Press Releases: Joint Statement of the Second Public-Private Sector Roundtable Discussion on U.S.-Japan Cooperation on Third Country Infrastructure


Media Note

Office of the Spokesperson

Washington, DC

April 23, 2018


The text of the following statement was released by the Governments of the United States of America and Japan.

Begin Text:

Today, the U.S. Department of State and the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as part of the cooperation under the U.S.-Japan Economic Dialogue led by Vice President Mike Pence and Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso, hosted the Second Public-Private Sector Roundtable Discussion on U.S.-Japan Cooperation on Third Country Infrastructure.

During the roundtable, a wide range of U.S. and Japanese government agencies and numerous companies identified avenues to expand cooperation to assist Indo-Pacific and other nations in securing quality infrastructure and best value solutions that meet their sustainable social and economic goals. More than 150 government officials and private sector representatives attended the roundtable and they identified specific activities in the areas of commercial cooperation, joint financing and risk mitigation, policy advocacy, and capacity building. Participants discussed opportunities to cooperate more effectively in the fields of (1) energy, (2) transportation, (3) water and sanitation, and (4) telecommunication.

Participants welcomed concrete progress from U.S.-Japan cooperation, including:

(1) A photovoltaic (solar power) project in Jordan, the first co-financing project from the MOU between Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) and Nippon Export and Investment Insurance (NEXI);

(2) Enhancing government support to liquefied natural gas (LNG)-related infrastructure developments in the Indo-Pacific;

(3) Collaboration between the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) and the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) to provide training and other capacity building assistance to strengthen and improve procurement practices in Vietnam and the Philippines and to cooperate on feasibility studies and/or technical assistance support on LNG infrastructure projects in Southeast Asia;

(4) Commercial projects pursued by U.S. and Japanese companies in LNG to power and gas-fired power in Bangladesh, Indonesia, and the United Arab Emirates and a fiber-optic (optical) submarine cable system project;

(5) Cooperation to upgrade the APEC Guidebook on Quality of Infrastructure Development and Investment and accelerating Peer Review and Capacity Building; and

(6) Planning by the two governments to hold a bilateral ODA dialogue to coordinate assistance and capacity building programs.

The United States and Japan also confirmed a list of ongoing cooperative activities in Indo-Pacific and other nations that will promote quality infrastructure and best value solutions.

U.S.-Japan Infrastructure Cooperative Activities

Joint Financing:

  • OPIC-JBIC/NEXI MOUs in November 2017
  • Mitsui/AES in Jordan with OPIC-NEXI joint financing

Commercial Collaboration and Market Development:

  • LNG to Power project in Bangladesh
  • Jawa1 LNG-Fired IPP project in Indonesia
  • Gas-Fired IPP Project in Sharjah, UAE
  • Enhancing government support for LNG-related infrastructure development in the Indo-Pacific
  • Philippines – U.S. Ambassador Kim and Foreign Commercial Service hosted an event with Japan to promote infrastructure collaboration
  • Discover Global Markets event in Kansas City week of April 30
  • LNG roundtable hosted by Commerce with METI participation in Houston on March 21
  • USTDA hosted Expanding Global Gas Infrastructure – Energy Exports Week event in Washington, DC in cooperation with METI on March 22
  • USTDA-METI cooperation on feasibility and/or technical assistance support on LNG in ASEAN region
  • Fiber-optic (optical) submarine cable system project

Policy Advocacy:

  • APEC Guidebook on Quality Infrastructure Development and Investment and APEC Guideline for Quality of Water Infrastructure
  • APEC Economic Report 2018, cooperation on infrastructure
  • APEC High Level Meeting on Quality Infrastructure in October 2017 and new proposal in 2018 for APEC CTI
  • The International Working Group on Export Credits, cooperation on developing guidelines

Capacity Building:

  • USTDA-METI MOC in November 2017
  • USTDA and METI collaboration to provide training and other capacity building assistance to strengthen and improve procurement practices in Vietnam and the Philippines
  • Bilateral ODA Dialogue in June or July with the goal of coordinating assistance and capacity building programs (DoS and MOFA)






Press Releases: One-year Anniversary of the Tragic Death of U.S. Citizen Joseph Stone, Paramedic with the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission


Press Statement

Heather Nauert

Department Spokesperson

Washington, DC

April 23, 2018


One year ago, Joseph Stone, a U.S. citizen serving as a paramedic with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s (OSCE) Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (SMM), was killed when his vehicle struck a mine in eastern Ukraine, in territory controlled by Russia-led forces. Two of Mr. Stone’s colleagues were seriously injured in the same blast. The United States again offers its heartfelt condolences to Joseph Stone’s family, friends, and loved ones, and we commend the SMM for its commitment to bringing peace to Ukraine under difficult and dangerous conditions.

Joseph Stone’s death underscores the reality in which the SMM operates, including almost daily access restrictions, threats, and harassment from Russia-led forces. The United States calls on Russia to initiate a real and durable ceasefire, to withdraw its heavy weapons, and to remove its forces from Ukraine, in keeping with its commitments under the Minsk agreements. We further underscore our unwavering support for the SMM and call for monitors’ safe, full, and unfettered access throughout the conflict zone.






Press Releases: Press Availability in Toronto, Canada


Press Availability

John J. Sullivan

Acting Secretary of State

Toronto, Canada

April 23, 2018


ACTING SECRETARY SULLIVAN: Good afternoon, everyone. It’s a pleasure to be here in Toronto for the G7 ministerial meeting. Toronto is a beautiful city (inaudible) and lovely weather, beautiful facilities here at the university. Very grateful for our hosts here. The Government of Canada and Foreign Minister Freeland has put together a terrific program for us. So on behalf of the United States and President Trump, I want to extend our sincerest appreciation to Canada and to Prime Minister Trudeau and Foreign Minister Freeland for their active leadership of the G7.

The United States wholeheartedly supports the emphasis of our Canadian host on building a more peaceful and secure world for all. We also applaud Canada’s efforts to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment through strategic partnerships that seek to tackle challenges faced by women across the globe.

Our conversations over the past few days have been very productive, and the U.S. remains committed to working closely with our G7 partners on all of the critical issues that we discussed, and we look forward to our leaders building upon our conversations when they gather in Charlevoix in June for the G7 leaders’ conference.

Among the number of shared priorities discussed is our collective commitment to counter transnational terrorists and the criminal networks supporting them. While we have made significant gains against ISIS in Iraq and Syria in cyberspace and in other countries, we cannot stand idly by and assume that it is defeated. We must remain vigilant.

We also remain united in opposition to the DPRK’s continued development of unlawful nuclear and ballistic missile programs. We call for all countries around the world to take action and reinforce this message to Pyongyang and to rigorously enforce the UN Security Council resolutions. International unity is essential as we continue to push diplomatic and economic pressure until the DPRK concedes to complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization.

The G7 countries reaffirm our message to Iran to adhere to international norms and strictly abide by its nuclear-rated – nuclear-related commitments under the JCPOA. The United States calls on all of our partners to continue working alongside us as we counter Iran’s destabilizing activities in the region and hold the Iranian Government accountable for their actions: supporting terrorist organizations, launching cyber attacks, threatening international shipping interests, and committing unconscionable human rights abuses.

Syria was another prominent topic of discussion. On April 13th, the United States, France, and the UK launched strikes on three targets in Syria. These military actions taken together with our allies were a response to the Syrian regime’s use of chemical weapons to kill and injure hundreds of its own people. The images of dead and dying children following the Syrian regime’s most recent chemical attack represented a call to action among the world’s civilized nations. The response of the United States and our key partners was not simply to hold Assad and other Syrian regime officials accountable for the atrocities committed, but also to degrade the regime’s capability to commit them and to deter the use of chemical weapons in the future.

We want to ensure that malicious regimes and terrorists understand this message of deterrence. We’re committed to completing the fight against ISIS and rooting out its remaining havens. The U.S. will remain committed in Syria until ISIS is defeated and the so-called caliphate completely eliminated. We will work to ensure local forces enabled by our regional partners and allies will consolidate these gains, stabilize liberated territories, and prevent the return of ISIS. We will not leave a vacuum that can be exploited by the Assad regime and its supporters.

In parallel, we will work with our partners to invigorate the Geneva political process pursuant to UN Security Council Resolution 2254, and to mobilize the resources needed to address Syria’s urgent humanitarian and stabilization needs. We will seek further contributions in forces, materiel, and money from regional partners and allies in order to sustain the effort in Syria and stabilize liberated territories.

As we work to advance the political process, the United States is committed to ensuring that all Syrians, including the Sunni Arabs, Kurds, Christians, Turkmen, and other minorities in northeast Syria, have a full seat at the table and an appropriate say in their future pursuant to UN Security Council Resolution 2254.

The G7 countries agree that Russia must stop creating impediments to peace and abide by the commitments it entered into under UN Security Council Resolution 2401 and compel the Assad regime to do the same. Russia must be a constructive partner in Syria or will be held accountable. We also stand united in our commitment to hold Russia accountable for its activities in Ukraine. Together, the G7 call on Russia to honor its Minsk commitments, to de-escalate violence, and to return control of Crimea to Ukraine.

In addition to the issues of collective concern I’ve just outlined, over the past few days we also discussed our solidarity on Venezuela, Libya, and many other critical issues on the forefront of the international agenda, including the humanitarian crisis in Burma. Nearly 700,000 people, mostly Rohingya women and children, have fled violence in Burma since August, bringing the total number of refugees hosted in Bangladesh to approximately one million.

In response to this dire situation, I am announcing today that we are providing an additional $50 million in humanitarian assistance from our Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration to support a UN-led joint response plan in Bangladesh. This brings the United States response to the Rakhine State crisis in Burma and Bangladesh to more than $163 million since August 2017 and total humanitarian assistance for displaced people in and from Burma to more than $255 million since October 2016.

This assistance will support refugees in Bangladeshi host communities to provide protection, emergency shelter, water, sanitation, health care, and psychological support for people affected by the conflict, as well as to prepare for the impending monsoon and cyclone season, which has the potential to bring significant loss of life, shelter, and access to critical services. We urge other donors to join us in providing additional humanitarian assistance for those affected by this crisis.

With those observations on the topics we’ve covered here at the G7 ministerial meeting, I look forward to taking your questions.

MS NAUERT: Thank you, sir. And with that, we’ll start with Dave Clark from AFP. Dave, go right ahead.

QUESTION: Hi, thank you. Thank you very much. You mentioned in your comments that the G7 members agreed on the importance of holding Iran to its commitments under the JCPOA. Were you able to give a commitment to your allies here that the United States will live up to its commitments under the JCPOA, and in particular to maintain the sanctions waiver on the nuclear-related sanctions after May the 12th? Thank you.

ACTING SECRETARY SULLIVAN: Thank you. Well, as you know, this has been a topic of discussion with our E3 partners. The United States has significant concerns with Iran and its ballistic missiles program, its destabilizing and malign influence in the region – in Yemen, in Syria, and elsewhere – and concerns we have with the JCPOA itself, including its sunset clauses.

President Trump is concerned, very concerned, about Iran’s behavior, malign behavior. His ultimate concern with the JCPOA is the concern for nonproliferation. We – no one wants to see a nuclear-armed Iran. President Trump’s goal in this entire process is to strengthen the JCPOA if it can be strengthened and to protect America and American interests which have been threatened for over 40 years by the regime in Tehran.

It’s something that I’ve lived through my family with. My uncle was the last U.S. ambassador to Iran. He left Tehran – fortunately for him and my family – in the summer of 1979 before his staff was taken hostage on November 4th, 1979 and held in violation of all international norms and basic, basic human dignity, for 444 days by that regime.

So we’re well aware of the problems and the destabilizing and malign influence of Iran, and the President is committed to addressing it. We have discussed that at length with our partners here at the G7 ministerial.

MS NAUERT: Thank you. And our next question goes to Mike Blanchfield from the Canadian Press. Hi, Mike.

QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, we heard earlier today from Boris Johnson and Chrystia Freeland on the G7 efforts on – to call out Russia for its interference in democratic institutions. They’ve talked about a working group that is going to report to the leaders and going to urge them to speak out against the influence of Russia. Russia is a politically charged topic in your country, obviously, especially with the Mueller investigation. How – how committed is your government to this G7 endeavor, and how likely is it that we’ll see President Trump here in Charlevoix standing shoulder-to-shoulder with these G8 – the G7 leaders in calling out Russia?

ACTING SECRETARY SULLIVAN: Well, you made a reference there – you caught yourself when referring to the G8. It’s no longer the G8 for a reason. It’s the G7. We’re committed to addressing all of the abhorrent behavior that we have witnessed particularly recently by Russia, whether it’s at Salisbury, its support for the use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime in Syria.

And the United States has not just undertaken with its – with its allies and partners in the G7 to make statements about this behavior; we have undertaken significant actions in response. As you know, we expelled a large number of undeclared Russian intelligence agents from the United States, imposed sweeping sanctions on Russian oligarchs and Russian institutions, enterprises. So we have taken action. We stand with our G7 allies in confronting Russian malign behavior where – wherever we see it.

Having said that, we also want to work with Russia in areas where we can and need to work with Russia, whether it’s on stability, New START talks, INF Treaty – treaty violation, actually, by the Russians which we need to – need to address, counterterrorism. There are any number of areas where we still need to have a dialogue with Russia, but that will not prevent us from standing up and confronting and taking action against Russian behavior that’s contrary to international norms and all that we stand for in the G7. Thank you.

MS NAUERT: Sir, thank you. Thank you, everyone.

ACTING SECRETARY SULLIVAN: Thanks.






Press Releases: Acting Assistant Secretary Palmieri To Deliver Keynote Speech at the Lake Roosevelt Forum


Notice to the Press

Office of the Spokesperson

Washington, DC

April 23, 2018


U.S. Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Francisco Palmieri will travel this week to Spokane, WA, where he will deliver the keynote address at the Lake Roosevelt Forum Conference on the importance of modernizing the Columbia River Treaty Regime. The speech will take place at The Historic Davenport Hotel on April 24, at 10:00 a.m. PST.

During his trip, Acting Assistant Secretary Palmieri will also engage with tribal, Congressional, state, and local government representatives from throughout the Columbia River Basin.

Acting Assistant Secretary Palmieri’s keynote address is open to the press. All interested press should contact info@lrf.org for further information.

To receive regular updates on Columbia River Treaty developments and upcoming public events, email ColumbiaRiverTreaty@state.gov. For press inquiries, please email WHAPress@state.gov.

For more information on the Treaty, see https://www.state.gov/p/wha/ci/ca/topics/c78892.htm.






Press Releases: Ongoing U.S. Humanitarian Assistance for the Rakhine State Crisis


Media Note

Office of the Spokesperson

Washington, DC

April 23, 2018


Today, Acting Secretary of State John J. Sullivan announced $50 million in additional humanitarian assistance for vulnerable people fleeing the Rakhine State crisis. This brings the United States’ response to the crisis in Burma and Bangladesh to more than $163 million since August 2017, and total humanitarian assistance for displaced people in and from Burma to more than $255 million since the start of FY 2017. The Acting Secretary of State announced this new funding at the G7 Summit in Toronto, where he stood united with other G7 members to denounce human rights violations and abuses, including atrocities, committed in Rakhine State.

Nearly 700,000 people, mostly Rohingya women and children, have fled violence in Rakhine State, Burma since August. The total number of refugees hosted in Bangladesh is now approximately one million.

The United States continues to provide life-saving assistance that will support refugees and Bangladeshi host communities to provide protection, emergency shelter, water, sanitation, health care, and psychosocial support for people affected by the crisis, as well as to prepare for the impending monsoon and cyclone seasons, in order to help prevent loss of life, shelter, and access to critical services.

We applaud the Government of Bangladesh’s generosity in responding to this humanitarian crisis and appreciate its continued efforts to ensure assistance reaches people in need. We continue to urge all actors to play a constructive role in resolving this crisis – ending violence in Burma and restoring the rule of law, immediately granting humanitarian and media access, guaranteeing those who want to voluntarily return to their homes are able to do so in a safe and dignified manner, and addressing the root causes of the crisis in Rakhine State. To this end, we call for the Burmese Government to immediately implement the recommendations of the 2017 Advisory Commission on Rakhine State.

This $50 million contribution reflects strong bipartisan support for this urgent crisis by the U.S. Congress, for which we are grateful. We urge other donors to join in providing the additional humanitarian assistance still needed for those affected by the crisis.

For further information, please contact PRM Press at PRMPress@state.gov.