On behalf of the Government of the United States of America, congratulations to the people of Aruba on the 33rd anniversary of Betico Croes Day.

Aruba has been a longstanding friend and partner to the United States. We value our close coordination on regional security and the country’s leadership in supporting democracy, economic prosperity, and energy diversification.

As we celebrate our strong people-to-people connections, we look forward to working together towards a more secure and prosperous region as underscored in the Caribbean 2020 strategy.

We wish the people of Aruba a joyous Betico Croes Day and extend our hopes for a prosperous year ahead.

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The following is attributable to Spokesperson Heather Nauert:

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson spoke by phone today with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry. They agreed on the importance of working closely together to strengthen the UN-led Geneva political process as the only appropriate mechanism to resolve the conflict in Syria. The two also discussed the importance of strengthening the strategic relationship between our two countries.

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 Secretary of State reported on January 12, 2018, to the appropriate congressional committees, consistent with Section 306(c)(2) of the Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity (LIBERTAD) Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-114; 22 U.S.C. 6021-6091) and pursuant to the authority delegated to the Secretary by the President on January 31, 2013, that he had made the statutorily required determination in order to suspend for six months beyond February 1, 2018, the right to bring an action under Title III of the Act.

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 strongly rejects the call by Venezuela’s illegitimate Constituent Assembly for snap presidential elections before April 30.

This vote would be neither free nor fair. It would only deepen, not help resolve, national tensions. It would not reflect the will of the Venezuelan people, and would be seen as undemocratic and illegitimate in the eyes of the international community. We call on the Maduro regime to respect the human rights of all of its citizens, and to return to democratic constitutional order.

A free, fair, transparent electoral process open to credible international observation is essential to the restoration of a democratic constitutional order in Venezuela. We call on the Venezuelan government to fulfill its commitments under the OAS Charter and under the Inter-American Democratic Charter. We support the Lima Group’s January 23, statement that calls for an inclusive and transparent democratic process.

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:

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov spoke Wednesday, January 24, by phone.

They discussed issues and concerns related to Syria, North Korea, and Ukraine. On Syria, the two discussed Russia’s role in ensuring the Assad regime plays a constructive role in the UN-led Geneva process. On North Korea, Secretary Tillerson discussed the meeting he hosted with Canadian Foreign Minister Freeland in Vancouver to call out North Korea’s unlawful and dangerous development of nuclear and ballistic missile programs and stressed the urgent need for all parties to implement UNSCRs related to North Korea. On Ukraine, the Secretary noted the upcoming meeting between U.S. Special Representative Volker and Russian Representative Surkov and emphasized the need for Russia to accelerate implementation of its commitments under the Minsk Agreements and reverse the recent escalation in the fighting in eastern Ukraine.

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.