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U.S. Department of State Weekly Digest Bulletin

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U.S. Department of State Weekly Digest Bulletin

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Public Schedule – December 4, 2022

12/03/2022

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Public Schedule – December 4, 2022

12/03/2022 07:10 PM EST

Office of the Spokesperson

***THE DAILY PUBLIC SCHEDULE IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE***

SECRETARY ANTONY J. BLINKEN
11:00 a.m. Secretary Blinken delivers remarks at the J Street National Conference in Washington, DC.
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(OPEN PRESS COVERAGE)
7:00 p.m. Secretary Blinken attends the Kennedy Center Honors in Washington, DC.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)

Assistant Secretary Ramin Toloui’s Travel to the United Kingdom and Germany

12/04/2022

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Assistant Secretary Ramin Toloui’s Travel to the United Kingdom and Germany

12/04/2022 11:46 AM EST

Office of the Spokesperson

Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs Ramin Toloui will travel December 4-8 to London, United Kingdom, and Berlin, Germany, to discuss bilateral and multilateral issues, infrastructure development goals, food security, and support and assistance for Ukraine.

While in London on December 5 and 6, Assistant Secretary Toloui will meet with the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office, His Majesty’s Treasury, and the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs.

While in Berlin, on December 7, Assistant Secretary Toloui will meet with the German Federal Foreign Office, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action.

Secretary Antony J. Blinken At the Kennedy Center Honors Dinner

12/04/2022

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Secretary Antony J. Blinken At the Kennedy Center Honors Dinner

12/04/2022 11:38 AM EST

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Washington, D.C.

Ben Franklin Room

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Good evening, everyone. Welcome. Welcome to the State Department. Welcome to what is for us an incredibly special evening. The Kennedy Center Honors is one of our favorite events of the year. Actually, I’ll let you in on a secret: It’s our favorite. (Applause.)

Deborah Rutter, to you and the Kennedy Center board, whose innovative, inclusive vision honors President Kennedy’s belief that art is not just a resuscitation of the past but rather the search for new ways of expressing the present and the future, we’re so grateful for everything you do to continue to inspire our nation.

We have remarkable guests at every table. But if you’ll allow me just a moment – or, as we say, a point of personal privilege – there are some close colleagues from the United States Congress who are here tonight that I’d like to acknowledge at the top. Senator Pat Leahy. (Applause.) Chairman Greg Meeks. (Applause.) Ranking Member Mike McCaul. (Applause.) Mike and I both know about three chords on the guitar, and we’re threatening to play them. (Laughter.) And last but not least, the Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. (Applause.)

Ladies and gentlemen, normally – normally – that would be the culmination. But we also have Paul Pelosi here too. (Applause.) We could not be happier to see you, Paul.

And thank you also to our MC for the evening, a certain Garth Brooks. (Applause.) Garth is no stranger to the Kennedy Center Honors. He’s also played for nearly every U.S. president since Jimmy Carter, when Garth was very small, and, of course, President Biden’s inauguration. So it’s wonderful to have you. So tonight, Garth, we’re going to give you a break. You just get to sit back and hand out some medals. (Laughter.) But if you feel compelled to maybe sing Amazing Grace (inaudible). (Laughter.)

The Kennedy Center Honors is an institution, the premier celebration of American cultural life, and it would not be complete without the presence of another living institution, David Rubenstein. (Applause.) Now, we would be here all night if I went through the extraordinary list of philanthropic endeavors that David’s been behind over many years, but let me just mention one, because it’s particularly relevant to this evening. Earlier tonight, many of you passed through the John Quincy Adams Room, where displayed is a national treasure, one of just 201 surviving copies of the Declaration of Independence, commissioned by then-Secretary of State John Quincy Adams more than two centuries ago. It was loaned to the department by David, and we are so grateful to have it. We’re grateful to have you. (Applause.)

So it’s particularly wonderful to have all of you in the Benjamin Franklin Room. Ben is looking down on us right now. (Laughter.) Many of you have been here before; it’s great to have you back. Now, Ben Franklin, of course, was our nation’s first diplomat. He charted the Gulf Stream, pioneered electricity; he gave us our ethos of self-government. And virtually none of this did he do while sober. (Laughter.) Story has it that when Ben went to France to negotiate our first alliance, before he went, he would extol the virtues of going to bed early. But then as ambassador to France, he said, and I quote, “Wine is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” (Laughter.) So this will be (inaudible).

Franklin was also an inventor of an early musical instrument, the armonica, made from – you guessed it – wine glasses. So I strongly encourage you to use your glasses in the more traditional manner tonight, but we do have one of the world’s greatest composers here, Tania León, so if folks want to stay behind and get together for an after party, maybe you can compose something with the glasses. (Laughter.)

So, as America’s first diplomat, Franklin understood that the bonds between nations are not just forged by governments but by people, and sometimes those connections take root a little deeper when they come in the form of a song or a symphony, a painting or a performance, instead of, let’s say, maybe a speech by the Secretary of State. That’s why cultural diplomacy is such a key pillar of our work here at the State Department.

Our Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs harnesses the power of education exchanges, sports, and the arts to build bridges between the Americas and people around the world. I’m a true believer in these programs, and even if I wasn’t, I wouldn’t have a choice because my wife used to run the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (inaudible). (Applause.) And I’m so pleased that we’re joined by the current Assistant Secretary of State Lee Satterfield. (Applause.)

So the bottom line is this: This room, made for our first ambassador, is a fitting place to celebrate honorees who are diplomats themselves. Their art forges the connections that transcend language, that transcend nationality, that resonate deeply with people across oceans and continents. Ultimately, these artists remind us of our common humanity, that no matter who we are or where we’re from, we can and we are all moved by the arts. You don’t have to speak English to feel something when you listen to Midnight Train to Georgia. (Laughter.) And Gladys, I hear the back and forth, the call and response between you and the Pips in my head all the time.

In a world where there are few big problems that the United States can solve alone, we can’t lose sight of this universal connection. The arts give us language to talk about the aspirations that we all hold, the emotions that we share, the challenges that we face. As Secretary, I’ve been fortunate to travel the world and see up close how the arts can communicate across borders.

One example. Earlier this fall in Bogotá, Colombia, I visited a museum called Fragmentos, or fragments, constructed after the end of Colombia’s five-decades-long civil war. Under Colombia’s peace accord, it was agreed that guns would be turned over, they’d be melted down, and they’d be used to create war memorials. But the sculptor thought it was wrong to create a traditional vertical monument made of weapons that people would have to look up at and admire, so she came up with the idea of melting down the munitions to become the floor of the gallery. Women who were victims of sexual assault during the war volunteered to pound the metals – pound them into tiles using mallets. Today, visitors walk on the guns and it’s the people, not the war combatants, who have the power.

When words fail, it’s often heart that speaks to us most eloquently. So now I want to show you just for a couple of minutes how inadequate words can be as I introduce our exceptional nominees. In this line of work, I occasionally get to meet some royalty, as well as heads of state, but few can compare to the empress of soul. Gladys Knight has belted out the soundtrack to our lives for decades, ever since making her musical debut at the ripe age of four. Deploying that extraordinary voice – its honesty, its emotion, its intensity, to doo-wop to Motown to 70s soul and gospel, Ms. Knight has made music that’s mended hearts, lifted spirits, and sometimes just plain made us dance. Her legacy endures in her music and the progress that she forged for civil rights over so many years, and in the generations of artists that she continues to inspire.

Michael Clayton; Up in the Air; Descendants; Three Kings; Out of Sight – I could go on. And that doesn’t even cover all of George Clooney’s Oscar wins. George manages to be both an old-school movie star and an exceptional actor with amazing range. Now, for most people, winning multiple Academy Awards and Golden Globes would be a career-defining feat, but in George’s case it’s only one of many extraordinary achievements. George is the rare star who swivels the spotlight away from himself and onto some of the most vexing issues of our day. He’s relentless in pursuit of justice. His Clooney Foundation for Justice, launched with Amal, is monitoring criminal trials, supporting the prosecution of war crimes, providing legal aid around the world. George is the living embodiment of a maxim handed down to him by his dad, Nick, who’s here tonight – thank you. (Applause.) As Nick told George, always challenge anyone in power and always defend anyone without power.

Tania León’s music defies categorization, weaving together traditions from Harlem to the (inaudible). Her works touch on themes from women’s suffrage, integration, to the brutality of military rule. And in any of her 40 chamber works, 10 orchestral pieces, six ballets, you’re as likely to hear instruments like the marimba, the djembe, the bongos as you are to hear flutes and oboes and bassoons. Now, I’m told that on hearing some of her earliest compositions, Ms. León’s father asked her: Where are you in your music? If you listen, you will find her radiant presence in everything that she’s composed ever since.

When Amy Grant was just 15, a record producer heard her demo. It was so good that he couldn’t wait to mail it to his boss, so he picked up the tape recorder, put it next to the phone, and Amy got an offer on the spot. Today, Amy Grant is known as the Queen of Christian pop, with 30 million albums sold, a billion global streams, six Grammys, plus stars on three separate walks of fame. Her message of compassion, the overwhelming warmth when she sings, the sheer joy that radiates from everything she does have made her, throughout the United States and beyond, a household name. Now, I’ve got to add that with Vince Gill as part of your household guitar, (inaudible) star power to spare. Resilient, welcoming, generous on and off the stage, Amy Grant reminds us that no matter the challenges we face, we can all be channels for light and for good in the world.

When the top award for contributions to American cultural life goes to a bunch of guys from Ireland, well, they must be something special. (Laughter.) Guitar, bass, drums, vocals – as simple as that, as soaring as that. Anthemic singalongs, ballads of tremendous tenderness, a global audience for nearly 50 years. Now I should say: guitar, bass, drums, vocals – my group had that too, but – (laughter) – somehow it doesn’t quite sound the same. But here’s the thing. U2 has always fused soft power with hard rock, not only through iconic songs but also through their commitment to social justice and human dignity, which is inseparable from their music. Few musical groups have been as outspoken, as committed, as effective in taking on some of the toughest global challenges.

U2 has forged a legacy that transcends the realm of music. President Kennedy wrote that, and I quote, “Behind the storm of daily conflict and crisis, the dramatic confrontations, the tumult of political struggle, the poet, the artist…continues the quiet work of centuries, building bridges of experience between peoples, reminding of the universality of feelings and desires and despairs…reminding that the forces that unite are deeper than that divide.”

The artists that we celebrate tonight have done just that. They’ve connected us; they’ve uplifted us; they have strengthened us. Whatever we may face as a global community, whatever the challenges, whatever the realities, the opportunities of this moment, we do it fortified by the beauty, by the inspiration, by the power of these outstanding artists. And it is quite simply a joy to honor you tonight.

Welcome, everyone, and have a great evening. (Applause.)

Secretary Antony J. Blinken At the Kennedy Center Honors Dinner

12/04/2022

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Secretary Antony J. Blinken At the Kennedy Center Honors Dinner

12/04/2022 11:38 AM EST

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Washington, D.C.

Ben Franklin Room

Ladies and gentlemen, normally – normally – that would be the culmination. But we also have Paul Pelosi here too. (Applause.) We could not be happier to see you, Paul.

Welcome, everyone, and have a great evening. (Applause.)

Assistant Secretary Ramin Toloui’s Travel to the United Kingdom and Germany

12/04/2022

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Assistant Secretary Ramin Toloui’s Travel to the United Kingdom and Germany

12/04/2022 11:46 AM EST

Office of the Spokesperson

While in Berlin, on December 7, Assistant Secretary Toloui will meet with the German Federal Foreign Office, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action.

Secretary Antony J. Blinken With Margaret Brennan of CBS’s Face the Nation

12/04/2022

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Secretary Antony J. Blinken With Margaret Brennan of CBS’s Face the Nation

12/04/2022 01:13 PM EST

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Washington D.C.

QUESTION: Good morning to you, Mr. Secretary.

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Margaret, good morning. Good to be with you.

QUESTION: I want to start with some breaking news overnight out of Iran. They have abolished the morality police. This is after months of protests following the death of Mahsa Amini, who died because – she was taken into custody since her head wasn’t adequately covered. Does this stop the protests that have been raging?

SECRETARY BLINKEN: That’s up to the Iranian people. This is about them; it’s not about us. And what we’ve seen since the killing of Mahsa Amini has been the extraordinary courage of Iranian young people, especially women, who’ve been leading these protests standing up for the right to be able to say what they want to say, wear what they want to wear. And so if the regime has now responded in some fashion to those protests, that could be a positive thing, but we have to see how it actually plays out in practice and what the Iranian people think. This is about them and it’s up to them.

QUESTION: We’ve also seen protests in China because of these COVID lockdown policies. They seem to have died out in recent days. Is that because the police state stopped them, or have they actually had an effect?

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Well, we’ve seen, apparently, some easing of the COVID restrictions in recent days, but very hard for us to speak to that. There, again, we’ve been standing up for the basic principle that people should have the right to make their views known peacefully, to protest, as the case may be, to vent their frustrations.

QUESTION: Your deputy, Wendy Sherman, gave a speech here in Washington on Friday where she said, “I think war is potentially possible, because Xi Jinping now has absolute control in China.” You’re about to go to China. Do you agree with that assessment?

SECRETARY BLINKEN: So, Margaret, we’re in an intense competition with China. And of course, there’s nothing wrong with competition itself as long as it’s basically fair and on a level playing field. And we’re working with countries around the world to build convergence on the approach to China, which I’ve seen get very strong in Europe, in Asia. And the President has a strong determination to ensure that the competition does not veer into conflict. That’s one of the reasons that he spent three hours with Xi Jinping in Indonesia on the margins of the G20. It’s one of the reasons that he asked me to go to China early next year, making sure that we’re talking, we’re communicating, we’re making clear what we’re about, what our intents are, what we’re doing. That’s vitally important. The world —

QUESTION: But “war is potentially possible” is what she said.

SECRETARY BLINKEN: The determination that we have is to make sure that the competition does not veer into conflict, and this is also what the world expects of us. They expect us to responsibly manage the relationship with China. This is something that I hear from countries around the world. It’s exactly what President Biden is doing – standing up strongly for our interests and values, working with other countries who are similarly situated to advance them, making sure that we’re keeping the contacts open, keeping the dialogue open.

QUESTION: I want to ask you about Russia. President Biden says he has no plans to speak with Vladimir Putin, but he would if there was an indication he wanted to end the war. The President’s top military advisor, Mark Milley, has said that during this cold period combat will slow and there could be a window for diplomacy. You’re the top diplomat. Do you think there’s value in trying to start talks?

SECRETARY BLINKEN: There’s always value in diplomacy if the parties in question – in this case, Russia – are actually interested in meaningful diplomacy. And what we’ve seen, at least recently, is exactly the contrary. Even as President Zelenskyy from Ukraine came to the G20 countries, the leading economies in the world, and put out a proposal for how to move forward toward peace, what did Vladimir Putin do? He doubled and tripled down on everything he was doing, mobilizing more forces, annexing territory in Ukraine, and now trying to weaponize winter.

He’s been unable to win on the battlefield, so he’s taking – he’s basically turning his ire and his fire on Ukrainian civilians, going after the energy infrastructure, trying to turn off the lights, turn off the heat, turn off the electricity. That’s what’s going on. So unless and until Putin demonstrates that he’s actually interested in meaningful diplomacy, it’s unlikely to go anywhere.

QUESTION: The Biden administration did put an offer on the table when it comes to a prisoner swap with Russia. That was back in July.

SECRETARY BLINKEN: That’s right.

QUESTION: Two weeks ago you said Russia has a failure to seriously negotiate. Has that changed? Is Russia serious now?

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Margaret, as you know, we did put a significant proposal on the table many months ago. And since then, we’ve been engaged repeatedly in any way that we can to try to advance it and to look to see if there are different permutations that could achieve what we’re trying to achieve, which is to get our people home – Brittney Griner, Paul Whelan. We’re engaged in that on a regular basis, and it’s my determination that we bring our people home. We will not stop until we do.

QUESTION: But if these talks are now active and ongoing, as the White House said, that suggests you think there is some reason to believe they’re serious now. You said they weren’t serious a few weeks ago.

SECRETARY BLINKEN: As they say, Margaret, the proof will be in the pudding. We have to see if the engagements that we’ve had, the discussions that we have produce an actual result. That’s the most important thing. But we are not resting on the laurels of having put forward a proposal some months ago. We’ve been actively engaged over these many months to try to move things forward.

QUESTION: The offer, for our viewers, was to release convicted arms dealer, known as the merchant of death, Viktor Bout. There are two Americans being held. You named them right there – Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan. Brittney has been in custody for less than a year. Whelan, a former Marine, has been in captivity since 2018. Russia wants a one-for-one swap. How do you decide which American gets left behind?

SECRETARY BLINKEN: So I’m not going to get into the details of this. It would be counterproductive for me to get into the specifics of anything that we’re saying or that the Russians are saying and that we’re hearing. My determination is one way or another, as long as it takes, to get people home. My efforts, the efforts of the entire administration, are to bring both Paul and Brittney home.

QUESTION: To bring them both home, but Russia wants a one-for-one swap.

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Again, I’m not going to get into the – into the details of where we are.

QUESTION: Well, that’s what Russian media has been reporting. So in your view, is it all or nothing?

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Well, Russian media – Russian media reports a lot every day that I wouldn’t necessarily take at face value.

QUESTION: So that’s not what the Russians have told you?

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Again, I’m not going to get into the details of it. Look, the other side gets a vote in this. It’s not just what we want; it’s what they’re prepared to do. And this is something that we’re working on almost every day.

QUESTION: Mm-hmm. And I know their families would love them home by Christmas, which is why I’m asking you.

I want to also, before I let you go, ask about Israel. Benjamin Netanyahu is on trial for corruption, but he right now is trying to piece together an alliance to form a government. If he does, he’ll become prime minister again. I know you know this. But he’s been allying himself with figures who have spewed anti-Arab, anti-gay hate as well as discrimination against non-Orthodox Jews. One of them wants to cancel gay pride parades. At least two have called for mass deportations of Palestinians, including the man who may head Israel’s police force. Doesn’t this makeup really jeopardize your intention to have peace in the region?

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Margaret, we have worked and will continue to work with Israeli governments of every kind, just as Israeli governments have worked with American administrations of every kind. And we’re determined to do that going forward. Our focus is less on personalities and more on policies. The important thing is what policies does the government pursue. The government, or the incoming government at least, knows our views on a number of these issues. But we have an absolute commitment to Israel’s security. That’s not going to change. And as we always have in the past, we’ll speak directly to each other; we’ll be very clear about what we think and what we believe with our Israeli allies. I’m sure they’ll do the same. And again, we’ll focus on the policies, not the personalities.

QUESTION: But these – this extreme-right-wing government, as it has been described, being put together does complicate your relationship, because then you also have to spend time talking about not canceling gay pride parades, not deporting people, all these policies here. That’s not what you want to focus on, which is settling peace, a two-state solution, which is being rejected by many of these figures.

SECRETARY BLINKEN: I think we can run and chew gum at the same time.

QUESTION: So you are not concerned about this?

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Again, we’re going to focus on what the government does. And as we have with every past Israeli government, and as Israelis have with every past U.S. administration, we’ll work closely together.

QUESTION: Secretary Blinken, you’re a busy man. Thank you for your time this morning.

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thanks, Margaret. Great to be with you.