U.S. Columbia River Treaty Negotiator Jill Smail will lead a Town Hall on April 25, 2018, as the United States and Canada prepare to begin negotiations to modernize the Columbia River Treaty regime. The Town Hall, which is free of charge and open to the public, will take place at the Historic Davenport Hotel in Spokane, Washington, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. At this event, U.S. government representatives will provide a general review of the upcoming process and plans for engaging the region. They will also take questions from the public; feel free to send questions in advance to ColumbiaRiverTreaty@state.gov. A call-in number will be available upon request for those unable to attend in person.

The United States recognizes the valuable and dedicated efforts of the tribes, state and local government representatives, stakeholders, and members of the public in contributing to the U.S. Entity Regional Recommendation for the Future of the Columbia River Treaty after 2024. Consistent with the Regional Recommendation, key United States objectives include continued, careful management of flood risk; ensuring a reliable and economical power supply; and better addressing the ecosystem in a modernized treaty regime.

For further information, please email ColumbiaRiverTreaty@state.gov. For press inquiries, please email WHAPress@state.gov.

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The State Department has received numerous, credible reports that the Cuban government prevented, and continues to prevent, members of independent civil society from traveling to Peru to participate in the Summit of the Americas. Cuban authorities prevented these individuals’ travel through arbitrary stops at the airport, short-term detentions, and visits to individuals’ homes to warn them against trying to leave the island.

The United States condemns these actions. We call on the Cuban government to facilitate full, robust participation in the Summit by allowing the free and unrestricted travel of its citizens, a universal human right.

The United States stands with the brave activists facing repression by the Cuban regime. We are working with the Government of Peru and civil society to promote a Summit that features open, inclusive dialogue with the full participation of independent civil society representatives from Cuba and the hemisphere.

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 following is attributable to Spokesperson Heather Nauert:

Acting Secretary of State John J. Sullivan spoke by phone twice today with UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson. During these calls, the Acting Secretary and Foreign Secretary discussed the alleged chemical weapon attack in Douma, Syria, which killed dozens of innocent civilians and injured several hundred more. The two leaders discussed the international community’s response and potential further steps the U.S. and UK governments might take in coordination with other partners.

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 congratulates the people of Sierra Leone on its peaceful presidential elections held on March 31. The election proves the strength and resilience of Sierra Leone’s democracy, and we look forward to working with President Julius Maada Bio to further strengthen our bilateral relationship.

We commend the National Electoral Commission for administering an orderly, well-managed process. We also recognize the important role Sierra Leone’s political parties and civil society organizations played in the elections. We welcome the statements by international and domestic observer missions affirming the credibility of the election. We would also like to recognize Presidential candidate Samura Kamara for his campaign and his gracious concession, and President Ernest Bai Koroma for his commitment to an orderly and timely political transition.

We look forward to advancing our longstanding mutual interests in economic development, trade, health care, and the strengthening of democratic institutions.

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.

On Wednesday, April 11, 2018, during the Holocaust Days of Remembrance, the Department of State and the Embassies of Israel and Poland will sponsor a Yom HaShoah observance event at the U.S. Department of State. The event will commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising and honor the memory of Mrs. Irena Sendler, a Polish citizen who defied the Nazis to save thousands of victims – including an estimated 2,500 Jewish children – by smuggling them out of the Warsaw Ghetto. There will be a screening of the documentary, “The Irena Sendler Story.” The keynote speaker for the program will be Mr. Zygmunt Rolat, a Holocaust survivor who has worked tirelessly to ensure that the legacy of Irena Sendler lives on. There will be a question and answer session after the screening.

Holocaust Remembrance Day – or Yom HaShoah in Hebrew—also marks the anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. Yom HaShoah will be officially observed in the United States this year on Thursday, April 12, which corresponds to the 27th day of Nisan on the Hebrew calendar.

The program will take place on April 11, 2018 starting at 12:15 p.m. in the Department of State’s Dean Acheson Auditorium.

This event is open to the press. Video cameras will need to arrive at the 23rd Street entrance to the Department of State by 11:15 a.m. Journalists and still photographers should arrive there by 11:30 a.m.

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

For further information from the U.S. Department of State, please contact the Office of Press Relations at (202) 647-2492 or via e-mail at papressduty@state.gov.

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.