On behalf of the American people, I send my heartfelt congratulations on the anniversary of your independence.

We commend Togo’s significant contributions to international peacekeeping and maritime security. We support Togo’s continued efforts to become more business friendly, increase the well-being of all Togolese citizens, and strengthen your democratic institutions, especially as we look ahead to your presidential elections in 2020.

I wish you peace and prosperity as you celebrate 59 years of independence.

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On behalf of the United States government, I congratulate His Majesty King Willem-Alexander on his sixth celebration of Koningsdag, and extend my best wishes to the people of the Netherlands on this joyous occasion.

The United States and the Netherlands share the longest, unbroken peaceful relationship we have with any country in the world. Our deep friendship is rooted in a commitment to democracy and rule of law. We work together to promote peace, prosperity, and freedom in Europe and around the globe.

Our partnership will reach new heights this year as the United States and the Netherlands co-host the ninth annual Global Entrepreneurship Summit in The Hague in June. This event underscores the commitment by both countries at the highest levels to entrepreneurship and innovation. With its theme of The Future Now, we will bring the world’s most inspiring entrepreneurs and investors together to solve global challenges and create economic prosperity. The coming year will also mark the 75^th anniversary of the struggle by Allied forces to liberate the Netherlands from Nazi oppression. We greatly appreciate the dedication shown by the Dutch people to remember our shared history of sacrifice, especially at the Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten.

I wish the happiest of King’s Days to all the people of the Netherlands, a key ally and friend of the United States of America, and a happy 52^nd birthday to His Majesty King Willem-Alexander.

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On behalf of the United States, I send my best wishes to the people and Government of the Republic of South Africa as you observe the 25th anniversary of Freedom Day.

We admire the achievements South Africa has made in the quarter-century since first holding democratic elections in 1994, and we stand together with South Africa to address regional and global challenges. We value our strong partnership against the HIV/AIDS epidemic, our robust trade and investment relationship, and people-to-people ties based on our shared commitment to democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.

On your national day, we reflect on our strong friendship and look ahead to forging an even deeper bilateral relationship between our countries.

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The below is attributable to Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus:‎ 

Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo met today in Washington with Kazakhstani Presidential Special Envoy and National Security Committee Chairman Karim Masimov.  The two discussed Kazakhstan’s historic presidential transition and upcoming election in June, as well as bilateral cooperation on counterterrorism.  The Secretary welcomed Kazakhstan’s support for a lasting peace in Afghanistan. The Secretary raised the ongoing human rights crisis in Western China, many of the victims of whom are ethnic Kazakhs living in Xinjiang, and conveyed the United States’ strong support for those affected.

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The text of the following statement was released by the Governments of the United States of America, Russia, and China on the occasion of the Trilateral Meeting on the Afghan Peace Process.

Begin Text:

Representatives of the United States, China, and Russia met in Moscow on April 25, 2019, and exchanged views on the current status of the Afghan peace process. The three sides reached consensus on the following:

1. The three sides respect the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of Afghanistan as well as its right to choose its development path. The three sides prioritize the interests of the Afghan people in promoting a peace process.
2. The three sides support an inclusive Afghan-led, Afghan-owned peace process and are ready to provide necessary assistance. The three sides encourage the Afghan Taliban to participate in peace talks with a broad, representative Afghan delegation that includes the government as soon as possible. Toward this end, and as agreed in Moscow in February 2019, we support a second round of intra-Afghan dialogue in Doha (Qatar).
3. The three sides support the Afghan government efforts to combat international terrorism and extremist organizations in Afghanistan. They take note of the Afghan Taliban’s commitment to: fight ISIS and cut ties with Al-Qaeda, ETIM, and other international terrorist groups; ensure the areas they control will not be used to threaten any other country; and call on them to prevent terrorist recruiting, training, and fundraising, and expel any known terrorists.
4. The three sides recognize the Afghan people’s strong desire for a comprehensive ceasefire. As a first step, we call on all parties to agree on immediate and concrete steps to reduce violence.
5. The three sides stress the importance of fighting illegal drug production and trafficking, and call on the Afghan government and the Taliban to take all the necessary steps to eliminate the drug threat in Afghanistan.
6. The three sides call for an orderly and responsible withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan as part of the overall peace process.
7. The three sides call for regional countries to support this trilateral consensus and are ready to build a more extensive regional and international consensus on Afghanistan.
8. The three sides agreed on a phased expansion of their consultations before the next trilateral meeting in Beijing. The date and composition of the meeting will be agreed upon through diplomatic channels.

End Text

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