The below is attributable to Spokesperson Heather Nauert:

On March 16, Deputy Secretary Sullivan met with Japanese Foreign Minister Kono in Washington, DC. Deputy Secretary Sullivan and Foreign Minister Kono affirmed the importance of the U.S.-Japan Alliance in the region, particularly in light of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s (DPRK’s) unlawful nuclear and ballistic missile programs. Both sides agreed that the announcement of a meeting between President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is an historic opportunity and that the global maximum pressure campaign is working and must remain in effect. Deputy Secretary Sullivan and Foreign Minister Kono agreed that international pressure on the DPRK must be maintained until the DPRK takes credible, verifiable, and concrete steps toward denuclearization.

Deputy Secretary Sullivan and Foreign Minister Kono also discussed other issues of bilateraland global concern.

The Office of Website Management, Bureau of Public Affairs, manages this site as a portal for information from the U.S. State Department.
External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein.

The United States today renewed its support for two of Lebanon’s vital national institutions, the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and Internal Security Forces (ISF), in Rome at the conference in support of Lebanese state security services. U.S. delegate and Senior Bureau Official for Near Eastern Affairs, Ambassador David Satterfield, underscored that the LAF and ISF “are critical to Lebanese security and stability, and ultimately, to the survival of a stable, democratic, and prosperous Lebanon.”

The United States has provided nearly $1.7 billion to the LAF and over $160 million to the ISF since 2006. U.S. assistance for Lebanon’s security services helps advance our shared goals in the region, enabling the Lebanese government to provide civilian security and assert its authority throughout all of Lebanese territory.

In 2017, the United States provided over $250 million in security assistance to Lebanon, including $121 million in Foreign Military Financing. During the conference, Ambassador Satterfield announced part of the FY 2017 funds will be used to provide the LAF with three additional transportation helicopters, valued at $30 million, as well as a new $9 million investment in ISF training and facilities, subject to Congressional approval.

Examples of recent and upcoming U.S. support for Lebanese security services includes:

• In August 2017, the LAF expelled the last remaining pockets of ISIS and al-Qa’ida from Lebanon using U.S.-provided systems and munitions, including 155mm Howitzers, M113 APCs, Huey helicopters, Cessna Caravans, Scan Eagle reconnaissance aircraft, and precision-guided munitions including Copperheads, Hellfires, and TOW missiles.
• This year, the United States will complete the delivery of six A-29 Super Tucano aircraft and 32 Bradley Fighting Vehicles, which are part of $340 million in assistance to improve the LAF’s strike capability in the air and to build its modern, mechanized maneuver capability on the ground.
• Through International Military Education and Training (IMET), 946 members of the LAF (to include 86 in FY 2017) will have received U.S.-instructed training, which has increased professionalization, enhanced U.S. joint interoperability, and strengthened our enduring military-to-military relationship.

The Office of Website Management, Bureau of Public Affairs, manages this site as a portal for information from the U.S. State Department.
External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein.

This week, the UN Human Rights Council discussed the report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran.

The United States notes with concern the grave conditions facing the press in Iran as detailed in the UN Special Rapporteur’s report. The report says in part, “The Special Rapporteur has continued to receive reports of the arbitrary arrest, detention, and harassment of journalists, media workers, and their families, including during interviews conducted during missions.”

We also note in the Special Rapporteur’s report, the disturbing examples of harassment, arbitrary detention, travel bans, and surveillance by intelligence service operatives of some individuals and their families working for the Persian Service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). The report references an injunction by a Tehran court, banning 152 members of staff, former employees, and contributors from carrying out financial transactions in the country, citing “conspiracy against national security.”

These actions are unacceptable. The United States calls on the Iranian regime to respect its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights that guarantee the freedom of expression, including for members of the press.

The Office of Website Management, Bureau of Public Affairs, manages this site as a portal for information from the U.S. State Department.
External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein.

Director for Policy Planning Brian Hook will lead the U.S. delegation to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) Joint Commission meeting in Vienna on March 16. Under the terms of the JCPOA, the Joint Commission is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the Iran nuclear deal. Participants include all the members of the P5+1 (China, France, Germany, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States), the European Union, and Iran.

The Office of Website Management, Bureau of Public Affairs, manages this site as a portal for information from the U.S. State Department.
External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein.

The U.S. Department of State hosted the third U.S.-Japan Energy Strategic Dialogue in Washington, D.C. on March 8, 2018. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Diplomacy Sandra Oudkirk and Deputy Assistant Minister Toshiro Iijima of the Economic Affairs Bureau, Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, led the discussions.

Officials from the U.S. Departments of Energy and Defense participated in the dialogue along with Japanese delegation members from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the Ministry of Environment, and the Embassy of Japan in Washington DC.

The discussions focused on the energy security dimensions of recent geopolitical developments, energy market trends, and areas of mutual cooperation in multilateral fora devoted to energy. The talks reinforced the role energy cooperation plays in strengthening the U.S.-Japan partnership, as President Trump highlighted in his visit to Japan in November 2017.

For further information, contact Vincent Campos, Spokesperson for the Bureau of Energy Resources, at CamposVM@state.gov or visit www.state.gov/e/enr. You can also find information on Twitter at @EnergyAtState.

The Office of Website Management, Bureau of Public Affairs, manages this site as a portal for information from the U.S. State Department.
External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein.