The United States welcomes today’s signing in Warsaw of an agreement concluding Phase I of Poland’s purchase of the Patriot missile defense system, worth $4.6 billion. This includes a brand new, state-of-the-art command and control system for Poland’s air and missile defense. The signing of this agreement will strengthen the security and capabilities of the United States, Poland, and NATO along the Alliance’s Eastern Flank. It reflects Poland’s investment in sharing the burden of collective defense through its ongoing defense modernization program, to which Poland devotes more than 20% of its defense budget, and is the culmination of commitments made in conjunction with the meeting between Presidents Trump and Duda in Warsaw in July 2017. It also creates jobs in both the United States and Poland.

We look forward to working with Poland to finalize Phase II of this acquisition.

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Ambassador Tina Kaidanow, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs, will travel to Turkey and Iraq March 28-April 3.

In Ankara, Turkey, Ambassador Kaidanow will meet with Turkish officials to discuss bilateral defense trade and security cooperation. She will meet with representatives from the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of National Defense, and the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries to share U.S. perspectives on bilateral and regional security issues as part of the U.S.-Turkey Defense Trade Dialogue, and will hold a roundtable discussion with representatives from major U.S. and Turkish defense manufacturers.

In Baghdad, Iraq, Ambassador Kaidanow will meet with Iraqi government officials to discuss regional security issues and U.S. security assistance programs overseen by the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs. These programs reflect our continued commitment to helping Iraq improve its security, maintain its sovereignty, and continue the fight against remaining ISIS terrorists, while supporting the long-term development of modern, accountable, and professional Iraqi security forces capable of defending Iraq and its borders.

For further information, please contact the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, Office of Congressional and Public Affairs at PM-CPA@state.gov and follow @StateDeptPM on Twitter.

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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.

The United States strongly condemns yesterday’s events in Mitrovica, which unnecessarily heighten tensions and threaten regional stability. We urge all parties to avoid further escalation of the situation, and to act calmly and resolve disputes peacefully. To create lasting peace and stability in the Balkans, both Kosovo and Serbia need to focus on normalizing relations through the EU-led Dialogue. The United States stands ready to support all parties in Dialogue negotiations.

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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.

The United States Diplomacy Center, in cooperation with the George C. Marshall Foundation will commemorate the 70^th anniversary of the signing of the Marshall Plan into law with a program at the Center on Tuesday, April 3, at 2:00 p.m.

The program features opening remarks by Dr. Dan Hamilton, the Austrian Marshall Plan Foundation Professor and Founding Director of the Center for Transatlantic Relations at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), Johns Hopkins University and Dr. Benn Steil, senior fellow and director of international economics at the Council on Foreign Relations and author of recently published The Marshall Plan: Dawn of the Cold War. A panel discussion of “Perspectives on the Marshall Plan” will be moderated by Ambassador Thomas Pickering. Panelists include Ambassador Henne Shuwer of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; Ambassador Peter Wittig of the Federal Republic of Germany; ambassador David O’Sullivan of the European Union; and Assistant Secretary A. Wess Mitchell of the Department of State’s Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs.

In a June 1947, speech at Harvard University, Secretary of State George C. Marshall offered U.S. assistance to a devastated Europe. Marshall enlisted popular and Congressional support for the idea that became informally known as the Marshall Plan. President Truman signed legislation to enact the European Recovery Program on April 3, 1948. This event is part of the George C. Marshall Legacy Series that interprets General Marshall’s legacy through exhibitions, speakers and programs centered on key themes or episodes from his career.

The United States Diplomacy Center, a public-private partnership, is located at the U.S. Department of State. It is dedicated to telling the stories of American diplomacy. It explores U.S. foreign policy issues, introduces the people who conduct diplomacy on behalf of the country, and highlights diplomacy’s historical and contemporary impact on American lives.

The George C. Marshall Center, based in Lexington, Virginia, celebrates a man of towering stature. His characteristics of honesty, integrity, and selfless service stand as shining examples for those who study the past and for those generations to come. The Marshall Foundation is dedicated to celebrating his legacy and inspiring new leaders.

The event is open to the press. Pre-set time for cameras is 1:15 p.m. from the 21st Street entrance. Final access time for writers and stills is 1:30 p.m. from the 21^st Street entrance.

Media representatives may attend this event upon presentation of one of the following: (1) a U.S. Government-issued photo media credential (e.g., Department of State, White House, Congress, Department of Defense or Foreign Press Center), or (2) an official photo identification card issued by their news organization, or (3) a letter from their employer on official letterhead verifying their current employment as a journalist.

Additionally, they must present an official government photo identification card (i.e., U.S. driver’s license or passport).

For further information, please contact Mary Fanous at fanousmk@state.gov, or phone 202-472-8215, or visit https://diplomacy.state.gov/ or @diplomacycenter on Twitter using the hashtag #DiscoverDiplomacy.

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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.

The text of the following statement was released by the Governments of India and the United States of America on the occasion of the 15th Meeting of the India-U.S. Working Group on Counterterrorism:

Begin Text:

The 15th meeting of the India-U.S. Counterterrorism Joint Working Group was held in New Delhi on March 27, 2018. Led by Ministry of External Affairs Joint Secretary Shri Mahaveer Singhvi and the State Department’s Principal Deputy Coordinator for Counterterrorism, Alina L. Romanowski, the Indian and the U.S. delegations achieved important progress on counterterrorism cooperation between the two countries.

The working group reviewed threats posed by terrorist groups worldwide and in their respective regions, including cross-border terrorism in the South Asia region. Both sides committed to strengthening information sharing on some of the world’s most dangerous terrorist groups and individuals and exchanged views on efforts to counter the financing and operations of regional and global terrorist organizations. The two sides discussed international efforts to counter threats posed by foreign terrorist fighters. The working group also discussed international and bilateral cooperation on justice, law enforcement, and capacity building efforts to counter terrorism, and United Nations Security Council Resolution 2396.

Following up on the inaugural U.S.-India Counterterrorism Designations Dialogue in December 2017, the delegations discussed ongoing efforts to ensure the effective implementation of domestic and international terrorist designations. The United States will host the next meeting of the Joint Working Group in 2019.

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