The Latest State Department Press Briefing
Delivered by Morgan Ortagus
I’d like to turn to Secretary Pompeo’s recent trip to Asia, which is a very successful effort that underscored the United States firm commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific region. This trip allowed the Secretary to personally reinforce America’s support for our allies and partners in the region, as well as our commitment to effective, meaningful multilateralism.
In Bangkok, the Secretary participated in the ASEAN-U.S. Ministerial, the ASEAN Regional Forum Ministerial, the East Asia Summit Ministerial, and the Lower Mekong Initiative, which has just celebrated the tenth anniversary. The Secretary held very positive bilateral meetings with a variety of his counterparts, including leaders from Thailand, the Philippines, China, and India. He also participated in a trilateral meeting with foreign ministers of Japan and South Korea as well as a trilateral meeting with Australia and Japan, after which those three nations released a statement expressing serious concerns about negative developments in the South China Sea.
Our diplomacy within ASEAN nations has been consistently guided by our desire for partnership, our respect for sovereignty, and a shared commitment to the rule of law, human rights, and sustainable economic growth – all points the Secretary reiterated in his speech at the Siam Society in Bangkok, which I’d encourage everyone to read.
In Sydney, the Secretary underscored our ironclad commitment to Australia, an unbreakable alliance based on shared democratic values and overlapping strategic interests. Secretary Pompeo and Secretary of Defense Esper led the U.S. delegation to AUSMIN, the Australian-U.S. Ministerial consultations, and discussed shared priorities – our work to achieve our shared vision for a free, open, and rules-based Indo-Pacific; the denuclearization of North Korea; freedom of navigation and global shipping and air lanes; the eradication of ISIS and other terrorist groups; and the campaign to counter foreign interference in our elections.
And finally, in Micronesia, Secretary Pompeo was warmly welcomed and became the first secretary of state to visit to the Federated States of Micronesia, where he stressed the importance of our decades-old partnership with the freely associated states and our continued support for the security, economic development, and prosperity of the region. Secretary Pompeo announced the United States’ intent to begin negotiating amendments to certain provisions of the Compacts of Free Association with the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of the Marshall Islands and our intent to begin the compact review discussions with Palau.
Next I’d like to go – it has been 11 years since Russia’s military invasion of Georgia, when hundreds were killed or injured and over 190,000 civilians were displaced. For many, the impact of the conflict continues. Livelihoods remain destroyed; families remain separated; freedom of movement has not been restored; and property has not been returned. Within the last 24 hours, we received reports that Russian-backed de facto authorities have started the process of borderization at a village near a South Ossetia administrative boundary line. If completed, this action would cut the village off from its irrigation system. These actions are a threat to peace and stability.
As today’s actions show, Russia consistently violates the Georgian people’s right to security and property. Further, Russia’s invasion and occupation of 20 percent of Georgian territory is in stark violation of the UN – of the principles of the UN Charter, the Helsinki Final Act, and the fundamental norms and principles of international law. We urge the Russian Federation to reverse its recognition of the so-called independence of Georgia’s occupied Abkhazia and South Ossetia regions. We call upon the Russian Federation to implement in full the EU-mediated August 2008 ceasefire agreement to withdraw its forces from the occupied territories of Georgia and to affirm and to implement a commitment not to use force against Georgia.
We will not stop working until Russia ends its occupation of sovereign Georgian territory. We support the right of hundreds of thousands of IDPs and refugees to return to their home safely and with dignity. Finally, we stand with the Georgian people and welcome the day we can commemorate the end of Russia’s occupation of their territory.
We welcome the joint statement by the United States and Turkey yesterday on establishing a safe zone in northeast Syria. The military-to-military talks in Ankara made progress towards establishing a sustainable security mechanism that addresses the legitimate concerns of our NATO ally Turkey and the United States. While there are additional details that need to be worked out, we are encouraged by the initial steps that came out of these talks.
A U.S.-Turkey joint operation center will be established in Turkey to continue planning and implementation. We look forward to continuing our work with our partners on this important matter to How do these people get their grimy hands on your email address. effects of cialis Whatever the cause of your erectile dysfunction, the affects are damning for your love life, relationships cialis cheapest and sexual satisfaction. Its quick dissolving formula provides cheap cialis for sale quick result to improve the condition. One letter, received by George Lusk of the White chapel Vigilance Committee, included half of a preserved human kidney, supposedly from viagra tablet for sale one of the victims. achieve peace and security in northeast Syria.
The United States strongly condemns the vicious terror attack outside a hospital in Cairo on August 4th that killed at least 20 people and injured many more. The explosion, which occurred near a hospital, only underscores the callousness of this disgraceful act of terror. We extend our condolences to the families of the victims and wish a speedy recovery to those wounded. The United States stands with Egypt in its struggle against terrorism.
This week, the United States and Poland formally launched the Warsaw Process Working Group. Each group is dedicated to tackling a challenge to peace and security in the Middle East. The working groups build on the historic ministerial hosted in Poland in February. The Warsaw ministerial reinvigorated our efforts to address regional security concerns on built alliances with our partners. It was an opportunity for us to share our assessments of the region and together offer solutions to the ongoing global challenges.
These working groups will enhance cooperation around key areas of concern in the region. That includes cyber security, human rights, energy security, missile proliferation, and maritime and aviation security. The groups will begin meeting this fall, hosted by our partners – the Republic of Korea, Bahrain, Romania, Poland, and also the United States.
Under Secretary for Political Affairs David Hale’s Meeting with Transitional Military Council Chairman Abdel Fattah el-Burhan of Sudan
Under Secretary for Political Affairs David Hale met on August 8 with Sudan’s Transitional Military Council Chairman, General Abdel Fattah el-Burhan. They discussed the need for swift formation of a civilian-led transitional government in line with the recently-agreed political and constitutional documents, which the United States supports. The Under Secretary noted that the transitional government has a significant mandate to end internal conflicts, pursue economic reforms, credibly investigate recent acts of violence, prepare a new constitution, and organize free and fair elections. The interlocutors agreed that success will be critical to advancing the interests of both of our countries.
The United States remains a steadfast partner to the Sudanese people in their pursuit of a civilian-led government that will advance peace, security, and prosperity.
Public Designation of Sudan’s Salah Gosh under Section 7031(c)
On August 14, The United States designated Salah Abdalla Mohamed Mohamed Salih, known as Salah Gosh, the former director general of Sudan’s National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS), under Section 7031(c) of the FY 2019 Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act (Div. F, P.L. 116-6), due to his involvement in gross violations of human rights. Specifically, the Department has credible information that Salah Gosh was involved in torture during his tenure as head of NISS.
Section 7031(c) provides that, in cases where the Secretary of State has credible information that foreign officials have been involved in significant corruption or a gross violation of human rights, those individuals and their immediate family members are ineligible for entry into the United States.
The law also requires the Secretary of State to publicly or privately designate such officials and their immediate family members. In accordance with the law, I am also publicly designating his spouse, Awatif Ahmed Seed Ahmed Mohamed, as well as his daughter, Shima Salah Abdallah Mohamed.
The designation of Salah Gosh and his family underscores our support for accountability for those involved in gross violations of human rights. We join the Sudanese people in their call for a transitional government that is truly civilian led and differs fundamentally from the Bashir regime, particularly on the protection of human rights. We make this announcement today in support of an effort by the Sudanese people to place the Bashir regime, with its long record of human rights violations and abuses by Gosh and other officials, in the past for good.
DARIA NOVAK served in the United States State Department during the Reagan Administration, and currently is on the Board of the American Analysis of News and Media Inc., which publishes usagovpolicy.com and the New York Analysis of Policy and Government. Each Saturday, she presents key updates on U.S. foreign policy from the State Department.
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