SECRETARY TILLERSON: Mr. Minister, welcome. Welcome to the State Department. It’s always a pleasure.

FOREIGN MINISTER GABRIEL: Always my pleasure. Thank you.

QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, how —

SECRETARY TILLERSON: I wanted to just make a quick statement about the situation down in the Texas Gulf Coast and now Louisiana. Again, being a native Texan, my wife and I still make our home in Texas, and we have a lot of family and friends that have been directly impacted and – but also just millions and millions of Texans are really, really suffering right now. So I’d simply ask that all Americans keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

I think the state of Texas is doing a remarkable, remarkable job dealing with what is an extraordinarily difficult situation of historic proportions. As you know, the President is on his way down today. I think he has plans to go back a second time, I think, indicating the seriousness of the situation, but also the commitment of the federal government to provide all the assets that the state of Texas needs to respond to what’s going to be a very, very, very long rebuilding process.

So we’d ask that all Americans keep them in your prayers, please. Thank you.

QUESTION: How provocative or dangerous do you see the latest launch by North Korea?

SECRETARY TILLERSON: We’ll have more to say about it later.

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The United States hosted the 8th annual U.S.-China Dialogue on the Law of the Sea and Polar Issues at the U.S. Coast Guard First District Headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts August 28-29. Experts from U.S. and Chinese foreign affairs and maritime agencies exchanged views on a wide range of issues related to oceans, the law of the sea, and the polar regions. The delegations were led by Evan Bloom, Director for Ocean and Polar Affairs in the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs of the U.S. Department of State, and Ma Xinmin, Deputy-Director General in the Department of Treaty and Law in China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The United States and China supported deepening U.S.-China dialogue on these issues in future meetings. China plans to host the next round in 2018.

For further information, please contact Yoon Nam at namys@state.gov.

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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:

Secretary Tillerson spoke on separate calls with Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono and Republic of Korea (R.O.K.) Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha to discuss North Korea’s launch of a missile that overflew Japan.

They agreed the launch was an escalation of North Korean provocations and showcased the dangerous threat posed by North Korea to the United States, Japan, the R.O.K., and countries around the world.

Secretary Tillerson reaffirmed with Ministers Kono and Kang the strength of our alliances with Japan and the R.O.K., as well as the ironclad commitment of the United States to their defense.

Secretary Tillerson agreed with the two ministers to continue close coordination on efforts to increase pressure on North Korea to show the regime that its repeated violations of UN Security Council resolutions will only result in condemnation and isolation from the international community.

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On behalf of the Government of the United States of America, congratulations to the government and people of Moldova as you celebrate the anniversary of your independence.

For the past 26 years, the United States has supported Moldova’s pursuit of a prosperous European future characterized by a respect for democratic principles, human rights, and the rule of law. We are committed to helping Moldova find a resolution to the Transnistrian settlement process that will guarantee Moldova’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders, including a special status for Transnistria. We look forward to building upon our relationship and advancing our common goals of democracy, security, and prosperity.

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We are deeply troubled by the August 24 arrest and three month pretrial detention of Mehman Aliyev, the prominent editor-in-chief of Azerbaijan’s only remaining independent media outlet, Turan Information Agency. Other restrictive actions against Turan, including freezing its bank accounts and initiating tax evasion charges against it, are also troubling. These actions by the government of Azerbaijan to curtail freedom of press and to further restrict freedom of expression are the latest in a negative trend that includes the government’s May decision to block access to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and other independent media websites.

We urge the government of Azerbaijan to immediately release Mehman Aliyev, and all those incarcerated for exercising their fundamental freedoms, in accordance with its international obligations and OSCE commitments.

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