On behalf of the United States, I send my best wishes to the people of Cabo Verde as we celebrate the bicentennial anniversary of relations between our two nations. Our friendship dates back to December 1818, when the first U.S. consulate in sub-Saharan Africa opened in Cabo Verde. We have maintained strong and enduring ties for two hundred years.

As we reflect upon our partnership, we recognize our mutual commitment to good governance, maritime security, and economic prosperity. Last year, the United States and Cabo Verde signed the Status of Forces Agreement, strengthening the U.S.-Cabo Verde security partnership, and advancing our shared security goals in West Africa.

The United States celebrates this momentous occasion of 200 years of relations and remains committed to our partnership. We look forward to continuing our nations’ efforts to strengthen peace, security, and economic prosperity.

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United States Assistant Secretary for Economic and Business Affairs Manisha Singh led talks December 7, 2018, with Vice Foreign Minister Lee Taeho of the Republic of Korea during the latter’s official visit to Washington, D.C. They discussed the importance of the U.S.-Korea economic relationship, and prospects for greater cooperation in global health security, energy, and women’s economic empowerment. The parties signed a memorandum of understanding to advance cooperation on these issues.

Assistant Secretary Singh reaffirmed the ironclad and enduring commitment of the United States to allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region, and President Trump’s vision for a free and open region of strong, sovereign, and prosperous nations.

As President Trump highlighted in his visit to the Republic of Korea in November 2017, the U.S.-Republic of Korea alliance remains a linchpin for security, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific. The December 7, 2018, talks advanced that vision and the strong bilateral cooperation that serves as a foundation for our solid alliance with the Republic of Korea.

For further information, please contact the Public Diplomacy team for the Bureau of Economics and Business Affairs at EB-A-PD-Clearances@state.gov.

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External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein.

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, Ambassador Alice Wells will travel to Astana, Kazakhstan December 8-12 for the U.S.-Kazakhstan Enhanced Strategic Partnership Dialogue.

Ambassador Wells will lead the U.S. delegation, which will include representatives from the National Security Council, USAID, and the State Department’s Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs and Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, for discussions on global and regional security issues, counterterrorism cooperation, economic and trade agreements, C5+1 initiatives, human rights and rule of law, people to people ties, and other issues of mutual interest. This will be the first official meeting within the framework of the Enhanced Strategic Partnership Dialogue following the visit of Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev to Washington in January 2018, which charted a clear path forward for increased bilateral cooperation between the United States and Kazakhstan.

The United States looks forward to deepening its relationship with Kazakhstan to promote mutual security and prosperity for the American and Kazakhstani people.

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External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein.

On November 24, 2018, the Assad regime and Russia falsely accused the opposition and extremist groups of conducting a chlorine attack in northwestern Aleppo. The United States strongly refutes this narrative and has credible information that pro-regime forces likely used teargas against civilians in Aleppo on November 24. The United States has information indicating Russian and Syrian personnel were involved in the teargas incident, and believes that both countries are using it as an opportunity to undermine confidence in the ceasefire in Idlib.

The United States is deeply concerned that pro-regime officials have maintained control of the attack site in its immediate aftermath, allowing them to potentially fabricate samples and contaminate the site before a proper investigation of it by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. We caution Russia and the regime against tampering with the suspected attack site and urge them to secure the safety of impartial, independent inspectors so that those responsible can be held accountable.

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QUESTION: 97.9 B98, Lukas and Careth in the Morning, your Christmas music station. We’re joined now by Secretary Pompeo. We haven’t talked to Secretary Pompeo since he left Kansas. Are you there?

SECRETARY POMPEO: I am here. It’s great to be with you all. How’s everything going back in Kansas?

QUESTION: We’re – well, it’s cold. I mean, as you expected, right?

SECRETARY POMPEO: I saw that. Yes, sir.

QUESTION: So man, so many things have happened since you’ve been on the show, Secretary. I mean, do you we call you Secretary? Is that the proper name?

SECRETARY POMPEO: It is, but you can call me Mike as you always did, so that’ll be just fine.

QUESTION: (Laughter.) I asked Sumair (ph) about that. I said, “What do I call him now?” He’s like, “Just call him Secretary.” I was like, “Okay.” So, I mean, this has been a whirlwind. You went there and you became the CIA director. Now you’re the Secretary of the State. What’s going on? Give us a little – give everybody in Kansas a little update of what’s happened with you.

SECRETARY POMPEO: It’s quite a privilege, and my Kansas roots have served me well. It’s hard work trying to make sure that we do all the things right to protect Americans and keep them safe. But it is a real opportunity to serve the country and working for President Trump trying to deliver a foreign policy that keeps our young men and women who are serving in America in uniform safe and all of you back at home in Kansas safe as well.

QUESTION: I love it. Okay, so you spent a lot of time in North Korea. We’re so interested in the – I mean, every time I turn on the TV you’re there and doing all the business that’s never been – never happened before in the history. Can you give us some details about that?

SECRETARY POMPEO: It’s been quite a experience to have the opportunity to try and figure out how to deliver for President Trump the outcome that Chairman Kim promised, right, to denuclearize, something that matters to everyone. Then I had the incredible good fortune to return to America with three American hostages, folks who had been held there for a long time, and bring them back safely to their families. It was one of the highlights of my professional life to get the chance to do that. And now the hard task, the hard task of denuclearizing North Korea, it still remains in front of us.

QUESTION: Yeah.

QUESTION: We saw you at President George H.W. Bush’s funeral, and just watching it on TV it was such an emotional experience. What was it like being there?

SECRETARY POMPEO: Oh goodness. It was – it was one of the greatness – one of the things that you see is about the greatness of America, the country coming together around someone who had committed his whole life to serving our country. He’d had one of the same jobs I did. He had been the CIA director. I had gotten to know he – him some during that time when I was CIA director. It was – it was really quite something to be there in that room with leaders from all around the world, leaders from the United States Congress, leaders in the executive branch, and then the Bush family, all paying tribute to a great American.

QUESTION: So being the CIA director and then the Secretary of State, which one did you lose the most sleep about? Like, which one’s harder to – I mean, are they both just like nonstop?

SECRETARY OF STATE: They’re both pretty busy, no doubt about that. Very different jobs for sure. Each one a real opportunity to serve with some great people here, the Foreign Service officers, the civil servants that work at the State Department, and before that the officers of the CIA. Great people. Patriots all, trying to get things done for us all around the world.

QUESTION: Well, I mean, you did a fantastic job of representing Kansas when you were in Congress, and everybody in Kansas loves that.

QUESTION: I’ve got one more question.

QUESTION: Go.

QUESTION: Did you get any of Lukas’s texts?

SECRETARY POMPEO: (Laughter.) I can’t say that I did.

QUESTION: I told him you probably changed your phone number.

QUESTION: I just congratulated him, that was it. That’s all I got. Well, listen, the Shockers play tomorrow against Oklahoma. I know you’re a big Shockers fan still, I hope.

SECRETARY POMPEO: I am. I know it’s on the road. I hope the weather’s good enough for everybody to get down to Norman and we can crush the Sooners.

QUESTION: Yes, look at that. All right. Secretary Pompeo, we love catching up with you. Thank you so much for spending time and calling us.

QUESTION: Merry Christmas, Secretary.

SECRETARY POMPEO: Thank you. Merry Christmas to you all.

QUESTION: Okay, bye-bye.

SECRETARY POMPEO: Yep, bye-bye.

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External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein.