U.S. Department of State Weekly Digest Bulletin

 

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U.S. Department of State Weekly Digest Bulletin Εισερχόμενα U.S. Department of State <usstatebpa@public.govdelivery.com> 7:06 π.μ. (πριν από 8 ώρες) προς εγώ Αγγλικά Ελληνικά     Μετάφραση μηνύματος Απενεργοποίηση για: Αγγλικά Public Schedule – February 6, 2023 02/05/2023 You are subscribed to Public Schedule for U.S. Department of State. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Public Schedule – February 6, 2023 02/05/2023 08:44 PM EST Office of the Spokesperson ***THE DAILY PUBLIC SCHEDULE IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE***     SECRETARY ANTONY J. BLINKEN Secretary Blinken attends meetings and briefings at the Department of State.  DEPUTY SECRETARY WENDY R. SHERMAN Deputy Secretary Sherman attends meetings and briefings at the Department of State. ACTING DEPUTY SECRETARY FOR MANAGEMENT AND RESOURCES JOHN R. BASS Acting Deputy Secretary Bass attends meetings and briefings at the Department of State. UNDER SECRETARY FOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS VICTORIA J. NULAND  Under Secretary Nuland attends meetings and briefings at the Department of State.  UNDER SECRETARY FOR CIVILIAN SECURITY, DEMOCRACY, AND HUMAN RIGHTS UZRA ZEYA Under Secretary Zeya is on travel to Mongolia and Japan from February 5-10, 2023. SENIOR OFFICIAL FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS ELIZABETH M. ALLEN 8:30 a.m. Senior Official Allen delivers remarks at the National War College, National Defense University, in Washington, D.C. (CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE) ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR AFRICAN AFFAIRS MOLLY PHEE Assistant Secretary Phee is on travel to South Africa, Nigeria, and Ethiopia from February 5-19, 2023. ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR EUROPEAN AND EURASIAN AFFAIRS KAREN DONFRIED 11:30 a.m. Assistant Secretary Donfried meets with Managing Director for Europe at the European Union European External Action Service Angelina Eichhorst at the Department of State. (CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE) 1:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Donfried meets with Romanian Political Director Sebastian Mitrache at the Department of State. (CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE) 2:30 p.m. Assistant Secretary Donfried delivers remarks at a farewell celebration in honor of the French Ambassador to the United States Philippe Etienne in Washington, D.C. (CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE) 7:30 p.m. Assistant Secretary Donfrieddelivers remarks at the annual workshop of the Council for the Relations between the United States and Italy at Villa Firenze in Washington, D.C. (CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE) ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR CONFLICT AND STABILIZATION OPERATIONS ANNE WITKOWSKY Assistant Secretary Witkowsky is on travel to Colombia from February 6-8, 2023. ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR POPULATION, REFUGEES, AND MIGRATION JULIETA VALLS NOYES Assistant Secretary Noyes is on travel to Qatar and Albania from February 4-10, 2023. BRIEFING SCHEDULE 2:00 p.m. Department Press Briefing with Spokesperson Ned Price. (OPEN PRESS COVERAGE) The Department Press Briefing will be livestreamed on www.state.gov and www.youtube.com/statedept. Public Schedule – February 6, 2023 02/05/2023 You are subscribed to Public Schedule for U.S. Department of State. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Public Schedule – February 6, 2023 02/05/2023 08:53 PM EST Office of the Spokesperson ***THE DAILY PUBLIC SCHEDULE IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE***  SECRETARY ANTONY J. BLINKEN Secretary Blinken attends meetings and briefings at the Department of State. DEPUTY SECRETARY WENDY R. SHERMAN Deputy Secretary Sherman attends meetings and briefings at the Department of State. ACTING DEPUTY SECRETARY FOR MANAGEMENT AND RESOURCES JOHN R. BASS Acting Deputy Secretary Bass attends meetings and briefings at the Department of State. UNDER SECRETARY FOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS VICTORIA J. NULAND  Under Secretary Nuland attends meetings and briefings at the Department of State. UNDER SECRETARY FOR CIVILIAN SECURITY, DEMOCRACY, AND HUMAN RIGHTS UZRA ZEYA Under Secretary Zeya is on travel to Mongolia and Japan from February 5-10, 2023. SENIOR OFFICIAL FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS ELIZABETH M. ALLEN 8:30 a.m. Senior Official Allen delivers remarks at the National War College, National Defense University, in Washington, D.C. (CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE) ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR AFRICAN AFFAIRS MOLLY PHEE Assistant Secretary Phee is on travel to South Africa, Nigeria, and Ethiopia from February 5-19, 2023. ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR EUROPEAN AND EURASIAN AFFAIRS KAREN DONFRIED 11:30 a.m. Assistant Secretary Donfried meets with Managing Director for Europe at the European Union European External Action Service Angelina Eichhorst at the Department of State. (CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE) 1:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Donfried meets with Romanian Political Director Sebastian Mitrache at the Department of State. (CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE) 2:30 p.m. Assistant Secretary Donfried delivers remarks at a farewell celebration in honor of the French Ambassador to the United States Philippe Etienne in Washington, D.C. (CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE) 7:30 p.m. Assistant Secretary Donfrieddelivers remarks at the annual workshop of the Council for the Relations between the United States and Italy at Villa Firenze in Washington, D.C. (CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE) ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR CONFLICT AND STABILIZATION OPERATIONS ANNE WITKOWSKY  Assistant Secretary Witkowsky is on travel to Colombia from February 6-8, 2023. ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR POPULATION, REFUGEES, AND MIGRATION JULIETA VALLS NOYES Assistant Secretary Noyes is on travel to Qatar and Albania from February 4-10, 2023. BRIEFING SCHEDULE 2:00 p.m. Department Press Briefing with Spokesperson Ned Price. (OPEN PRESS COVERAGE) The Department Press Briefing will be livestreamed on www.state.gov and www.youtube.com/statedept. Under Secretary Fernandez’s Travel to South Africa 02/05/2023 You are subscribed to Press Releases for U.S. Department of State. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Under Secretary Fernandez’s Travel to South Africa 02/05/2023 09:00 PM EST Office of the Spokesperson Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Jose W. Fernandez has arrived in Cape Town, South Africa, to give a keynote address at the Investing in Africa Mining Indaba—Africa’s largest mining investment conference. He will focus on the importance of U.S. support and investment in developing and securing more resilient and sustainable critical mineral supply chains. During his visit until February 7th, Under Secretary Fernandez will engage with government officials, business leaders, investors, and other stakeholders on our shared objective of bolstering key supply chains, particularly with respect to the critical minerals vital to a clean energy transition, while respecting environmental, social, and governance standards.  In Cape Town, the Under Secretary will also discuss increased investment and partnerships with Africa to further job growth, greater economic inclusion and sustainable development, and opportunity for citizens in the United States and across the African continent. To stay updated, follow Under Secretary Fernandez on Twitter: @State_E, Facebook: @StateDeptE, and LinkedIn: @State-E. For press inquiries, please contact: E_Communications@state.gov. Observance of the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation 02/06/2023 You are subscribed to Press Releases for U.S. Department of State. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Observance of the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation 02/06/2023 08:26 AM EST Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State The United States stands with the more than 200 million survivors of female genital mutilation and cutting (FGM/C) around the world in a posture of “zero tolerance” for the practice. We stand resolutely against the practice of FGM/C as a form of gender-based violence and a human rights abuse that threatens the lives and futures of girls and young women in nearly 30 countries around the world, including the United States.  Women and girls in all their diversity deserve to live free from gender-based violence and to make their own choices about their bodies, lives, and futures. Without significant and accelerated action, countries with persistently high levels of FGM/C will not reach the Sustainable Development Goal global target of elimination by 2030.  The United States is proud to continue supporting global programs to end this abuse, including a $5 million annual contribution to the UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme on the Elimination of Female Genital Mutilation. In line with the 2022 update to the U.S. Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Gender-Based Violence Globally, we will continue to work towards eliminating FGM/C wherever it occurs, in partnership with survivors, locally led women’s organizations, and youth-led groups and networks. Observance of the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation 02/06/2023 You are subscribed to Secretary's Remarks for U.S. Department of State. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Observance of the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation 02/06/2023 08:26 AM EST Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State The United States stands with the more than 200 million survivors of female genital mutilation and cutting (FGM/C) around the world in a posture of “zero tolerance” for the practice. We stand resolutely against the practice of FGM/C as a form of gender-based violence and a human rights abuse that threatens the lives and futures of girls and young women in nearly 30 countries around the world, including the United States.  Women and girls in all their diversity deserve to live free from gender-based violence and to make their own choices about their bodies, lives, and futures. Without significant and accelerated action, countries with persistently high levels of FGM/C will not reach the Sustainable Development Goal global target of elimination by 2030.  The United States is proud to continue supporting global programs to end this abuse, including a $5 million annual contribution to the UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme on the Elimination of Female Genital Mutilation. In line with the 2022 update to the U.S. Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Gender-Based Violence Globally, we will continue to work towards eliminating FGM/C wherever it occurs, in partnership with survivors, locally led women’s organizations, and youth-led groups and networks. Earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria 02/06/2023 You are subscribed to Secretary's Remarks for U.S. Department of State. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria 02/06/2023 09:44 AM EST Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State The United States expresses our deep sadness at the tragic loss of life and destruction across Türkiye and Syria from today’s earthquakes. We extend our condolences to the families of those affected and are assessing our comprehensive response options. I have directed my team to remain in close contact with our Turkish allies and our humanitarian partners in the coming days to determine what the region needs. Our initial assistance response to Türkiye is already underway, and U.S.-supported humanitarian organizations in Syria are responding to the earthquakes’ effects across the country. We are determined to do all that we can to help those affected by these earthquakes in the days, weeks, and months ahead. Earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria 02/06/2023 You are subscribed to Press Releases for U.S. Department of State. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria 02/06/2023 09:44 AM EST Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State The United States expresses our deep sadness at the tragic loss of life and destruction across Türkiye and Syria from today’s earthquakes. We extend our condolences to the families of those affected and are assessing our comprehensive response options. I have directed my team to remain in close contact with our Turkish allies and our humanitarian partners in the coming days to determine what the region needs. Our initial assistance response to Türkiye is already underway, and U.S.-supported humanitarian organizations in Syria are responding to the earthquakes’ effects across the country. We are determined to do all that we can to help those affected by these earthquakes in the days, weeks, and months ahead. Secretary Blinken’s Call with United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan 02/06/2023 You are subscribed to Public Schedule for U.S. Department of State. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Secretary Blinken’s Call with United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan 02/06/2023 01:37 PM EST Office of the Spokesperson The following is attributable to Spokesperson Ned Price: Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The Secretary reaffirmed the strong U.S.-UAE partnership and reviewed ways to broaden and deepen our wide-ranging cooperation, including our shared commitment to peace in Yemen. They spoke about recent regional developments, such as the need for Israelis and Palestinians to urgently take steps to prevent further escalation of violence and restore calm. Secretary Blinken expressed gratitude for the UAE’s hosting of the Negev Forum Working Groups in Abu Dhabi on January 9-10, as well as the UAE’s climate cooperation and leadership ahead of COP28. Secretary Blinken Convenes Fourth COVID-19 Global Action Plan Ministerial 02/06/2023 You are subscribed to Press Releases for U.S. Department of State. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Secretary Blinken Convenes Fourth COVID-19 Global Action Plan Ministerial 02/06/2023 02:18 PM EST Office of the Spokesperson A year after launching the COVID-19 Global Action Plan (GAP), Secretary Blinken will host a fourth and final Ministerial on February 8 to conclude the work of the GAP focused on the acute needs of the pandemic, identify remaining barriers, and look towards the future to promote collaboration on preventing, detecting, and responding to the next global health threat. The GAP expanded global COVID-19 response activities and built on the progress partners were making to end the acute phase of the pandemic. The ministerial will review the GAP’s accomplishments and assess the political channel created by the GAP and its added value to pandemic response. Health security is national security, and foreign ministers and regional and international organization representatives play a critical role in addressing health threats. The Secretary has proposed a new Bureau of Global Health Security and Diplomacy at the Department of State, in recognition of the need to ensure that U.S. diplomacy is elevating and working to advance these shared global challenges. The United States and its partners around the world have made progress in ending the acute phase of the pandemic but recognize there is more to be done. The heightened interest in health security as a foreign policy concern offers a window of opportunity to organize politically to support efforts to protect our collective global health and health security The entire Ministerial will be streamed live on the Department homepage at 8:00 EST on February 8, 2023. For more information contact the COVID Response and Health Security Office at covid19gap@state.gov. Secretary Blinken’s Call with Turkish Foreign Minister Çavuşoğlu 02/06/2023 You are subscribed to Europe and Eurasia for U.S. Department of State. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Secretary Blinken’s Call with Turkish Foreign Minister Çavuşoğlu 02/06/2023 05:30 PM EST Office of the Spokesperson The following is attributable to Spokesperson Ned Price: Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu to express condolences for the terrible loss of life from today’s earthquakes.  Secretary Blinken and Foreign Minister Çavuşoğlu discussed ways the United States and our partners could best assist.  Secretary Blinken confirmed our initial assistance response was already underway and pledged to do all that we can in coordination with Türkiye to assist the victims of the earthquake in both Türkiye and Syria. Secretary Blinken’s Call with Turkish Foreign Minister Çavuşoğlu 02/06/2023 You are subscribed to Press Releases for U.S. Department of State. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Secretary Blinken’s Call with Turkish Foreign Minister Çavuşoğlu 02/06/2023 05:30 PM EST Office of the Spokesperson The following is attributable to Spokesperson Ned Price: Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu to express condolences for the terrible loss of life from today’s earthquakes.  Secretary Blinken and Foreign Minister Çavuşoğlu discussed ways the United States and our partners could best assist.  Secretary Blinken confirmed our initial assistance response was already underway and pledged to do all that we can in coordination with Türkiye to assist the victims of the earthquake in both Türkiye and Syria. U.S. Special Representative for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim’s Meeting with Republic of Korea (ROK) Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs Kim 02/06/2023 You are subscribed to Press Releases for U.S. Department of State. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. U.S. Special Representative for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim’s Meeting with Republic of Korea (ROK) Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs Kim 02/06/2023 06:45 PM EST Office of the Spokesperson The following is attributable to Spokesperson Ned Price: U.S. Special Representative for the DPRK Ambassador Sung Kim met on February 2 with ROK Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs Kim Gunn in Washington, D.C., to discuss U.S.-ROK cooperation in countering the DPRK’s unlawful ballistic missile and WMD development, as well as malicious cyber activities. The officials shared assessments of the current dynamic on the Korean Peninsula and expressed grave concern for Pyongyang’s disregard for repeated calls by Washington and Seoul for engagement.  They also called on all countries to fully implement the UN Security Council resolutions on the DPRK and to urge Pyongyang to cease its provocative and dangerous activities.  The officials emphasized the importance of raising awareness in the private sector and the international community about the dangers of the DPRK’s illicit cyber activities, which include stealing money from foreign entities to fund Kim Jong Un and his regime.  They highlighted the need to further prioritize the welfare of the North Korean people in their respective policies on the DPRK and encouraged Pyongyang to allow international humanitarian organizations more access inside the DPRK to distribute much-needed assistance. These meetings highlight the close ongoing collaboration with our ROK allies as we celebrate the 70th anniversary of our Alliance this year. Department Press Briefing – February 6, 2023 02/06/2023 You are subscribed to Department Press Briefings for U.S. Department of State. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Department Press Briefing – February 6, 2023 02/06/2023 07:44 PM EST Ned Price, Department Spokesperson Washington, D.C. 2:19 p.m. EST MR PRICE:  All right.  Good afternoon, everyone.  Welcome to Monday.  A couple things at the top and then turn to your questions. First, I would like to start today by echoing the President and the Secretary in expressing our deepest condolences to the people of Türkiye and Syria following the devastating earthquakes in Kahramanmaras, in Southeastern Türkiye.  The Department of State is in close contact with our Turkish allies and our humanitarian partners, and our initial assistance response is already underway.  We are determined to provide any and all assistance to help those affected by these earthquakes.  Secretary Blinken just got off the phone with his counterpart, Foreign Minister Cavusoglu of Türkiye, to reiterate the same message.  And we stand in solidarity with our allies, our partners, and the people of Türkiye and Syria affected by these terrible events. Next and finally, one year after launching the COVID-19 Global Action Plan or GAP, tomorrow – excuse me – on Wednesday, February 8th, Secretary Blinken will host a fourth and final Global Action Plan Ministerial to reflect on progress made in addressing the acute phase of the COVID‑19 pandemic, the work remaining, and to collaborate with GAP partners on strategies to prevent, to detect, and to respond to future global health threats. Foreign ministries came together through the GAP to catalyze political momentum around critical gaps in the response and to enhance coordination.  Health security is national security, and foreign ministries will remain engaged on these shared challenges – on these shared global challenges going forward.  The GAP partners include 33 countries, the European Union, the African Union, and the World Health Organization.  And the ministerial will be livestreamed on www.state.gov at 8:00 a.m. Eastern on Wednesday of this week. So with that, happy to take your questions.  Sure.  Start with the front row.  Humeyra. QUESTION:  Hi, Ned.  Just before I begin, thank you for that condolences as a member of – a Turkish member of the bullpen.  I really appreciate it personally. I just want to ask about China.  Can you talk a little bit about like what these conditions will be for when the Secretary would go?  Has there been any like active planning on when — QUESTION:  Let me ask about Türkiye.  Sorry, about the earthquake. QUESTION:  It’s okay. QUESTION:  Forgive me, because it’s just really — QUESTION:  Sure. QUESTION:  It’s just too devastating.  I mean, I know you mentioned condolences and offers of help and so on, and you – you just said that you stand in solidarity with our allies in Türkiye and Syria.  So you only stand in Syria with your – with the Kurds, for instance?  You don’t stand with the rest of the Syrian people?  Those are your allies. MR PRICE:  No, Said, that is not what I said.  I said we stand in solidarity with Turkish allies.  Of course, Türkiye is an important NATO Ally. QUESTION:  Okay.  I understand.  Where you do stand in Syria? MR PRICE:  The United States is a partner to the people of Syria.  We have provided more humanitarian assistance to the people of Syria than any other country going forward.  We are committed to doing what we can on both sides of the border, to helping our Turkish allies respond in the first instance with rescue and recovery efforts.  That effort will be underway soon with U.S. assistance, but also with funding for recovery and broader response efforts. The same is true on the other side of the border, Said.  We are determined to do what we can to address the humanitarian needs of the Syrian people.  We’ve done that over the course of the 12-year civil war to the tune of billions of dollars.  We do that through a different process.  In Türkiye, we have a partner in the government; in Syria, we have a partner in the form of NGOs on the ground who are providing humanitarian support. QUESTION:  Well, let me just follow up on this because the Syrian Government, as far as I know, it’s a government that you still recognize.  You have never unrecognized the Syrian Government.  So why not reach out to the Syrian Government?  They are in power.  They’re the ones that run these rescue operations or aid operations and so on.  It would be a great gesture.  Another gesture would be to sort of the lift the sanctions that have basically suffocated Syria. MR PRICE:  Said, I’m going to resist the temptation to go into your advocacy rather than questioning.  But I will make the point that it would be quite ironic, if not even counterproductive, for us to reach out to a government that has brutalized its people over the course of a dozen years now – gassing them, slaughtering them, being responsible for much of the suffering that they have endured. Instead, we have humanitarian partners on the ground who can provide the type of assistance in the aftermath of these tragic earthquakes, but these humanitarian partners who have been active on the ground since the earliest days of the civil war.  This is a regime, Said, that has never shown any inclination to put the welfare, the well-being, the interests of its people first.  Now that its people are suffering even more, we’re going to continue doing what has proven effective over the course of the past dozen years or so: providing significant amounts of humanitarian assistance to partners on the ground.  These partners, who unlike the Syrian regime, are there to help the people rather than brutalize them. QUESTION:  Can I follow up on that? QUESTION:  Yeah. QUESTION:  Listen, and I apologize for missing the top, how exactly would it be ironic? MR PRICE:  To use this as an opportunity to reach out to a regime that has brutalized its people when its people are in an even more dire situation. QUESTION:  Okay.  Well, all right.  Maybe I’m not – maybe my understanding of the word irony is a little bit different.  Anyway, did you guys begin with this or with China? MR PRICE:  It’s a long story, but — QUESTION:  I tried to. QUESTION:  It’s a long story? QUESTION:  On unofficial initial assistance, we also heard Kirby say that the two rescue teams are going to Türkiye.  Have they left the country?  When are they going to be there?  And do you know how the process is going to go forward, where they will leave from? MR PRICE:  So I don’t have specific details on where they will deploy from, but my colleague at the White House did make reference to two teams, two rescue and recovery teams that will be traveling to Türkiye in the coming days, two teams of 78 individuals.  That’s one element of our response. There is a broader element of our response.  We’re looking at additional funding resources that we have available, again, for both sides of the border.  Secretary Blinken did think it was important of course to speak to Foreign Minister Cavusoglu as soon as he could today.  They’ve just got off the phone a few minutes ago.   The Secretary offered his profound condolences on the loss of life, the destruction throughout large swaths of Türkiye.  The imagery that we’ve all seen is just searing; it’s harrowing.  And unfortunately the death toll, we can all expect, will only climb in the coming days. So we are going to remain committed to do what we can to support our Turkish allies just as we’re going to remain committed to do what we can to support the people of Syria who have also been affected by this. Yes. QUESTION:  I’d also like to thank, just like Humeyra did, for the great response in the first hours of the disaster because it’s really grim, looking grim out there.  And we heard from Kirby, just like my colleague pointed out, that two 79-person rescue teams are being dispatched to Türkiye at the moment.  And the Secretary’s message was that in the coming days, weeks, and months we’re determined to do any and everything that we can, so what’s on the table if you could elaborate on that a little bit?  You said that perhaps as well as the humanitarian assistance, likely what could be on the table?  What was discussed?  Because obviously we know that the United States has massive resources and experience in dealing with such natural disasters. MR PRICE:  Absolutely.  So I think you have to look at this is discrete phases.  In the first phase that will unfold in the coming days is a phase of rescue and recovery.  And that’s why, as you heard from the White House, we are dispatching two teams of individuals who will work with our Turkish allies on that rescue and recovery effort.  It is our fervent hope that the rescue and recovery effort is able to save as many lives, to pull people from the rubble, to focus on that near-term priority to stabilize buildings, to pull people, and to again potentially save as many lives as possible. Over the longer term in the coming days, weeks, and months, as the Secretary’s statement alluded to, there is going to be a massive rebuilding and reconstruction effort that is – that will need to be underway across Türkiye.  The Secretary in the senior staff meeting this morning directed his team to look across various accounts to see what funding we might have available, what other resources we might have available, to help our Turkish allies, to help through NGO partners on the ground the people of Syria. This is very early hours, but we are going to be focused on this.  We are also going to remain in touch with our Turkish counterparts.  It was so important for the Secretary to speak to his foreign minister counterpart, Foreign Minister Cavusoglu, in the first instance to offer condolences and to make clear to Foreign Minister Cavusoglu that anything Türkiye needed that we could provide, they should pick up the phone and let us know.   We stand ready as an ally should to help our ally in a time of need.  Similarly, when it comes to the people of Syria, we stand ready as a partner and oftentimes the leading funding partner to the NGOs that are on the ground inside of Syria to be a partner to them and their efforts to alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people. QUESTION:  May I follow up on Türkiye, please? MR PRICE:  Sure. QUESTION:  There are reports about communication outages, blackouts in particularly in the south in parts like Hatay and other areas.  Is there anything the U.S. Government can do at this point to mitigate communication problems? And secondly, any report, any information about the U.S. citizens being damaged, being affected by the latest — MR PRICE:  Any reports of? QUESTION:  U.S. citizens being affected.  I don’t know if maybe you can add up a little bit about the embassy’s efforts like that. MR PRICE:  Sure.  So a couple things on that.  Of course we are focused on the safety and security of Americans who may be in Türkiye.  We did an accountability exercise for our team, our staff on the ground.  We have full accountability of our team members.  Of course we’re also going to have to do structural assessments of our facilities that are in regions that have been hit by this. I should also add as a form of our assistance – and this gets back to your first question, Alex – our facility in Adana is going to be in a position to host others who are coming to facilitate and to help the rescue efforts.  So we’re going to open our doors.  We are going to open our collective wallet, as it were, to help Türkiye in any way that we can, to help the people of Syria in any appropriate way that we can. When it comes to the specifics of this, it’s again very early hours.  We’ve talked about what we’re prepared to do when it comes to rescue and recovery.  But this will be a comprehensive effort that goes well beyond rescue and recovery, to include rebuilding, to include addressing the significant challenges, including the communication challenges, the infrastructure challenges that our allies are likely to find going forward. QUESTION:  When you say — QUESTION:  When you say your mission in Adana is going to open the doors to others, like, U.S. rescue teams or any — MR PRICE:  To other countries who are prepared to assist in this effort. QUESTION:  And when you say it’s full accountability, do you mean they’re all safe? MR PRICE:  That’s correct.  Now, the — QUESTION:  Okay, because full accountability can also mean — MR PRICE:  Oh, yes – no, of course.  They – our — QUESTION:  — that their deaths — MR PRICE:  Our staff on the ground after our accountability exercise was deemed to be safe.  Now, the tragic reality is that the death toll of this earthquake is likely to continue to climb in the coming days.  Our consular team, consular officials on the ground, they’ve been in touch with the American citizen community.  As of earlier today, we had not yet confirmed the deaths of Americans, but I think we’re all realistic, we’re all very sober about the implications of this and the fact that many countries, many nationalities are likely to be implicated, just given the massive toll and destruction that this earthquake has caused. QUESTION:  So can we go to China, or back to China, as it were? MR PRICE:  Anything else on Türkiye? Sure. QUESTION:  Can you get into some more detail on how U.S. is scaling up support for NGO partners in Syria?  Groups like the White Helmets have the equipment but say they’re running out of diesel.  Is the U.S., for example, going to attempt to send partners diesel across Bab al-Hawa, which – the road into which has reportedly been damaged?  Can you speak to any of those logistical challenges? MR PRICE:  Well, again, we’re in the very early phases of this so I don’t want to get too far ahead of where we are, what we may be in a position to do.  But I will expect that we’ll have additional details on that going forward.  What is important – and this was true even before the earthquakes of the past hours but is certainly true now – is that humanitarian crossings need to remain open.  The people of Syria need humanitarian access.  NGO actors, these organizations, many of whom have been active in parts of Syria over the course of a dozen years now, need to have access to be able to go back and forth across the border, to deliver the humanitarian assistance that the United States was providing before this earthquake and the humanitarian assistance that we’ll be in a position to provide after the earthquake as well. QUESTION:  (Off-mike.)  You mentioned that the Secretary called his Turkish counterpart as soon as he could.  Is there any reason why it took this long?  He just got off the phone – why not last night?  Why not this morning? MR PRICE:  Alex, these are scheduling issues on both sides.  We put in a call request very early.  We wanted to make clear to our Turkish allies that the Secretary was ready, willing, and available to be on the phone, and they were able to connect just a little while ago. QUESTION:  I’m sorry if you – more on Türkiye? QUESTION:  No, I was going to ask about China. QUESTION:  Okay, so go ahead. QUESTION:  Can I just pick up my previous line of questioning? MR PRICE:  Yes. QUESTION:  Is there any active planning for the Secretary to go back?  What kind of a timeline are we looking at?  Can you detail these – when conditions allow – what are they basically? MR PRICE:  So the short answer is right now we are focused on a couple things.  We have been engaged extensively with our partners and allies over the course of recent days.  Over the weekend, today, at senior levels, both in Washington and from our embassy in Beijing, we have been consulting with a broad array of like-minded countries.  We want them to understand what it is that we’ve experienced.  As you’ve heard from my colleagues at the Department of Defense, other countries, other regions of the world have also been subjected to these brazen violations of sovereignty as well.  We think it’s important in the first instance that we share as much as we can, because these are challenges that many of us have and will continue to have to confront together. Now, when it comes to engagement with the PRC, we’ve also been very clear that we seek lines of communication, lines of dialogue to remain open.  Secretary Blinken picked up the phone on Friday morning to reach out to Wang Yi, the senior foreign policy official within the People’s Republic of China, with a couple of messages.  One was that even in this time of heightened tension, in the context of the discovery of the high-altitude surveillance balloon, we wanted to be able to pick up the phone to speak to one another.  We believe that dialogue and diplomacy is always important when it comes to a competitive relationship like this.  We believe it’s especially important when tensions are even further heightened. We’re going to remain in touch with our PRC counterparts.  The embassy has been in touch with their PRC counterparts.  Senior individuals in this building have been in touch with their PRC counterparts since Friday as well.  But you have to remember that the trip that Secretary Blinken was to have undertaken starting on Friday was to have been an extension of the conversation between President Biden and President Xi in Bali.  That conversation, and in turn the conversation that Secretary Blinken was to have had yesterday and today, would have been about establishing that floor on the relationship to see to it that competition doesn’t veer into conflict, but also to see – to test the proposition of collaboration, cooperation in areas that matter to us, that are of profound interest to us, but also that are of profound interest to the rest of the world. The discovery of this high-altitude surveillance balloon in the days that preceded the Secretary’s visit, of course, undermined the point of that visit.  We would not have been able to conduct the important business that Secretary Blinken was looking forward to doing on the ground in Beijing in that context. Now, just as we continue to remain in contact, in dialogue with the PRC in the coming days, as I expect we’ll do at various levels, when – we’ll determine when it’s appropriate to potentially look to travel to the PRC to have the type of discussion that we think it’s incumbent on our countries to have. QUESTION:  So if you can’t have that conversation now about the guardrails and this incident has happened which was a breach of sovereignty, where does that leave the U.S.-China relationship, which wasn’t – which was already strained anyway? MR PRICE:  Well, look, we’ve always been clear-eyed about this relationship.  We know it’s the most consequential, we know it’s the most complex relationship we have in all of our bilateral relationships.  We suspect it’s also the most consequential and complex bilateral relationship on the face of the Earth.  We believe it’s important to – again, to build that floor under the relationship to see to it that areas of potential competition don’t veer into conflict.  We believe it’s incumbent on us, the United States, as a responsible power, to see to it that we are doing all we can to protect and to promote not only our interests, but the elements that countries around the world care about. And there are some cases where our interests with the PRC do intersect.  Part of the agenda of Secretary Blinken’s travel to Beijing – what would have been his travel to Beijing – was to talk about some of those issues, again, because it’s in our interests, it’s in the interests of the rest of the world, it’s what the rest of the world expects of us. We are – we haven’t had conversations at this point about rescheduling the trip.  As I said, right now we are focused on coordinating closely with our allies and partners, sharing information, comparing notes, making sure that they understand the information that we have in our possession, they understand the basis for our actions, and that they understand the brazen nature of this violation of our sovereignty, violations of sovereignty that are not unique to us, that have taken place across countries and across regions around the globe. So that’s going to continue to be our focus in recent – in the coming days. QUESTION:  Ned — QUESTION:  (Off-mike.) QUESTION:  If the conversations since the Secretary spoke with Wang Yi on Friday have not revolved around or touched on a rescheduling of the trip, what have they touched on?  I mean, I’m presuming that on Saturday, if there were conversations, that they would have been about the shootdown of the balloon.  Is that correct, or am I – well, that yesterday — MR PRICE:  So it is true that we notified – it is true that we notified the PRC after the fact of the action that the U.S. – QUESTION:  And that they saw it on TV? MR PRICE:  I presume they were watching, as were many of us.  That was conveyed to them on Saturday.  But in a sense, it shouldn’t have come to a – as a surprise to our PRC interlocutors.  As you know — QUESTION:  Well, what else, other than the balloon being shot down?  What else did these conversations go over? MR PRICE:  I’m not going to get into the conversations in any detail, but precisely what we said publicly is what we’ve conveyed privately as well.  This was inappropriate, it was irresponsible, it was unacceptable for – QUESTION:  Okay, but that’s – right, but that’s the same thing you were saying on Friday and the same thing the Secretary said publicly, the same thing that you’ve said publicly, the same thing the White House has said publicly.  So the Chinese already know that.  So what were the point – what were the point or points of the conversations that have happened since the Secretary spoke to Wang Yi? MR PRICE:  Well, part of the point, Matt, was repetition.  And repetition can be important, especially when you’re dealing with various interlocutors at various levels through various parts of a different government.  We wanted the PRC to be under no illusions about the way in which we’re treating this, the way we see this, and the implications that it h ... 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