The text of the following statement was released by the Governments of The United States of America, The United Kingdom, and the Russian Federation.

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On July 1, 1968, the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) opened for signature in our respective capitals: London, Moscow, and Washington. Today, 50 years later, we celebrate the immeasurable contributions this landmark treaty has made to the security and prosperity of the nations and peoples of the world.

The NPT has provided the essential foundation for international efforts to stem the looming threat – then and now – that nuclear weapons would proliferate across the globe. In so doing, it has served the interests of all its Parties and has limited the risk that the vast devastation of nuclear war would be unleashed.

We also celebrate the astonishingly diverse benefits of the peaceful uses of the atom, whether for electricity, medicine, agriculture, or industry. This boon to humanity thrives because the NPT, and the nuclear nonproliferation regime built around the Treaty, has helped provide confidence that nuclear programs are and will remain entirely peaceful.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) plays a critical role in NPT implementation, both to promote the fullest possible cooperation on the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, and to apply safeguards and verify that nuclear programs are entirely peaceful. An IAEA comprehensive safeguards agreement together with an Additional Protocol provide credible assurances of the absence of undeclared nuclear activities and should become the universal standard for verifying the fulfillment of NPT obligations. We pledge our full and continued support to the IAEA and urge others to do the same.

By helping to ease international tensions and create conditions of stability, security and trust among nations, the NPT has made a vital contribution to nuclear disarmament. The NPT continues to help create conditions that would be essential for further progress on nuclear disarmament. We remain committed to the ultimate goal of the elimination of nuclear weapons, as set forth in the NPT, and are committed to working together to make the international environment more conducive to such progress.

The success of the NPT was not foreordained, nor is its future success guaranteed. It depends on our concerted and sustained efforts to ensure compliance, to promote universalization, to ensure effective safeguards, and to respond to ongoing and emerging proliferation challenges, wherever they occur. Even at the height of the Cold War, our predecessors made this wise investment in our shared security and prosperity. Today, we pledge our unstinting commitment to preserving and deepening this legacy for future generations.

Michael R. Pompeo
Secretary of State
United States of America

Boris Johnson
Foreign Secretary
United Kingdom

Sergey Lavrov
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Russian Federation

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The Department of State renewed its Travel Advisory for South Sudan on June 28, 2018. The Department continues to advise travelers to not travel to South Sudan. This replaces the previous Travel Advisory issued on January 10, 2018.

The full text of the new Travel Advisory is as follows:

South Sudan – Level 4: Do Not Travel Do not travel to South Sudan due to crime and armed conflict.

Violent crime, such as carjackings, shootings, ambushes, assaults, robberies, and kidnappings is common throughout South Sudan, including Juba.

Armed conflict is ongoing throughout the country and includes fighting between various political and ethnic groups, and weapons are readily available to the population. In addition, cattle raids occur throughout the country and often lead to violence. Reporting in South Sudan without the proper documentation from the South Sudanese Media Authority is considered illegal, and any journalistic work there is very dangerous. Journalists regularly report being harassed in South Sudan, and many have been killed while covering the conflict there.

The U.S. government has limited ability to provide emergency consular services to U.S. citizens in South Sudan. U.S. government personnel in South Sudan are under a strict curfew. They must use armored vehicles for nearly all movements in the city, and official travel outside Juba is limited. Due to the critical crime threat in Juba, walking is also restricted; when allowed, it is limited to a small area in the immediate vicinity of the Embassy and must usually be conducted in groups of two or more during daylight hours. Family members cannot accompany U.S. government employees who work in South Sudan.

Due to risks to civil aviation operating within or in the vicinity of South Sudan, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) and/or a Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR). For more information U.S. citizens should consult Federal Aviation Administration’s Prohibitions, Restrictions and Notices.

Read the Safety and Security section on the Country Information page.

If you decide to travel to South Sudan:

• Exercise extreme care in all parts of the country, including Juba. Travel outside of Juba with a minimum of two vehicles along with appropriate recovery and medical equipment in case of mechanical failure or other emergency.
• Avoid travel along border areas.
• Avoid demonstrations and public gatherings. Even events intended to be peaceful can become violent.
• Be aware that photography in public is strictly controlled and you are required to obtain authorization from the Ministry of Information before taking any photographs or video in public – including while inside a vehicle.
• Monitor local/international news and consular messages.
• Enroll your trip in the State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program(STEP).
• Review your personal security plan and visit our page on travel to high risk areas.
• Draft a will and designate appropriate insurance beneficiaries and/or power of attorney.
• Discuss a plan with loved ones regarding care/custody of children, pets, property, belongings, non-liquid assets (collections, artwork, etc.), funeral wishes, etc.
• Share important documents, log-in information, and points of contact with loved ones so that they can manage your affairs, if you are unable to return as planned to the United States. Find a suggested list of such documents here.
• Establish your own personal security plan in coordination with your employer or host organization, or consider consulting with a professional security organization. Your plan should include sheltering in place, maintaining outside communication, and a personal evacuation plan via commercial means.
• Develop a communication plan with family and/or your employer or host organization so that they can monitor your safety and location as you travel through high-risk areas. This plan should specify who you would contact first, and how they should share the information.
• Be sure to appoint one family member to serve as the point of contact with hostage-takers, media, U.S. and host country government agencies, and Members of Congress, if you are taken hostage or detained.
• Establish a proof of life protocol with your loved ones, so that if you are taken hostage, your loved ones can know specific questions (and answers) to ask the hostage-takers to be sure that you are alive (and to rule out a hoax).
• Leave DNA samples with your medical provider in case it is necessary for your family to access them.
• Erase any sensitive photos, comments, or other materials from your social media pages, cameras, laptops, and other electronic devices that could be considered controversial or provocative by local groups.
• Leave your expensive/sentimental belongings behind.
• Follow the Department of State on Facebook and Twitter.
• Review the Crime and Safety Report for South Sudan.
• U.S. citizens who travel abroad should always have a contingency plan for emergency situations. Review the Traveler’s Checklist.

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 text of the following statement was released by the Governments of the United States of America and Japan on the occasion of the second U.S.-Japan Pacific Dialogue.

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On June 25, Mr. Daiji Yamaguchi, Director, Oceania Division, Mr. Yusuke Arai, Director, National Security Policy Division and Mr. Mondo Yamamoto, Director, Development Assistance Policy Coordination Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, and representatives from the Ministry of Defense of Japan, the Japan Coast Guard, and the Japan International Cooperation Agency hosted Ambassador Matthew Matthews, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State of the United States of America, and representatives from the Department of the Interior of the United States of America, the United States Coast Guard, and the United States Indo-Pacific Command to hold the Second U.S.-Japan Pacific Dialogue at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tokyo.

Both sides reaffirmed their shared interest in peace, stability, and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region, and their shared Pacific neighborhood. The Dialogue complements bilateral discussions Japan and the United States both have with Pacific Island countries. Both sides exchanged views on a wide range of common regional challenges facing the Pacific region, and discussed ways to strengthen cooperation among Japan, the United States, Pacific Island countries, and other regional partners and organizations in areas such as maritime law enforcement and quality infrastructure and best value solutions. Both sides emphasized the importance of strengthened cooperation with Pacific Island countries to enhance regional peace, stability, and prosperity.

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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.

Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs Michelle S. Giuda is visiting Singapore and Vietnam from June 24 to 28.

On June 25-26, she will be in Singapore to participate in the sixth East-West Center (EWC) International Media Conference, which also coincides with the 50^th anniversary of EWC international media programs. She will meet American, Asian, and Pacific Island journalists and communications professionals, and she will deliver remarks at the Conference.

Assistant Secretary Giuda will then travel to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, on June 26, where she will visit Fulbright University Vietnam, meet with Vietnam’s Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) members, give a public presentation at the American Center, and give remarks at a Media Literacy event.

Finally, on June 28, Assistant Secretary Giuda will visit Hanoi, Vietnam where she will give a presentation at the American Center, meet with embassy staff, and meet with YSEALI volunteers.

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 condemns in the strongest possible terms the killing of civilians and destruction of property in Nigeria’s Middle Belt region over the weekend. We are concerned by the recent increase in armed violence against civilians and call on all political and community leaders to lend their voices to peace and to work together to find lasting solutions to these rural conflicts. We join President Buhari and others in sending our deepest condolences to the affected communities, and in the desire to see the perpetrators brought to justice and to prevent further violence.

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.