# Japan - United States Department of State

- Joint Readout on the Inaugural U.S.-Philippines 3+3 Meeting Office of the SpokespersonThe text of the following statement was released by the Governments of the United States of America and the Philippines on the occasion of the inaugural U.S.-Philippines 3+3 Meeting.Begin text:Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III, and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met with Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique Manalo, Philippine Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro, and Philippine National Security Advisor Eduardo M. Año in Washington, DC today. The meeting followed President Biden’s bilateral meeting with Philippines President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. and the historic Japan-Philippines-United States Trilateral Leaders’ Summit on April 11.The parties reaffirmed their shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific and discussed ways to deepen coordination regarding shared challenges in the South China Sea, including repeated harassment of lawful Philippine operations by the People’s Republic of China. Secretary Blinken, Secretary of Defense Austin, and National Security Advisor Sullivan reiterated the United States’ ironclad commitment to the U.S.-Philippine Alliance and recalled that the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty extends to armed attacks on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft – including those of its Coast Guard – anywhere in the South China Sea.  The parties underscored their determination to increase U.S. support for the modernization of the Armed Forces of the Philippines to improve interoperability and to achieve our shared security objectives. The parties further decided to explore additional opportunities to strengthen global support for upholding the international law of the sea.End text.
- The United States, the Philippines, and Japan Launch the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment Luzon Economic Corridor Office of the SpokespersonDuring the trilateral leaders’ summit, the leaders of the United States, the Philippines, and Japan announced the intent to develop the Luzon Economic Corridor as the latest economic corridor of the G7 Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGI) and the first in the Indo-Pacific region.  The State Department will drive and coordinate implementation of Luzon Corridor through the Office of the Special Presidential Coordinator for PGI.  This work is also a demonstration of our commitment to Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) partners as a key deliverable under the PGI IPEF Investment Accelerator that aims to scale high-standard investments, create more resilient economies, and drive long-term sustainable development.The Luzon Economic Corridor will support connectivity between Subic Bay, Clark, Manila and Batangas in the Philippines.  Together, the United States, the Philippines, and Japan will accelerate coordinated investments in high-impact infrastructure projects, including rail; ports modernization; clean energy and semiconductor supply chains and deployments; and agribusiness to further connect and drive economic growth in each hub.This approach will make an outsized impact on critical industries, such as semiconductors, where reducing logistics and energy costs coupled with a favorable policy and regulatory environment can propel further growth.  PGI investments in critical infrastructure will further spur this industry and complement the U.S. government’s ongoing collaboration with the Philippines to grow and diversify the global semiconductor industry.  PGI investments will also improve food security in the Philippines by connecting farmers to market through improved logistics and cold chain storage infrastructure.The announcement of the Luzon Economic Corridor follows the Secretary’s visit to Manila last month and the joint desire of the United States, the Philippines, and Japan to elevate our economic initiatives as a central element of our robust strategic partnership.  The United States will also seek to partner with multilateral development banks and the private sector to deploy capital and development and finance tools to support infrastructure projects across the Corridor.In order to begin implementation of the Trilateral Leaders’ commitment on developing the Luzon Economic Corridor, the United States, the Philippines, and Japan intend to hold a trilateral event promoting investment in the Corridor on the margins of the Indo-Pacific Business Forum (IPBF) in Manila in May—the premier U.S. commercial event in the region.  The trilateral partners will also create a Steering Committee to drive progress of infrastructure development and investment along the Corridor.
- Secretary Antony J. Blinken At a State Luncheon in Honor of Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of StateWashington, D.C.Benjamin Franklin RoomSECRETARY BLINKEN:  Thank you.  Evan and I are so honored to join Vice President Harris, Second Gentleman Emhoff in welcoming you to the State Department.  We’re delighted to be joined by a remarkable group of colleagues, friends, and dignitaries, and a special salute to our colleagues from Congress who are here.We just witnessed a remarkable speech.  I think it may be as well the first time that anyone speaking before a joint session has managed to reference the Flintstones.  (Laughter.)  More about that later.Now, the very first time the United States had the honor of hosting a delegation from Japan was in 1860.  Their journey then took three months to get here.  On arriving, they were received first at the White House, then the State Department, for what I’m told was a boisterous dinner fueled by champagne, music, and dancing.  We’ll see what we can do about that.  (Laughter.)  The Japanese delegation observed a debate in the United States Senate, and at the U.S. Naval Observatory, they gazed through a telescope for their first-ever close-up view of the surface of the moon.From the time of that inaugural diplomatic mission, generations of Americans and Japanese had their horizons expanded by the exchange between our countries.  Since Tokyo’s mayor donated the first cherry trees – we’ve heard a lot about cherry trees in the last couple of days – to our nation’s capital over a century ago, their blossoms are a way that many of us mark the beginning of another spring – a reminder of our friendship and its immeasurable impact on our people and on the entire world.  I shared with the prime minister yesterday that people come from across the United States to Washington because of the cherry trees.  It’s a remarkable thing that this has become one of the most powerful symbols of our capital, and it’s thanks to Japan.Over these past three years, we have had invested tremendous energy into making this relationship between our countries even stronger.  We’ve bolstered our security cooperation and increased our cooperation on renewable energy.  We’re deepening collaboration on artificial intelligence, on quantum computing, and on other technologies that will shape the 21st century.  Together with India and Australia, we’ve revitalized the Quad.  We’ve elevated trilateral cooperation with the Republic of Korea to unprecedented levels.  Today, we’re taking a similarly ambitious step with the Philippines.We’re leading the G7 in meeting the fundamental challenges of our time, from helping the Ukrainians defend themselves against Russia’s war of aggression to helping countries around the world build infrastructure vital to expanding opportunity.  We’re standing side by side to defend a free and open international order that for decades has bolstered our shared security and prosperity.  And we’ve done all this in partnership with a son of Hiroshima, which speaks to the spirit of healing and regeneration that animates this exceptional relationship.Of course, the ties that bind us have been forged not only by our governments but principally by generations of Japanese and Americans from all walks of life.  And like the saplings that were brought here by the prime minister, these relationships took root, they grew, and they branched out in ways that were probably impossible to predict.In 1872, it was an American schoolteacher who introduced baseball to Japan.  He taught at Kaisei Academy, the same high school where the prime minister would eventually play second base.  (Laughter.)  Akira Kurosawa’s 1954 classic, The Seven Samurai, inspired one of our great westerns, The Magnificent Seven.  Decades later, the American best picture, Unforgiven, was remade in Japan with a cowboy traded in for a samurai in imperial Japan.In 1963, a Japanese trade official named Kishida Fumitake was posted in New York City, and brought along his then-six-year-old son, Fumio.  The future prime minister later said that his struggles at that time to express himself in a new and unfamiliar language, taught him – and I quote – the importance of listening, especially to those whose voices often go unheard, and first inspired him to dream of a career in politics.  I think anyone who heard the prime minister speak last night at the White House and today before our Congress know how he’s mastered the ability to speak to people but also, based on what he says so clearly, to listen to them.  This is a man of not only extraordinary leadership but deep empathy that’s reflected in his leadership.Not far from here at the Smithsonian’s Modern Art Museum, the record for the two most popular exhibits are held by the same artist – Yayoi Kusama.  Many of you have seen these installations, her Infinity Mirror Rooms, where bright glowing polka-dotted covered orbs seem to extend on forever.  Early in her career, Kusama wrote a letter to the great American painter Georgia O’Keeffe looking for advice.  She dreamed of moving to New York, but felt daunted.  O’Keefe wrote back to her:  Make the leap.  Kusama did, and the rest is truly infinity.These threads that connect our people, connect our cultures through time, they feel a little bit like Kusama’s installations, spreading with radiant, glowing ties as far as the eye can see, including into space, where we’re working together on everything from running an International Space Station to using the James Webb telescope to better understand how our universe was formed in the first place.And now more than 160 years after that first Japanese delegation came to the United States and looked at the Naval Observatory through a telescope at the moon, we’ve agreed to be the first two nations to step foot on its surface together – and drive around on it, too.  We have a lunar rover that Japan is building, a model of which you’ll be able to see when you walk out of the State Department today.So please join me in raising a glass.  Thank you very much.  To all the places we can imagine our extraordinary friendship will take us, and even more, to all the places we cannot even imagine in this moment going, but where we know our determination, our innovation, and especially our friendship and cooperation will one day allow us to walk together.  Cheers.And now, ladies and gentlemen, it’s a great pleasure for me to hand the microphone over to someone who as Vice President made her very first trip – foreign trip in that capacity – to the Indo-Pacific, someone who has been leading our efforts these past three years to deepen, to strengthen our ties to our most critical partners in the world.  Ladies and gentlemen, the Vice President of the United States.(Applause.)(The Vice President makes remarks.)(Applause.)PRIME MINISTER KISHIDA: (Via interpreter) The Honorable Kamala Harris, Vice President; Second Gentleman, Mr. Emhoff; Secretary Blinken, Secretary of State; Cabinet Secretary Ryan, distinguished guests:  thank you for hosting this luncheon.The script my staff drafted for this luncheon speech starts with the sentence, “Yesterday I had a fruitful discussion with President Biden.”  Quote/unquote “fruitful discussion” is a cliché diplomats like to use.  When I was foreign minister, oh, did I hear that phrase over and over again until I almost got tired of it.  I also note that when a diplomat says, “Hmm, that’s interesting,” more likely than not that person is thinking, “How boring.”But there’s one thing I need to make clear.  Yesterday President Biden and I literally had a truly fruitful discussion.  And I say literally.  (Applause.)  The President and I reaffirmed the strength of the Japan-U.S. alliance.  I will continue to work closely with the President to actively contribute to peace, stability, and prosperity of the world we live in.The success of the summit would not have been possible without the hard work by the Honorable Vice President, Secretary Blinken, and the collection of competent people on your team to whom we must thank with a great round of applause.  (Applause.)Let me quote a phrase in the Old Testament, Proverbs 27: “Iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”  Ask an expert what this means, and you will be listening to a lecture until sunset.  I interpret this phrase to mean that when people with diverse values and ideas compete against and sharpen each other, something better is created.That, indeed, is the force behind diversity – America’s strength that I encountered in New York in my childhood days – and is the power of Team Biden, I believe.As I look back when I was little living in New York, I feel that the philosophy and the words delivered vigorously by President Kennedy in his inaugural address most resonated among other grownups back then.  “We shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and success of liberty.”  This is a passage from the inaugural address.  Because of this liberty, we are able to leverage diversity as the engine to drive ourselves forward.Indeed, only because both Japan and the U.S. enjoy the liberty and are open and frank with each other, their people successful in broad and diverse areas – just like yourselves here today – we’re able to overcome differences in opinions or positions, we’re able to deepen mutual understanding and have produced the engine power to advance the Japan-U.S. relationship forward.Let us continue to do so as we have done so far, but for the moment just let us enjoy the lunch.  The unwavering Japan-U.S. relationship of today is all due to your passion and your contribution.  Please allow me to take this opportunity to thank you all once again.May I conclude my greetings by praying for the continued success of you all and for the further deepening of the Japan-U.S. relationship.  May I also raise a glass with you all, together with myself, for the U.S.-Japan relationship and for a bright future of our relationship and for each and every one of you.  Please do continue your success and prosperity.  (Applause.)
- U.S. Department of State Launches Partnership with Airbnb to Support Rural Economic Opportunity Through Binational Tourism Between the United States and Japan Office of the SpokespersonCoinciding with this week’s official visit between President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, the U.S. Department of State and Airbnb announced today a new partnership to support binational tourism with a focus on economic opportunity in rural areas.Through this partnership, the Department’s flagship professional international exchange – the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) – will bring Japanese tourism and hospitality professionals to the United States beginning later this year to collaborate with their American peers and study best practices in rural tourism. As part of the program, participants will stay in Airbnb listings around the United States in rural areas. By focusing on rural economic growth and cross-cultural connections, this exchange program underscores the valuable role people-to-people diplomacy plays in the expansion of economic opportunity and equity.The International Visitor Leadership Program is the Department’s premier professional exchange program. Each year, approximately 4,000 current and emerging foreign leaders in a variety of fields visit the United States through the IVLP. More than 200,000 international visitors have engaged with Americans through the IVLP, including over 500 current or former Heads of State or Government worldwide.For more information, please contact the ECA-Press@state.gov. Follow @ECAatState on social media for updates and highlights of the programs.
- Signing of the U.S.-Japan Global Innovation through Science and Technology (GIST) Memorandum of Understanding Office of the SpokespersonActing Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs Jennifer Littlejohn and Takayuki Fujiyoshi Deputy Director General for the Secretariat for Science, Technology and Innovation Policy at the Japan Cabinet Office have signed a Global Innovation through Science and Technology (GIST) Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), the two countries announced during the official visit of Prime Minister Kishida of Japan on April 10. Acting Assistant Secretary Littlejohn and Deputy Director General Fujiyoshi shared their commitment to deepen connectivity between U.S.-Japan science and technology entrepreneurs, expand investment opportunities, and foster technological innovation. The U.S.-Japan GIST MOU will catalyze innovation, facilitate knowledge exchange, and promote entrepreneurial endeavors that contribute to the advancement of science, technology, and societal well-being.This MOU, signed on March 26, 2024, builds on an expansive history of scientific and diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Japan. The U.S.-Japan GIST MOU paves the way for science and technology innovation initiatives that connect American technology companies with Japanese entrepreneurs. Japan intends to fully fund Japanese participants and expanded GIST operational costs for Japan-specific programs, and the United States intends to provide technical expertise and to facilitate visa processing, as appropriate.For further information, please reach out to OES-Press@state.gov.						Tags																					Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs																								Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs																								Japan																								Office of the Spokesperson																																Scientific and Technological Cooperation
- NSC Preview of the Japan State Visit and the U.S.-Japan-Philippines Trilateral Leaders’ Summit Mira Rapp-Hooper, Senior Director for East Asia and Oceania, White HouseWashington, D.C.Tuesday, April 9, 2024, 12:00 p.m. ETTHE WASHINGTON FOREIGN PRESS CENTER, WASHINGTON, D.C.MODERATOR:  Welcome, everyone, to the Washington Foreign Press Center.  My name is Miranda Patterson, one of the media relations officers here at the FPC.  I am pleased to welcome back Dr. Mira Rapp-Hooper to the Washington Foreign Press Center this afternoon.  And the purpose of today’s briefing is to preview the official visit of Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio as well as the first U.S.-Japan-Philippines Trilateral Leaders’ Summit along with President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.  Dr. Mira Rapp-Hooper is special assistant to the President and senior director for East Asia and Oceania.  She is a top White House advisor responsible for the Indo-Pacific Strategy and many other initiatives. A quick reminder of the ground rules for today.  The briefing is on the record.  After her opening remarks, Senior Director Rapp-Hooper has kindly agreed to take questions.  Please raise your hand and I will call on you.  If called for a question, please begin your question by stating your name, outlet, and country.  For our journalists joining via Zoom, if you have a question, please go to the participant field and virtually raise your hand.  We will call on you and you can unmute yourself if you like, turn on your video, and ask your question.  You can also submit questions in the chat box.  If you have not already done so, please take the time now to rename yourself in Zoom – in your Zoom profile with your full name and the name of your media outlet. This briefing will end promptly at 12:45.  We will post a video and a transcript of the briefing afterwards on our website, which is fpc.state.gov.  And with what, I’m going to turn the briefing over now to Senior Director Rapp-Hooper. MS RAPP-HOOPER:  Thank you so much, Miranda, and thank you to the Foreign Press Center for having me today.  It’s good to see you all.  As you know, tomorrow, Wednesday, the President and First Lady will welcome to the White House Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and Mrs. Kishida of Japan for an official visit that will include a state dinner.  Since day one of this administration, we have been focused on reinvesting in and reinvigorating our alliances in the Indo-Pacific, and nowhere has President Biden’s strategy paid off more than in this region and with respect to our alliance with Japan.Our alliances and partnerships have long been critical to securing a free, open, prosperous, and resilient global order, and in the last three years Japan has been working tirelessly and in lockstep alongside the United States as we look to achieve our shared vision for this region and for the world. What you’ll see on display over the course of this state visit is that we are strategically aligned and cooperating in every area across every part of the world.  This state visit is a celebration of our bilateral relationship as it evolves into a true global partnership that is a force for peace and prosperity.  Since both President Biden and Prime Minister Kishida took office in 2021, the two leaders have met nearly a dozen times.  When President Biden welcomed Kishida – Prime Minister Kishida to Washington for the first time in January of 2023, Japan had just published its historic national security strategy, which called for an increase in defense spending to 2 percent of GDP; said that Japan would seek to acquire counterstrike capabilities alongside the United States; and would enhance its cooperation with likeminded partners.  Throughout the official visit with state dinner this week, the President will honor and celebrate Prime Minister Kishida’s courageous leadership in the Indo-Pacific, including his domestic reforms to strengthen Japan’s defense posture and increased defense spending; his work alongside President Yoon of the ROK to build a new foundation in Japan-ROK relations; his work to support Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands; and on the global stage, Japan’s unwavering support for Ukraine.I’ll briefly highlight just some of the areas where you can expect announcements from our leaders tomorrow.First, we will bolster our defense and security cooperation to enable greater coordination and integration of our forces to ensure they are optimally postured and linked to one another. Second, our leaders will announce some important deliverables on civil space cooperation as we lead the way in space exploration and the return to the Moon.  Third, our two countries will announce major research partnerships between our leading institutions on critical and emerging technologies in areas including artificial intelligence, quantum, semiconductors, and clean energy.  And all of this will, of course, strengthen our economic ties and our economic security as we announce commercial deals as part of this state visit as well. Fourth, Japan is one of the leading providers of economic assistance and budget support to Ukraine and development infrastructure in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands.  This visit will highlight Japan’s continued role in global diplomacy and development and will showcase some important deliverables on consequential work the United States and Japan are doing together – in particular in the Pacific Islands. And finally, we’ll announce some important new initiatives to further foster our cultural connections and promote closer people-to-people ties, especially amongst our young people.  Since the beginning of this administration, our theory of the case for the Indo-Pacific has been that we would reinvest in and modernize our alliances and partnerships, and when we did, our allies and partners would seek to step up alongside us.  And we have seen that theory of the case proven many times over.  We are indeed not taking any of these actions alone, but in every case in close partnership with our allies and partners within the region and beyond. So while it is undeniable that we are all living in a challenging geopolitical moment, the President continues to prioritize our work in what we see as the critical region for the long term of American foreign policy.  That’s why in addition to this important state visit this week, the President will also welcome President Marcos of the Philippines for his second visit in as many years to the White House and will also hold the first-ever Trilateral Leaders’ Summit between the United States, Japan, and the Philippines.  As Indo-Pacific nations, the U.S., Japan, and the Philippines share a joint vision for the future of the region, and with this first-ever leader-level trilateral summit, we are continuing to innovate the groupings with whom we’re working closely, adding to the fit-for-purpose latticework that we are using throughout the Indo-Pacific. This trilateral format was really innovated by our national security advisors, who met for the first time in Tokyo last year to discuss how we might better work together and cooperate.  And out of that June 2023 meeting, they identified a few critical areas of cooperation amongst the United States, Japan, and the Philippines that our leaders will be taking to new heights later this week.On Thursday, our leaders will announce new initiatives to enhance energy security, economic and maritime cooperation, partnerships on technology and cybersecurity, and some considerable joint investments in major infrastructure areas.Our three countries will embark on this new era of trilateral cooperation as equal partners, guided by a shared vision and unwavering commitment to a free, open, peaceful, and prosperous Indo-Pacific.  The events of this week clearly illustrate the President’s continued commitment to strengthening our key alliances and partnerships, innovating around shared challenges, and exploring new areas of cooperation.With that, I look forward to your questions.MODERATOR:  Thank you, Dr. Rapp-Hooper.  Now we’re going to open up for the question-and-answer portion.  Please be advised that the questions should relate to the information that was just provided to us in opening remarks.Yes, we’ll have you here in the front row.  Please state your name and outlet.QUESTION:  Thank you very much.  Donghui Yu with China Review News Agency of Hong Kong.  It was widely reported that the AUKUS is considering expanding the security pact that will include Japan in the defense alliance.  Will the U.S.-Japan summit discuss this issue?  And what is the implication of this new movement for the U.S. approach to China?  And is it a new mechanism that is different from other alliance mechanism to deter China?  Thank you.MS RAPP-HOOPER:  Sure.  I’ll start by taking your question by creating an important distinction up front, and that is when we talk about the AUKUS partnership, there are two very distinct tracks of cooperation.  AUKUS Pillar I is a partnership that is exclusively amongst the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom, and that is the partnership that is focused on providing nuclear-powered, conventionally armed submarines.  That Pillar I track has not, and will not expand – full stop.There is a second track of AUKUS, which is AUKUS Pillar II, that is focused on the development of additional advanced capabilities projects, which are entirely separate from Pillar I.  The AUKUS defense ministers – that is, the U.S., UK, and Australian defense ministers – yesterday announced that they would begin consultations with a small group of additional partners towards their possible inclusion in some AUKUS Pillar II projects.  What that means is that we will begin consultations with a range of additional partners – including Japan, as was indicated yesterday – towards their possible participation in these additional capabilities projects.So want to be clear that since the inception of AUKUS, we have always indicated that it would include a Pillar II track.  This is not a new partnership; it is part of AUKUS that has been designed from the beginning.  And what the defense ministers announced yesterday is really just the starting point of a consultation period to understand better which partners might be a good fit for Pillar II.  We expect that work to continue over the course of the next many months, and all decisions about the ultimate composition of Pillar II will be made by the AUKUS defense ministers as a trilateral grouping.MODERATOR:  Thank you.  Let’s go here in the second row, the tan shirt.QUESTION:  Hi, thank you for doing this.  My name is Yuko Mukai from Japanese Yomiuri Shimbun.  My question is about U.S., Japan, and Philippine trilateral summit.  There is a media report that President Biden will stress that the U.S.-Philippine Mutual Defense Treaty Article IV will be applied to Sierra Madre, which is the state of the ongoing conflict between China and Philippines in the South China Sea.  Could you please confirm that?  And also, I would like to know what specifically does it mean that Article IV will be applied to the Sierra Madre, which means, like, if the Chinese – well, what if the – if there is an attack by the Chinese side, by the coast guard, but – and the result it turned to be a damage to the Philippine side, will it – will it cause the – any kind of a military interference by the U.S. side?  MS RAPP-HOOPER:  What I can say in response to your question is that the United States and President Biden in particular have been consistent and clear for the entirety of this administration that the U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty applies in the South China Sea, including to Philippines’ vessels underway, including coast guard vessels and including in the South China Sea.  That declaratory policy is consistent from the beginning of this administration, it’s held on a bipartisan basis, and has not changed.  The President last articulated it publicly from the Rose Garden when Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was here in October from his state visit.  And what I imagine you will hear over the course of the next few days is language that is identical to what you have heard in the past.What the ultimately meaning here is I think is crystal-clear to any observers, and that is the fact that the U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty applies to the Philippines in the South China Sea – again, to vessels underway, including coast guard vessels.  We stand strongly by our alliance commitments to the Philippines, and that is one of the things we will be talking to President Marcos about when he is in town.Of course, this trilateral meeting comes at a very important time, as the Philippines has found themselves under increasing pressure from the PRC in the South China Sea.  This should, of course, be taken as a sign that not only President Biden but Prime Minister Kishida wish to show their support and resolve for President Marcos and his handling of this incredibly difficult issue.  I think what you will see is a strong showing of support and solidarity amongst our three leaders for a common vision of a South China Sea that is governed by international law.MODERATOR:  Thank you.  We’re going to turn online real briefly to one of our journalists from the Philippines.  Don Tagala, please unmute yourself and turn on your camera if able.  Ask your question.QUESTION:  Okay.  Don Tagala, ABS-CBN News on the Filipino Channel.  My question is:  What is the status of the Reciprocal Access Agreement between Japan and the Philippines?  And please tell us about the timeline in getting this agreement in operations.  Thank you.  MS RAPP-HOOPER:  Thank you.  I will not suppose to share updates about the timeline for a negotiation that is taking place bilaterally between our Philippines allies and our Japanese allies, but what I can say is that the U.S. Government has consistently expressed its support for those negotiations and for the growing set of ties between the Philippines and Japan, and we’ll continue to do so over the course of this visit.MODERATOR:  Okay, Josie.QUESTION:  Good morning.  My name is Josie Moralidad Ziman from the Radio Mindanao Network in the Philippines, but I’m based here in Alexandria, Virginia  I have several questions, but if you don’t mind I’m going to ask two questions and it’s up to you how to answer it.Can you share any examples of successful past initiatives or collaborations between the Philippines, Japan, and United States?  This is the first trilateral summit meeting, right?  And what inspires optimism for the outcomes of this summit, and how do you believe the outcomes of this summit will positively impact the lives of people across the Indo-Pacific region?MS RAPP-HOOPER:  Thank you.  I’ll be happy to try to take those questions as one.  I think we have many indications of really strong cooperation amongst our three countries in the past.  As you know, while our Japanese friends have been deeply invested across a range of sectors and areas in their support for our Filipino friends for a long time, so this is really a natural fit for our partnership.One recent example that I’ll highlight that folks in the room may be tracking is that just a couple of days ago the United States, the Philippines, Japan, and Australia conducted their first joint sail in the South China Sea, which was intended to signal our common support for international law in that critical body of water.  And I think over the course of the last many years our ability to better work together in and around the Philippines and with the Philippines had been growing, but we will take that to new heights with our announcements on Thursday.To your important question about how those deliverables will show that we are delivering for the Filipino people, what I can say is there will be some particularly important announcements related to infrastructure in particular whereby the United States and Japan will agree to cooperate on their investments in the Philippines.  And we do believe that together and working closely with the Government of the Philippines we will be able to deliver for the Filipino people by helping to work together on high-quality, high-standards infrastructure that makes a difference in the lives of everyday people.MODERATOR:  Okay, we’ll go to Song here in the third row, the edge.  QUESTION:  Thank you very much.  My name is Song Sang-ho, reporter from Yonhap News Agency, South Korea.  I’m wondering about if there will be any specific and concrete progress when it – I mean in terms of trilateral cooperation involving South Korea about deterring North Korea from the summit.  I’m talking about between President Biden and Prime Minister Kishida.  My second question is that you talked about Pillar II of the AUKUS security partnership.   Do you see any possibility that South Korea could be potential partner and pillar to a defense capability project?  Thank you.  MS RAPP-HOOPER:  Thanks very much.  Of course, we will primarily be focused on bilateral deliverables in our summit with Prime Minister Kishida, but I will say that there will be a few grace notes in some of our documents marking the fantastic progress we are making in our trilateral relationship with the ROK, including in the defense and security space.  So some of those developments will be noted in the joint leaders statement on the fact sheet that we bring out.I’ll point to just one area in which we have redoubled our trilateral cooperation since the Camp David summit, and that is in our partnership to monitor and push back against the growing cooperation between the DPRK and Russia, which of course is of grave concern to all three of our countries and should be of concern to anybody who is interested in peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific as well as in Europe.  So we remain very confident and enthusiastic about the work we continue to do together in that trilateral format.To your question about additional partners, as I have noted, the AUKUS defense ministers did agree yesterday to begin consultations with additional partners towards possible inclusion in Pillar II.  They’ll be talking to a range of highly capable partners who would be good fits for these projects, and I’ll leave those consultations to the defense ministers.MODERATOR:  Okay, we’ll go to Lisa in the front row.  QUESTION:  Thank you.  I’m Lisa with Nippon TV.  We’re based in Tokyo, Japan.  My question is I think President Biden mentioned about his concerns on U.S. steel deal publicly.  Would the proposal – would the proposed merger on Nippon TV &#8212; Nippon Steel and U.S. Steel also be one of the topics to be discussed in the meeting?MS RAPP-HOOPER:  What I can say is, of course, our President’s views on the subject are well known.  The President has made clear that he will always stand up for American workers, but he is equally strong in is conviction that he will always stand up for the U.S.-Japan alliance.  I’ll leave it at that.MODERATOR:  Okay, we’ll go here in the third row, black shirt.  QUESTION:  Thank you for this opportunity.  This is Ryo Aoyama from the Asahi Shimbun Japanese daily newspaper.  I have two questions.  Firstly, regarding the command and control between U.S. and Japan, Japan will establish a joint operational command by next year.  So as a counterpart of Japan’s J-JOC, what could be an ideal USFJ command structure in order to promote cooperation between U.S. and Japan?And separately, regarding the U.S.-Japan cooperation and U.S.-Japan-Philippines strategic cooperation, how much are you hopeful that countries can institutionalize cooperation and deliverables in spite of a potential presidential transition or change of government?  MS RAPP-HOOPER:  Thank you.  To your question about Japan’s standup of its Joint Operational Command, we will have more to say tomorrow about the United States approach towards modernizing its own approach to command and control in Japan.  However, I will note that it will take a bit of time for some of these details to be worked out, so tomorrow we’ll give some additional color on these questions, but we are prepared and fully expect to be working closely with the Government of Japan on the question of how best to match up with J-JOC for months to come.On the question of the U.S.-Philippines trilateral, we are absolutely hopeful about being able to institutionalize this cooperation.  As I mentioned, this trilateral track really began at the national security advisor’s level about nine months ago, but since that meeting, where our national security advisors crafted a joint program of work for us, there have been several additional meetings at other levels and in other formats to include our foreign ministers meeting trilaterally, Vice President Harris meeting with Prime Minister Kishida and President Marcos, and most recently Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell meeting with his Philippines and Japanese counterparts at the vice ministerial level.  So we believe strongly that this format will continue across a range of agencies and different levels and that the program of work that you see unveiled on Thursday will be a project for our three countries for many years to come.  MODERATOR:  In the front row, here.  QUESTION:  Thank you, Miranda.  Thank you, Ms. Hooper.  Bingru Wang with Hong Kong Phoenix TV.  So in terms of the trilateral cooperation, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said China opposes cobbling together exclusive groupings.  How do you want China to portray this summit?  Are you concerned a closer U.S.-Philippine military cooperation may trigger escalation in the South China Sea?  Thank you.  MS RAPP-HOOPER:  I’m not going to opine too much on China’s portrayal or sort of deign to project how Beijing will portray the summit.  What I will say is what we’ve said throughout the Biden administration, which is that the U.S.-Indo-Pacific Strategy and our groupings of alliances and partnerships are not about being against anyone or anything.  They’re about what we’re for and that’s very clear in our Indo-Pacific Strategy.  We make clear that we stand together for a free and open Indo-Pacific that is prosperous, resilient, and secure, and we welcome into that approach all comers who share in that vision.  The U.S.-Japan-Philippines Trilateral that you will see on Thursday is a perfect representation of three maritime democracies who are aligned in that vision, and we believe that the world will see that summit as such. MODERATOR:  Okay.  Let’s go here in the corner.  QUESTION:  Hi, thank you for this opportunity.  My name is Shincihi Akiyama for Mainichi Newspaper Japan.  I have two questions.  One is for Japan-U.S. security alliance.  As you mentioned, this summit will emphasize their – the merit and the need – necessity to bolster the cooperation, and there is ongoing discussion in the PACOM to establish a new joint task force.  What is the role of this joint task force in terms of the U.S.-Japan alliance?  And my second question is about the trilateral summit.  What role do you expect for the Japanese Self-Defense Forces to protect their stability in Southeast Asia – southeast – South China Sea?  Yes.MS RAPP-HOOPER:  Thank you very much.  As already indicated, we will have more to say tomorrow about our approach to a future alliance modernization; but as I’ve also already indicated, it’ll take some months to work through the details, so I think it’s premature to opine on any details related to any particular task forces.  This is a really important set of alliance modernization steps that the Secretary of Defense and our new INDOPACOM commander will be putting a lot of thought into along with the President.  And of course, the primary representation of this progress right now is, of course, Japan’s standup of J-JOC, so we’ll be working closely together to come up with the right fit there.  On the question of Japan and the South China Sea, we expect that our leaders will have a really fruitful conversation on what more we can do together by way of building our capacity building, our operational integration, and our work to support international law in the South China Sea, but of course, the ultimate contributions are up to the Government of Japan. MODERATOR:  And we’re going to go to the back a little bit.  Second row in the black dress, hand raised.  QUESTION:  Eunjung Cho with the Voice of America.  Earlier, Mr. John Kirby said that North Korea will be on the agenda in the summit between President Biden and Prime Minister Kishida.  Relatedly, Dr. Rapp-Hooper, you earlier said in March that the Biden administration is going to consider interim steps on the pathway to denuclearization.  Will interim steps involve nuclear freeze and capping of the number of missiles?  What is your response to skepticism from both in Washington and Seoul that interim step is a – something that has been tried and failed many times before?  My second question is that it’s been reported that the summit will discuss the hypersonic glide vehicle.  What can you preview us about the discussions regarding the missile defense against North Korean missile threat?  Thank you.  MS RAPP-HOOPER:  Thanks.  I’ll start first with the second part of your question, I think.  We have a long history of cooperation on ballistic missile defense, both with our Japanese friends and with our friends in the ROK.  I’m not expecting any sort of DPRK-specific announcements to come out tomorrow, but we are excited about continuing to further the progress that we make on regional defense – regional missile defense integration more broadly. On the question of the DPRK, I want to be clear that the comments you cited are totally consistent with the same policy that we have been articulating for the entirety of the Biden administration, and that is the fact that we remain open to talks with the DPRK without preconditions and on a wide range of topics.  As you know, we have reached out to the DPRK many times and have not had any response.  So the message that was articulated there is that we would like them to come to the table and tell us what they want to talk about, and we’ll be ready to talk.  The comment about interim steps is often being interpreted in a strict arms control sense of the definition of what interim steps might mean.  We are open to talking about a wide range of topics with the DPRK should they wish to talk to us about things that can make the Korean peninsula and the Indo-Pacific safer. MODERATOR:  Okay.  Back here, the &#8212;  QUESTION:  This is Sangmin.  I’m from Radio Free Asia.  Chinese Government announced that their highest official will visit North Korea this week.  I want to know how do you see this visit at this moment?  Why do you think the Chinese Government send their highest official to North Korea at this moment?  MS RAPP-HOOPER:  Thank you.  Again, I’m not going to interpret the particular signaling behind a specific visit.  I don’t pretend to know what exactly Beijing’s calculation is here.  What I will say though is part of what I’ve already articulated is that there are a number of areas in which we are concerned about North Korean actions and North Korean rhetoric.  That includes the fact that since the new year, Kim Jong-un has been using more threatening rhetoric about potential actions he might take in and around the peninsula.  We are also deeply concerned about growing DPRK-Russia cooperation, which has clear implications for Ukraine as well as for peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific.  So whatever the reason might be for the Chinese Government wanting to have a high-level touch now, we hope that they will raise these issues in the interest of making the region more peaceful and stable.MODERATOR:  Okay, we’ll go front row here, then there.QUESTION:  Hi, thanks for doing this.  I’m Wakako Hisaeda from NHK.  Regarding to the South China Sea, this will be a bit broader question, but do you see a link between the Second Thomas Shoal and stability in the Taiwan Strait?MS RAPP-HOOPER:  I’m sorry, could you repeat the last part of the question?  It was hard to hear you.  QUESTION:  Oh, so do you see the link between the Second Thomas Shoal and the stability in the Taiwan Strait?  MS RAPP-HOOPER:  I don’t think I’ll connect those two areas too directly except to say that, of course, the United States stands for peace and stability in all of maritime Asia and for a maritime Asia that is governed by international law.  Obviously, these are areas of concern on which we are keenly focused, but I won’t draw further connections between the two of them here.  MODERATOR:  Okay, right next to him. QUESTION:  Thank you so much, Senior Director.  Igor Naimushin, RIA News Agency, Russia.  So as Japan plays a really active role in supporting Western sanctions in Indo-Pacific, including price cap on Russian oil, import ban for Russian diamonds, and long list of export bans, are there any plans during the Japanese prime minister visit to discuss additional sanctions on Russia?  And are there any plans to discuss maybe potential transfer of Patriot systems to Ukraine via U.S.?  Thank you.MS RAPP-HOOPER:  Thank you.  I won’t get ahead of any private discussions that might take place between our leaders.MODERATOR:  Okay, right – let’s see – in the fourth row.  QUESTION:  Hi.  This is Tomoko Ashizuka of the Nikkei newspaper.  Thank you very much for doing this.  So the Biden administration has emphasized on the importance of alliances in Indo-Pacific region and in other parts of the world compared to the previous administration.  Just I’d like to know why you think that enhancing and expanding the alliance is critical for the interest of the United States and other countries.  Thank you.  MS RAPP-HOOPER:  Thank you.  I certainly tried to speak to this in my opening remarks, but happy to say a little bit more here.  I think as the United States laid out in President Biden’s Indo-Pacific Strategy that was published in February of 2022, we see cooperation with our alliances and partnerships and the expansion of those as critical, because by growing these relationships and improving our ability to work together, we can build what we term collective capacity in the Indo-Pacific.  And that is our ability to deliver on specific concrete results that further our shared objectives in that region.  So that’s why we put such an emphasis in that strategy on alignment with our alliances and partnerships.  And I’ll note that while of course on display this week you’ll see really strong and concrete cooperation between two of America’s closest and oldest allies in the Indo-Pacific, we feel that this approach to building collective capacity has had appeal with a far broader grouping of countries.  I think we need only look at the fact that the President paid a historic visit to Vietnam to upgrade to a comprehensive strategic partnership last September to appreciate that this rationale for building collective capacity towards common goals has a widespread appeal beyond just treaty partners.  So we’re very gratified that we continue to see steps forward not only with some of our closest allies with whom we know we share a vision, but with a wider range of partners who see some of themselves in that vision.MODERATOR:  Okay.  Did Josie have another question?  Yeah, we’ll go here.  QUESTION:  My next question is, as advisor in the White House, what do you think is the impact of this trilateral meeting for the people of the Philippines?  As you mentioned before, you mentioned about infrastructure, but how about in the lives of Filipinos?  Right now there is a high rate of poverty, unemployment in the Philippines, and most of these people are also affected by the tension in China.  MS RAPP-HOOPER:  Thanks.  I think I’ve opined already and shared a bit about the fact that infrastructure investments from the United States and Japan will make a difference in the lives of everyday people, but do want to be clear that beyond those areas, there’s a number of areas for cooperation which we’ll be discussing with President Marcos that also have the ability to deliver for the Philippines people.  Those include energy security, which of course is a very important focus for this government; they include digital connectivity to make sure that the people of the Philippines have access to reliable, trusted networks; and a number of other areas which, if we can more effectively hone our trilateral cooperation, will make the Philippines economy stronger and will affect the everyday lives of the Philippines people.  On top of that, of course, what we’ll be showing on Thursday is that amidst the tensions with the PRC in the South China Sea, the Philippines people, not just President Marcos, have the support of the United States and Japan.  So we think that between these very concrete deliverables, some of which have significant economic implications, and those statements and demonstration of resolve, this is indeed not just about three leaders but about all their people.MODERATOR:  Does anyone new – okay – have a question?  Yes, we’ll go in the back.QUESTION:  Hello.  I just wonder if Taiwan will be – oh, David Smith of the Guardian – just wonder if Taiwan will be on the agenda in the discussion between the President and prime minister tomorrow.  We’ve heard the President in the past say that if Taiwan was attacked, yes, the U.S. military would defend it.  Is it the expectation that Japan would join in that operation?  And finally, is the President concerned that if Congress fails to send more military aid to Ukraine, that sends a worrying signal about whether the U.S. really would help Taiwan?MS RAPP-HOOPER:  Thank you.  I think the United States and Japan have crafted a common position on Taiwan that’s very clear.  It has appeared in our last many leader statements, and I think you’ll see similar language over the course of this visit.  Our leaders often talk about the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, but I don’t have more to share for you than that at this point.  I do think that, of course, the President is very hopeful that Congress will pass the sup for a wide range of reasons, to include its important implications for Indo-Pacific security beyond security in Europe.MODERATOR:  And we’ll go back here, in the beige.QUESTION:  Hi.  Yuko Mukai from Japanese Yomiuri Shimbun.  Just follow-up question about Taiwan.  So you earlier mentioned that you don’t connect South China Sea and Taiwan too directly, but do we expect, like, in the trilateral meeting that the leaders will discuss about, like, Taiwan Strait issues, like in the context of, like, peace and stability?  And also, it’s my understanding that the reason, like, Japan finds this trilateral framework is more meaningful is because Japan is facing the same kind of pressure by China in the East China Sea.  Does East China Sea issues will be discussed by the leaders?MS RAPP-HOOPER:  Thanks.  Again, I’m not going to go into too much depth on private conversations amongst our leaders that haven’t happened yet.  What I will say, however, is that the United States is totally consistent in reaffirming the fact that our Mutual Defense Treaty and Article V apply to the Senkaku Islands.  You will see that position reaffirmed by the President in relevant language, as it always is.  I don’t have any further detail to share on the East China Sea at this time, but again, we often discuss the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, and we have a well-crafted series of common positions.MODERATOR:  Okay.  This is going to end the question-and-answer portion of the briefing, but I did want to give Dr. Rapp-Hooper a chance to say any concluding words.MS RAPP-HOOPER:  Thanks.  Really appreciate the strong and detailed set of questions today, and appreciate all the engagement from this great group of reporters.  Again, we think that what you’ll see on display this week is of course a series of visits that are very consequential in their own right, whether that’s with the Japan official visit with state dinner really serving as the capstone of three years of extraordinary alliance modernization between the U.S. and Japan; or the U.S.-Philippines-Japan trilat demonstrating that we continue to innovate our work with allies in the Indo-Pacific towards common cause and common goals.But overall, beyond just the symbolism and the significant deliverables that will come out of these two visits, I think we hope that what the world will take away, again, is the fact that investing in alliances and partnerships and working in close coordination with our key allies and partners has paid dividends and will reaffirm the fact that we will continue to do so under President Biden’s leadership, because the theory of the case for his Indo-Pacific strategy will never be more clear than it will be this week.MODERATOR:  Thank you so much.  This concludes our briefing.  I want to give another special thanks to our briefer for joining us here again, Senior Director Rapp-Hooper, and for sharing her time with us today.  I know it’s a busy week for everyone.  And to those of you who participated, you can find the transcripts and this briefing and more about our programs online later today at fpc.state.gov.  Thank you very much.MS RAPP-HOOPER:  Thanks.
- Second United States-Japan-Republic of Korea Trilateral Diplomatic Working Group Meeting on Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Cyber Activities Office of the SpokespersonOn March 29, the United States hosted the second meeting of the U.S.-Japan-Republic of Korea (ROK) Trilateral Diplomatic Working Group to counter cyber threats posed by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), following the first trilateral Working Group in Tokyo in December 2023.  Led by U.S. Deputy Special Representative for the DPRK Lyn Debevoise, Japanese Ambassador in charge of  Cyber Policy Kumagai Naoki, and ROK Ministry of Foreign Affairs Director General for North Korean Nuclear Affairs Lee Jun-il, the group reviewed the substantial progress made in deepening trilateral collaboration to disrupt the DPRK’s ability to generate revenue through malicious cyber activity and IT workers, which it uses to fund its unlawful WMD and ballistic missile programs.Through this working group, the United States, the ROK, and Japan will continue to coordinate on a wide range of trilateral actions, underscoring the historic cooperation agreed to at the Camp David Summit, to share information, disrupt DPRK IT worker networks, engage partners and private industry on the DPRK cyber threat, and develop trilateral capacity building assistance efforts.
- Ambassador-at-Large Rao Gupta Travels to Japan Office of the SpokespersonU.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues Dr. Geeta Rao Gupta will travel to Tokyo, Japan April 1-5, 2024, joined by member of the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Congressional Caucus Representative Sydney Kamlager-Dove.  This WPS Caucus trip is the first of its kind, bringing together leadership from the Department of State and the Congress to exchange WPS lessons learned and best practices with Japanese counterparts in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Japanese Diet.While in Tokyo, Ambassador Rao Gupta and Representative Kamlager-Dove, along with partners from the U.S. Department of Defense, will meet with Japanese government officials including Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa and Minister of State for Gender Equality Ayuko Kato; local officials such as the Governor of Tokyo Yuriko Koike; officials from the Ministry of Defense; members of parliament including Japan’s WPS Parliamentarians’ Diet Network; and members of civil society, academia, and the press to discuss the United States’ and Japan’s shared efforts to integrate WPS across society and government.  Through exchanges between the U.S. WPS Congressional Caucus and the Japanese WPS Diet Network—the only two such WPS Caucuses in the world—and leaders from the U.S. and Japanese governments, this trip will build a broader understanding of the critical role of national legal frameworks and collaboration between legislators and policymakers to advance the core tenets of the WPS agenda across the globe.For media inquiries, please contact stategwi@state.gov.
- Deputy Secretary Campbell’s Meeting with Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Okano and Philippine Undersecretary Lazaro Office of the SpokespersonThe below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller:Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell met with Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Okano Masataka and Philippine Undersecretary Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro today in Tokyo, Japan. Their meeting follows a series of senior-level engagements over the past year to deepen trilateral cooperation among the United States, Japan, and the Philippines.Deputy Secretary Campbell, Vice Foreign Minister Okano, and Undersecretary Lazaro reiterated their collective commitment to maintaining peace and security in the Indo-Pacific, including in the South China Sea and East China Sea. The Deputy Secretary and his counterparts also discussed trilateral cooperation in areas related to economic security and resilience; defense and security; the international law of the sea, including freedom of navigation; and growing people-to-people ties. The Deputy Secretary and his counterparts also discussed plans for a leader-level trilateral summit to be held in Washington, D.C., on April 11.
- Department Press Briefing – March 20, 2024 HomeDepartment Press Briefing – March 20, 2024				hide		if(window.jQuery) {		jQuery( document ).ready(function() {			if (jQuery(".bc_middle").hasClass("collapse")) {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});				jQuery(".bc_hide").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});			} else {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").hide();			}		});	}																										Department Press Briefing – March 20, 2024																																																					March 20, 2024																																																								12:34 p.m. EDTMR PATEL: Good afternoon, everybody. Happy Wednesday. I don’t have anything off the top today. Shaun, go ahead.QUESTION: Sure. I guess starting with Gaza.MR PATEL: Sure.QUESTION: NSM-20 – follow up on that. I mean, there’s – the clock is ticking for a Israeli response, and not just Israel but – can you say what extent now has Israel submitted a response? Has there been any correspondence with the department?MR PATEL: So as I said yesterday, I’m just not going to speak to the specifics of any singular country at this moment. This is a broad memorandum touching various different corners of the world. And to take a step back, since the signing of the national security memorandum on February 8th, partner countries deemed to be in active armed conflict have 45 days to share letters of assurances. And upon receipt of each of those, the United States will assess whether or not a partner country – whether those assurances are credible and reliable.And so that work is ongoing, and implementation of that national security memorandum is ongoing, as is the assessment of those assurances from partner countries. So I just – I don’t – I’m not going to get into more specifics. I know Camilla asked about this yesterday.QUESTION: Right. The Secretary, of course – it’s been announced he’s going to continue on to Israel this week. Do you expect this to be a – to be one of the issues that’s raised, I mean, this response on NSM-20?MR PATEL: Well, we expect him to talk a wide – about a wide range of issues. The Secretary, as you note, is headed to Israel at the end of this week. He’s going to discuss with the Government of Israel, its leadership, the ongoing negotiations to secure the release of hostages. He’s going to discuss the need to defeat Hamas, including in Rafah, in a way that we believe will hopefully protect civilian populations, does not hinder the delivery of humanitarian assistance, and advances Israel’s overall security.He’s also going to discuss the United States and international efforts to dramatically increase and sustain delivery of humanitarian assistance to civilians, who are suffering from a lack of adequate food supplies. That’s obviously been a immense priority for us. And he’s also going to update Israeli leaders on his talks in the earlier part of this week with Arab leaders to build a lasting peace and security for Israelis, Palestinians, and the broader region.QUESTION: Just one for me before I pass it on, but the – Rafah, how much do you figure of that will be in the discussions? I mean, there’s – there have been calls from the U.S. quite explicitly to hold off without a plan for civilians in Rafah. Do you expect the Secretary to speak in depth about Rafah with the Israeli leaders?MR PATEL: I don’t have a percentage or an assessment to offer, Shaun. But we have been very clear that we believe that in order to undertake any kind of operation in Rafah, it would require a serious and significant plan, one that addresses the varying and complex humanitarian challenges that are posed in the Rafah region, talking specifically about more than 1 million people who are seeking refuge in the area, it continuing to be an area that is a conduit for the flow of humanitarian aid.So I have no doubt it will be one of the things that will be discussed, but also, as a reminder, National Security Advisor Sullivan spoke to this earlier in this week. We expect a team from Israel to meet with members of the interagency in the United States to also discuss ways in which we believe that Hamas can be defeated, but done so in a targeted and more precise manner, and hopefully does not impact or have any negative impact on Palestinian civilians.Daphne, go ahead.QUESTION: Thank you. Netanyahu has said that he will soon approve a plan for the evacuation of Palestinian civilians from fighting areas after having green-lit the military’s operational plans for Rafah. Has the U.S. seen any of these plans yet?MR PATEL: I have not seen – I don’t have any plan to read out or to offer an assessment on. But let me be very clear, and this has come up a couple of times this week: There should be no full-scale military operation in Rafah without a credible and executable plan to protect the civilian population. Part of that also, and this has been a – something that the Secretary has made clear and reiterated in some remarks he gave in Tokyo last year, that we do not support the forced displacement of Palestinians in Gaza to outside of Gaza. That’s not something that we would support or condone.QUESTION: And sorry, just not looking for any assessment, but have you actually received these plans from Israel?MR PATEL: I’m not aware. I’m not aware of that.QUESTION: And I have a few more on Haiti, but if you have &#8212;MR PATEL: Yes.QUESTION: Still on Rafah for one second?MR PATEL: Sure. Yeah, go ahead.QUESTION: Will the Secretary be in the conversations next week with administration officials with the Israelis who are coming here to discuss Rafah?MR PATEL: I don’t have – one, I don’t have specific scheduling to offer on, like, when those conversations will take place. Two, I don’t have an exact delegation makeup both from the United States side or the Israeli side. But what I can say is that I have no doubt the State Department will be deeply engaged in those conversations. I do not believe that they will be happening at the Secretary’s level, but of course we are deeply engaged on this issue from across the department.QUESTION: And just on Rafah generally, you guys have repeatedly talked about the importance of protecting the civilian population there. And given the outreach to Israel to discuss this plan in more detail, is the administration in a position where you guys would be willing to provide resources to Israel to actually protect the civilian population if they’re going to go ahead with this operation? Or is the onus on Israel to do that with their own resources?MR PATEL: I don’t want to get ahead of the – these conversations, Kylie. As you know, over the course of – since October 7th, but even prior to that, we have a longstanding relationship with Israel in terms of provisions of security assistance and things like that. What we hope to happen through this conversation is for there to be a clear and direct engagement on how they are thinking about this and offer some insight into advice on how we would approach this situation were we in that position.And so I don’t want to get ahead of that conversation, and if in the course of that it is determined that our Israeli partners need X, Y, and Z, that is of course a conversation that we’ll continue to have.QUESTION: Can I follow up?MR PATEL: Can I – then I’ll go to you. Go ahead, Camilla. Still on Gaza, I assume?QUESTION: (Off-mike.)MR PATEL: No? Okay, then go ahead, Said.QUESTION: First, I wanted to ask about a colleague of mine in Gaza. He’s in fact the bureau chief of Gaza for our newspaper, and the editor-in-chief for the electronic version. His name is Mahmoud Abu Awad Abu Musab, but I’ll send you his name and his picture. He was taken by the Israelis on Sunday night, Sunday or Monday morning, and we lost his whereabouts. We don’t know anything about him. Then there was a picture published with him stripped naked along with other men and so on.So my point is: When will the United States demand and say that this cannot keep on going, where journalists that are credentialed, that have worked there for year after year, decade after decade, well-known to the Israelis – well-known to the Israelis – why do they keep taking them, targeting them, killing them, imprisoning them? With impunity? Why is that not outrageous to you?MR PATEL: Said, when we talk about continuing to press Israel to enhance its mechanisms to better protect civilians, we of course are also talking about extending that to journalists as well. We are always concerned for the safety of journalists, especially in conflict zones, especially in somewhere like Gaza, where journalism plays a critical role. And as Secretary Blinken has said, journalists – including many Palestinians in Gaza – are doing extraordinary work under the most dangerous conditions. And we’ve been unequivocal here. We also have been clear and reiterated the fact that Israel needs to abide by international humanitarian law, especially as it conducts these operations. And that’s something we’ll continue to reiterate with them.QUESTION: Yeah, well, honestly, Vedant, this slap-on-the-wrist kind of language is not going – in any way, shape, or form – to sway the Israelis, or to pressure them, or to make them do stuff. You should – everybody believes that a civilized country like the United States of America, who is basically the umbilical cord for Israel to do everything under the sun, can stand and say: This should not go on.MR PATEL: We &#8212;QUESTION: This should not go on. Not just “we urge them not to harm them” and so on because this is obviously a systematic – I mean, when you – when 150 – I don’t know how many, 150 journalists are killed &#8212;MR PATEL: Said &#8212;QUESTION: &#8212; and imprisoned and taken, and so on, this is not just something that happens.MR PATEL: It doesn’t sound like you have a follow-up question, so let me just jump in and say from the President on down, we have reiterated that Israel needs to – it has a moral and strategic imperative to do more, and to do everything it can to work on and bolster its deconfliction mechanisms, to take additional steps to protect civilians and minimize civilian casualties. And that, of course, includes and extends to journalists, who we believe are doing important and vital work in the region.QUESTION: A couple of things on Rafah. It has been assessed that it is impossible to evacuate Gazans from Rafah – there’s about a hundred – 1.4 million and so on. And it seems that the United States is having meetings next week, or the administration will be having meetings with Ron Dermer and Hanegbi to discuss Rafah. So if you are convinced, and that’s what we get, at least the suggestion is that it is really very difficult, very – it’s impossible – why cannot this be made, like, restatement or the standard U.S. position? The standard U.S. position that Rafah should not be invaded?MR PATEL: Said, it is our position that such an operation should not and cannot be conducted without a credible and serious plan, a plan that needs to account for and address the varying humanitarian factors in the Rafah region: firstly, the more than 1 million people seeking refuge in the area; two, it continuing to be an area that is a conduit for humanitarian aid. It is out of serious concern for these two factors that we have not been unambiguous about our concerns as it relates to an operation in Rafah, and we’ll continue to have these conversations with our Israeli partners.Anything else?QUESTION: After weeks – my last one – after weeks of this Rafah dilemma has been going on, is there a conceivable way to remove such a huge amount of people and move them safely, in your view or anybody’s view?MR PATEL: When we’re talking about dealing with the more than one million people who are seeking refuge in Rafah, Said, we’re certainly not being prescriptive about how to go about and do that. And when it comes to the movement of the Palestinian people, especially those residing in Gaza, we’ve been very clear that the forcible movement or the forcible removal of them is certainly not something that we would support. But beyond that, I don’t have – we’re not aiming to be prescriptive here, Said. We’re going to continue to have these conversations with our Israeli partners on what we believe can hopefully be a path forward that will help defeat Hamas, but also be mindful of these varying humanitarian factors.On Gaza? Go ahead.QUESTION: Thank you. So you said that you expect Israel to act in line with international law. And last month you announced publicly that you are assessing whether or not Israel is complying with the international law and you’re also assessing the use of U.S. weapons in Israel’s war. Have you come to any conclusion, and do you have any expectation of that, how long it might take to – for this investigation?MR PATEL: I don’t have any updates – I don’t have any updates to offer in that space. When we talk about that ongoing work, we’re talking about it in the context of how this kind of work is ongoing in all conflict areas where we’re assessing the circumstances and anecdotes on the ground, and we’re assessing what is happening. And of course there are a number of vectors and a number of lines of efforts within the State Department to assess those kinds of things. We’ve talked about a couple of them from up here: processes like the Leahy process, the – processes like CHIRG. And some of that work is just going to continue, and I don’t have any update to offer on that.QUESTION: Just one more on that. Yesterday, Human Rights Watch and Oxfam said that they submitted a memorandum to the U.S. Government regarding Israel’s violations of international law, and this includes the misuse of U.S. weapons and blocking the U.S-funded humanitarian aid. Have you (inaudible) – what is your assessment of this report? Because this includes like serious allegations like use of white phosphorous in Lebanon, in Gaza, and attacking ambulances, hospitals, and blocking the U.S. humanitarian aid. Do you have any response?MR PATEL: I’ve seen the open-source reporting of it as it relates to the report. I don’t have any specific assessment to offer on that, specifically as it relates to the national security memorandum and its linkage to that report. And just speaking to Shaun’s question, the implementation of the NSM is ongoing, and so I don’t have anything else to offer on that.Anything else on Gaza before – I want to make sure &#8212;QUESTION: One more Gaza one? Yeah.MR PATEL: I mean, we can do as many as you want. I just want to stay on topic.On Gaza – can I do Camilla first because she &#8212;QUESTION: Yeah, of course. Yeah.MR PATEL: Go ahead.QUESTION: Just following up on Said’s question.MR PATEL: Yeah.QUESTION: You and Matt have stood at the podium and you have confirmed that there are incidents that are raised with the Israelis every time something happens in Gaza that you guys want answers on. Every time a journalist is subjected to inhumane treatment or there’s evidence of that, or a journalist is killed in Gaza, is this treated the same way where you go to the Israelis and you ask them what has happened? And is there a list of journalists that you guys have asked about, especially ones that are colleagues of ours in Gaza who are working with us on this story every day? And have you had any response from the Israelis on any individual case in regards to Gaza?MR PATEL: There are – there certainly are. There certainly are specific incidents, especially as it relates to journalists, in which we have asked our partners in the Government of Israel for more information.QUESTION: Have they given any &#8212;MR PATEL: And in instances we have gotten more information on the specifics to those circumstances or things of that nature. I’m not at liberty to speak to some of those given privacy concerns, but this is something that we raise, and we raise it as – at the seriousness that we raise others issues that we have concerns about and we’re seeking more information on.QUESTION: And would this be – for Said’s colleague, would this be a case in which you would raise it with the Israelis?MR PATEL: I’m not aware of the specifics around this case. I’m happy to check, but I don’t want to speak to something in that specificity that – when I don’t have information in front of me.QUESTION: Just for the record, if this were a CBS colleague in Gaza, we would be expecting that to be something that would make the list of things to be raised with the Israelis. And then I can turn to Haiti after Gaza.MR PATEL: Kylie.QUESTION: With regard to the ongoing operation on the largest hospital complex in Gaza, obviously it was the same location where the Israelis carried out another operation in November. So I just wonder, if they’re having to go back again, if there are concerns about the efficacy of their operations as they continue to go after what they say are terrorists in this hospital?MR PATEL: So I will let the Israelis speak to their own operation and how they’re conducting it as well as any assessment that they have made that would make – that goes into their reasoning for why they’re deciding to conduct such an operation. What I will just say is that there continues to be plenty of open-source reporting out there of Hamas using civilian institutions – like hospitals, like schools – as command and control nodes, as areas in which hostages are being held, as areas that lead into their tunnel networks. So that is not something that is surprising to us. There is a clear track record of that. But as it relates to this specific – this specific operation, I’ll defer to the – to our Israeli partners.QUESTION: Just one more on Gaza?MR PATEL: Yeah, go ahead.QUESTION: Realizing, of course, it relates to another country’s policies &#8212;MR PATEL: Yeah.QUESTION: &#8212; but do you have any comment on Canada saying they’re going to stop arms shipments to Israel?MR PATEL: That’s for our Canadian partners to speak to, and it’s a sovereign decision of theirs to make. The United States has been clear – you saw the President speak to this not too long ago – we continue to support Israel’s right to defend itself and have been clear that we must do so while also being very clear the moral and strategic imperative our partners in Israel have to protecting the lives of civilians. And our position hasn’t changed.QUESTION: And has there been discussion with the Canadians on this, on &#8212;MR PATEL: I – we talk to our Canadian partners all the time. I’m not aware of a specific conversation to read out though.On Gaza, Daphne?QUESTION: Haiti.MR PATEL: I want to make sure there’s – I think folks still have questions on Gaza, but then I will – we’ll have time to talk Haiti.Michel, go ahead.QUESTION: I have this and – maritime corridor, when will it be ready?MR PATEL: So that is something that we’re continuing to work on around the clock. Since the beginning of this conflict we have been leading efforts to get lifesaving humanitarian aid into Gaza to alleviate the suffering. You saw at State of the Union the President announced this undertaking that he has directed the U.S. military to establish, and so that work is happening. I don’t have any other details to offer. But on the construction or any updates on the pier itself – the temporary pier itself, rather – I’m sure my Department of Defense colleagues would be happy to speak to that.QUESTION: And on Secretary’s trip to the region &#8212;MR PATEL: Yeah.QUESTION: &#8212; will he be meeting Arab foreign ministers in Cairo tomorrow other than the Egyptian foreign minister?MR PATEL: I don’t want to get too much ahead of the Secretary’s schedule and will let his visit to the specific countries play out, but we fully expect him to engage with Arab leaders while he’s in the region.On Gaza, Nick? Okay. All right, anything else on Gaza? Okay. Camilla has been patiently waiting for Haiti. So go ahead – or Daphne, whoever wants to go.QUESTION: Thank you.MR PATEL: Yeah.QUESTION: Do you have any updates on Americans trying to leave Haiti? Are there any more U.S.-organized flights planned?MR PATEL: So as of March 20th, the U.S. Government is facilitating the safe departure of U.S. citizens from Port-au-Prince, Haiti. We are in the process of organizing government-chartered helicopter flights from Port-au-Prince to Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, where U.S. Government personnel are present to provide consular assistance. And from Santo Domingo, American citizens will be responsible for their own onward travel to the United States.I assume your next question is going to be is – will there be more of these, and that is going to depend on the demand, the situations on the ground, the reliability of commercial transportation. Our hope is to keep these options available for American citizens who need it, and the feasibility and the assessment of that work is going to be ongoing.QUESTION: And how many Americans are on the flights today?MR PATEL: So I – for operational security reasons, and they’re ongoing, I don’t want to speak with greater specificity. But we do expect these helicopter movements to make multiple trips in order to try and get as many American citizens as we can today, while also continuing to look at what options might be available and how – what options might be available for reoccurring movements in the days ahead and even beyond.QUESTION: Okay. And then just on that transition council, any update on its formation? And are you concerned by how long this is taking?MR PATEL: Well, certainly every day counts, and our hope is that conversations are continuing with the membership of the transitional presidential council. We understand that Haitian stakeholders are very closely finalizing membership and remain in active discussions with CARICOM. And we think that this needs to happen swiftly because it is clear to us that this Haitian-led process is key for paving the way for free and fair elections, as well as the deployment of the Multinational Security Support Mission as well.Anything else on Haiti? Yeah, go ahead, Camilla.QUESTION: Just on the helicopters.MR PATEL: YeahQUESTION: Granted that it’s a – sensitive security wise, but are you able to comment at all on, like, concerns around helicopters taking off from Port-au-Prince and back – going that particular route from the capital where there’s &#8212;MR PATEL: So let me just say broadly first, and you’ve heard me say this before, Haiti is a Level 4 Do Not Travels country. It’s been so since 2020. The violence on the ground in Port-au-Prince has been dire. The security situation is certainly one of high risk. But I will also just say that we would not conduct such an operation if we did not feel that it was safe to do so and that we did not have the expertise to conduct something like this. So I will just leave it at that given security concerns.And of course the situation on the ground is one of the biggest factors into determining the frequency at which we can do this and what other options might be available to American citizens, including potential commercial options.QUESTION: And can you give any update on numbers of Americans interested in getting assistance or departure &#8212;MR PATEL: So again, when – remember, when we’re talking about the crisis intake form, we’re talking about a wide population of American citizens. Some are interested in exploring departure options. Some just want to stay in touch with the United States of America or the embassy. Some want expertise advice on how they may be able to remain safe, and others may not be in a place for safe departure now but may be down the line. So it’s important we talk about this population in the broad sense that it is, but our – the number of Americans who have reached out to us through this form is approaching 1,600.QUESTION: Can I just ask a clarifying question on the &#8212;MR PATEL: Yeah.QUESTION: How we can discuss the movements given that they’re ongoing? So we can say that they’re ongoing today and then the department is exploring options for continuing them as soon as tomorrow? Is that accurate?MR PATEL: The – we are exploring what options are possible for continuing them. And should the circumstances be proper, it’s very likely that they will continue. But again, I want to take this one day at a time given the very fluid situation on the ground.QUESTION: One more clarification &#8212;MR PATEL: Yeah, yeah. Go ahead, Nick.QUESTION: Because you said we are in the process of organizing government-chartered helicopter flights. Have they already started or are they starting later today, or &#8212;MR PATEL: That is what I am intentionally being vague about given operational security. So hopefully we’ll have more for you later today, but again, this is – the safety and security of American citizens is – we have no higher priority than that, and so wanted to make sure that you all had clarity on what we were doing while also maintaining the security for this operation to be conducted.Anything else on Haiti before we close out? Okay, Alex, go ahead.QUESTION: Thank you, Vedant. A couple of separate topics. On Ukraine, a UN human rights report says that Russia is using fear to control occupied territories. Can I get a reaction?MR PATEL: Look, Alex, I have not seen that specific report, but it should be no surprise to anybody that the Russian Federation is using – partaking in repressive tactics to silence the voice of dissenters, to silence the voices of opposition. And again, when it comes to these territories, let me just be unequivocally clear: They are Ukraine, and we’ll continue to support our Ukrainian partners as they continue to defend and fight for their territorial integrity and sovereignty.QUESTION: Polish foreign minister today was quoted as saying that success in Ukraine against Russian occupation is a question of U.S. credibility. Do you agree with that assessment that U.S. credibility is at stake here?MR PATEL: I would – I think that when it comes to our credibility, you needn’t look any further than the immense support that the United States and its allies and partners have provided to our Ukrainian partners since February of 2022, and that work is going to continue and we’re going to continue to do so in close coordination with our allies and partners. It is because – of course, the courageousness and the heroism of the Ukrainian people, but also the convergence with our partners in Europe and others around the country that we have been able to continue to support Ukraine in the way that we have and it has been able to defend itself so fiercely.QUESTION: And I have a couple more on human rights, if I may. There were expectations that annual Human Rights Reports will be released either during or before democracy summit. Is there any reason for a delay?MR PATEL: I don’t have any scheduling items to offer. I have no doubt that we will share the Human Rights Report with you all at some point soon.QUESTION: And broadly speaking, I’ve seen this morning the White House’s fact sheet on the democracy summit. Why do you think it was a successful summit? There are reports out there that it was a low-key – outcome was not really comparable with the previous year. Is it a successful summit this year?MR PATEL: We certainly would say it was a successful summit, and I know that the Secretary really appreciated the opportunity to be there and appreciated the Republic of Korea for hosting. The – I will also add that, outside of the Secretary, there continue to be or have been senior officials in Korea continuing to participate in this summit, folks like Under Secretary Zeya. The Secretary, as you saw, Alex – I spoke a little bit about this earlier this week – had the opportunity to give a set of remarks on information integrity, which we think is one of the most critical aspects at the nexus of democracy when we’re talking about it, and I’m sure we’ll have more to share on this space going forward.QUESTION: (Off-mike.)MR PATEL: Go ahead – I’m going to work the room a little bit, Alex. Go ahead. Yeah.QUESTION: Thank you very much. La Repubblica today reported that Secretary Blinken blocked the release of a G7 statement condemning the presidential election in Russia. Can you confirm that? Can you explain the decision?MR PATEL: I have not seen that report and I don’t believe it to be true, and we have taken a number of steps in close coordination with our G7 partners as well as independently to hold the Russian Federation to account for its actions and its infringement on Ukrainian territorial integrity and sovereignty.QUESTION: And one more: On Monday, U.S. Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said that the United States stands ready to engage in bilateral arms control talks with China and Russia without any preconditions. Do you know if Washington has put forward any propositions to Moscow or Beijing?MR PATEL: I’m not aware of any meetings or engagements to read out, but I’m happy to check.Go ahead. Yeah, you. Yes. Yes.QUESTION: So recently Prime Minister Modi has visited the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, and as a reaction, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin has said that China “strongly deplores and firmly opposes” the Indian leader’s visit to east section of China-India boundary. I want to get your comment on that.And secondly, China’s encroachments into other lands have – it seems like have encroachments happening within the Indo-Pacific as well, particularly in places like Solomon Islands, and now we’re seeing all over Micronesia. It seems like the folks on the ground are demanding for a counter to China’s encroachments into their sovereign territories. Can I also get your comment on that as well?MR PATEL: So let me take your first question. The United States recognizes Arunachal Pradesh as Indian territory and we strongly oppose any unilateral attempts to advance territorial claims by incursions or encroachments, military or civilian, across the Line of Actual Control.I think I’m going to need you to repeat your second – your follow-up.QUESTION: So, very simply, Chinese encroachments into the Indo-Pacific has been very visible, especially in the past few months, and many folks within the Solomon Islands to Fiji all the way to places within the Micronesia have been demanding for a counter to the spread of Chinese influence in their area. A lot of them are also wondering what the U.S.’s position is on this.MR PATEL: Sure.QUESTION: And so what – can I get your comment please?MR PATEL: Yeah. So when we talk about the Indo-Pacific, you have to remember we’re talking about a significant portion of the world’s population. We’re talking about one of the fastest growing economies, and I can’t think of a more important place where we want to make sure that the rules-based international order, the UN Charter, all of those things are being respected and abided by, and that’s been one of our tenets of our engagements in the region. The Secretary was just there in Seoul for this Summit for Democracy in the Republic of Korea, where he had the opportunity to meet with not just his foreign minister counterparts but also President Yoon.And over the course of this administration, there’s a number of steps that we’ve taken to bolster our engagement in the Indo-Pacific region. I’d remind you that just last year President Biden hosted the first trilateral summit at Camp David with our Japanese counterparts and our ROK counterparts. We have upped our engagement in the Quad. Secretary Blinken has had the opportunity to engage with his Quad counterparts a number of times since just when I’ve been on this job, but even more when you look at since the beginning of this administration. So it’s going to – something that we’re going to continue to emphasize and play a focus on.Go ahead in the back. Yeah.QUESTION: Thank you so much. Yesterday, two U.S. retired generals – General Milley and McKenzie – testified at Congress about Afghanistan, and they said that they wanted 2,500 American troops in Afghanistan but the final decision was made by the President Biden and also State Department. And also I talked to some lawmakers, including Michael Waltz – they blamed President Biden and the State Department that made the final decision and the outcome was what we have seen in Afghanistan. So I would like to know what is the State Department’s reaction on that, and then if I may, I have another question too.MR PATEL: Okay. So I think it’s really important that we zoom out and widen the aperture to remember what it is that we’re exactly talking about, and we’re talking about the 20-year end of a complex war, America’s longest war. Thousands of troops were killed, many more thousands physically or mentally harmed, and we honor their service and mourn their losses and injuries with their families and loved ones. You have to remember that President Biden made the decision to end this war and has repeatedly said it was the right thing to do, and today our nation is stronger as a result.And as part of the robust, intense interagency process to end America’s longest war, the decision was made to keep an embassy and diplomatic presence in Kabul following the withdrawal of U.S. combatant troops. The embassy maintained an active emergency action committee planning process that convened repeatedly in 2021 to assess the situation on the ground. As many of you in this room so well know, embassies all around the world where we have diplomats maintain an EAC process, and a noncombatant evacuation operation was one of the tools available to an embassy, and Embassy Kabul was well versed in NEO planning. It had a plan and the generals testified to the existence of this plan yesterday. This is an entity that coordinated and met regularly. This kind of contingency and feasibility planning happens around the world.It’s also well documented that the U.S. did not want to publicly announce planning for or the start of a NEO so as to not weaken the position of the then Afghan government, potentially signaling a potential lack of faith. Again, our intention at the time was to keep open and operating Embassy Kabul, but by the summer of 2021, there was a task force stood up prepared to execute a NEO if and when it was called for.It’s also worth reminding and repeating that it was the previous administration that negotiated the Doha agreement with no subsequent plan for evacuating U.S. citizens or our Afghan allies and their families, and it was up to this administration, including from the garbled transition period, to do that. And in collaboration with our military colleagues, as the NEO was intended, we achieved the largest and most successful air lift in history, nearly 124,000 people on planes out of the country due to the Taliban’s overrunning of the city and the collapsing of the Afghan government.This occurred in a very fluid and dynamic and dangerous environment at the Kabul airport and included the death of 13 military colleagues of ours, hundreds of civilians, and injuries to many others, and those losses are tragic. Within weeks of the collapse of the Afghan government, the U.S. began relocation flights by continuing to protect Americans in harm’s way, as well as standing by our Afghan allies and their families.I’ll also note – and I know so many in this room are well aware of it – that Secretary Blinken also called for an after-action review to learn the important lessons and to fortify processes in how we respond to unexpected crises around the world and how we support American citizens and foreign nationals and others engaging with our diplomatic missions. This whole week I’ve been taking questions on places like Haiti, Sudan, Ukraine, Israel, Gaza – these are all places in which – where we have taken lessons from this after-action report and implemented them to further improve in the areas of communication, resources, preparedness, and that work will continue. We’re going to work to better inform our response in times of crisis, and we’ve already taken more than 40 concrete actions and identified additional steps to guide itself.We’re also going to continue to comply with the House and Senate Foreign Affairs Committee’s legitimate oversight of the Afghanistan war, building on the dozens of witness and hundreds and hundreds of hours of testimony, and the tens of thousands of pages of documents that we have already made available and will continue to make available.QUESTION: Yeah, thank you. So you talked about this previously as well. But I’m – so the Taliban announced reopening the schools for – only for boys again – a long story. So girls cannot go to school. I know – I’m aware that you have talked about this before. But my specific question for today is that: Is United States leverage declining over Taliban? If not, which kind of leverage is left to use in terms of convincing the Taliban to allow girls to go to school?MR PATEL: We continue to have a number of tools in our toolbelt at our disposal, and we have been clear that girls should have never been blocked from going to school in the first place. Advancing respect for the rights of Afghan women and girls is critical to U.S. efforts in Afghanistan.Shaun, I saw that you had your hand up.QUESTION: Sure, sure.MR PATEL: Then I’ll come back to you, Leah. I’m sorry.QUESTION: I’ll just (inaudible) very quickly, a few different topics.MR PATEL: Yeah.QUESTION: Indonesia. I saw there’s a statement from the Secretary this morning, but on Prabowo’s victory in the presidential race, of course it wasn’t so long ago that he wasn’t welcome in the United States due to human rights concerns. Are those going to figure into the relationship, do you think, with Indonesia, as he takes office?MR PATEL: So we extend our sincerest congratulation to the Indonesian president-elect, and we applaud, once again, the Indonesian people for the robust turnout and commitment to democracy and the rule of law. As close partners and friends under our comprehensive strategic partnership, we’re going to work hand in hand to better deliver for the future of our citizens, and we look forward to continuing to engage on that and partnering with the president-elect and his administration when they take office in October.QUESTION: Okay, and the rights concerns are not –MR PATEL: The is – look, just to take a bit of a step back, in any bilateral relationship that we have in countries around the world, we – when we have concerns about human rights or violations of other kinds, we raise those, and we raise those directly and candidly. And we’ll continue to do that when appropriate.QUESTION: Sure. I know also – a separate topic – I know probably from the podium you don’t want to engage too, too directly in campaign politics. But also regarding the previous administration, former President Trump has denounced the Australian ambassador here in the U.S., Kevin Rudd, saying that he should be – I think his term was, he’s not the brightest bulb or something. Is – does the U.S. have anything to say about that, and whether – about the relationship with Kevin Rudd (inaudible)?MR PATEL: Well, one of your colleagues just asked about the Indo-Pacific, and I would say that Australia is one of our most vital partners, not just when it comes to the Indo-Pacific but when we think about the world broadly. It is a country in which we share a number of likeminded points of view, and who also have done immense work to support our Ukrainian partners. And we’re going to continue to work closely and cooperate with them. I know Prime Minister Rudd, Ambassador Rudd, has been an important partner here in D.C. as ambassador, and I know folks around this building have enjoyed working with him and will continue to do so.QUESTION: Sure. Just &#8212;MR PATEL: Yeah.QUESTION: Completely different part of the world. A follow-up to the question I asked yesterday on Serbia-Kosovo. Do you by chance have anything more to say about that – basically whether there’s an agreement arranged by U.S. for euros rather than Serbian dinars to and from Serbia?MR PATEL: I don’t have any updates on the processes, Shaun, other than the concerns that we raised yesterday. And we’re going to continue to work through the EU-facilitated dialogue, and we’ll let the process go from there.Leah, go ahead.QUESTION: Thanks.MR PATEL: Yeah.QUESTION: Back to the Indo-Pacific.MR PATEL: Yeah.QUESTION: So on Monday the White House announced that President Biden will host the first trilateral U.S.-Japan-Philippines leaders summit on April 11th. Especially given China’s continued provocations in the South China Sea, could you talk a little bit about what the significance of this meeting will be and what signal it’s intended to send?MR PATEL: So you – this is happening on the margins of Prime Minister Kishida’s visit to the United States for his state visit, but the Secretary spent a lot of time talking about this in his trip to Manila. And part of it is when we talk about our approach to the Indo-Pacific, a big key piece of that is coordinating closely with our allies and investing in those allies and partnerships. And when it comes to Japan and the Philippines, they are some of our most key, integral, and vital partners in a number of areas – in addressing the climate crisis, security cooperation, economic cooperation, trade, and a number of other spaces. And we look forward to talking about and discussing a number of these issues, both bilaterally with them but also through this trilateral mechanism as well.Go ahead.QUESTION: Thank you. Today Mr. Donald Lu was appear in congressional committee, and a congressman asked a question about the release of Dr. Shakil Afridi, who helped CIA to kill Osama bin Laden. He was asking that – if Pakistan is going to swap Dr. Afridi with Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, who’s in the American jails. He couldn’t complete his answer because there were, like, many questions the congressmen were asking. So I’m – could you tell us that – is there any plan to swap Dr. Aafia Siddiqui with Dr. Shakil Afridi?MR PATEL: So I don’t have any updates as it relates to that. I didn’t catch that part of the hearing. But you have to remember that one of the – this department’s most important priorities is engaging with Congress on our foreign policy. This was a routine hearing, and Assistant Secretary Lu’s testimony provided insight on the U.S.-Pakistan bilateral relationship as a whole and a number of areas where we are hoping to deepen our collaboration. And I believe we – he spent a little bit of time talking about the U.S.-Pakistan Green Alliance framework, also bolstering respect for human rights. And so we’ll look forward to continuing to engage in these kinds of hearings.Okay. Thanks, everybody.(The briefing was concluded at 1:16 p.m.)# # #						Tags																					Afghanistan																								Australia																								China																								Haiti																								India																								Indonesia																								Israel																								Japan																								Kosovo																								Office of the Spokesperson																								Pakistan																								Palestinian Territories																								Philippines																								Russia																								Serbia																								Ukraine