The following is attributable to Spokesperson Heather Nauert:

Secretary Tillerson engaged his counterparts from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania in a productive discussion Monday. The four NATO Allies agreed to deepen their cooperation to combat Russia’s disinformation efforts and malicious cyber activity. They discussed strategies to address the threat Russia poses to European security and Russia’s lack of respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of its neighbors. They also made preparations for the Baltic summit President Trump will host in April, as well as the NATO summit in July.

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 behalf of President Trump and the people of the United States, I want to convey our warmest wishes to the people of Ghana on the 61^st anniversary of the Republic’s independence.

Ghana and the United States are strong partners, and we share important values such as the ideals of democracy, human rights, free enterprise, peace, and stability. Our longstanding partnership is based on our mutual interest in regional peace, security, and prosperity. As a leading democracy on the African continent, we count on Ghana to remain a model for the region.

On this special occasion, I send my best wishes for a wonderful independence celebration.

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.

Today, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson announced nearly $533 million in humanitarian assistance for the people of Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, and Nigeria, as well as countries in the Lake Chad region, where millions are facing life-threatening food insecurity and malnutrition as a result of ongoing conflict or prolonged drought. While humanitarian aid is truly life-saving, this assistance will not solve these crises, most of which are largely manmade.

With this new funding from the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development, the United States is providing emergency food and nutrition assistance to help vulnerable populations, including tens of thousands of tons of in-kind food aid. Additionally, the funding supports safe drinking water programs, emergency health care and hygiene programs to treat and prevent the spread of disease, and reunification of families separated by conflict. This assistance also includes life-saving medical supplies, improved sanitation, and emergency shelter, and prioritizes programs that protect vulnerable groups.

Of the newly announced funds, nearly $184 million is for affected populations from South Sudan, more than $110 million for affected populations from Ethiopia, more than $110 million for affected populations from Somalia, and more than $128 million for affected populations from Nigeria and countries in the Lake Chad region.

In the Lake Chad region and South Sudan, years of conflict have led to acute food insecurity. In Somalia, ongoing violence has exacerbated the humanitarian impacts of severe and protracted drought. In Ethiopia, continued drought has worsened an already dire food security situation. A swift influx of U.S. assistance, along with that of other donors, is helping improve humanitarian conditions in all of these countries. But ultimately it is up to the leaders in these countries, particularly in South Sudan, to stop the violence and put the welfare of their citizens at the forefront of their actions. Millions will continue to be at risk as long as parties to these conflicts continue to engage in violence. The United States calls on all parties to allow aid workers safe and unhindered access to help communities in need.

The United States is the largest donor of humanitarian assistance for these crises in Africa, providing nearly $3 billion since the beginning of Fiscal Year 2017. We commend the humanitarian contributions made by all donors, and encourage additional contributions to meet growing needs.

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.

SECRETARY TILLERSON: Good afternoon, all. I want to welcome our terrific partners from the Baltic states back for another visit here at the State Department – an important relationship obviously for us, important to NATO. We’ll have a lot of interesting things to talk about, get caught up on since we last saw one another. So I want to welcome them.

QUESTION: Secretary Tillerson, when the President said that a few days ago North Korea called up and wanted to talk, what was he referring to?

SECRETARY TILLERSON: You’ll have to ask the White House.

QUESTION: Is the State Department doing enough to counter Russia’s disinformation efforts?

SECRETARY TILLERSON: We have more to do. Thank you.

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.

Representatives from the United States and the Republic of Korea (ROK) will meet in Honolulu, Hawaii March 7-9 for the first round of consultations to develop the 10th Special Measures Agreement (SMA), which will enter into force in 2019. Senior Advisor for Security Negotiations and Agreements Timothy Betts from the Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs will lead the U.S. delegation, which includes representatives from the Department of State and the Department of Defense. Ambassador Chang Won-sam, Special Representative for SMA Consultations, will lead the ROK delegation, which includes representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of National Defense.

Since 1991, the ROK has helped offset the costs of stationing U.S. forces through the SMA mechanism. Under the current five-year SMA that expires on December 31, 2018, the ROK provided approximately $830 million per year. Building on President Trump’s November 7-8 visit to the ROK, both delegations are committed to developing an agreement that strengthens the U.S.-ROK Alliance and that ensures the security of the ROK and its people.

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.