In May, the United States plans to open a new U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem. The opening will coincide with Israel’s 70th anniversary. The Embassy will initially be located in the Arnona neighborhood, in a modern building that now houses consular operations of U.S. Consulate General Jerusalem. Those consular operations, including American citizen and visa services, will continue at the Arnona facility without interruption, as part of the Embassy. Consulate General Jerusalem will continue to operate as an independent mission with an unchanged mandate, from its historic Agron Road location. Initially, the interim Embassy in Arnona will contain office space for the Ambassador and a small staff. By the end of next year, we intend to open a new Embassy Jerusalem annex on the Arnona compound that will provide the Ambassador and his team with expanded interim office space. In parallel, we have started the search for a site for our permanent Embassy to Israel, the planning and construction of which will be a longer-term undertaking. We are excited about taking this historic step, and look forward with anticipation to the May opening.

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On behalf of President Trump and the American people, I send my best wishes to the people of Brunei Darussalam as you celebrate your 34th National Day on February 23, 2018.

Brunei Darussalam is our valued partner in Southeast Asia, with our friendly relations dating back more than 170 years. The United States believes our longstanding bilateral relationship serves as a model for cooperation in strengthening peace and prosperity across the Indo-Pacific. We look forward to working with Brunei Darussalam to advance our shared interests in the economic, security, and cultural realms.

I wish His Majesty Hassanal Bolkiah and all the people of Brunei a peaceful and prosperous year, and I extend the warmest congratulations from the American people as you celebrate your country’s anniversary.

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 U.S. Department of State is pleased to announce that the lists of more than 150 U.S. higher education institutions that sent the most Fulbright U.S. Students and Scholars abroad in academic year 2017-2018 are now available. The lists highlight the Fulbright Program’s strong institutional diversity and impact on American communities.

The State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, in collaboration with the Institute of International Education, compiles the lists, which are organized by Carnegie Classification.

Topping this year’s lists of Research, Master’s, Bachelor’s, and Special-focus 4-year institutions that sent the most U.S. students abroad on the Fulbright Program are Brown University (RI), Truman State University (MO), Bates College (ME), and the Rhode Island School of Design. The University of Michigan, Ithaca College (NY), Middlebury College (VT), and the University of Richmond (VA) sent the most Fulbright U.S. Scholars in the Research, Master’s, and Bachelor’s categories. Fulbright Students are recent college graduates, graduate students, and early career professionals. Fulbright Scholars are faculty, researchers, administrators, and established professionals.

Twenty-five U.S. community colleges and several special focus four-year institutions also sent Fulbright U.S. Scholars abroad in 2017-2018 and are recognized in the top producing lists. For a full list of the institutions by category, please visit the Fulbright Online website.

Since its inception in 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided more than 380,000 participants—chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential—with the opportunity to exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns. Over 1,900 U.S. students, artists, and early career professionals in more than 100 different fields of study receive Fulbright U.S. Student Program grants annually to study, teach English, and conduct research overseas. More than 800 U.S. scholars, artists and professionals teach or conduct research overseas through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program annually.

Interested media should contact the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at eca-press@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.

The United States has full confidence that the Government of Latvia will take the necessary steps to uphold the integrity of its banking and financial sector. For many years, we have been working together with Latvia to combat corruption, money laundering, and other threats to international security. Moving forward, the United States supports and will continue to help the Government of Latvia, the Latvian Financial Capital and Markets Commission, and Latvian law enforcement to realize our shared vision of a strong and well-regulated Latvian financial sector.

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.

Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs I. Steven Goldstein and Libyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs Under Secretary for Political Affairs Lutfi Almughrabi will sign a landmark bilateral Memorandum of Understanding on cultural property protection on February 23, 2018 at 2:00 p.m. at the U.S. Department of State.

As part of the ongoing cooperation between the United States and Libya’s Government of National Accord, the United States will impose import restrictions on categories of archaeological material representing Libya’s cultural heritage dating from 12,000 B.C. through 1750 A.D. and Ottoman ethnological material from Libya dating from 1551 to 1911 A.D. Restrictions are intended to reduce the incentive for pillage and trafficking and are among the many ways the United States is combatting the financing of terrorism and disrupting the global market in illegal antiquities. These restrictions continue similar restrictions implemented by the U.S. government on an emergency basis on December 5, 2017.

The cultural property agreement negotiated by the State Department under the U.S. law implementing the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property underscores the United States’ commitment to our relationship with Libya, as well as our global commitment to cultural heritage protection and preservation. The United States now has similar bilateral agreements with 17 countries around the world, as well as emergency import restrictions on cultural property from Iraq and Syria.

For further information, please contact eca-press@state.gov.

Pre-set time for cameras is 1:30 p.m. from the 21st Street entrance. Final access time for writers and stills is 1:45 p.m. from the 21st Street entrance.

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

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.