On behalf of the Government of the United States of America, I offer my sincerest and warmest wishes to the Kingdom of Thailand on your National Day. This year marked the 200-year anniversary of the historic U.S.-Thai friendship that has united our two nations through war and peace, hardship and prosperity. Under the leadership of His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun, Thailand continues to prosper, and both our nations benefit from our friendship and alliance as seen in the successful, Thai-led rescue of the Wild Boar soccer team.

We look forward to a successful 2019 in which Thailand will hold national elections and play a leading regional role as Chair of ASEAN. I would like to convey our warmest regards to all the Thai people, and best wishes for a peaceful and prosperous year to come.

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Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Carl Risch will travel December 3-7 to Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and Colombia to participate in a series of meetings with U.S. officials and foreign government authorities.

The Assistant Secretary plans to review consular operations at our Passport Agency in San Juan, and at our U.S. Embassies in Santo Domingo and Bogotá. He will also meet with interagency partners.

While in the Dominican Republic and Colombia, the Assistant Secretary will underscore our deep and sustained commitment on a variety of consular issues, including efficient and equitable visa processing, the welfare and safety of U.S. citizens overseas, collaboration on intercountry adoptions, and the prevention and resolution of international parent child abduction cases.

For press inquiries please contact CAPRESSREQUESTS@state.gov or (202) 485-6150.

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 Secretary’s Special Representative for Syria Engagement Ambassador James F. Jeffrey and Syria Envoy and Deputy Assistant Secretary Joel Rayburn will brief the media at 3:00 p.m. today in the Press Briefing Room at the Department of State on the results of the Syria Small Group meetings held earlier on Monday in Washington, D.C. with envoys from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Jordan, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia.

This event is open press coverage. Journalists who plan to cover this event in person must be seated in the Press Briefing Room by 2:50 p.m.

Media representatives may attend this event upon presentation of one of the following: (1) a U.S. Government-issued photo media credential (e.g., Department of State, White House, Congress, Department of Defense or Foreign Press Center), or (2) an official photo identification card issued by their news organization, or (3) a letter from their employer on official letterhead verifying their current employment as a journalist. Additionally, they must present an official government photo identification card (i.e., U.S. driver’s license or passport).

The event will be streamed live on www.state.gov.

For further information, please contact the Office of Press Relations at (202) 647-2492 or PAPressDuty@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.

U.S. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo will travel to Brussels, Belgium, on December 3 – 5.

Secretary Pompeo will participate in the semi-annual meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers to review progress made in implementing the agenda agreed by NATO Heads of State and Government at the Brussels Summit in July. Secretary Pompeo will renew our call that Allies shoulder a fair share of the burden of responsibility to protect against common threats. This means living up to the pledge that all Allies made in 2014 and reaffirmed at the 2018 Brussels Summit to spend 2 percent of their gross domestic product on defense by 2024 and to invest 20 percent of that in major equipment. Ministers will also discuss transatlantic security issues, as well as NATO operations and partnerships, including NATO’s deepening relationship with critical partners Georgia and Ukraine.

While in Belgium, Secretary Pompeo will also meet with Belgian Prime Minister Michel to discuss how the two countries can partner on areas of mutual concern, such as nonproliferation, as Belgium takes its seat on the UN Security Council for the sixth time.

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 Government is disappointed that the Hungarian government and CEU have not concluded an agreement that would allow the university to continue its U.S.-accredited programs in Hungary.

Since the Hungarian government amended its law on higher education in April 2017, we have worked diligently with both parties to find a solution that would allow CEU to preserve these programs in Hungary.

The United States values the role that CEU and other American educational institutions play in building connections between the Hungarian and American people and strengthening the transatlantic bond. The departure of these U.S.-accredited programs from Hungary will be a loss for the CEU community, for the United States, and for Hungary.

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.