U.S. Department of State

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry meets with Brazilian Foreign Minister Antonio de Aguiar Patriota at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., on May 20, 2013. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]

Orchestrating a Security Conference

For the past six years, the New York staff for the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), in concert with the FBI and locally-based academic institutions, has organized an annual security conference focusing on international law enforcement. The conference this year allowed three IVLP groups, all high level law enforcement professionals representing 32 countries, to come together and meet with U.S. counterparts. Read more on DipNote.

Deepening the U.S. Partnership With Northern Europe

On May 16, Finnish Ambassador Ritva Koukku-Ronde welcomed me and the Nordic-Baltic (NB) Ambassadors to her home on Embassy Row for a candid discussion on some of the most pressing global challenges we face today. Over a traditional Scandinavian breakfast, we exchanged views on a wide-range of issues, from the DPRK to ending the bloodshed in Syria to climate change in the Arctic. I very much appreciated hearing from our close friends. MORE

Secretary Kerry Travels to the Middle East and Africa

Secretary Kerry will travel May 21 to Muscat, where he will meet with senior Omani officials to discuss a range of bilateral and regional issues.

On May 22, the Secretary will visit Amman, where he will meet with key international partners to further explore ways that the international community can work towards bringing together both sides of the conflict and developing a path toward a negotiated political solution to the crisis in Syria.

On May 23-24, Secretary Kerry will travel to Jerusalem and Ramallah. In Jerusalem, he will meet with Israeli leaders, and in Ramallah he will meet with the Palestinian leadership.

Secretary Kerry will then travel May 24-25 to Addis Ababa, where he will meet with senior Ethiopian officials to discuss bilateral issues and participate in the Golden Jubilee of the Organization of African Unity at the African Union Summit.

On May 26, Secretary Kerry will depart Addis Ababa and return to Amman, where he will participate in the World Economic Forum.

The Secretary will depart Amman and return to Washington on May 27.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry delivers remarks with Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Dipu Moni at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, DC on May 17, 2013. A text transcript can be found at http://www.state.gov/secretary/remarks/2013/05/209581.htm

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry meets with Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Dipu Moni at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., on May 17, 2013. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry meets with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., on May 16, 2013. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]

In Brussels, International Community Solidifies Commitment to Mali’s Recovery

Women Sell Cloth at the Grand Market in Bamako, Mali

Representatives from more than 80 countries met in Brussels on May 15 to pledge their support for Mali, which is recovering from political upheaval and the occupation of its northern territory by rebels and terrorist groups.

Nancy Lindborg, USAID’s Assistant Administrator for the Bureau of Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance, and I announced an additional $32 million in new U.S. humanitarian assistance to support Malians affected by the crisis. MORE

In a video message, Ambassador Susan E. Rice, U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, commemorates International Day Against Homophobia on May 17. Read more on DipNote.