I am very pleased that President Trump has announced his intent to nominate Ambassador Kelly Craft to be our next U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. Ambassador Craft has been an outstanding advocate for America’s national security and economic interests in Canada and she is extremely well-qualified to do the same at the United Nations. I look forward to her confirmation and continuing to work with her at the United Nations.

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Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo will travel to Hanoi, Vietnam February 26-28, where he will participate in the President’s summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and bilateral meetings with Vietnamese leaders.

The Secretary will then travel to Manila, Philippines February 28-March 1, where he will meet with President Rodrigo Duterte and Secretary of Foreign Affairs Teodoro Locsin, Jr.

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The below is attributable to Deputy Spokesperson Robert Palladino:‎

Secretary Michael R. Pompeo met with Czech Foreign Minister Tomas Petricek today. The Secretary thanked Foreign Minister Petricek for the Czechs’ service as U.S. Protecting Power in Syria and for continued Czech support in Afghanistan and Iraq. They reaffirmed the importance and strength of U.S.-Czech bilateral relations and cooperation worldwide, the mutual benefits of the Czech Republic’s plans to modernize its military, and the need to view energy security and cyber security as integral parts of national security. They also discussed regional and global security challenges including Russia, Iran, and North Korea.

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Assistant Secretary Kimberly Breier will travel to Brazil and Paraguay February 24 through March 2 to promote regional prosperity, security, democracy, and human rights.

From February 24 to 28, Assistant Secretary Breier will travel to Rio de Janeiro, Brasilia, and Sao Paulo to deepen U.S.-Brazil cooperation in support of democracy in the Western Hemisphere, especially in Venezuela, and our shared economic prosperity and security. She will meet with senior government officials including Foreign Minister Ernesto Araujo, Minister of Justice Sergio Moro, Secretary for Trade and International Affairs Marcos Troyjo, International Affairs Advisor Filipe Martins, and Federal Deputy for Sao Paulo Eduardo Bolsonaro. Assistant Secretary Breier also will meet with business leaders, students, and members of civil society. Furthermore, she will meet with UNHCR representatives, ambassadors from Lima Group countries, and Venezuelan migrants.

On March 1, Assistant Secretary Breier will travel to Paraguay. She will meet with President Mario Abdo Benitez, Finance Minister Benigno Lopez Benítez, Deputy Foreign Minister Hugo Saguier Caballero, Attorney General Sandra Quinonez Astigarraga, and SEPRELAD Minister Maria Epifania Gonzalez de Rodríguez. They will discuss bilateral and regional issues, including security cooperation, support for Venezuela, economic prosperity, and our shared commitment to democracy. She will also engage with civil society leaders, including anti-corruption activists.

For trip updates, please follow @WHAAsstSecty. For press inquiries, please email WHAPress@state.gov.

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The United States congratulates the Government of Israel and our respective commercial space industries for the historic SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch of SpaceIL’s Lunar Lander named Beresheet. The mission launched yesterday from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, at 8:45 p.m. EST and will land on the Moon in about two months. The non-profit organization SpaceIL and Israel Aerospace Industries, with technical support from the Israel Space Agency, funded and built this lander. The mission required governmental authorization and continuing supervision, consistent with obligations set out in the Outer Space Treaty, to which both Israel and the United States are party. The U.S. government, as a responsible space-faring nation and launching state, also commends the U.S. commercial space sector for providing affordable launch services to another closely allied spacefaring nation. In fact, the Google X prize was the primary incentive that persuaded SpaceIL to embark on this endeavor.

We look forward to expanding our partnership in space with Israel as the nation takes on greater responsibilities in the international community of spacefaring nations (as in its recent assumption of the 2nd Vice Chair of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space). Israel is fostering its own innovative commercial space industry to produce a mission that will make Israel one of only four nations (United States, the former Soviet Union, China, and Israel) to reach the surface of the Moon through a controlled landing. This mission has fostered a partnership between NASA and the Israel Space Agency and both agencies will share the resulting discoveries with the global scientific community. NASA will contribute to the mission with communications support and observations from its Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft and by providing a laser retroreflector that will fly onboard the Israeli lander.

For further information, contact OES-PA-DG@state.gov. For more information about outer space diplomacy, please visit the website for the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Space and Advanced Technology.

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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.