On behalf of the United States government, we send our best wishes to the people of Paraguay on the 206th anniversary of Paraguay’s independence on May 15.

The United States and Paraguay share a long history of friendship and a commitment to work together toward an even brighter, more prosperous future. Paraguay’s role in ensuring peace and security in the region, and its efforts to expand economic opportunity for all its citizens, attest to its strength and vision.

This year we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the United States Peace Corps in Paraguay and the 75th anniversary of the Centro Cultural Paraguayo Americano (CCPA) – programs that have brought thousands of Paraguayans and Americans together. The United States remains committed to our longstanding partnership to advance our shared vision for a more secure and prosperous region. We wish all Paraguayans a joyous Independence Day celebration.

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The second round of the U.S.-India Maritime Security Dialogue (MSD) was held May 9-10, 2017 at the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island. The MSD is a unique bilateral forum that brings together civilian and military representatives from both governments.

The U.S. delegation was led jointly by Mr. David Helvey, Performing the Duties of Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs and Mr. Sean Stein, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs. The United States was represented by officials from the Department of State, the Department of Defense, the U.S. Navy, and the U.S. Coast Guard. The Indian delegation was led jointly by Dr. Pankaj Sharma, Joint Secretary for Disarmament and International Security Affairs at the Ministry of External Affairs; Mr. Manu Mahawar, Joint Secretary for the Americas at the Ministry of External Affairs; and Ms. Devika Raghuvansh, Joint Secretary for the Navy at the Ministry of Defence.

During the Dialogue, the two sides exchanged views on maritime developments in the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean region and considered steps to further strengthen bilateral maritime security cooperation.

The next round of the MSD will be held in India on mutually convenient dates.

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 below is attributable to Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert:

Secretary Tillerson met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov today in Washington for more than an hour to discuss a range of issues including Ukraine, Syria, and bilateral concerns.

The Secretary and Foreign Minister discussed the importance of defeating ISIS, de-escalating the violence in Syria, and ensuring that humanitarian assistance reaches hundreds of thousands of civilians throughout the country. Additionally, the Secretary and Foreign Minister restated support for the UN-led political process in Geneva, which is central to international efforts to bring about an enduring resolution to the conflict.

On Ukraine, Secretary Tillerson stressed the need for progress toward full implementation of the Minsk agreements. Sanctions on Russia will remain in place until Moscow reverses the actions that triggered them.

The United States and Russia agreed to continue discussions to resolve other issues of bilateral concern, including strategic stability.

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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.

I welcome President Trump’s announcement of his intention to nominate Mark Andrew Green as the new Administrator for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

Mark brings vast experience to this position, having served as a U.S. Ambassador to Tanzania, a Member of the House of Representatives from Wisconsin, and a board member of the Millennium Challenge Corporation. He currently serves as the president of the International Republican Institute, an organization dedicated to building strong and lasting democracies across the globe. Mark will help us prioritize where America’s future development investments will be spent so that we can ensure every tax dollar advances our country’s security and prosperity.

USAID plays a vital role in protecting U.S. national security by fostering stability, resolving conflict, responding to humanitarian crises, and ending infectious diseases. He will serve as an outstanding leader for the men and women of USAID, and will work to build a more safe and prosperous global community.

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’s Rewards for Justice Program is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the identification or location of Muhammad al-Jawlani, leader of the al-Nusrah Front (ANF) terrorist group.

This is the first Rewards for Justice reward offer for a leader of al-Nusrah Front, the Syrian branch of al-Qaida.

In April 2013, al-Jawlani pledged allegiance to al-Qaida. and its leader Ayman al-Zawahiri after he had a public falling out with ISIS. In July 2016, in a video posted online, al-Jawlani praised al-Qaida. and al-Zawahiri and claimed the ANF was changing its name to Jabhat Fath Al Sham (“Conquest of the Levant Front”).

In May 2013, the U.S. Department of State, under the authority of Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, named al-Jawlani a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, blocking all his property and interests in property subject to U.S. jurisdiction and prohibiting U.S. persons from dealing with him. On July 24, 2013, the UN Security Council ISIL (Da’esh) and al-Qaida. Sanctions Committee placed al-Jawlani on its list of sanctioned terrorists, making him subject to an international asset freeze, travel ban, and arms embargo.

Under al-Jawlani’s leadership, ANF has carried out multiple terrorist attacks throughout Syria, often targeting civilians. In April 2015, ANF reportedly kidnapped, and later released, approximately 300 Kurdish civilians from a checkpoint in Syria. In June 2015, ANF claimed responsibility for the massacre of 20 residents in the Druze village Qalb Lawzeh in Idlib province, Syria.

In January 2017, ANF merged with several other hardline opposition groups to form Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). ANF remains al-Qaida. ’s affiliate in Syria. Jawlani is not the leader of HTS, but remains the leader of ANF, which is at the core of HTS.

ANF has been designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) under the Immigration and Nationality Act and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist entity under E.O. 13224. The UN Security Council ISIL (Da’esh) and al-Qaida. Sanctions Committee has also added ANF to its sanctions list.

More information about al-Jawlani is located at www.rewardsforjustice.net. We encourage anyone with information about al-Jawlani to contact the Rewards for Justice office via e-mail on the website, (info@rewardsforjustice.net), by phone (1-800-877-3927 in North America), or by mail (Rewards for Justice, Washington, D.C., 20520-0303, USA). All information will be kept strictly confidential.

The Rewards for Justice Program is administered by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security. Since its inception in 1984, the program has paid in excess of $125 million to more than 80 people who provided actionable information that helped bring terrorists to justice or prevented acts of international terrorism worldwide. Follow us on Twitter: @Rewards4Justice.

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.