership now 90 days on – we’re three months into their time – and they have already put this country on the right course economically.  Slashing red tape, they’re putting this country in a place where it can be reliable and where investors, whether they’re Greek investors or investors from around the world and America, understand that they’ve got a government that’s going to be supportive of what they’re doing and deliver good jobs, good growth, and a healthy economy for this country. QUESTION:  The new Greek Government with Prime Minister Mitsotakis is focused in the economy and maintaining the stability in the neighborhood.  Meanwhile, Turkey’s jet fighters every day, almost every day, violate the Greek airspace.  Also, in Cyprus, Turkey’s – Turkey, with its drilling activities, violates the Turkish – Cyprus’s right to exploit and explore its natural resources.  Are you concerned about this tension that it might (inaudible) in the region? SECRETARY POMPEO:  Look, I’m always worried when there’s a risk that there’ll be a mistake or a miscalculation by any party, whether that’s a miscalculation by Cyprus or Turkey or Greece or any country.  One doesn’t want to allow that kind of a mistake, that kind of a misunderstanding, to lead to an escalation.  That’s why with respect to the Turkish drilling in those places, we have said, look, we can’t resort to the military to resolve this.  We need to find a diplomatic solution to this, a – an economic outcome that delivers the right way. So yes, I’m always concerned about it.  We have these kinds of risks throughout lots of parts of the world, and our efforts, the United States’ efforts, are always very focused on ensuring that these are resolved in an appropriate way. QUESTION:  Are you taking any initiative towards that direction? SECRETARY POMPEO:  So we’re working on it.  Our diplomats here on the ground are working and our diplomats working in Turkey are trying to help the people of this region.  But it’s also the case, it’s also our expectation, that European countries will engage in this and that they will take this threat, this issue, seriously.  It’s important for them to do the same and not just to turn and ask America to settle every hot spot, every tension point around the world. QUESTION:  Within this atmosphere, did you discuss today with the government, the prime minister and the foreign minister, efforts to restart talks for a resolution in Cyprus? SECRETARY POMPEO:  We talked about a lot of things.  I think everyone wants to find a path forward.  You mentioned Turkey earlier.  We had lots of conversations about Turkey.  Everyone wants to see Turkey succeed.  We want them firmly anchored in the West.  It’s been – they’re a NATO partner.  We want them to be successful and so we’re working every day.  I think the prime minister has said the same.  He wants a good, strong relationship with Turkey as well.  That requires Turkey to behave in a certain set of ways, a certain kinds of set – a certain set of relationships, and the characteristics of that relationship. I think we’re in a real space to do that. QUESTION:  On this, on Turkey, it seems like the United States take any possible effort not to lose Turkey.  Would you describe for us the relation between President Trump and the Turkish president? SECRETARY POMPEO:  Yeah, they have a fine relationship.  They’ve talked many times.  They’ve met each other many times.  Each of them is trying their best to find a diplomatic path forward against some very difficult problems.  Turkey purchased the S-400; we didn’t want them to do that.  But there are other places where, on commerce and the like, we’re trying to work alongside of them.  It’s a complicated relationship and one that is worth the effort, and you see, too, today – right, here’s an example.  Today we find a country here in Greece that signed a new defense cooperation agreement alongside of us.  This is really important.  This will change the trajectory of the relationship between our (inaudible).  It will truly make it better.  It’s not just tomorrow and next week, but for years and years to come.  It’ll provide stability in the region.  I’ll create more military capability to defend Greece and the region.  And it’ll be good for NATO as well, and, of course, for the United States. QUESTION:  On this, the defense cooperation agreement, tell us the main reasons.  What was behind this type of decision for the United States?  Is it business in Greece, the relations with Turkey?  Is it Russian influence in the north of Greece?  All of them? SECRETARY POMPEO:  This is about – this is about American national security.  President Trump always talks about that.  Our mission set, as the Secretary of State for the United States, is to protect America and to keep Americans safe.  One of the ways that we do that is to find great partners who are prepared to commit resources and political will behind the problem sets that we confront mutually. So that was the reason.  We have a great (inaudible).  This government is, I think, determined to create a tighter military relationship with the United States, to continue its efforts.  It’s one of the countries in Europe that spends 2 percent of its GDP on defense, as every NATO country committed to do in the Wales Pledge, and we thank them for that.  The Greek people have been very generous, and the Greek people also, I think, understand the risks that exist in the region, and are willing to do what it takes to provide security for themselves and for the larger region. QUESTION:  On defense cooperation again, what’s the immediate benefits and the real gains for Greeks? SECRETARY POMPEO:  You’ve got an American partner who’s going to be here for the long haul. QUESTION:  Also, would the Trump administration consider in some way help the Greek army in upgrade its capabilities with military equipment? SECRETARY POMPEO:  We talked some about that today.  We talked about opportunities to upgrade various components of the hardware and software that Greece has.  We talked about the potential for other equipment that America might sell and that Greece might buy from another democratic nation.  There’s lots of opportunities in that respect.  And always think about this, too:  If we do this well, if we execute the strategic agreement well, this new defense cooperation agreement, we’ll reduce the need to spend money on defense, right.  It’s the case that the reason we do this isn’t to fight wars but rather to deter, and I am confident that the execution of this agreement between our two countries will deter adversaries. QUESTION:  And finally, did you discuss any possible meetings between Prime Minister Mitsotakis and President Trump in the future? SECRETARY POMPEO:  Yeah, we talked about it.  I don’t have anything to confirm, but we certainly talked about it.  The two had the opportunity to have conversations, and I know they’ll continue to talk. QUESTION:  Okay.  Thank you very much. SECRETARY POMPEO:  Thank you very much.  Thanks for having me. QUESTION:  Thank you. Secretary Michael R. Pompeo With Alexis Papahelas of SKAI TV 10/07/2019 You are subscribed to Secretary's Remarks for U.S. Department of State. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Secretary Michael R. Pompeo With Alexis Papahelas of SKAI TV 10/07/2019 01:53 PM EDT QUESTION:  Mr. Secretary, thank you very much for doing this. SECRETARY POMPEO:  It’s great to be with you. QUESTION:  Let me ask, first of all, we had the feeling, especially at the end of the Obama administration, that the U.S. was kind of withdrawing from this area.  So are you back; why are you here; what are the strategic goals of – for the U.S. right now for this area? SECRETARY POMPEO:  Yeah.  It’s a great question.  We’re back, and when I say we’re back, we are – we’re committed, and we’re committed because it’s in America’s best interests to be committed.  That’s always the most reliable barometer.  Nations always act to take care of themselves, from their first interests.  Greece does the same for its people. We have lots of strategic objectives, and what we have seen today on my trip to Greece is we’ve got a new defense cooperation agreement, which will matter.  It won’t just matter tomorrow or next week; it’ll matter in the years and decades ahead.  And it’s more than just basing – I’ve heard people say, “Oh, it’s just some basing rights.”  It’s much deeper, much broader than that, and gives political signals that are much deeper and broader than that as well. Look, we want a successful, thriving Greece.  It’s good for American entrepreneurs.  It’s good for American business.  We’ve had Deloitte and Tesla, and GE just closed a big deal here, which will be great for American jobs, and there’ll be fantastic outcomes for the people of Greece as well.  And more broadly than that, we care deeply too to see that the Balkans are stable.  This has been a region that you know well has been fraught with challenges, and we want to see Greece lead the way forward.  We want it to have this awakening with its new prime minister and that new team which can drive growth throughout Europe and create stability in the region as well. QUESTION:  A lot of Greeks ask – this is a very important agreement in terms of the bases and all this.  The question is:  What can Greece expect in return, let’s say, in concrete terms? SECRETARY POMPEO:  Yeah.  So I think Greece will be more secure, for starters.  That’s probably the primary reason that the two countries made this decision.  Each – it’s win-win from a security perspective.  Each benefits from the close relationship that’s created by our militaries.  The common set of understanding and operating rules between our militaries will serve each of us well, if there should ever be the need to either defend or deter from a determined adversary. Second, I think there’ll be important commercial benefits that follow from this as well.  Anytime there’s deep interactions like this around complicated technologies, the host country often benefits from collateral things that spin out of this relationship.  And of course, wherever you host Americans – and you do this in many places, you’re most gracious to our soldiers and our sailors and our airmen and Marines – there’s good economic benefits in those host locations as well. QUESTION:  It might sound like a simple question or a silly question, but in the old days, we had bases here during the Cold War.  We knew who the enemy was.  Who is the enemy now?  What are these bases used for? SECRETARY POMPEO:  Yeah, so NATO has laid out its strategic mission.  The United States has its National Security Strategy.  I’m confident that Greece has a deep understanding of the things that potentially threaten it.  But make no mistake, the Soviet Union is gone, but Russian malign influence continues.  In the Middle East not too far away, there are difficult challenges.  The Islamic Republic of Iran continues to sponsor terror around the world.  Challenges to freedom of navigation abound in the waters that Greece so heavily depends on for shipping and transportation.  Those are the kind of things that nations like Greece and nations like the United States depend on having access to those waterways. And so having a capable military, having a deterrent force that reminds everyone that they need to engage in behaviors that are consistent with the rule of law, I think, is an absolute imperative.  And you don’t know where that next threat will come from.  We stare out there and we think we’re smart and we see them all.  The truth is history is replete with days that you didn’t think someone was an adversary and it turns out you needed to be ready. QUESTION:  As you know, we have a big country across from us which has become unpredictable.  It’s a difficult ally, Turkey.  You have firsthand experience of that.  How do you see Turkey developing as an ally?  Do you see it as drifting away from the West, from NATO and so on, and what can the U.S. do in order to keep it more predictable, let’s say? SECRETARY POMPEO:  Yeah.  We’re doing all we can to prevent that from happening.  They’re an important commercial partner for us.  They’re obviously a NATO ally, where we have important military infrastructure.  We have important political objectives.  You know well the risk of refugees coming from Turkey or from Syria and from the region.  So a successful Turkey, a growing, prosperous, economically thriving Turkey is important for not only Greece but for all of us.  And so we work diligently to try and deliver that set of outcomes. QUESTION:  Do you see Greece kind of substituting Turkey in terms of military facilities and some of the other strategic cooperation? SECRETARY POMPEO:  I hope they’re not in competition in that way.  I don’t think about it that way.  I don’t think our military does either.  We see each having its own unique set of characteristics, its own unique opportunity to deliver good outcomes for NATO and for the host countries, as well as for the United States. QUESTION:  Now, you made some very strong statements about what Turkey’s doing right now around Cyprus and Cyprus’ exclusive economic zone.  How are you going to express concern or dissatisfaction with Turkey’s behavior?  Is there going to be any sort of sanctions proposed to Congress, or any other concrete action? SECRETARY POMPEO:  At this point, we’re using diplomatic efforts.  We’re talking to them.  We do this in many places in the world where all we’re simply asking is that there are widely recognized international waters, there’s a set of rules.  We ask every nation to comply with them.  We do – we ask every country, we ask friends to do that, we ask those that are less so friends.  Everyone has the expectation that each country that wants to protect its own sovereignty will offer other countries that same opportunity. QUESTION:  Now, as you know, there’s some U.S. companies which are doing some exploration around Cyprus as well.  If Turkey disputes those fields and so on, would the U.S. intervene in a more concrete way? SECRETARY POMPEO:  Yeah, I mean, I don’t do hypotheticals.  I hope it’s the case that not only will the international law be respected, but I think every country needs to recognize that America always does what it needs to do to protect the commercial interests of – and to protect its own people.  So we’ll always do our best to do that, and there’s no reason to think it would be any different here. QUESTION:  Now, are you worried about tension between Greece and Turkey and what’s happening in the Aegean and so on?  And traditionally, we expected the U.S. to intervene if something like this happened.  That’s what happened in the past. SECRETARY POMPEO:  Yeah, look, we worry when any two countries have tension that could escalate, could end up in a bad place and create a military confrontation.  No one wants that to happen, so I don’t want it to happen between Greece and Turkey, I don’t want it to happen between North and South Korea, I don’t – there’s no place, right?  We’re working – our diplomats are out every day trying to create conditions where countries can talk and engage in dialogue and resolve their disputes in a peaceful way.  We’re optimistic that that can happen here as well. QUESTION:  U.S.-Greek relations have been at their best, everybody says, so there’s sort of an expectation that maybe the U.S. would provide some sort of security guarantee towards Greece if something happened.  Is that in the cards, or is it sort of too much to ask? SECRETARY POMPEO:  Yeah, I don’t know.  We haven’t been asked for that yet.  But things like we did today, by signing a defense cooperation agreement, certainly provide better security not only for Greece, but for the Balkans, for the region, and frankly, we think create stable situations that reduce the risk to America and American businesses.  There are – Americans travel in Greece all the time.  They come to – love to come to this lovely place to vacation.  So America has a deep interest in making sure that Greece is safe and secure. QUESTION:  I was struck by something you said in your speech, that Greece is kind of unique in the sense that the rest of Europe is moving towards a recession and so on, and Greece is moving in another direction.  So you really see a potential of Greece becoming a success story? SECRETARY POMPEO:  I do.  What I said in the speech is just facts, just a data set.  Greece has turned the corner.  It’s got a real opportunity for economic growth ahead of it.  You’re seeing real foreign direct investment coming not just from the United States, but from other places in the world as well. And too many places in Europe have put up signals that perhaps they’re not interested in that.  I hope they’ll change.  I hope they’ll all welcome and I hope they’ll all do what this new prime minister has done, right: slash red tape, welcome businesses in, make sure projects can speed along, doing it all in a way that protects all of the concerns that people have, but making sure that government runs at the speed of the world.  And I hope every European country does that.  Frankly, I hope every state in the United States of America does that too.  When you do that, you get global growth, you get wealth creation, and you lift humankind up.  That’s the mission set, I think, for every leader. QUESTION:  You also talked about China quite a bit during this tour in the Balkans and Greece.  The counter argument is that when Greece was in a real crisis and time of need, the Chinese were the only ones who came here and invested, actually, quite a huge amount of money.  How should Greece handle this?  I mean, why should Greece say no to an investment like that? SECRETARY POMPEO:  Yeah, so I remember when Greece was in this time of crisis, I remember that America came alongside too and helped maintain a system that you all could move your way forward on.  And America has always been at its best when countries who are in a time of crisis, to come alongside and help them. As for the decisions that Greece will make, it makes its own sovereign decisions.  Every country has its own right to do that.  We would never stand in the way with that.  But we ask every country to have their eyes wide open.  When China shows up with a real business deal and it’s a good deal, we think Greece ought to take it or Greek business ought to take it.  When China shows up and the deal looks too good to be true, it just might be.  And sadly, we’ve seen that in too many places in the world. QUESTION:  Now, what is the next step in terms of the strategic dialogue?  What will you expect out of it? SECRETARY POMPEO:  There’s lots of technical elements – technical elements about the defense cooperation agreement we signed, but also they’ll be talking about people-to-people exchanges, opportunities for tourism and for educational growth, training efforts.  You – someone asked me earlier today about the opportunity to upgrade equipment.  Each of those things, there’s a – goodness, there’s a couple of dozen different work streams that we’ll be engaged in at various levels, all of which will put meat on the bones of the agreements that we’ve put together over the past days. U.S. Department of State Imposes Visa Restrictions on Chinese Officials for Repression in Xinjiang 10/08/2019 You are subscribed to Secretary's Remarks for U.S. Department of State. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. U.S. Department of State Imposes Visa Restrictions on Chinese Officials for Repression in Xinjiang 10/08/2019 03:42 PM EDT Michael R. Pompeo, Secretary of State The Chinese government has instituted a highly repressive campaign against Uighurs, ethnic Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, and other members of Muslim minority groups in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region (Xinjiang) that includes mass detentions in internment camps; pervasive, high-tech surveillance; draconian controls on expressions of cultural and religious identities; and coercion of individuals to return from abroad to an often perilous fate in China.  Today, I am announcing: Visa restrictions on Chinese government and Communist Party officials who are believed to be responsible for, or complicit in, the detention or abuse of Uighurs, Kazakhs, or other members of Muslim minority groups in Xinjiang, China.  Family members of such persons may also be subject to these restrictions. These visa restrictions complement yesterday’s announcement by the Department of Commerce regarding the imposition of export restrictions on U.S. products exported to 28 entities, including elements of the Public Security Bureau and commercial companies in Xinjiang, involved in China’s campaign of surveillance, detention, and repression. The United States calls on the People’s Republic of China to immediately end its campaign of repression in Xinjiang, release all those arbitrarily detained, and cease efforts to coerce members of Chinese Muslim minority groups residing abroad to return to China to face an uncertain fate.  The protection of human rights is of fundamental importance, and all countries must respect their human rights obligations and commitments.  The United States will continue to review its authorities to respond to these abuses. Uganda’s Independence Day 10/09/2019 You are subscribed to Secretary's Remarks for U.S. Department of State. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Uganda’s Independence Day 10/09/2019 08:00 AM EDT Michael R. Pompeo, Secretary of State On behalf of the United States of America, I send my best wishes to the people of Uganda in celebration of your 57th anniversary of independence. The United States and Uganda share a common commitment to regional peace and stability in East Africa. Uganda’s continued contribution to the African Union Mission in Somalia and collaborative efforts to control the spread of epidemic diseases reflect its role as a regional leader on the continent. The United States looks forward to working with the Ugandan people to advance democratic institutions and fundamental freedoms. I wish the people of Uganda a safe and prosperous year to come. U.S. Policy on the International Criminal Court Remains Unchanged 10/09/2019 You are subscribed to Secretary's Remarks for U.S. Department of State. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. U.S. Policy on the International Criminal Court Remains Unchanged 10/09/2019 11:06 AM EDT Michael R. Pompeo, Secretary of State In April, the International Criminal Court (ICC) resoundingly rejected the ICC Prosecutor’s request to open an investigation into Afghanistan, including allegations against U.S. personnel.  More recently, the ICC Prosecutor asked the judges for permission to appeal aspects of that rejection.  On September 17, the Court partially granted the Prosecutor’s request, allowing a limited appeal to proceed.  Last week, the ICC Prosecutor submitted a brief to appeal the April decision.  In the meantime, the earlier decision stands, rejecting any Afghanistan investigation. The United States remains committed to protecting its personnel from the ICC’s wrong-headed efforts spearheaded by a few grandstanders.  The judges were right to reject the Prosecutor’s outrageous request to investigate U.S. personnel on April 12, and the appeal process is pointless as far as we are concerned.  The United States is not a party to the ICC’s Rome Statute and has consistently voiced its unequivocal objections to any attempts to assert ICC jurisdiction over U.S. personnel.  An investigation by the ICC of U.S. personnel would be unjustified and unwarranted, and any ICC effort to re-open this case would be a waste of its time and resources – something the ICC judges recognized when they stated in their decision that such an investigation would be “inevitably doomed to failure.” As previously stated, the United States will take all necessary steps to defend its sovereignty and protect U.S. and allied personnel from unjust investigation and prosecution by the ICC.  On March 15, we announced a policy restricting issuance of visas to any and all ICC officials determined to be directly responsible for an ICC investigation of U.S. personnel, or of allied personnel without our allies’ consent.  We will remain vigilant in applying this policy.  The United States respects the decision of those nations that have chosen to join the ICC, and in turn, we expect that our decision not to join and not to place our people under the court’s jurisdiction will also be respected. Secretary Michael R. Pompeo And Colombian Foreign Minister Carlos Holmes Trujillo 10/09/2019 You are subscribed to Secretary's Remarks for U.S. Department of State. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Secretary Michael R. Pompeo And Colombian Foreign Minister Carlos Holmes Trujillo 10/09/2019 11:40 AM EDT Michael R. Pompeo, Secretary of State Washington, D.C. Treaty Room SECRETARY POMPEO:  Thank you all for being with us this morning.  It’s my great honor to welcome my friend Foreign Minister Trujillo back to Washington for the U.S.-Colombia High Level Dialogue.  It’s the fourth meeting that you and I have had this year. This regular dialogue shows that the United States values our friendship with Colombia – a relationship rooted in a shared set of values, a commitment to democracy, the rule of law, and fundamental human rights. President Duque’s administration deserves great credit for this close partnership.  Just two decades ago, Colombia was gripped by violence and corruption.  No more.  We’ve been proud to support your efforts to reclaim and rebuild your nation, Mr. Foreign Minister, and we thank you for your great partnership. Today our teams will talk about a number of topics, and we will build on those solid foundations for the good of your country, the United States, and, indeed, the broader region. We’ll certainly address narcotics.  The United States has a significant stake in the outcome of Colombia’s crackdown on the production of and trafficking of narcotics.  That’s why we join President Duque in setting an ambitious goal to reduce coca cultivation and cocaine by half by the end of 2023. We’ve seen signs of progress.  We just had the chance to chat about that.  Last year, coca cultivation decreased for the first time since 2012.  More than 86,000 hectares of coca were eradicated – 20 percent more than we had set as our joint goal. Much more work needs to be done.  Today we’ll discuss how to expand our counternarcotics efforts to achieve and sustain the ambitious five-year goal that we set. We’ll also address Colombia’s valiant humanitarian efforts to support the now 1.6 million people who have fled Venezuela and come to Colombia. To date, the United States has provided more than $250 million to aid Colombia in its response to the Venezuelan crisis, and our support is ongoing and continuing. Just this past month, at the U.N. General Assembly, I announced nearly $119 million in new funding to support relief efforts throughout the region. And since 2018, we have twice deployed the U.S. Navy Ship Comfort on medical missions to the region, stopping each time in Colombia. As I’ve shared with the foreign minister today, we stand ready to do even more to support Colombia’s heroic efforts to save lives and stabilize the region. And then finally, we’ll talk about an important topic: how we strengthen our economic ties between the two countries.  There’s real good progress already underway. Colombia’s per capita GDP has doubled since 2000, and poverty has declined from one in five to one in 25. That’s been a lot of hard work by Colombia and its people, but the United States has helped as well.  We’re Colombia’s largest trade and investment partner, and our trade supports hundreds of thousands of jobs in each of our two countries. I know we can do more, and I look forward to the continued discussions throughout the day amongst our teams to deliver on this commitment. When I last visited Latin America in April, I explained the Trump administration’s ultimate goal in the region, which is to cement a future of democracy, peace, and prosperity. As I said then, it’s not an impossible dream.  Nor it is a foregone conclusion. We will all have to work on this together. Colombia is proof – is proof that the dream is indeed possible and that hard work pays off.  And today, that work continues. Foreign Minister Trujillo, thank you and your delegation for being here.  I invite you now to make a statement. FOREIGN MINISTER TRUJILLO:  Thank you very much, Mr. Secretary.  Good morning, everyone.  As Colombia’s minister of foreign affairs, it is an honor for – to meet you all today as we open the eighth meeting of the U.S.-Colombia High Level Dialogue.  On behalf of the entire Colombian delegation, thank you, Secretary Pompeo, for the warm welcome and your hospitality here at the Department of State. Today I am joined by a delegation of Colombian Government officials who will have leaded three areas of our high-level dialogue with the United States: security, economic prosperity, and democratic governance.  Dating back to its beginnings in 2010, the high-level mechanism has sought to strengthen the U.S.-Colombia strategic partnership and diversify our bilateral agenda, working together toward our mutual prosperity.  Since then, Mr. Secretary, multiple projects have come to fruition and benefitted both Americans and Colombians.  Our accomplishments through the high-level dialogue include U.S. support for the Colombia’s admission to the OECD, improved cooperation in humanitarian de-mining, Colombia gaining access to the Global Entry program and increased educational exchanges, just to name a few. We are committed to continuing down this path and setting out measurable, high-impact commitments.  Ahead of this year’s session, I would like to briefly address three key issues that are at the top of our agenda and which demonstrate the efficacy of the high-level dialogue: the Venezuelan crisis, achieving prosperity and equality, and the fight against drugs. The Venezuelan crisis:  We will continue to work through all political and diplomatic means jointly with the countries of the Lima Group, jointly with the United States, jointly with the Organization of American States, and other democracies across the world, to create a condition that will lead to positive change in Venezuela.  We will implement required sanctions to keep isolating the Maduro regime.  Colombia is deeply grateful for the continued U.S. support to assist more than 1.4 million Venezuelan migrants in Colombia. Achieving prosperity and equality:  We are working to further boost economic trade and trade relations between the United States and Colombia.  One example of this partnership occurred last May, when President Ivan Duque and U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry signed an agreement for both countries to advance renewable and nonconventional energy sources, diversify our energy matrix, and make Colombia more attractive to investment in energy projects. The fight against the global drug problem:  The Colombian Government is committed more than ever to reducing areas cultivated with coca crops by 50 percent in two – in 2023.  So far this year we have achieved more than 75 percent of the annual goal of eradicating 80,000 hectares of illicit crops. Despite challenges in our hemisphere and across the globe, Colombia and the United States stand together in promoting common interests and values such as liberty, democracy, and the rule of law.  These mutual values will continue to guide our actions in delivering prosperity for our peoples.  Our delegation looks forward to this year’s session and deepening our political and commercial relations through close dialogue with the United States.  Thank you very much. SECRETARY POMPEO:  Thank you. Secretary Michael R. Pompeo With Eric Bolling of America This Week with Eric Bolling, Sinclair TV 10/09/2019 You are subscribed to Secretary's Remarks for U.S. Department of State. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Secretary Michael R. Pompeo With Eric Bolling of America This Week with Eric Bolling, Sinclair TV 10/09/2019 09:35 PM EDT Michael R. Pompeo, Secretary of State Washington, D.C. QUESTION: Secretary Mike Pompeo, thank you for joining us, Secretary of State. Boy, you are a busy man lately. Every few days or so I see President Trump is having lunch with Secretary Pompeo. I think this week the big news – aside from the Ukraine stuff, I’d like to start with Syria and the decision to pull out of Syria. It created a lot of waves, I guess, on both sides of the aisle. I saw a couple Republicans even having a bit of a problem with it. Can you tell us what went into the decision to pull out of Syria? SECRETARY POMPEO: Sure. And first of all, thanks for having me on. It’s great to be with you again, Eric. The President has been incredibly focused since he came into office on getting the Middle East right. He campaigned on ending these endless wars. And in Syria, we’ve had a team there that was designed to take down the caliphate, right? We saw – when we came into office, the previous administration we had people being beheaded, in cages. You remember all this. It seems like an awfully long time ago. But in fact, we successfully – along with allies and partners in the region – took down the entire caliphate. That mission is now complete. It is not that ISIS is eliminated. That challenge still remains. But the President firmly believes it is now time that we reprioritize, that we, in fact, protect America first, and that we get our force posture in the Middle East just right. And then on this decision this past week with respect to Syria, President Erdogan had made clear he was going to begin to move forces south, and the President made the decision to move back several dozen American troops to make sure that they were out of harm’s way. And, indeed, within the last few hours, the Turkish assault across that very line that he told President Trump he was going to do has now commenced. QUESTION: And I’ve always been on record as saying I don’t understand why we’re involved in these Middle East wars. I completely agree with President Trump and yourself for pulling out of Syria. I wish we’d get out of some of the other ones, as well. But here’s my question: Are we putting the Kurds at risk? Clearly, an American ally. Was there a discussion with the Kurds that we were about to do this? Were they prepared for this? SECRETARY POMPEO: So a couple of things. The President has made clear for a long time that this was ultimately our objective – to get to this place where there were fewer American forces in the region. And so in that sense, I think it’s been widely known to the whole world that ultimately we would get there. We’ve been working to create a safe zone in the space there between the two. The Kurds have done great work. But you have to remember, too, Turkey is a NATO ally. They are a partner in the West and have been for an awfully long time. And so to strike the right balance, to get this right, the President has said we’re not going to – I think he tweeted yesterday, we’re not going to abandon the Kurds. That’s absolutely the case. We think we can achieve both of those objectives. QUESTION: Erdogan, do you think – do you think you and President Trump can trust Erdogan? SECRETARY POMPEO: I always think when it comes to foreign policy, it’s about verification. People ask this question about trust all the time. My observation now having been the Secretary of State for a little over a year and a half is that what you do is you work to put mechanisms in place, you execute diplomacy such that you have the right incentives so people will continue to engage and nations will continue to engage on the things that keep America safe. QUESTION: But my concern is, I remember from years of talking about this – and with Barack Obama, even – Turkey was almost a conduit for ISIS. They’d go and steal stuff in Iraq, and they’d go drive and sell it into Turkey. Is that a risk? Are we — SECRETARY POMPEO: Yeah. QUESTION: Is there a risk of ISIS reuniting into a force? SECRETARY POMPEO: There’s lots of risks from radical Islamic terrorism all around the world. It’s certainly the case that the President is mindful that ISIS might begin to rise up again. And so the President has said, when they do, we’ll come back and we’ll get this. We will – we will go where we need to go to keep the American people safe from the treat of radical Islamic terrorism, whether that’s in Syria or Afghanistan. We’re going to get it right. We’re going to keep the American people safe. But when we’re done, when we’ve accomplished our mission, we’re going to get our boys and girls home. QUESTION: There you go. The other topic du jour, of the week, the Ukraine investigation, the impeachment inquiry. Where is it going from here? Tell us, you’ve been subpoenaed. Other members of the State Department have said they’re concerned about being subpoenaed. And I think the President and the administration has said, “We will not comply.” At one – will there be a situation where you will testify and turn over documents? I think there was something attached to whether or not Adam Schiff is pulled from the House Intelligence Committee. SECRETARY POMPEO: So we’ll all ultimately allow the lawyers – the White House made a decision yesterday, they issued an extended letter talking about this process that the House is engaged in, making clear that the White House’s view is that this is not a legitimate impeachment proceeding. We’ll take our guidance from them in terms of how we respond, but I’ve also make clear to my team here at the State Department: We have a mission. We still have a mission in Ukraine. We still have objectives. I think about what the previous administration did, where they allowed the Russians to take one-fifth of Ukraine. Look at the results that President Trump has achieved with respect to Ukraine. We’ve provided them defensive systems; we have pushed back against Vladimir Putin. Our team should be proud of the work that they’ve done between the United States and Ukraine over the last – goodness – two and a half years. QUESTION: Secretary, it came out later that you were on the phone call that everyone’s so concerned about between the Ukraine president and President Trump. Were you concerned when you were listening in originally? SECRETARY POMPEO: Yeah, the phone call is out there. People – it’s like a Rorschach test for America. People read the phone call and see very different things. I was on the call; I’m on scores and scores of calls with foreign leaders alongside the President. I know what the President had been trying to accomplish with Ukraine. He’s been very concerned about their corruption. He has often asked the question: Should American taxpayers’ dollars be used in Ukraine, or should we not ask those countries most directly involved – the Europeans, the French, the Germans, the Poles, those that are much closer to the theater where Russia could pose a threat? Shouldn’t they be engaged first and to a greater degree? When I was working with the President on Ukraine, those were the topics that we addressed. And I think we should be proud of what we’ve achieved there. QUESTION: And I don’t know, and I watch a lot of cable news, and I watch a lot of cable news hosts getting all up in arms about what actually was said. Can you explain to – we have a vast audience. We have the whole country blanketed, with the exception of a couple cities. Will you explain to us what they believe was so wrong with asking a foreign government to tie up some loose ends with some corruption with an American? SECRETARY POMPEO: Yeah, I said this the other day. There’s been this idea that – somehow that it’s unacceptable to ask other countries to do things that are in America’s best interests. It’s what I do all day, literally. The task of diplomats is to work with other countries to achieve things that are in the best interests of America. And sometimes America has to make commitments, they will do something so that you can get what it is you need. And I’ve watched this President. We need to make sure we give our leaders – whether it’s this president, the next one, or those before – give them all the space they need to engage in activity that benefits the United States of America. And if that means calling out corruption in a particular country and asking them to clean that up, that seems more than appropriate to me. QUESTION: One of the other countries on the list of things I wanted to talk to you about, China, this week the NBA had a dustup with China. The GM of the Rockets tweeted something about – in support of the protestors in Hong Kong. We saw Beijing pull back on some NBA deals that they had, broadcasting some of the NBA games and whatnot, and then they saw a consistently almost a – like dominoes falling. The president of the Houston Rockets, the commissioner of the NBA, Harden, the best player, and other companies – companies in America – caving to the Chinese simply batting their eye about a tweet. What’s our relationship with China? SECRETARY POMPEO: Eric, with respect to how businesses deal with China, that’s – it’s lawful, it’s within their rights to behave in the way they think is their own economic best interest. But I’d say a couple things. First, I think companies are waking up to the fact that while they may think they’re making money, the costs are enormous. The costs connected to kowtowing to Beijing in the way that we have seen too often engaged in is costly to those companies – costly to their reputations, and I think people are waking up to the – they’re seeing the long arm of Beijing reach out and put restrictions on them, restrictions that the United States of America would never do to any private sector business. QUESTION: Let’s use a baseball analogy. What inning are we in in this trade war with China? Where – what’s the score, and what inning are we in? SECRETARY POMPEO: Well, I’m confident of this: We’ll ultimately win. If it’s a baseball game, I have great confidence in President Trump prevailing. But if you think about what he’s trying to accomplish, for an awfully long time the United States has had this unfair, nonreciprocal trade relationship with China, where they frankly stole jobs from my home back in Kansas, intellectual property, they forced technology to be transferred. And President Trump has just said enough. QUESTION: I agree with him. SECRETARY POMPEO: I don’t know what inning we’re in. QUESTION: I love what we’re doing with China. SECRETARY POMPEO: Yeah. QUESTION: I think it’s the right move. You want fair trade. SECRETARY POMPEO: That’s all the President’s asking for. QUESTION: But what inning are we in? And are we close to winning this game? Because the markets, every day there’s a new headline out of this trade war with China, with Beijing, they’re up three, 400, 500, or down three, four, 500. SECRETARY POMPEO: The President is driving our country to be on the march to the outcome which we’ll make sure that farmers in Iowa — QUESTION: See, that’s why he’s – he won’t give – (laughter). SECRETARY POMPEO: — technologists in New York and the Silicon Valley will be able to compete fairly. I hope we’re in the top of the ninth and that we’re close to being successful. There’s negotiations that’ll take place even this week – tomorrow, I think – and I hope that they make real progress. QUESTION: All right. We’re going to keep – hold you over to the break. I’ll ask you some important questions about the President. Stay with us here. SECRETARY POMPEO: Thank you. QUESTION: And welcome back. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, thank you again for doing this. You probably are one of the closest people to the President of the United States. I’ve known him for 15 years. I know things like this impeachment inquiry bother him. When you’re with him, do you get a sense that this is changing him? Now, let’s be – we’re talking to the American people here. How could it not? You have a whole Senate – I mean, a whole House subcommittee – six committees investigating him, giving him a hard time. What’s his demeanor? What’s his feeling about this investigation? SECRETARY POMPEO: Yeah, look, I think you see it as he speaks to the American people each and every day, either when he takes questions from the media – I think he’s taken more questions than any previous president’s taken – or when you see his Twitter feed, you get a chance to see how he’s thinking about this. He is convinced that he is delivering on behalf of the American people. I watch him. This noise impacts us all, right? It absolutely takes some of our time. We have to respond, and get questions. We want to be responsive to Congress; they have appropriate oversight responsibility. I was once a member there. We want to honor those. But they do distract. They do take time. And they certainly take time for the President and his White House as well. But I’ve also seen this president in difficult situations, under things that ordinary folks would find so stressful they couldn’t perform, and I’ve watched President Trump in those situations always excel. QUESTION: He has always taken a lot of information. He has advisors come in; he’ll talk to them. He’ll do kind of this thing – he’ll kind of look around and listen, and he takes it all in and makes his decisions. First of all, does he listen to Mike Pompeo? SECRETARY POMPEO: Yeah, he sure does. Does he always agree with me? No. QUESTION: What do you think – is there something that he’s done that you think he could have done differently? SECRETARY POMPEO: In hindsight, I think we’d all say there were things we could get better. I’ve made recommendations to him that he’s rejected. Turned out he was right. I think our task is to make sure that we give our level-best shot every day, that our State Department delivers good information – a set of policy outcomes that are consistent with what he’s told the American people he’ll achieve. That’s what we keep working on. But history will ultimately judge the results of what this administration has done. And I stare at the first two-and-a-half years and I’m incredibly proud of our foreign policy achievements. QUESTION: Well, you are really highly respected out here in the community, in America. We’re frankly glad you’re there. One of your predecessors, maybe not so much. She ran for president a couple of times and now – she’s Hillary Clinton I’m mentioning. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that Trump better be careful or she’s going to run for president again. Your thoughts? I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have laughed. She said she may run for president if he’s not careful. Your thoughts on Hillary Clinton? SECRETARY POMPEO: So I don’t do politics these days. As the Secretary of State, I’ve got plenty to have my mind on, but I am confident that President Trump and his political team will be able to take on whatever’s the problem. QUESTION: Let me ask you this way: Did Hillary Clinton pave the way for an easier job for Mike Pompeo, or a bit more difficult job cleaning up messes for Mike Pompeo? SECRETARY POMPEO: Oh, goodness, that’s an easy question to answer. When we took over across a broad range of issues, whether it was Korea or the terrible deal with Iran, ISIS on the rise – I could go through a list – we had a lot of work to do. There were many things that we had to turn around, risks to the American people that had been unaddressed in a serious way by the previous administration. And the good news is President Trump has given me and our entire national security team the authority and the capacity to go deliver on behalf of the American people. QUESTION: Want to grade Hillary Clinton Secretary of State A through F? SECRETARY POMPEO: I’ll let others do the grade. QUESTION: Good enough. Mike Pompeo, thank you very much. SECRETARY POMPEO: Thanks, Eric. QUESTION: Secretary of State, appreciate it. Curacao Day 10/10/2019 You are subscribed to Secretary's Remarks for U.S. Department of State. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Curacao Day 10/10/2019 12:08 PM EDT Michael R. Pompeo, Secretary of State On behalf of the people of the United States, I extend congratulations to the people of Curacao on Curacao Day. The United States is proud of our enduring partnership with Curacao, including our collaboration through the U.S. Caribbean Resilience Partnership.  As we approach the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II, the United States remembers Curacao’s contribution to Caribbean security, and to the Allied victory.  We value our strong partnership and recognize Curacao’s generosity and sacrifice in hosting displaced Venezuelan refugees.  We look forward to continuing our work with Curacao to address the challenges posed by Venezuela in the region. The United States wishes the people of Curacao a happy Curacao Day. Secretary Michael R. Pompeo With Judy Woodruff of PBS NewsHour 10/10/2019 You are subscribed to Secretary's Remarks for U.S. Department of State. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Secretary Michael R. Pompeo With Judy Woodruff of PBS NewsHour 10/10/2019 01:50 PM EDT Michael R. Pompeo, Secretary of State Washington, D.C. QUESTION:  Secretary Pompeo, thank you very much for talking with us. SECRETARY POMPEO:  Judy, it’s great to be with you.  Thanks for having me on. QUESTION:  I want to turn first to Syria.  Today, as you know, Turkish armed forces crossed the border into northern Syria with a mission of, in essence, cleaning out, wiping out the Syrian Kurds, the YPG.  Right now, it appears that we don’t know where this invasion is going to end up.  Does the U.S. take responsibility for whatever the outcome is?  Because the U.S. has given Turkey a green light. SECRETARY POMPEO:  Yeah, well, that’s just false.  The United States didn’t give Turkey a green light. QUESTION:  President Trump spoke with President Erdogan, and after the call, the President said that Turkey would be moving in.  U.S. forces were withdrawn from the area, so there was a change in U.S. policy, one that you had supported.  You had supported staying close to the YPG, the Kurdish – Syrian Kurdish U.S. allies that had helped in the fight against ISIS. SECRETARY POMPEO:  Well, remember the mission, Judy.  The mission was that when we came into office, there were people being beheaded, people being burned, people in cages.  President Trump made the decision that we would begin a campaign that would take down the caliphate.  We succeeded in that.  On the phone call on Sunday night, it became very clear that there were American soldiers that were going to be at risk, and the President made a decision to put them in a place where they were out of harm’s way.  That’s what we’ve done. President Trump’s been unambiguous about making sure that radical Islamic terrorism, wherever we find it, this administration will take it seriously.  And I think the success that we’ve had in Syria, along with many allies of the defeat ISIS coalition that the State Department put together – numbers countries in the dozens and dozens – I’m confident that we will continue to protect the American people from that terrorist threat. QUESTION:  Have you personally changed your thinking about being – viewing the YPG as U.S. allies? SECRETARY POMPEO:  The Turks have a legitimate security concern.  We’ve talked about that; I’ve talked about that repeatedly.  They have a terrorist threat to their south.  We’ve been working to make sure that we did what we could to prevent that terror threat from striking the people in Turkey while trying to achieve what is in America’s best interests – the threat from radical Islamic terrorism emanating from Syria.  We’ll continue to do that. QUESTION:  It’s striking, the Republican opposition to this, not just the Senate majority leader, Republican leader Mitch McConnell, who said it’s a mistake, in essence.  Lindsey Graham is – has called it a stain on our honor, American honor.  This morning, he said this will ensure the reemergence of ISIS. SECRETARY POMPEO:  Yeah, that’s certainly not what I believe will happen.  I’m confident that President Trump understands the threat.  Remember where we were – and I love Senator Graham, he’s a friend – but remember where we were when this administration came into office, and now just judge us by our results.  We have achieved a good outcome there.  We have taken down the caliphate.  There are ISIS remnants that remain.  We’ll continue to be in a position to do what we need to do to keep the American people as safe as we possibly can from this threat. But it is not only in Syria.  It emanates from Iraq.  There are a dozen other countries where the threat from radical Islamic terrorism continues to exist, and we, the United States, has to make sure we position our forces, our resources, appropriately to reduce that threat to the United States.  That’s the mission set, Judy. QUESTION:  But just as a quick clarification, you’re saying the U.S. does not take responsibility for whatever the outcome is here – casualties, ISIS reemergence, and so forth? SECRETARY POMPEO:  We’re going to work to make sure that ISIS doesn’t have the caliphate that extends across a broad swath of Syria and Iraq, which is the place that we found ourselves when this President took office. QUESTION:  China.  The NewsHour has just completed a series of reports on China, and I want to ask you about what the administration is doing with regard to China.  Just yesterday, the State Department has been – and this week is stepping up sanctions on Chinese officials, Chinese firms that have been involved in repressing Muslim minorities in China, the Uighurs, the Kazakhs, and others. But how complicit, my question is, is China’s top leader, Xi Jinping, in all of this? SECRETARY POMPEO:  Well, Xi Jinping leads the country.  Just like the leader of a tank platoon, a small business, or a country, you’re responsible for the things that happen in your name.  We’ve watched – we’ve seen the dustup this week with the NBA, but this problem extends far beyond this.  The desire and the actions that have been taken on the ground to take down the Muslim faith or destroy the Uighur ethnicity in the West there in China is something that the State Department has spoken out about loudly.  We hope China will change its direction.  We think – I think this is not only an enormous human rights violation, but we don’t think it’s in the best interest of the world or of China to engage in this kind of behavior. QUESTION:  Will Mr. Xi himself be held accountable in the end, do you think? SECRETARY POMPEO:  We’re doing everything we can to reverse the course of action that’s been chosen there.  We’ve now put 28 new countries – Commerce Department – on the entity list, companies that were enabling the repression that’s taking place there, and the rest of the State Department did its part by placing visa restrictions.  We’re going to continue to talk about these human rights violations.  As the President said in another context, in Hong Kong, we want to make sure that these issues are handled in a way that is humane. QUESTION:  Hong Kong, and you mentioned what’s going on with regard to the NBA.  The Chinese are now retaliating against Americans who speak out in favor of the protestors in Hong Kong.  The manager of the Houston Rockets, the professional basketball team, they’re now pulling – they won’t air a couple of NBA games in China as a result.  Is what they’re – how appropriate is this?  What does it say about China that they’re doing this? SECRETARY POMPEO:  Yeah, I think American businesses have the right to make the decisions that they make as long as they’re lawful.  They’ll have to make their own business decisions.  But I think not only what we saw this week, but this has been going on for some time.  I think American businesses are waking up to the risks that attend to their company.  It may seem – it may seem that it makes profit in the short run, but the cost, the reputational cost to these companies, I think, will prove to be higher and higher as Beijing’s long arm reaches out to them and destroys their capacity for them, their employees – in the NBA’s case, team members and general managers – to speak freely about their political opinion, something that we value so deeply here in the United States. QUESTION:  There’s been talk, as you know, about whether the Hong Kong authorities will have the Chinese army involved in dealing with the protestors.  Does the U.S. have a plan for what it would do if that happened? SECRETARY POMPEO:  The President’s made clear our objectives there and the way that we want to make sure this proceeds.  China made a commitment.  It was with the United Kingdom, then submitted to the United Nations – they made a series of promises.  And I think the whole world’s watching.  They’re watching Beijing to see if it truly will live up to the commitments that it made.  It made promises to the people of Hong Kong, and indeed to the world, about their system: one country, two systems.  Our expectation is they will continue to live up to that, to the extent that they take action, the President has said it needs to be the case that they behave in a way that is humane. QUESTION:  The – our reporter Nick Schifrin, when he was in China, did extensive reporting, talked to a lot of officials about exporting – Chinese exporting their surveillance technology to many other countries so that they can, frankly, surveil on their own citizens.  Is it too late to stop the spread of Chinese technology for those kinds of purposes? SECRETARY POMPEO:  Judy, the world’s got to make some decisions, and every country will make its own sovereign one.  I’ve been out talking about this for a year and a half now.  The Chinese Communist Party has access to information that runs across Chinese networks.  It’s in their basic laws.  I don’t think it’s in the best interest of any country to take the data from their private citizens and place it in the hands of the Chinese Communist Party.  And I ultimately believe that the world will see that communications networks that are built on Western values of openness, transparency, rule of law, contracts, property rights, all of the things that we’ve come to know and rely on for our capacity to communicate around the world – I think the world will see that and they will demand that every network, every system comply with those rules.  So no, I don’t think it’s remotely too late. QUESTION:  And the so-called Belt and Road Initiative, China exporting its infrastructure expertise around the world, it’s clear now – Nick Schifrin talked to a number, again, of officials who say the Chinese are everywhere with this.  And they’re – they say the U.S. is just not on the playing field. SECRETARY POMPEO:  Yeah, so China is free to have their companies come compete around the world.  We want that.  We encourage that.  If they show up with a straight-up transaction and a Chinese company beats a European company or an African country or an American company, so be it.  That’s fair.  That’s reasonable. But what you have seen and what we are pushing back against – and I will concede that for 20 years the world underreacted to this, not only the United States but all of the West – what you’re beginning to see is an acknowledgement of this challenge where these transactions aren’t fair. They’re showing up with money in brown paper bags.  They’re putting debt on nations that they can’t possibly repay so that they’ll ultimately be able to exert political influence.  I think the world is waking up these threats and these risks, and I am confident that over time this will not prevail.  And to say that America is not present is just inaccurate. QUESTION:  In just the short time that we have left, I want to raise Ukraine.  You were on that phone call between President Trump and President Zelensky of Ukraine.  Did you think at the time when you heard it that what the President was asking for was appropriate? SECETARY POMPEO:  Everyone keeps asking about what the whistleblower said on this phone call.  I heard last night people talking about someone heard the call and was frightened.  We have the readout from the call.  We have what was the best effort to put together a transcript from the call. And I know what this administration has done with respect to Ukraine.  We’ve worked diligently on this.  I’m proud of our results.  I remember where Obama left Ukraine.  It left it at 80 percent of the size that it was when he came into office.  And Vladimir Putin hasn’t done that. And I think, frankly, the most important reaction to that call – because I was on it.  I was on the call.  I listened to it.  It was consistent with what President Trump has been trying to do to take corruption out.  I found that to be wholly appropriate to try and get another country to stop being corrupt.  But the most important reaction is from President Zelensky himself, who said, no, I didn’t feel pushed.  I didn’t feel pressured. Everyone keeps suggesting that somehow there was undue pressure.  I assure you countries all around the world every day call me to try and get America to behave in the way that’s in the best interests of their country.  They try to apply pressure to me.  And we work on it.  We work on it diplomatically to achieve good outcomes for the American people.  And the results – the results that President Trump has achieved with respect to our relationship with Ukraine I think will stand on their own as a hallmark of success of the State Department and what this administration has done. QUESTION:  And just finally, you know that there’s been no proof of any misdoing on the part of Vice President Biden. SECRETARY POMPEO:  You all keep repeating that line as if you’re working for the DNC. QUESTION: I’m definitely not working for the DNC.  I’m an independent journalist.  But the European Union, the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv, the International Monetary Fund, and other international organizations felt that that prosecutor was corrupt and thought he should be removed. There’s no evidence that what Vice President Biden was doing was corrupt in some way.  So my question is, where is the rationale behind this? SECRETARY POMPEO:  There is no one who has stared at Ukrainian activity over the last years that doesn’t understand the risk of corruption from that government.  Oligarchs behaving in ways that are deeply inconsistent with basic, fundamental rules of law, principles, private property.  No one disputes that. For a nation to seek help from another country, to say, did you mess around in our elections in 2016?  Was there corruption that was engaged in?  That is completely appropriate activity. QUESTION:  Have you decided, just finally, that there will be cooperation with the House impeachment?  Have you talked about that? SECRETARY POMPEO:  Oh, goodness, I’ve made clear.  I think the White House has made very clear.  We will ensure that we do everything we’re required to do by the law and the Constitution.  Every time. QUESTION:  Secretary Mike Pompeo, thank you very much. SECRETARY POMPEO:  Thank you, Judy. U.S. Fully Supports Brazil’s Steps Towards OECD Membership 10/10/2019 You are subscribed to Secretary's Remarks for U.S. Department of State. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. U.S. Fully Supports Brazil’s Steps Towards OECD Membership 10/10/2019 07:14 PM EDT Michael R. Pompeo, Secretary of State Contrary to media reports, the United States, consistent with the March 19 Joint Statement from President Trump and President Bolsonaro, fully supports Brazil beginning the process to become a full member of the OECD.  We have welcomed Brazil’s ongoing efforts regarding economic reforms, best practices, and a regulatory framework in line with the standards of the OECD. The leaked letter does not accurately represent the United States’ position with respect to OECD enlargement. We are enthusiastic supporters of Brazil’s entry into this important institution and the United States will make a strong effort to support Brazil’s accession. Treasury Sanctions Individuals for Corruption in South Sudan 10/11/2019 You are subscribed to Secretary's Remarks for U.S. Department of State. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Treasury Sanctions Individuals for Corruption in South Sudan 10/11/2019 11:30 AM EDT Michael R. Pompeo, Secretary of State Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Ashraf Seed Ahmed Al-Cardinal (Al-Cardinal) and Kur Ajing Ater (Ajing) for their involvement in corruption in South Sudan.  Five companies determined to be owned or controlled by Al-Cardinal and one company owned or controlled by Ajing were also sanctioned. OFAC designated these individuals and entities pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13818, which builds upon and implements the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act and targets perpetrators of serious human rights abuse and corruption.  Today’s action demonstrates continued U.S. commitment to prevent and combat corruption globally. The corrupt activities of these individuals robbed critical resources from a war-torn country.  The population of South Sudan faces food insecurity, and an estimated one-third of South Sudanese have been forced to flee their homes. We urge the Government of South Sudan to take seriously the clear linkage between corrupt activities and the motive of some elites to disrupt the peace agreement, the implementation of which has reached a critical stage. Remarks at the Warsaw Process Working Group on Human Rights 10/11/2019 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. Remarks at the Warsaw Process Working Group on Human Rights 10/10/2019 11:44 AM EDT Robert A. Destro, Assistant SecretaryBureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Washington, DC Delegates Lounge, U.S. Department of State Thank you all for coming.  I hope you all had a chance to have a good lunch and make some friends.  I’ve enjoyed meeting many of you, and I hope you are all exchanging business cards.  We need to be working together to promote the inclusion of women in an effort to build peace and security. I know from my 17 years of human rights work, including in the Middle East, that the women of this region – from Tunis to Tehran – are more than capable of speaking for themselves.  All us are here today to make the case that they must be given the opportunity to do so.  The intelligence and passion displayed during the panels this morning make the case far more eloquently than I can. We are gathered here today and tomorrow precisely because the men and women of the Middle East must face the many crises in the region together.  Beyond the heart-rending, humanitarian crises caused by massive displacement, the region has long been home to some of the lowest levels of political and civic participation by women; some of the lowest levels of women’s labor force participation; and devastatingly high rates of gender-based violence. We are here to argue that women will play the decisive role in the future stability of the Middle East.  As the White House Strategy on Women, Peace and Security, notes: “Social and political marginalization of women strongly correlates with the likelihood that a country will experience conflict.”  We are here to invest in you.  As President Trump has said, “By investing in women around the world we are investing in peace.” By investing in you, we are investing in the long-term peace building process. I need not tell you that the seeds of conflict are being sown as we speak.  You live this experience every day.  Journalists and activists are being jailed; women running for office suffer death threats; and torture has become a routine way for governments to express their displeasure about criticism from political and religious dissidents.  Personal status laws discriminate against women, who are unable to transmit their citizenship status to their children.  Even women believers, who are often the backbones of their communities, are excluded from visible leadership roles in government, business and communal organizations How is it possible to solve any of these daunting problems if at least 50 percent of the available talent, intellect and energy of the community is excluded from civic participation?  The short answer is that we cannot. Injustice – however defined and against whomever practiced – breeds both extremism and instability.  Governments throughout the Middle East will become secure and stable if, and to the extent that, they are willing to acknowledge the God-given dignity and unalienable rights each of their citizens – men and women. In the course of my work as a human rights lawyer, I have had the honor and privilege to work with civil society leaders throughout the Middle East and North Africa.  Some of these brave individuals have been harassed, threatened, imprisoned or worse.  They are committed to peace despite the risks.  We must be equally committed to them. In Iran, women are at the forefront of efforts to demand justice from the Iranian government, but they face increasingly severe punishments for doing so.  How is it possible that women in Iran cannot attend something as simple as a football game?  How is it possible that a government that claims to be built on Islamic moral principle neglects the demands of justice and, actively supports the use of indiscriminate violence for unjust ends?  We are here for the women of Iran who refuse to be silent, and applaud those who support them. I recently had the honor of meeting former detainees who escaped from Assad’s dungeons and who will forever carry the scars of sexual violence and torture.  We agree with the panelists you heard from this morning.  We cannot separate the violence suffered from the efforts to rebuild and recover.  It make no difference whether the crimes were committed in the field in the name of a so called “caliphate” or committed by the police in a windowless prison cell in Syria.  We cannot unlink the government torture cell in Syria from the mass graves of ISIS victims, in Iraq or from the efforts in those countries to reconcile and move past conflict. Justice requires accountability.  This afternoon, you will get to engage with some of the experts who focus on the inter-connections among these issues. To this end, the State Department and the Bureau I lead (DRL) have long supported effor ... [Message clipped]  View entire message ReplyForward