The student application period for the Virtual Student Foreign Service (VSFS) has been extended. Applications for the 2017-2018 VSFS program are now open between July 2 and August 2 on USAJOBS.gov. Meaningful work is waiting for U.S. college students across the federal government, including NASA, the Smithsonian, State Department, CIA, National Parks Service, and others. You can see the projects offered at http://vsfs.state.gov/ by clicking on “See All Projects” at the top. Students must follow the instructions on USAJOBS to apply.

VSFS is the largest virtual internship program in the world. Managed by the U.S. Department of State, VSFS offers all federal agencies the opportunity to host remote interns. This year there are more than 1,000 vacancies with more than 30 federal agencies. VSFS offers unique mentoring and exposure to job opportunities within the United States, all without having to travel and physically report to an office.

Students play an important role in moving the government forward. There is something for everyone: graphic design, research, mapping, videography, history, analysis, marketing, community management, writing, calculation, policy planning, app development, and more. eInterns spend 10 hours a week from September through May working remotely on their projects. This is unpaid, volunteer work, but eInterns gain a lot – they make a difference in government work, gain valuable experience and connections, and sometimes get course credit. VSFS is open to U.S.-citizen undergraduates through PhD degree candidates taking classes full or part-time, in-person or on-line, at a university anywhere in the world.

Learn more at our website, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Have questions? Post them on our VSFS forum. Also, sign up to receive notifications about VSFS and other internship opportunities under Keep Me Informed, and check in with your regional Diplomat in Residence at your university.

For specific questions about the VSFS Program, please tweet us @VSFSatState (https://twitter.com/vsfsatstate) or visit vsfs.state.gov.

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 United States welcomes the July 26, decision by the European Court of Justice to retain the European Union’s proscription of Hamas as a terrorist organization. Hamas, a U.S. Department of State-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT), remains engaged in terrorist activity. Hamas’s election of Yehya Sinwar as their political leader in Gaza earlier this year illustrates that the organization remains a terrorist threat. Sinwar is a hardline military commander who was designated by the State Department as an SDGT under executive order 13224 in 2015.

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 hosted the inaugural U.S.-Mongolia Energy Cooperation Dialogue in Washington, D.C. on July 25, 2017, followed by meetings with energy technical experts on July 26. The discussions were led by Bureau of Energy Resources Acting Special Envoy and Coordinator for International Energy Affairs Mary Burce Warlick and Mongolia’s Director General of the Planning and Policy Department at the Ministry of Energy Chimeddorj Demchigjav.

During the dialogue, U.S. and Mongolian representatives exchanged views on national energy policies, best practices for managing an energy mix with diverse sources of energy, future cooperation between the United States and Mongolia, and opportunities for U.S. businesses in Mongolia’s energy sector. U.S. companies have shown a strong interest in partnering with Mongolia on a wide array of energy initiatives.

The visits with technical experts in Washington, D.C. on July 26, provided the delegation with additional information about the latest U.S. technologies and best practices for evaluating the feasibility of individual energy projects within an overall national framework.

For further information, contact Vincent Campos, Spokesperson for the Bureau of Energy Resources, at CamposVM@state.gov or visit www.state.gov/e/enr. You can also find information on Twitter at @EnergyAtState.

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.

On behalf of the United States, congratulations to all Liberians as you mark 170 years of independence.

In this important election year, we applaud Liberia’s dedication to democratic ideals, as embodied by your commitment to free and fair elections and the peaceful transition of power.

We look forward to building upon our longstanding relationship by working together to advance our common goals of democracy, security, and prosperity.

Best wishes to you on this special day.

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.

SECRETARY TILLERSON: Prime Minister, welcome to the State Department.

PRIME MINISTER HARIRI: Thank you.

SECRETARY TILLERSON: A pleasure to have you.

PRIME MINISTER HARIRI: Thank you.

SECRETARY TILLERSON: So I had a very good working breakfast this morning with Speaker Ryan. We covered a number of important topics, had a lengthy meeting with the Vice President at the White House on some important policy issues today, and now I’m pleased to welcome Prime Minister of Lebanon Hariri here at the State Department. The top of our agenda is going to be, as you would expect, Syria and regional security issues. And I know the prime minister had a very, very positive meeting with President Trump yesterday, and we look forward on kind of building out on some of the details from that meeting.

Thank you all.

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.