On behalf of the Government of the United States of America, I extend best wishes to the people of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic as they celebrate “Pi Mai Lao” on April 14.

Our bilateral Comprehensive Partnership continues to grow, as exemplified recently by the first-ever visit to Laos by a U.S. Secretary of Commerce and visits by three delegations from the U.S. House of Representatives.  The strong and growing people-to-people ties between our two countries, and our continued support for the Lao government’s development goals, in particular assistance in clearing unexploded ordnance, further demonstrates our commitment to a lasting and productive friendship with Laos.

I wish all Lao people a prosperous and joyful Lao New Year.

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On behalf of the Government of the United States, I extend best wishes to the people of the Kingdom of Thailand as they celebrate Songkran and welcome a new year on April 13, 2018.

This year marks 200 years of friendship between the United States and Thailand. The Great and Good Friends exhibition of royal gifts and letters exchanged over these two centuries between Thai Kings and U.S. Presidents, now on display at the Grand Palace, is a tangible reminder of the legacy and enduring strength of our relationship. As we celebrate this bicentennial, we think of how our friendship became an alliance that remains one of our oldest and most important in Asia. We look forward to further nurturing cooperation and partnership with the people of Thailand as we enter a third century of friendship during the reign of His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn.

I wish all Thais a joyous festival with family and friends, and a healthy and prosperous New Year. Happy Songkran!

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President Donald J. Trump announced today the lifting of travel restrictions for Chadian nationals following a period of review in which the Government of Chad improved their identity-management and information sharing practices.

On September 24, following an extensive review and engagement period with countries around the world, the President signed Proclamation 9645 that directed the Departments of State and Homeland Security to restrict the entry of certain nationals of countries identified as deficient in their identity-management and information sharing practices, subject to limited exceptions and waivers on a case-by-case basis, in order to protect the security and welfare of the United States. The September 24 Presidential Proclamation has been fully implemented since December 8, 2017.

Chad is a critical and vital partner to the U.S. counterterrorism mission. Chad has made significant strides and now meets the baseline criteria established in the Presidential Proclamation. For this reason, the travel restrictions placed on Chad are terminated effective April 13. Its citizens will again be able to receive visas for travel to the United States.

We welcome the improved practices by the Chadian authorities, which demonstrate a clear off ramp for countries placed on the travel restriction list. These improvements will improve security for the people of Chad and the United States.

The United States looks forward to further cooperation with Chad on security, good governance, health, and economic development.

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The below is attributable to Spokesperson Heather Nauert:

Acting Secretary of State John J. Sullivan met today with His Highness Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Washington, DC. During the meeting, the Acting Secretary and the Emir discussed a range of important bilateral and regional issues, including Syria. The leaders addressed the urgent need to resolve the Gulf dispute to enable the U.S. to work together with a united GCC to promote regional security and stability, and stand against Iran’s dangerous activities. On counterterrorism, the Acting Secretary commended Qatar’s recent public announcement of terrorist designations and affirmed the U.S. commitment to working with all GCC partners to ensure designations are fully enforced. Finally, Acting Secretary Sullivan extended the United States’ appreciation to the Emir for Qatar’s longtime friendship and strategic partnership with the U.S.

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Acting Secretary of State John J. Sullivan will travel to Lima, Peru from April 11-14, to accompany Vice President Mike Pence at the Eighth Summit of the Americas.

During the Summit, the United States will promote priorities of mutual interest to the region, including supporting democracy; addressing the political and humanitarian crisis and restoring democracy in Venezuela; stemming corruption and transnational crime, and promoting economic prosperity in the Western Hemisphere.

While in Lima, the Acting Secretary Sullivan will meet separately with leaders from Peru, Brazil, Haiti, and Mexico. He will also meet with representatives of the governments of the Bahamas, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, and St. Lucia, as well as with leaders from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.

The Acting Secretary will also engage with members of Cuban and Venezuelan independent civil society, regional business leaders, and U.S. Embassy staff.

Other senior State Department officials participating in the Summit of the Americas include U.S. Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States Carlos Trujillo, Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs Manisha Singh, Acting Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs Francisco Palmieri, and Senior Official for the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Richard Glenn.

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