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> 7:37 π.μ. (πριν από 4 ώρες) προς εγώ Secretary Blinken’s Call with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov 04/02/2023 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 Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov 04/02/2023 10:38 AM EDT Office of the Spokesperson The below is attributable to Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel: Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Secretary Blinken conveyed the United States’ grave concern over Russia’s unacceptable detention of a U.S. citizen journalist. The Secretary called for his immediate release. Secretary Blinken further urged the Kremlin to immediately release wrongfully detained U.S. citizen Paul Whelan. The Secretary and Foreign Minister Lavrov also discussed the importance of creating an environment that permits diplomatic missions to carry out their work. Secretary Blinken’s Call with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov 04/02/2023 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. Secretary Blinken’s Call with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov 04/02/2023 10:38 AM EDT Office of the Spokesperson The below is attributable to Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel: Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Secretary Blinken conveyed the United States’ grave concern over Russia’s unacceptable detention of a U.S. citizen journalist. The Secretary called for his immediate release. Secretary Blinken further urged the Kremlin to immediately release wrongfully detained U.S. citizen Paul Whelan. The Secretary and Foreign Minister Lavrov also discussed the importance of creating an environment that permits diplomatic missions to carry out their work. Secretary Blinken’s Call with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov 04/02/2023 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 Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov 04/02/2023 10:38 AM EDT Office of the Spokesperson The below is attributable to Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel: Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Secretary Blinken conveyed the United States’ grave concern over Russia’s unacceptable detention of a U.S. citizen journalist. The Secretary called for his immediate release. Secretary Blinken further urged the Kremlin to immediately release wrongfully detained U.S. citizen Paul Whelan. The Secretary and Foreign Minister Lavrov also discussed the importance of creating an environment that permits diplomatic missions to carry out their work. One-Year Anniversary of the Yemen Truce’s Commencement 04/02/2023 You are subscribed to Press Releases for U.S. Department of State. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. One-Year Anniversary of the Yemen Truce’s Commencement 04/02/2023 07:18 PM EDT Vedant Patel, Principal Deputy Spokesperson Today marks one year since the UN-meditated truce in Yemen began and initiated the longest period of calm since the war started. For one year, Yemenis have benefitted from a halt to airstrikes, regular civilian flights from Sana’a airport, enhanced and unrestricted humanitarian and food assistance, and the increased flow of fuel to northern Yemen. The UN-led truce and U.S.-facilitated diplomacy have largely stopped the fighting, saving thousands of civilian lives; nevertheless, the United States recognizes that the truce was only the first step toward a comprehensive, Yemeni-Yemeni political process and a durable resolution to the conflict. The truce has paved the way for intensive dialogue on a more comprehensive agreement, and the recent deal to release almost 900 detainees from all sides of the Yemen conflict represents another important step forward. The United States welcomes the efforts of regional partners, including Saudi Arabia and Oman, to advance peace efforts. We remain seriously concerned, however, about Houthi actions that threaten this extraordinary progress and exacerbate the suffering of Yemenis, such as recent attacks in Taiz and Marib and on Yemen’s oil exports. We call on the Houthis to foreswear such actions and pursue a peaceful resolution to the conflict. The truce has also improved the delivery of humanitarian and economic assistance. The United States remains the largest donor and has pledged $444 million so far in 2023. We welcome support from partners, including Saudi Arabia’s recent $1 billion deposit for the Central Bank of Yemen. More assistance is needed for the Yemeni people, and we urgently call on donors to build on the progress on the ground and close the assistance funding gap. As we continue to support diplomacy to de-escalate tensions wherever possible in the Middle East, the United States is also focused intensively on defending our partners, particularly Saudi Arabia and the UAE, from Iranian-enabled attacks. Yemen – today – has an unprecedented opportunity for peace. We urge the parties to seize this opportunity to create a brighter future for Yemenis. Public Schedule – April 3, 2023 04/02/2023 You are subscribed to Public Schedule for U.S. Department of State. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Public Schedule – April 3, 2023 04/02/2023 08:52 PM EDT Office of the Spokesperson ***THE DAILY PUBLIC SCHEDULE IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE***   SECRETARY ANTONY J. BLINKEN Secretary Blinken is on travel to Belgium from April 3-5, 2023. DEPUTY SECRETARY OF STATE WENDY R. SHERMAN 4:00 p.m. Deputy Secretary Sherman meets with Finnish Permanent State Secretary Jukka Salovaara at the Department of State. (CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE) ACTING DEPUTY SECRETARY FOR MANAGEMENT AND RESOURCES JOHN BASS Acting Deputy Secretary Bass has no public appointments. UNDER SECRETARY FOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS VICTORIA J. NULAND Under Secretary Nuland attends meetings and briefings at the Department of State. UNDER SECRETARY FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH, ENERGY, AND THE ENVIRONMENT JOSE W. FERNANDEZ Under Secretary Fernandez is on travel to Canada from April 3-4, 2023. UNDER SECRETARY FOR CIVILIAN SECURITY, DEMOCRACY, AND HUMAN RIGHTS UZRA ZEYA Under Secretary Zeya attends meetings and briefings at the Department of State. ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS LEE SATTERFIELD 12:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Satterfield delivers remarks to the Public Diplomacy Council of America on “Public Diplomacy—Its Strategic Imperative and Why It Matters Now More Than Ever” in Washington, D.C. (MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST) ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR ENERGY RESOURCES GEOFFREY R. PYATT Assistant Secretary Pyatt is on travel to Belgium and France from April 4-5, 2023. ACTING ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR EUROPEAN AND EURASIAN AFFAIRS DERECK J. HOGAN Acting Assistant Secretary Hogan accompanies Secretary Blinken on travel to Belgium from April 3-5, 2023. BRIEFING SCHEDULE No Department Press Briefing. Deputy Secretary Sherman’s Meeting with Finnish Permanent State Secretary Salovaara 04/03/2023 You are subscribed to Europe and Eurasia for U.S. Department of State. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Deputy Secretary Sherman’s Meeting with Finnish Permanent State Secretary Salovaara 04/03/2023 07:02 PM EDT Office of the Spokesperson Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman met with Finnish Permanent State Secretary Jukka Salovaara today.  The Deputy Secretary congratulated Finland on its plans to become NATO’s newest Ally on April 4 and on completing free, open, and fair April 2 parliamentary elections.  The Deputy Secretary and State Secretary reiterated their belief that Sweden is ready to join the Alliance now.  They reaffirmed our strong, continuing support to Ukraine and underscored the importance of our close bilateral relationship. Deputy Secretary Sherman’s Meeting with Finnish Permanent State Secretary Salovaara 04/03/2023 You are subscribed to Press Releases for U.S. Department of State. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Deputy Secretary Sherman’s Meeting with Finnish Permanent State Secretary Salovaara 04/03/2023 07:02 PM EDT Office of the Spokesperson Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman met with Finnish Permanent State Secretary Jukka Salovaara today.  The Deputy Secretary congratulated Finland on its plans to become NATO’s newest Ally on April 4 and on completing free, open, and fair April 2 parliamentary elections.  The Deputy Secretary and State Secretary reiterated their belief that Sweden is ready to join the Alliance now.  They reaffirmed our strong, continuing support to Ukraine and underscored the importance of our close bilateral relationship. Senegal National Day 04/04/2023 You are subscribed to Secretary's Remarks for U.S. Department of State. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Senegal National Day 04/04/2023 12:01 AM EDT Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State On behalf of the United States of America, I offer congratulations to President Sall and the people of Senegal as you celebrate 63 years of independence. On this national day, we reaffirm the close bonds between Senegal and the United States. Our partnership is one rooted in the shared ideals of democracy, security, and economic prosperity, and we greatly value Senegal’s leadership and commitment to ensuring regional stability through its substantial contributions to peacekeeping operations around the globe. My conversations with President Sall at the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit on the full range of pressing issues – food and health security, climate, elevating African voices in matters of global governance, and pushing back against democratic backsliding in Africa – underscore the depth and breadth of the U.S.-Senegal friendship. We look forward to deepening our partnership in these areas in the coming months. I extend to all Senegalese my best wishes for health and prosperity in the year ahead. Senegal National Day 04/04/2023 You are subscribed to Press Releases for U.S. Department of State. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Senegal National Day 04/04/2023 12:01 AM EDT Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State On behalf of the United States of America, I offer congratulations to President Sall and the people of Senegal as you celebrate 63 years of independence. On this national day, we reaffirm the close bonds between Senegal and the United States. Our partnership is one rooted in the shared ideals of democracy, security, and economic prosperity, and we greatly value Senegal’s leadership and commitment to ensuring regional stability through its substantial contributions to peacekeeping operations around the globe. My conversations with President Sall at the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit on the full range of pressing issues – food and health security, climate, elevating African voices in matters of global governance, and pushing back against democratic backsliding in Africa – underscore the depth and breadth of the U.S.-Senegal friendship. We look forward to deepening our partnership in these areas in the coming months. I extend to all Senegalese my best wishes for health and prosperity in the year ahead. Secretary Antony J. Blinken And EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell Remarks to the Press 04/04/2023 You are subscribed to Press Releases for U.S. Department of State. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Secretary Antony J. Blinken And EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell Remarks to the Press 04/04/2023 06:43 AM EDT Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State Brussels, Belgium European Council Building HIGH REPRESENTATIVE BORRELL: Good morning. Good morning. I’m very happy to welcome you, Secretary Blinken, in Brussels. We just had a very good bilateral meeting marking our great transatlantic cooperation. Now we will co-chair the EU-U.S. Energy Council, and later we will see each other also at the NATO Ministerial. Allow me some words about our bilateral discussion.  Certainly, we start discussing and talking about the Russian war in Ukraine, the situation in Ethiopia, the Central African Republic, and the Middle East peace process. It’s more than one year ago that Putin start destroying Ukraine, and he seems determined to continue with his brutal bloodshed and destruction, and he still escalates further despite not achieving anything.  His newest nuclear gamble – with nuclear weapons moved to Belarus – constitutes a new escalation and poses a direct threat to European security.  And this comes, ironically, after Chinese President Xi visited Moscow and mentioned the need for peace and they agreed on the need to not deploy nuclear arms abroad.  Some days later, Russia deployed tactical weapons – nuclear tactical weapons in Belarus. We have been discussing with Secretary Blinken about the role of China on supporting Russia’s blatant violations of the United Nations Charter.  There is a clear expectation from a permanent member of the Security Council to stand up in defense of international rules-based order.  And China has a moral duty to contribute to a fair peace.  They cannot be siding with the aggressor.  They cannot be militarily supporting the aggression. This is our message to China, from today’s meeting and from all the European Union’s visits going to Beijing.  Today, President von der Leyen will be in Beijing with French President Macron, Spanish Prime Minister Sánchez was there last week, and I will travel next week too.  So, as you see, a lot of Europeans going to China. But we have been clear with China that its position on Russia’s atrocities and war crimes will determine the quality of our relations with Beijing.  In the meantime, the European Union stands united and our transatlantic community remains also united.  We are committed to continue supporting Ukraine in its self-defense, and we will maintain the collective pressure on Russia to stop the widespread violations of international law.  We are doing everything we can militarily, politically, and providing financial support to ensure that Ukraine prevails. We also talked about the Middle East, and we shared our concerns about the vicious cycle of violence in Israel and the occupied Palestinian Territories.  The latest developments painfully demonstrate that the path towards a resolution of the Israel-Palestinian conflict is urgently needed.  I appreciated the recent U.S. mediation efforts in Aqaba and Sharm el-Sheikh, and I also shared with you, Secretary Blinken, about my efforts together with partners in the Arab world to try to revive peace efforts by building on the Arab Peace Initiative and adding European peace contribution to it. We also discussed about some topics in Africa.  First of all, on Ethiopia, this was a major crisis, and now, fortunately, things start to move towards solving it.  That’s one of the rare good news that we have in the world.  And to sustain the current progress, it is important that the EU and U.S. continue working hand-in-hand.  The message to both the Government of Ethiopia and the Tigrayans is to make them understand that we are watching the settling of the conflict and will only normalize our relations in a gradual way, step by step. On Central African Republic, we exchanged views on the ongoing international efforts, including our own efforts, to help to stabilize the country so they did not have to rely on the Wagner mercenaries.  You know that the Wagner mercenaries, this destructive group, has had a negative impact on each country where they are present, be in Central African Republic and others in the Sahelian area, contributing only to further destabilization and impacting negatively in the entire region. Finally, we are going to co-chair now the 10th EU-U.S. Energy Council, but this year is different from our previous meetings in Washington, and the past year has been marked by atrocities, war against Ukraine, and the unprecedented EU-U.S. coordination to support the country and to support our energy security in Europe.  We, the European Union and its member-states, are the lead donors when it comes to energy assistance to Ukraine.  We have been able to get rid of the Russian dependency on gas, and we will discuss today about how to accelerate the green energy transition, reducing methane emissions, and launching a new global energy efficiency initiative.  That also is a good news. Thank you.  Thanks. SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Well, good morning, everyone.  And let me just start by thanking the High Representative, my friend Josep, for another very productive and timely meeting, building on the momentum that President Biden and European Commission President von der Leyen produced at the White House just last month. This discussion today reinforced what has been evident to us for some time: U.S.-European Union relations have never been stronger or more important for advancing our shared interests. After more than a year of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the stakes for our partnership could not be higher – for the transatlantic relationship; for Ukraine itself; indeed, for people around the world who are bearing many of the consequences of this aggression. The United States and the EU continue to work in lockstep, together with a broad coalition of partners around the world, to ensure that Ukraine can defend itself, its people, its territory, the right to choose its own path. European partners have spent about $13 billion in European – in military assistance thus far, on top of tens of billions more in economic and humanitarian assistance, extraordinary support for refugees who have come from Ukraine.  We very much appreciate the announcement from the EU that it will be providing an additional 2 billion in euros worth of ammunition through its European Peace Facility. Together, we’re freezing the assets of those fueling the Kremlin’s aggression, deploying sweeping sanctions and export controls that are degrading Russia’s capacity to wage war.  The Kremlin’s finances have been squeezed to devastating effect, forcing it to choose between pouring money into the war or providing for its own citizens.  As one Russian billionaire starkly said of Russia’s future: “There will be no money next year.” The United States and the European Union are further working together to defend the energy and food security of millions of people around the world who have been affected by President Putin’s war in Ukraine, to press for accountability for Russian atrocities, and to support meaningful diplomatic efforts that can achieve a just and durable peace. Josep and I also discussed the United States and Europe’s unprecedented cooperation on energy security, and indeed, we’ll take that up in more detail in a few minutes.  We share a commitment to preventing a climate catastrophe, accelerating the global clean energy transition, building resilient, secure, and diversified supply chains for renewable energy – and doing it in a way that creates good-paying jobs and lowers costs for people on both sides of the Atlantic. Russia’s weaponization of energy has underscored the urgency of that task – and an opportunity to accelerate our progress.  And so, over the past year, the United States and Europe have thrown our energy security cooperation into even higher gear. In 2022, the United States exported 56 billion cubic meters of liquefied natural gas to Europe: that is 40 percent of Europe’s total imports; it’s a 140 percent increase over our LNG exports to Europe the previous year.  The European Union cut dependence on Russian gas from nearly 40 percent at the start of the war to about 15 percent by the end of 2022.  That is extraordinary.  When we convene the council in a few minutes, we will focus on how we can further reduce European dependence on Russian energy, and boost the Euro-Atlantic region’s clean energy production. We also spoke about our continued partnership on economic security.  We have serious concerns about the challenges posed by economic coercion, by the weaponization of economic dependencies, and non-market policies and practices, including by the PRC, and we discussed ways to address these issues.  Later this spring, we’ll hold another meeting of the U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council, where these and other priorities will be on the agenda. As Josep mentioned, we also did something of a tour of the world of challenging places and areas where our work together, our coordination, our cooperation can make a difference, from Ethiopia to the Central African Republic to the Middle East.  And in all of these areas, the coordination between the United States and the European Union is as great and, indeed, I would say greater than it’s ever been. Finally, running through our conversation was our focus on revitalizing our democracies and our democratic values – which bind us, and which brought hundreds of partners together just this week around the world and in Washington for the Summit for Democracy. The relationship between the United States and the European Union is the most comprehensive, dynamic relationship in the world, and I’m pleased to be here to continue our work to deliver a stronger and more secure future for people on both sides of the Atlantic. Thank you very much. Secretary Antony J. Blinken And EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell Remarks to the Press 04/04/2023 You are subscribed to Europe and Eurasia for U.S. Department of State. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Secretary Antony J. Blinken And EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell Remarks to the Press 04/04/2023 06:43 AM EDT Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State Brussels, Belgium European Council Building HIGH REPRESENTATIVE BORRELL: Good morning. Good morning. I’m very happy to welcome you, Secretary Blinken, in Brussels. We just had a very good bilateral meeting marking our great transatlantic cooperation. Now we will co-chair the EU-U.S. Energy Council, and later we will see each other also at the NATO Ministerial. Allow me some words about our bilateral discussion.  Certainly, we start discussing and talking about the Russian war in Ukraine, the situation in Ethiopia, the Central African Republic, and the Middle East peace process. It’s more than one year ago that Putin start destroying Ukraine, and he seems determined to continue with his brutal bloodshed and destruction, and he still escalates further despite not achieving anything.  His newest nuclear gamble – with nuclear weapons moved to Belarus – constitutes a new escalation and poses a direct threat to European security.  And this comes, ironically, after Chinese President Xi visited Moscow and mentioned the need for peace and they agreed on the need to not deploy nuclear arms abroad.  Some days later, Russia deployed tactical weapons – nuclear tactical weapons in Belarus. We have been discussing with Secretary Blinken about the role of China on supporting Russia’s blatant violations of the United Nations Charter.  There is a clear expectation from a permanent member of the Security Council to stand up in defense of international rules-based order.  And China has a moral duty to contribute to a fair peace.  They cannot be siding with the aggressor.  They cannot be militarily supporting the aggression. This is our message to China, from today’s meeting and from all the European Union’s visits going to Beijing.  Today, President von der Leyen will be in Beijing with French President Macron, Spanish Prime Minister Sánchez was there last week, and I will travel next week too.  So, as you see, a lot of Europeans going to China. But we have been clear with China that its position on Russia’s atrocities and war crimes will determine the quality of our relations with Beijing.  In the meantime, the European Union stands united and our transatlantic community remains also united.  We are committed to continue supporting Ukraine in its self-defense, and we will maintain the collective pressure on Russia to stop the widespread violations of international law.  We are doing everything we can militarily, politically, and providing financial support to ensure that Ukraine prevails. We also talked about the Middle East, and we shared our concerns about the vicious cycle of violence in Israel and the occupied Palestinian Territories.  The latest developments painfully demonstrate that the path towards a resolution of the Israel-Palestinian conflict is urgently needed.  I appreciated the recent U.S. mediation efforts in Aqaba and Sharm el-Sheikh, and I also shared with you, Secretary Blinken, about my efforts together with partners in the Arab world to try to revive peace efforts by building on the Arab Peace Initiative and adding European peace contribution to it. We also discussed about some topics in Africa.  First of all, on Ethiopia, this was a major crisis, and now, fortunately, things start to move towards solving it.  That’s one of the rare good news that we have in the world.  And to sustain the current progress, it is important that the EU and U.S. continue working hand-in-hand.  The message to both the Government of Ethiopia and the Tigrayans is to make them understand that we are watching the settling of the conflict and will only normalize our relations in a gradual way, step by step. On Central African Republic, we exchanged views on the ongoing international efforts, including our own efforts, to help to stabilize the country so they did not have to rely on the Wagner mercenaries.  You know that the Wagner mercenaries, this destructive group, has had a negative impact on each country where they are present, be in Central African Republic and others in the Sahelian area, contributing only to further destabilization and impacting negatively in the entire region. Finally, we are going to co-chair now the 10th EU-U.S. Energy Council, but this year is different from our previous meetings in Washington, and the past year has been marked by atrocities, war against Ukraine, and the unprecedented EU-U.S. coordination to support the country and to support our energy security in Europe.  We, the European Union and its member-states, are the lead donors when it comes to energy assistance to Ukraine.  We have been able to get rid of the Russian dependency on gas, and we will discuss today about how to accelerate the green energy transition, reducing methane emissions, and launching a new global energy efficiency initiative.  That also is a good news. Thank you.  Thanks. SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Well, good morning, everyone.  And let me just start by thanking the High Representative, my friend Josep, for another very productive and timely meeting, building on the momentum that President Biden and European Commission President von der Leyen produced at the White House just last month. This discussion today reinforced what has been evident to us for some time: U.S.-European Union relations have never been stronger or more important for advancing our shared interests. After more than a year of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the stakes for our partnership could not be higher – for the transatlantic relationship; for Ukraine itself; indeed, for people around the world who are bearing many of the consequences of this aggression. The United States and the EU continue to work in lockstep, together with a broad coalition of partners around the world, to ensure that Ukraine can defend itself, its people, its territory, the right to choose its own path. European partners have spent about $13 billion in European – in military assistance thus far, on top of tens of billions more in economic and humanitarian assistance, extraordinary support for refugees who have come from Ukraine.  We very much appreciate the announcement from the EU that it will be providing an additional 2 billion in euros worth of ammunition through its European Peace Facility. Together, we’re freezing the assets of those fueling the Kremlin’s aggression, deploying sweeping sanctions and export controls that are degrading Russia’s capacity to wage war.  The Kremlin’s finances have been squeezed to devastating effect, forcing it to choose between pouring money into the war or providing for its own citizens.  As one Russian billionaire starkly said of Russia’s future: “There will be no money next year.” The United States and the European Union are further working together to defend the energy and food security of millions of people around the world who have been affected by President Putin’s war in Ukraine, to press for accountability for Russian atrocities, and to support meaningful diplomatic efforts that can achieve a just and durable peace. Josep and I also discussed the United States and Europe’s unprecedented cooperation on energy security, and indeed, we’ll take that up in more detail in a few minutes.  We share a commitment to preventing a climate catastrophe, accelerating the global clean energy transition, building resilient, secure, and diversified supply chains for renewable energy – and doing it in a way that creates good-paying jobs and lowers costs for people on both sides of the Atlantic. Russia’s weaponization of energy has underscored the urgency of that task – and an opportunity to accelerate our progress.  And so, over the past year, the United States and Europe have thrown our energy security cooperation into even higher gear. In 2022, the United States exported 56 billion cubic meters of liquefied natural gas to Europe: that is 40 percent of Europe’s total imports; it’s a 140 percent increase over our LNG exports to Europe the previous year.  The European Union cut dependence on Russian gas from nearly 40 percent at the start of the war to about 15 percent by the end of 2022.  That is extraordinary.  When we convene the council in a few minutes, we will focus on how we can further reduce European dependence on Russian energy, and boost the Euro-Atlantic region’s clean energy production. We also spoke about our continued partnership on economic security.  We have serious concerns about the challenges posed by economic coercion, by the weaponization of economic dependencies, and non-market policies and practices, including by the PRC, and we discussed ways to address these issues.  Later this spring, we’ll hold another meeting of the U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council, where these and other priorities will be on the agenda. As Josep mentioned, we also did something of a tour of the world of challenging places and areas where our work together, our coordination, our cooperation can make a difference, from Ethiopia to the Central African Republic to the Middle East.  And in all of these areas, the coordination between the United States and the European Union is as great and, indeed, I would say greater than it’s ever been. Finally, running through our conversation was our focus on revitalizing our democracies and our democratic values – which bind us, and which brought hundreds of partners together just this week around the world and in Washington for the Summit for Democracy. The relationship between the United States and the European Union is the most comprehensive, dynamic relationship in the world, and I’m pleased to be here to continue our work to deliver a stronger and more secure future for people on both sides of the Atlantic. Thank you very much. Secretary Antony J. Blinken And EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell Remarks to the Press 04/04/2023 You are subscribed to Secretary's Remarks for U.S. Department of State. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Secretary Antony J. Blinken And EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell Remarks to the Press 04/04/2023 06:43 AM EDT Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State Brussels, Belgium European Council Building HIGH REPRESENTATIVE BORRELL: Good morning. Good morning. I’m very happy to welcome you, Secretary Blinken, in Brussels. We just had a very good bilateral meeting marking our great transatlantic cooperation. Now we will co-chair the EU-U.S. Energy Council, and later we will see each other also at the NATO Ministerial. Allow me some words about our bilateral discussion.  Certainly, we start discussing and talking about the Russian war in Ukraine, the situation in Ethiopia, the Central African Republic, and the Middle East peace process. It’s more than one year ago that Putin start destroying Ukraine, and he seems determined to continue with his brutal bloodshed and destruction, and he still escalates further despite not achieving anything.  His newest nuclear gamble – with nuclear weapons moved to Belarus – constitutes a new escalation and poses a direct threat to European security.  And this comes, ironically, after Chinese President Xi visited Moscow and mentioned the need for peace and they agreed on the need to not deploy nuclear arms abroad.  Some days later, Russia deployed tactical weapons – nuclear tactical weapons in Belarus. We have been discussing with Secretary Blinken about the role of China on supporting Russia’s blatant violations of the United Nations Charter.  There is a clear expectation from a permanent member of the Security Council to stand up in defense of international rules-based order.  And China has a moral duty to contribute to a fair peace.  They cannot be siding with the aggressor.  They cannot be militarily supporting the aggression. This is our message to China, from today’s meeting and from all the European Union’s visits going to Beijing.  Today, President von der Leyen will be in Beijing with French President Macron, Spanish Prime Minister Sánchez was there last week, and I will travel next week too.  So, as you see, a lot of Europeans going to China. But we have been clear with China that its position on Russia’s atrocities and war crimes will determine the quality of our relations with Beijing.  In the meantime, the European Union stands united and our transatlantic community remains also united.  We are committed to continue supporting Ukraine in its self-defense, and we will maintain the collective pressure on Russia to stop the widespread violations of international law.  We are doing everything we can militarily, politically, and providing financial support to ensure that Ukraine prevails. We also talked about the Middle East, and we shared our concerns about the vicious cycle of violence in Israel and the occupied Palestinian Territories.  The latest developments painfully demonstrate that the path towards a resolution of the Israel-Palestinian conflict is urgently needed.  I appreciated the recent U.S. mediation efforts in Aqaba and Sharm el-Sheikh, and I also shared with you, Secretary Blinken, about my efforts together with partners in the Arab world to try to revive peace efforts by building on the Arab Peace Initiative and adding European peace contribution to it. We also discussed about some topics in Africa.  First of all, on Ethiopia, this was a major crisis, and now, fortunately, things start to move towards solving it.  That’s one of the rare good news that we have in the world.  And to sustain the current progress, it is important that the EU and U.S. continue working hand-in-hand.  The message to both the Government of Ethiopia and the Tigrayans is to make them understand that we are watching the settling of the conflict and will only normalize our relations in a gradual way, step by step. On Central African Republic, we exchanged views on the ongoing international efforts, including our own efforts, to help to stabilize the country so they did not have to rely on the Wagner mercenaries.  You know that the Wagner mercenaries, this destructive group, has had a negative impact on each country where they are present, be in Central African Republic and others in the Sahelian area, contributing only to further destabilization and impacting negatively in the entire region. Finally, we are going to co-chair now the 10th EU-U.S. Energy Council, but this year is different from our previous meetings in Washington, and the past year has been marked by atrocities, war against Ukraine, and the unprecedented EU-U.S. coordination to support the country and to support our energy security in Europe.  We, the European Union and its member-states, are the lead donors when it comes to energy assistance to Ukraine.  We have been able to get rid of the Russian dependency on gas, and we will discuss today about how to accelerate the green energy transition, reducing methane emissions, and launching a new global energy efficiency initiative.  That also is a good news. Thank you.  Thanks. SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Well, good morning, everyone.  And let me just start by thanking the High Representative, my friend Josep, for another very productive and timely meeting, building on the momentum that President Biden and European Commission President von der Leyen produced at the White House just last month. This discussion today reinforced what has been evident to us for some time: U.S.-European Union relations have never been stronger or more important for advancing our shared interests. After more than a year of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the stakes for our partnership could not be higher – for the transatlantic relationship; for Ukraine itself; indeed, for people around the world who are bearing many of the consequences of this aggression. The United States and the EU continue to work in lockstep, together with a broad coalition of partners around the world, to ensure that Ukraine can defend itself, its people, its territory, the right to choose its own path. European partners have spent about $13 billion in European – in military assistance thus far, on top of tens of billions more in economic and humanitarian assistance, extraordinary support for refugees who have come from Ukraine.  We very much appreciate the announcement from the EU that it will be providing an additional 2 billion in euros worth of ammunition through its European Peace Facility. Together, we’re freezing the assets of those fueling the Kremlin’s aggression, deploying sweeping sanctions and export controls that are degrading Russia’s capacity to wage war.  The Kremlin’s finances have been squeezed to devastating effect, forcing it to choose between pouring money into the war or providing for its own citizens.  As one Russian billionaire starkly said of Russia’s future: “There will be no money next year.” The United States and the European Union are further working together to defend the energy and food security of millions of people around the world who have been affected by President Putin’s war in Ukraine, to press for accountability for Russian atrocities, and to support meaningful diplomatic efforts that can achieve a just and durable peace. Josep and I also discussed the United States and Europe’s unprecedented cooperation on energy security, and indeed, we’ll take that up in more detail in a few minutes.  We share a commitment to preventing a climate catastrophe, accelerating the global clean energy transition, building resilient, secure, and diversified supply chains for renewable energy – and doing it in a way that creates good-paying jobs and lowers costs for people on both sides of the Atlantic. Russia’s weaponization of energy has underscored the urgency of that task – and an opportunity to accelerate our progress.  And so, over the past year, the United States and Europe have thrown our energy security cooperation into even higher gear. In 2022, the United States exported 56 billion cubic meters of liquefied natural gas to Europe: that is 40 percent of Europe’s total imports; it’s a 140 percent increase over our LNG exports to Europe the previous year.  The European Union cut dependence on Russian gas from nearly 40 percent at the start of the war to about 15 percent by the end of 2022.  That is extraordinary.  When we convene the council in a few minutes, we will focus on how we can further reduce European dependence on Russian energy, and boost the Euro-Atlantic region’s clean energy production. We also spoke about our continued partnership on economic security.  We have serious concerns about the challenges posed by economic coercion, by the weaponization of economic dependencies, and non-market policies and practices, including by the PRC, and we discussed ways to address these issues.  Later this spring, we’ll hold another meeting of the U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council, where these and other priorities will be on the agenda. As Josep mentioned, we also did something of a tour of the world of challenging places and areas where our work together, our coordination, our cooperation can make a difference, from Ethiopia to the Central African Republic to the Middle East.  And in all of these areas, the coordination between the United States and the European Union is as great and, indeed, I would say greater than it’s ever been. Finally, running through our conversation was our focus on revitalizing our democracies and our democratic values – which bind us, and which brought hundreds of partners together just this week around the world and in Washington for the Summit for Democracy. The relationship between the United States and the European Union is the most comprehensive, dynamic relationship in the world, and I’m pleased to be here to continue our work to deliver a stronger and more secure future for people on both sides of the Atlantic. Thank you very much. Secretary Antony J. Blinken Remarks Before U.S.-EU Energy Council Meeting 04/04/2023 You are subscribed to Secretary's Remarks for U.S. Department of State. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Secretary Antony J. Blinken Remarks Before U.S.-EU Energy Council Meeting 04/04/2023 07:02 AM EDT Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State Brussels, Belgium European Council Building SECRETARY BLINKEN: High Representative Borrell, Josep, thank you. Thank you for bringing us together today and for continuing an ongoing discussion, an ongoing action that we’ve had with the United States and the European Union on an issue that’s critical in the lives of all of our fellow citizens. I’m very much looking forward to pursuing the discussion we actually began earlier this morning. It’s great to be joined, Tobias, by you, Commissioner Simson, our Deputy Secretary of Energy Dave Turk. Very good to be with everyone this morning. When this council met on February 7th, 2022, Russia was on the verge of invading Ukraine. Europe was on the verge of an energy crisis. President Putin bet that his threat of stopping gas supplies would deter Europe and the world from standing up to his aggression against Ukraine. He was wrong. He then doubled down – stopping natural gas supplies to many European countries, dramatically reducing flows to others, forcing record-high prices on millions in Europe and around the world. He sought to wipe out Ukraine’s critical energy infrastructure – damaging or destroying 50 percent of Ukraine’s grid, leaving millions without reliable power and heat. And again – he failed. Ukraine stands – and stands strong. Europe stands – and stands strong. The world is reducing its dependence on Russian energy, accelerating the transition to the green economy. This is possible, in no small part, because of the partnership between the United States and the European Union. The U.S.-EU Energy Council has worked as never before to help make Europe more energy secure. The United States has more than doubled our supply of natural gas to the continent – exporting 56 billion cubic meters of liquefied natural gas last year. Because of these and other efforts, Russia’s natural gas only accounted for about 16 percent of the EU’s natural gas imports by the end of 2022 – compared to 37 percent in March of 2022. And as I mentioned, our supplies went up more than twofold – over 140 percent increase between 2021 and 2022. The EU’s leadership has been vital in this shift – for example, with its Save the Gas for a Safe Winter program, through which citizens voluntarily lowered their electricity use and used more energy efficient appliances. These and other efforts contributed to a 19 percent reduction in natural gas demand between August of 2022 and January of 2023. We accelerated, as I mentioned, the clean energy transition. The U.S.-EU Task Force on Energy Security is helping our governments and private sector partners share information to boost energy efficiency and diversify supply, like deploying more heat pumps and smart thermostats. Here, too, the European Union has shown remarkable leadership, increasing its goal of energy from renewables from 40 percent to 45 percent by 2030. EU countries added roughly 50 gigawatts of wind and solar capacity last year – which together generated more electricity than natural gas in 2022. Last year, the United States passed the Inflation Reduction Act, the largest climate investment in American history, and we’re heartened that Europe too is working on ambitious clean energy incentives. Through the Clean Energy Incentives Dialogue, which President Biden and President von der Leyen launched last month, we are working together to make sure that these efforts are mutually reenforcing, so that our incentives create a positive feedback loop of innovation, investment for energy transition, jobs for our people. We also come together to support Ukraine’s energy needs. Together, the EU, the U.S., and our G7+ partners have delivered more than 4,000 power generators, 1,000 transformers, and more than 5 million pieces of equipment, like circuit breakers and cables, to help repair and replace the country’s battered energy grid. Today, we’ll talk about ways to continue rebuilding Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. We’ll also talk about our shared work to deploy new technologies like clean hydrogen and carbon capture and storage, among other efforts, to advance the energy transition across Europe and the United States. These collective efforts are directly benefiting people on both sides of the Atlantic through more affordable, more reliable energy, good-paying jobs, and a safer, more sustainable future. Today’s discussions will bring us one step closer to that future, and like everyone, I’m eager to get the conversation started. So again, Josep, thanks so much for having us here today, and I look forward to our discussions. Secretary Antony J. Blinken Remarks Before U.S.-EU Energy Council Meeting 04/04/2023 You are subscribed to Europe and Eurasia for U.S. Department of State. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Secretary Antony J. Blinken Remarks Before U.S.-EU Energy Council Meeting 04/04/2023 07:02 AM EDT Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State Brussels, Belgium European Council Building SECRETARY BLINKEN: High Representative Borrell, Josep, thank you. Thank you for bringing us together today and for continuing an ongoing discussion, an ongoing action that we’ve had with the United States and the European Union on an issue that’s critical in the lives of all of our fellow citizens. I’m very much looking forward to pursuing the discussion we actually began earlier this morning. It’s great to be joined, Tobias, by you, Commissioner Simson, our Deputy Secretary of Energy Dave Turk. Very good to be with everyone this morning. When this council met on February 7th, 2022, Russia was on the verge of invading Ukraine. Europe was on the verge of an energy crisis. President Putin bet that his threat of stopping gas supplies would deter Europe and the world from standing up to his aggression against Ukraine. He was wrong. He then doubled down – stopping natural gas supplies to many European countries, dramatically reducing flows to others, forcing record-high prices on millions in Europe and around the world. He sought to wipe out Ukraine’s critical energy infrastructure – damaging or destroying 50 percent of Ukraine’s grid, leaving millions without reliable power and heat. And again – he failed. Ukraine stands – and stands strong. Europe stands – and stands strong. The world is reducing its dependence on Russian energy, accelerating the transition to the green economy. This is possible, in no small part, because of the partnership between the United States and the European Union. The U.S.-EU Energy Council has worked as never before to help make Europe more energy secure. The United States has more than doubled our supply of natural gas to the continent – exporting 56 billion cubic meters of liquefied natural gas last year. Because of these and other efforts, Russia’s natural gas only accounted for about 16 percent of the EU’s natural gas imports by the end of 2022 – compared to 37 percent in March of 2022. And as I mentioned, our supplies went up more than twofold – over 140 percent increase between 2021 and 2022. The EU’s leadership has been vital in this shift – for example, with its Save the Gas for a Safe Winter program, through which citizens voluntarily lowered their electricity use and used more energy efficient appliances. These and other efforts contributed to a 19 percent reduction in natural gas demand between August of 2022 and January of 2023. We accelerated, as I mentioned, the clean energy transition. The U.S.-EU Task Force on Energy Security is helping our governments and private sector partners share information to boost energy efficiency and diversify supply, like deploying more heat pumps and smart thermostats. Here, too, the European Union has shown remarkable leadership, increasing its goal of energy from renewables from 40 percent to 45 percent by 2030. EU countries added roughly 50 gigawatts of wind and solar capacity last year – which together generated more electricity than natural gas in 2022. Last year, the United States passed the Inflation Reduction Act, the largest climate investment in American history, and we’re heartened that Europe too is working on ambitious clean energy incentives. Through the Clean Energy Incentives Dialogue, which President Biden and President von der Leyen launched last month, we are working together to make sure that these efforts are mutually reenforcing, so that our incentives create a positive feedback loop of innovation, investment for energy transition, jobs for our people. We also come together to support Ukraine’s energy needs. Together, the EU, the U.S., and our G7+ partners have delivered more than 4,000 power generators, 1,000 transformers, and more than 5 million pieces of equipment, like circuit breakers and cables, to help repair and replace the country’s battered energy grid. Today, we’ll talk about ways to continue rebuilding Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. We’ll also talk about our shared work to deploy new technologies like clean hydrogen and carbon capture and storage, among other efforts, to advance the energy transition across Europe and the United States. These collective efforts are directly benefiting people on both sides of the Atlantic through more affordable, more reliable energy, good-paying jobs, and a safer, more sustainable future. Today’s discussions will bring us one step closer to that future, and like everyone, I’m eager to get the conversation started. So again, Josep, thanks so much for having us here today, and I look forward to our discussions. Secretary Antony J. Blinken Remarks Before U.S.-EU Energy Council Meeting 04/04/2023 You are subscribed to Press Releases for U.S. Department of State. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Secretary Antony J. Blinken Remarks Before U.S.-EU Energy Council Meeting 04/04/2023 07:02 AM EDT Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State Brussels, Belgium European Council Building SECRETARY BLINKEN: High Representative Borrell, Josep, thank you. Thank you for bringing us together today and for continuing an ongoing discussion, an ongoing action that we’ve had with the United States and the European Union on an issue that’s critical in the lives of all of our fellow citizens. I’m very much looking forward to pursuing the discussion we actually began earlier this morning. It’s great to be joined, Tobias, by you, Commissioner Simson, our Deputy Secretary of Energy Dave Turk. Very good to be with everyone this morning. When this council met on February 7th, 2022, Russia was on the verge of invading Ukraine. Europe was on the verge of an energy crisis. President Putin bet that his threat of stopping gas supplies would deter Europe and the world from standing up to his aggression against Ukraine. He was wrong. He then doubled down – stopping natural gas supplies to many European countries, dramatically reducing flows to others, forcing record-high prices on millions in Europe and around the world. He sought to wipe out Ukraine’s critical energy infrastructure – damaging or destroying 50 percent of Ukraine’s grid, leaving millions without reliable power and heat. And again – he failed. Ukraine stands – and stands strong. Europe stands – and stands strong. The world is reducing its dependence on Russian energy, accelerating the transi ... [Περικομμένο μήνυμα]  Προβολή ολόκληρου του μηνύματος ΑπάντησηΠροώθηση

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