U.S. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg hosted a meeting with the foreign ministers of select members of the Coalition to Defeat ISIS on the sidelines of the NATO Summit on July 12.

The Coalition recognized the extraordinary effort made by the Iraqi Security Forces to defeat ISIS and to continue to secure liberated territory and local populations from this barbaric enemy. In keeping with the Guiding Principles that the Coalition unanimously affirmed in February, the Coalition discussed the importance of the enduring defeat of ISIS in Iraq and Syria, and the Coalition’s collective denial of ISIS’s global ambitions. The Ministers welcomed the presentation from Prime Minister Abadi and the Government of Iraq’s $500 million pledge to support stabilization programs in liberated areas in coordination with the United Nations Development Programme. Members also unanimously commended NATO’s formal launch of the non-combat training mission for Iraq.

Ministers also welcomed the continued efforts and progress by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to liberate the remaining pockets of ISIS-held territory in eastern Syria. The SDF continue to work with the Coalition and its partners on the ground to clear the final vestiges of ISIS territorial control and to secure the Syria-Iraq border. ISIS has historically exploited transit routes along the Iraq-Syria border in order to attack and destabilize both countries. To ensure the lasting defeat of ISIS, we must continue to eliminate these and other cross-border networks.

This meeting was also an opportunity for Ministers to discuss and pledge immediate stabilization assistance to support areas of Syria liberated from ISIS in Coalition-supported operations. Coalition-funded stabilization programming remains key to securing D-ISIS military gains and will remain integral to stabilizing liberated terrain and addressing drivers of extremism. ISIS has not reclaimed any areas that it has lost in Coalition-supported operations and Secretary Pompeo reaffirmed the critical need for stabilization assistance to maintain this record. Even in the most difficult environments, such as Raqqa, Coalition-supported partners are clearing explosive remnants of war; delivering humanitarian assistance; removing rubble; restoring essential services like electricity, healthcare and water; and creating the conditions for IDPs to voluntarily return home. In Raqqa, this assistance is supporting 138,000 residents who have returned since the city’s liberation last October. In Tabqa, Coalition assistance has enabled the refurbishment of the Tabqa Hospital, which ISIS used as one of its command centers in northeast Syria. Today, as a result of this Coalition assistance, approximately 500,000 people in the Tabqa area can now access emergency and maternal care.

The Coalition meets regularly to coordinate, and enhance combined efforts to defeat ISIS, both at the senior leaders and working group level. The last meeting of foreign ministers of Coalition leaders took place on February 13 at the Ministerial level in Kuwait. In June, Coalition Political Directors met in Morocco, raising $90 million for our stabilization programs in Northeast Syria.

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The below is attributable to Spokesperson Heather Nauert:‎

Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo met today with Prime Minister of Iraq Haider al-Abadi in Brussels on the sidelines of the NATO Summit. The Secretary reaffirmed U.S. support for the Iraqi people and our common fight against ISIS. The Secretary welcomed Iraq’s request for further NATO support and gave full backing to the training mission for Iraq that the Alliance announced during the Summit.

The Secretary expressed his support for the robust cooperation occurring between the International Coalition and the Iraqi Security Forces, including the Peshmerga, in the continued battle against ISIS, and commended Prime Minister Abadi for the military operations underway to protect Iraq’s borders and sovereignty.

The Secretary also noted recent efforts to ensure the integrity of the parliamentary elections and encouraged the Prime Minister and all of Iraq’s leaders to work expeditiously towards a centrist government that expresses the will of all Iraqi people.

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The below is attributable to Spokesperson Heather Nauert:

Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo met today with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir on the margins of the NATO Summit in Brussels. The Secretary thanked the Foreign Minister for Saudi Arabia’s strong partnership and reiterated our commitment to further deepening U.S.-Saudi cooperation. The two covered a broad range of regional and bilateral issues, especially the need to address the full array of threats posed by Iran.

On Yemen, the Secretary and Foreign Minister agreed on the importance of all sides supporting the UN-led political process, facilitating critical humanitarian and commercial access, and working toward a comprehensive agreement to end the conflict. The Secretary emphasized the President’s desire to see the Gulf dispute eased and eventually resolved, and his hope that our Gulf partners will work together to promote regional security and stability, and stand against Iran’s destabilizing activities.

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The below is attributable to Spokesperson Heather Nauert: ‎

Secretary Michael R. Pompeo met today with EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy and Vice President of the European Commission Federica Mogherini on the sidelines of the NATO Summit. Secretary Pompeo and the High Representative discussed the range of shared challenges facing the United States and Europe. They agreed on the growing dangers posed by Iranian malign influence across the Middle East. They discussed the security and humanitarian situation in Syria, the importance of continued reform in Ukraine, and the common approach to ensuring a path to the final, fully verified denuclearization of the DPRK. The two leaders also discussed shared U.S. and EU concerns about the Nord Stream II Pipeline and the need to ensure the diversification of European energy supplies.

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Twenty-two women entrepreneurs from 13 African countries arrive in the United States this week to connect with their American counterparts and accelerate the growth of their businesses. The businesswomen in this year’s African Women’s Entrepreneurship Program (AWEP) join a network that has created thousands of jobs and over 20 women’s business associations in sub-Saharan Africa. The initiative promotes business growth and increases trade both regionally and with U.S. markets through the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).

AWEP, which runs through July 27, is a special initiative of the International Visitor Leadership Program, now in its ninth year of elevating women entrepreneurs who are transforming their societies through business, and are voices for social advocacy in their communities. The women will visit American private companies, business incubators, financial institutions, schools, and mentorship institutions.

The program begins in Washington, D.C., continues to Santa Fe and Albuquerque, and then splits into smaller, sector-based groups in Atlanta, Portland, or San Diego. The entire AWEP group then comes together in Chicago for closing programming.

This year’s cohort represents Cameroon, Central African Republic, Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo, and Zimbabwe. The women will return home to continue their work as women advocates with AWEP chapters in more than a dozen countries.

For press inquiries on the program, please contact the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at ECA-Press@state.gov. Join the conversation on Twitter and Facebook using the hashtag #AWEP.

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