On behalf of the Government of the United States of America, I offer my best wishes to the people of Northern Ireland, Ireland, and the United Kingdom as they celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement this week.

Twenty years ago, the Good Friday Agreement brought an end to thirty years of violence in which more than 3,500 lives were lost. It offered a framework for a new beginning to build peace, prosperity, and reconciliation in the region. The Good Friday Agreement, endorsed widely by the people of the region, remains an inspiration around the world.

As we reflect on this important anniversary, let us remind ourselves – and the generations since the signing in 1998 – of how far the people of the region have traveled, as well as the challenges that persist. We encourage all parties in Northern Ireland to work together to form a regional, power-sharing government that benefits all the people of the region.

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On behalf of the Government of the United States of America, I offer congratulations to the people of Cambodia on the occasion of Khmer New Year on April 13.

The relationship between our peoples is strong and built on our mutual desire for peace, prosperity, and freedom. May our bonds of friendship be strengthened in the year to come.

Please accept our best wishes for a Happy New Year

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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 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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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 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!

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.

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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External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein.