Today, I join those in China and around the world in mourning the tragic passing of 2010 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Liu Xiaobo, who died while serving a lengthy prison sentence in China for promoting peaceful democratic reform. Mr. Liu dedicated his life to the betterment of his country and humankind, and to the pursuit of justice and liberty.

My heartfelt condolences go out to Liu’s wife Liu Xia and all of his loved ones. I call on the Chinese government to release Liu Xia from house arrest and allow her to depart China, according to her wishes.

In his fight for freedom, equality, and constitutional rule in China, Liu Xiaobo embodied the human spirit that the Nobel Prize rewards. In his death, he has only reaffirmed the Nobel Committee’s selection‎.

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The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and the National Geographic Society announce the selection of the 2017-2018 Fulbright-National Geographic Digital Storytelling Fellows.

The Fulbright-National Geographic Fellowship is a partnership between the U.S. Department of State and the National Geographic Society that provides a unique platform for U.S. Fulbrighters to undertake an in-depth exploration of globally relevant issues. Fellows utilize a variety of digital storytelling tools and media, including blogs, photography, video, and social media, to share their stories by providing content to a National Geographic Society blog and other platforms, with the support and mentorship of National Geographic’s storytelling team. These storytelling tools are a powerful resource in building lasting ties across cultures, helping Americans and people from around the world better understand each other. This is the fourth group of five Fulbright-National Geographic Storytellers selected through a highly competitive, merit-based, multi-tiered application process.

The five American Fulbright-National Geographic Storytellers are:

• Toby Cox, who will explore the theme of religious identity in the Kyrgyz Republic, Kyrgyz citizens’ relationships with Islam, and how their views have developed over time. She will use personal interviews as a way to gain insight into the many dimensions of Kyrgyz identity.
• Isaí Madriz, an entomologist and zoologist who will travel to Chile to hike, “bikepack,” and “packraft” to unexplored areas and secluded fjords in search of some of the rarest insects on the planet, telling the story of deglaciation in the Northern Patagonia Ice Field.
• Abby McBride, an artist who will travel to New Zealand to sketch endangered seabirds — penguins, prions, storm-petrels, shearwaters, shags, gulls, gannets, mollymawks, and more — to tell the stories of New Zealanders’ extraordinary efforts to save these species in the “seabird capital of the world.”
• Lillygol Sedaghat, who will document the human narratives shaping Taiwan’s waste management system and the innovations emerging in plastics and electronics recycling, using interactive photo galleries, audio files, and a live Instagram campaign.
• Destry Maria Sibley, who will travel to Mexico to produce a podcast series dedicated to telling the stories of Los Niños de Morelia, a group of more than 400 child refugees who fled the Spanish Civil War and settled in Mexico in 1937.

The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. Since its inception in 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided more than 370,000 participants — chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential — with the opportunity to exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns.

The Fulbright-National Geographic Storytelling Fellowship was launched in 2013 as a component of the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. It sends U.S. citizens abroad to engage in an academic year of digital storytelling projects in up to three countries on globally significant themes. This Fellowship is made possible through a partnership between the U.S. Department of State and the National Geographic Society.

Interested media should contact the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at 202-632-6452 or eca-press@state.gov.

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On behalf of all Americans, congratulations to the people of France as you celebrate Bastille Day on July 14.

This year, as we commemorate the centennial anniversary of American, French, and Allied participation in World War I, we celebrate our continued mutual commitment to freedom, democracy, and prosperity. The United States and France are staunch allies and partners in efforts to counter terrorism, improve global security, support economic prosperity, and ensure people all over the world can live in freedom and peace.

The alliance between the United States and France has endured over two centuries, and we look forward to continued cooperation and joint success. Our best wishes to the people of France as you celebrate this special day.

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Today, the President issued an Executive Order (E.O.) extending the review period established by E.O. 13761 of January 13, 2017, which set forth criteria for the revocation of certain sanctions on Sudan. The President’s E.O. extends the review period for an additional three months and provides for the revocation of those sanctions if the Government of Sudan (GOS) sustains the positive actions that gave rise to E.O. 13761, including maintaining a cessation of hostilities in conflict areas in Sudan; improving humanitarian access throughout Sudan; and maintaining its cooperation with the United States on addressing regional conflicts and the threat of terrorism.

The United States will revoke the sanctions if the GOS is assessed to have sustained progress in these areas at the end of the extended review period. The general license issued by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, which became effective on January 17, 2017, remains in place and broadly authorizes U.S. persons to process transactions involving persons in Sudan; engage in imports from and exports to Sudan; and engage in transactions involving property in which the GOS has an interest.

While we recognize that the GOS has made significant, substantial progress in many areas, the Administration has decided that some more time is needed for this review to establish that the GOS has sustained sufficient positive actions across all areas listed in E.O. 13761. We remain deeply committed to engagement with the GOS and working toward further progress on achieving a sustainable peace in Sudan, removing remaining obstructions to the delivery of humanitarian assistance, and bolstering cooperation to counter terrorism and promote regional stability. Beyond these key areas connected with the potential revocation of most sanctions on Sudan and the GOS, the Administration is also committed to intensifying engagement with the GOS on a broader range of vital issues, including our ongoing dialogue on improving Sudan’s human rights and religious freedom practices, and ensuring that Sudan is committed to the full implementation of UN Security Council resolutions on North Korea.

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