Latest News


The U.S. Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability 10-Year Strategic Plan for Coastal West Africa

News Release: Summary. The U.S. government (USG) is committed to expanding partnerships in West Africa to prevent violent conflicts from emerging or further spreading across the region. The central Sahel region of Africa experienced more terrorist attacks than any other part of the world in 2021, with terrorist activity...


EU-U.S. Joint Naval Exercise

News Release: On 23 and 24 March 2023, the European Union and the United States of America conducted a joint naval exercise, as decided at the last round of the EU-U.S. High-Level Consultations on the Indo-Pacific on 2 December 2022.


Risch on Announcement of Paul Rusesabagina’s Impending Release from Rwandan Prison

News Release: BOISE, Idaho - U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following statement on the announcement that Paul Rusesabagina, a U.S. lawful permanent resident and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, is scheduled to be released from Rwanda’s Mageragere Prison in the coming days:


United States Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability: Country and Regional Plan Summaries

News Release: Country Plan Summaries. HAITI (French ). LIBYA (Arabic ). MOZAMBIQUE (Portuguese ). PAPUA NEW GUINEA. Regional Plan Summary. COASTAL WEST AFRICA (BENIN, CÔTE D’IVOIRE, GHANA, GUINEA, AND TOGO) (French ).


HFAC Markup Announcement on Various Measures

News Release: Washington, D.C. - House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul announced the full committee will hold a markup to consider various measures on Wednesday, March 29th.


Senior Presidential Advisor for the Americas Dodd’s Travel to the Dominican Republic

News Release: Special Presidential Advisor (SPA) for the Americas Christopher J. Dodd will travel to Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic, on March 24-25 to attend the 28th Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and Government. SPA Dodd is attending the summit at the invitation of Dominican President Luis Abinader, ...


Release of Paul Rusesabagina

Release: I welcome today’s release of Paul Rusesabagina by the Government of Rwanda. It is a relief to know that Paul is rejoining his family, and the U.S. Government is grateful to the Rwandan Government for making this reunion possible. We also thank the Government of Qatar for their valuable assistance that will enable Paul’s return to the United States.


Taking Additional Actions to Hold the Lukashenka Regime to Account

News Release: The United States continues to promote accountability for the Lukashenka regime’s violence surrounding the fraudulent August 2020 presidential election in Belarus, its ongoing brutal crackdown against the pro-democracy movement and other elements of Belarusian society, its flagrant human rights abuses, and its facilitation of the Russian Federation’s illegal war against Ukraine.


Building a Water-Secure World

Release: I am in New York this week for the first UN Water Conference in nearly 50 years. Fifty years in which our scientific understanding of the earth’s water resources has expanded and deepened dramatically. And 50 years in which global water issues have become more pressing and profound. This week’s United Nations Water Conference in New York is urgent and long overdue.


EU-U.S. Joint Naval Exercise

Release: On 23 and 24 March 2023, the European Union and the United States of America conducted a joint naval exercise, as decided at the last round of the EU-U.S. High-Level Consultations on the Indo-Pacific on 2 December 2022.


Secretary Blinken’s Participation in the Tenth U.S.-Colombia High-Level Dialogue

Release: Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet with Colombian Foreign Minister Álvaro Leyva for the tenth U.S.-Colombia High Level Dialogue (HLD) in Washington, D.C. March 27-28. At the HLD, the two countries will discuss issues of shared interest including migration, counternarcotics, security, human rights and equity, education, economic opportunities, energy transition, and climate action.


McCaul Speaks on House Floor in Support of Deterring China Through AUKUS Bill

News Release: Washington, DC - This week, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul spoke on the House Floor in support of passing H.R. 1093, To direct the Secretary of State to submit to Congress a report on implementation of the advanced capabilities pillar of the trilateral security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The bill passed the House 393-4.


Release of Paul Rusesabagina

News Release: I welcome today’s release of Paul Rusesabagina by the Government of Rwanda. It is a relief to know that Paul is rejoining his family, and the U.S. Government is grateful to the Rwandan Government for making this reunion possible. We also thank the Government of Qatar for their valuable assistance that will enable Paul’s return to the United States.


Joint Announcement on GPS-KPS Technical Working Group Meeting

Release: The Governments of the United States of America and the Republic of Korea held a technical meeting on GPS-KPS cooperation on March 20, 2023 in Seoul, Republic of Korea (ROK). The meeting was organized following the commitments made under the “United States-Republic of Korea Leaders’ Joint Statement"...


Assistant Secretary Witkowsky’s Travel to Australia and Papua New Guinea

Release: Assistant Secretary of State for Conflict and Stabilization Operations Anne A. Witkowsky will travel to Australia and Papua New Guinea March 27-31. While there, she will hold talks with government counterparts, community groups, human rights leaders, academia, donor partners, multilateral organizations, and civil society representatives on opportunities to expand our collaboration in the Indo-Pacific region.


Update on Passport Processing Times

News Release: On March 24, the Department of State updated the processing times for U.S. passport applications. Routine processing will take 10-13 weeks and expedited processing, which costs an additional $60, will take 7-9 weeks. These new processing times only apply to new applications submitted on or after March 24. Processing time begins the day we receive an application and do not include mailing time.


McCaul Speaks on House Floor in Support of Deterring China Through AUKUS Bill

News Release: Washington, DC - This week, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul spoke on the House Floor in support of passing H.R. 1093, To direct the Secretary of State to submit to Congress a report on implementation of the advanced capabilities pillar of the trilateral security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The bill passed the House 393-4.


Joint Announcement on GPS-KPS Technical Working Group Meeting

Release: The Governments of the United States of America and the Republic of Korea held a technical meeting on GPS-KPS cooperation on March 20, 2023 in Seoul, Republic of Korea (ROK). The meeting was organized following the commitments made under the “United States-Republic of Korea Leaders’ Joint Statement"...


MEDIA ADVISORY: McCaul, McGovern, Young, Merkley to Host Press Conference with Richard Gere on Tibet

News Release: Washington, D.C. - House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX), House Committee on Rules Ranking Member Jim McGovern (D-MA), Senator Todd Young (R-IN), and Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) will host a bipartisan press conference with the International Campaign for Tibet and actor Richard...


Chairman McCaul Opening Statement at Today’s Committee Markup

News Release: Washington, D.C. - Today, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul gave the following opening remarks at a full committee markup of H.Res.158, Requesting the President and directing the Secretary of Defense and Secretary of State to transmit, respectively, certain documents to the House of Representatives relating to congressionally appropriated funds to the nation of Ukraine from Jan. 20, 2021 to Feb. 24, 2023.