# Europe and Eurasia – United States Department of State

- Assistant Secretary Geoffrey R. Pyatt’s Travel to Germany and Angola Office of the SpokespersonOn June 10, 2024, Assistant Secretary for Energy Resources Geoffrey R. Pyatt will travel to Berlin, Germany for the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC). On June 12, he will travel to Luanda, Angola for the third U.S.-Angola Energy Security Dialogue (ESD), a deliverable from President Biden’s meeting with Angolan President Lourenco in the Oval Office last year.In Berlin, Assistant Secretary Pyatt will join Under Secretary Jose W. Fernandez on the U.S. delegation led by Special Representative for Ukraine’s Economic Recovery Penny Pritzker. He will convene, with URC hosts, a G7+ Ukraine energy coordination group meeting and hold bilateral discussions with private sector and government partners focused on marshalling emergency assistance for Ukraine’s energy sector following Russia&#8217;s escalation of attacks beginning March 22. Alongside Ukrainian and other international partners, Assistant Secretary Pyatt will also join a panel on Ukraine’s new national energy and climate plan and support American companies looking to develop Ukraine opportunities.On June 13, Assistant Secretary Pyatt will travel to Luanda and open the ESD with Minister of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas, Angola Diamantino Pedro Azevedo and Minister for Energy and Water João Baptista Borges, the heads of the Angolan delegation. Their conversations will cover Angola’s energy security, energy transition, and decarbonization goals, including critical minerals, and supporting Angola’s ambitions for increased energy access and power generation.This dialogue reflects the United States’ and Angola’s deep historical cooperation on energy issues, bolstered by $900 million in U.S. clean energy investment finalized at the U.S.-Africa Business Summit in Dallas, Texas, and builds on high-level travel to Angola by Secretary Antony Blinken, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, USAID Administrator Samantha Power, Deputy Secretary of State Richard Verma, and EXIM Chair Reta Jo Lewis.For further media information, please contact ENR-PD-Clearances@state.gov.
- The United States and Poland Announce New Ukraine Communications Group Office of the SpokespersonToday, the United States and Poland jointly launched a new Ukraine Communications Group (UCG) based in Warsaw to support Ukraine against Russia&#8217;s aggression in the information space. The UCG will bring together like-minded partner governments to coordinate messaging, promote accurate reporting of Russia’s full-scale invasion, amplify Ukrainian voices, and expose Kremlin information manipulation.Representatives from participating countries will begin collaborating in person to support Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity through collaborative efforts to counter disinformation and support fact-based reporting.  The Kremlin repeatedly uses lies and manipulation to peddle false pretexts for its unjustifiable invasion, obfuscate its war aims, and attempt to fracture worldwide solidarity with the Ukrainian people.  The UCG is designed to counter these deceptive narratives and reinforce honest coverage of Ukraine’s resilience and bravery in the face of Russia’s aggression.The United States, in partnership with the broad coalition of countries supporting Ukraine, has worked to expose purveyors of Kremlin disinformation since before the full-scale invasion.  The UCG is an extension of these efforts and offers another tool for like-minded countries to support Ukraine and protect the integrity of the global information space.For additional information and UCG media inquiries, please contact the Global Engagement Center at GECMediaContacts@state.gov.
- The United States and Poland Sign Memorandum of Understanding to Counter Foreign State Information Manipulation Office of the SpokespersonToday, U.S. Special Envoy and Coordinator for the Global Engagement Center James P. Rubin and Polish Foreign Minister&#8217;s Plenipotentiary for Countering International Disinformation Tomasz Chłoń signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to strengthen cooperation between the United States and Poland on countering foreign state information manipulation.This MOU signifies the sense of urgency both the United States and Poland place on increasing efforts to jointly counter foreign disinformation and propaganda by strengthening government and societal resiliency to its effects. Through this MOU, the United States and Poland intend to enhance information sharing on the threat posed by foreign information manipulation, expand capacity for counter-disinformation programming, and align government policies along the five key action areas established in the U.S. Department of State’s Framework to Counter Foreign State Information Manipulation.The United States, Poland, and the additional seventeen countries across Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America that have endorsed this framework will work together to advance our shared commitment to combatting harmful information manipulation by foreign actors.
- Special Representative for Ukraine’s Economic Recovery Pritzker’s Travel to Germany Office of the SpokespersonSpecial Representative for Ukraine’s Economic Recovery Penny Pritzker will travel to Berlin, Germany to serve as Head of Delegation to the Ukraine Recovery Conference June 11 &#8211; 12. In Berlin, Special Representative Pritzker will also represent the United States as Co-Chair in the Multi-agency Donor Coordination Platform (MDCP), launch the Business Advisory Council, and meet with Ukrainian government officials, allies, private sector representatives and civil society to discuss Ukraine’s economic recovery. The conference will seek to mobilize continued international support for the recovery, reconstruction, reform, and modernization of Ukraine.Special Representative for Ukraine’s Economic Recovery Penny Pritzker will be joined by:Jose W. Fernandez, Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the EnvironmentGeoffrey R. Pyatt, Assistant Secretary Bureau of Energy Resources
- United States to Chair Community of Democracies’ 38th Governing Council Meeting Office of the SpokespersonOn June 11, the United States will chair the Community of Democracies’ (CoD) 38th Governing Council Meeting in Warsaw, Poland.  Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary (DAS) for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Allison Peters will lead the U.S. delegation and will underscore the United States’ commitment to and continued collaboration with CoD member states on democracy and human rights priority issues, including a more open and resilient information environment, free and fair elections, defending civic space and freedom of association, and the meaningful inclusion of youth in civic and political processes.  On June 10, she will join Guatemala’s Vice Foreign Minister Mónica Renata Bolaños Pérez for a side event focused on the advancement of Women in Politics.During a reception hosted by the Government of Poland, Acting DAS Peters will recognize the forthcoming departure of Thomas Garrett, Secretary General of the CoD, who has provided steadfast leadership to the Community for the past seven years.  Following the third Summit for Democracy in March 2024, she will also look ahead to the celebration of the Community’s 25th anniversary in June 2025 and call upon all members to continue advancing relevant Summit commitments and the Warsaw Declaration to promote and protect democratic principles, bolstering our democracies and respect for human rights at home and abroad.  She will reaffirm the U.S. commitment to work closely with CoD co-founder Poland to lead the CoD into its next chapter.For further information, please follow the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor on X and Facebook at @StateDRL, or email DRL-Press@state.gov.
- Assistant Secretary O’Brien’s Travel to Armenia Office of the Spokesperson													HomeOffice of the SpokespersonPress Releases&#8230;Assistant Secretary O’Brien’s Travel to Armenia				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();			}		});	}																										Assistant Secretary O’Brien’s Travel to Armenia																																		Media Note																														June 7, 2024																																							Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs James C. O’Brien will travel to Yerevan, Armenia June 10-12, 2024.  Assistant Secretary O’Brien will lead the U.S.-Armenia Strategic Dialogue Capstone meeting to review the significant progress made in deepening bilateral relations and discuss next steps.  Assistant Secretary O’Brien will meet with senior government officials to discuss U.S. support for progress on a durable and dignified peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, including the use of the Alma Ata declaration as a basis for border delimitation.  Assistant Secretary O’Brien will also meet with members of the business community and will engage civil society.						Tags																					Armenia																								Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs																								Office of the Spokesperson																																Official International Travel
- Coordinator on Global Anti-Corruption Nephew’s Travel to Austria, Slovakia, and Bulgaria Office of the SpokespersonCoordinator on Global Anti-Corruption Richard Nephew will travel to Austria, Slovakia, and Bulgaria June 10-14.In Vienna, Austria on June 10-12, Coordinator Nephew will preside at the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) 15th Session of the Implementation Review Group and a joint session of the Asset Recovery Working Group and International Cooperation Working Group.  The sessions will be the first technical working groups under the U.S. Presidency of the UNCAC Conference of the States Parties and will discuss progress in reviewing countries in their implementation of the UNCAC.  He will also meet with the UNODC, other member states, and civil society.Coordinator Nephew will then meet with government officials, civil society organizations, and private sector representatives in Bratislava, Slovakia on June 13.   He will discuss ongoing anti-corruption efforts and explore opportunities for further cooperation and collaboration.On June 14, in Sofia, Bulgaria, Coordinator Nephew will deliver keynote remarks at a Basel Institute panel discussion on the Blue Dot Network as a framework for improving public procurement practices.  He will also meet with private sector representatives, government officials, and civil society organizations to discuss their efforts to engage the private sector to strengthen the rule of law.Follow @StateCGAC on Twitter to learn more.
- Secretary Blinken’s Travel to France, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Qatar, and Italy Matthew Miller, Department SpokespersonSecretary of State Antony J. Blinken will travel to Egypt, Israel, Jordan, and Qatar from June 10-12, 2024.  The Secretary will discuss with partners the need to reach a ceasefire agreement that secures the release of all hostages.  He will emphasize the importance of Hamas accepting the proposal on the table, which is nearly identical to one Hamas endorsed last month.  The Secretary will discuss how the ceasefire proposal would benefit both Israelis and Palestinians.  He will underscore that it would alleviate suffering in Gaza, enable a massive surge in humanitarian assistance, and allow Palestinians to return to their neighborhoods.  It would unlock the possibility of achieving calm along Israel’s northern border – so both displaced Israeli and Lebanese families can return to their homes –and set the conditions for further integration between Israel and its Arab neighbors, strengthening Israel’s long-term security and improving stability across the region.  The Secretary will also continue to reiterate the need to prevent the conflict from escalating further.In Jordan, the Secretary will attend a conference on the urgent humanitarian response to Gaza, co-hosted by Jordan, Egypt, and the United Nations.In advance of the Secretary’s travel to the Middle East, he is accompanying President Biden on his trip to Normandy and Paris, France to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day and participate in his State Visit from June 5-9.  The Secretary will also accompany President Biden in Apulia, Italy from June 13-14 for the G7 Leaders’ Summit.
- Joint Statement from the Governments of the United States of America and Germany at the Inaugural U.S.—Germany Space Dialogue Office of the SpokespersonThe text of the following statement was released by the Governments of the United States of America and Germany at the inaugural U.S.-Germany Space Dialogue.Begin Text:Pursuant to their shared goal of advancing bilateral space cooperation as declared by their leaders, the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany held their first bilateral Space Dialogue in Berlin, Germany on June 3-4, 2024. The U.S.-Germany Space Dialogue’s purpose is to strengthen cooperation and advance bilateral exchanges in space matters.In their welcome and keynote messages, Federal Minister Robert Habeck, Vice Chancellor and Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action; Chirag Parikh, Executive Secretary of the National Space Council; Anna Christmann, German Federal Aerospace Policy Coordinator for Germany; and Rahima Kandahari, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs underscored that the inaugural Space Dialogue will deepen space cooperation for the benefit of the peoples of both countries and the world. Both delegations comprised representatives of a range of ministries and agencies involved in space activities.At the meeting, German and U.S. officials exchanged information on respective national space policies, including Germany’s Space Strategy and upcoming Space Security Strategy as well as the U.S. Space Priorities Framework. Both sides reiterated their strong determination to expand already robust bilateral cooperation in a variety of areas, including addressing the climate crisis and sustainable and safe use of outer space; advancing national security space cooperation and information sharing; and strengthening bilateral commercial space cooperation.The participants held extensive discussions about challenges to our shared economic and national security interests. Both sides are determined to continue their close coordination in strengthening the global governance of space activities by promoting the widest possible accession to and full compliance with the Outer Space Treaty, including not to place in orbit around the Earth any objects carrying nuclear weapons or any other kinds of weapons of mass destruction. Both sides also reaffirmed their commitment to the development and implementation of voluntary, non-legally binding international best practices and guidelines to promote the sustainable, safe, and responsible use of outer space.Both sides resolved to deepen the bilateral coordination on national security space policies practices, and capabilities; particularly given the growing scope of counter-space and space-enabled and related threats. They also resolved to strengthen the coordination of national security space activities with other allies and partners around the globe, including by leveraging innovative commercial space capabilities, to ensure access to critical space-based services. Both sides also confirmed their interest in working together to strengthen the security and resilience of critical space-related infrastructures and services against the full spectrum of threats.The participants discussed ongoing cooperation in space exploration and science and opportunities to strengthen partnership in these areas. Both sides are determined to continue collaboration on scientific missions to enhance understanding of our solar system and investigate the origins of our universe, including through NASA’s Artemis missions – noting the critical importance Germany plays in developing the propulsion modules for the Orion crew spacecraft. The participants also expressed their intent to discuss further cooperation in exploration, particularly on cislunar and lunar surface activities and in Low Earth Orbit. The two sides also highlighted the agreement of NASA and DLR to continue gravity field measurements from space with the GRACE-C Mission, providing unique observations of Earth’s changing water cycle. Furthermore, this contributes to a better understanding of global climate change and helps policy makers make data-informed decisions. The importance of the GRACE-C Mission was recognized by a panel discussion preceding the space dialogue.Both countries reviewed joint efforts to promote the long-term sustainability of outer space activities, including work in the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UN COPUOS), and other UN bodies and the strengthening of the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA). As signatories of the Artemis Accords, which reaffirm the importance of compliance with the Outer Space Treaty and other core treaties, and establish a political understanding to ensure safety of operations in and sustainable use of outer space as countries explore the Moon and beyond, both countries expressed the importance of advocating for these principles in UN bodies and other multilateral governmental fora. The two countries decided to stay in close communication on expanding commercial space ties and space situational awareness (SSA), as U.S. responsibilities for civil and commercial SSA shift in the coming years from the Department of Defense to Department of Commerce. Both sides recognized the importance of addressing space debris.Both sides acknowledged that Earth observation is a priority area for bilateral cooperation. They discussed a range of programs that use satellites to better forecast weather patterns; support agricultural and infrastructure planning; help monitor and combat climate change and pollution; prepare for and respond to disasters; improve natural resource use; and provide vital telecommunications services. Both sides noted intent to partner on the Landsat Next Mission to advance scientific knowledge and remote sensing technologies to support socioeconomic development, environmental management, and climate resiliency worldwide. Furthermore, sharing of and facilitating access to satellite data especially in the field of climate protection, research, and resilience are seen as fundamental by both sides.Following the government-to-government discussions, both sides held a commercial roundtable on the margins of the dialogue which brought together more than two dozen private space companies from each of the two countries and highlighted existing partnerships. The session allowed industry representatives to better understand how the United States and Germany promote their respective commercial space sectors and to outline opportunities and challenges for stronger bilateral cooperation. Participants welcomed reciprocal investment into each other’s space sectors. Existing partnerships were examined to help boost ties between the two commercial space sectors and enable promotion of new partnerships.Both countries are committed to continue to work together in the areas mentioned above and to explore other collaboration such as space industry sector development, including at the next U.S.-Germany Space Dialogue, to be held in the United States at a mutually-determined future date.End Text.
- U.S.-EU Consultations Demonstrate Continued Commitment to Human Rights Office of the Spokesperson													HomeOffice of the SpokespersonPress Releases&#8230;U.S.-EU Consultations Demonstrate Continued Commitment to Human Rights				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();			}		});	}																										U.S.-EU Consultations Demonstrate Continued Commitment to Human Rights																																		Media Note																														June 7, 2024																																							Today in Washington, Senior Bureau Official for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Robert Gilchrist and EU Special Representative for Human Rights Olof Skoog co-chaired the 2024 U.S.-EU Human Rights Consultations. The United States and EU reiterated their unwavering commitment to the transatlantic partnership and its importance to upholding and advancing human rights, democracy, and the rule of law globally.The consultations covered a broad range of thematic issues including the protection of human rights defenders, efforts to counter transnational repression, technology and human rights, advancing gender equality and women’s rights, the rights of persons with disabilities, the rights of LGBTQI+ persons, and the importance of condemning and eliminating racism, discrimination, xenophobia, and other forms of hatred. The discussions also covered human rights issues and developments in Europe and the United States, the human rights situation in several third countries, across all regions, and U.S.-EU cooperation in multilateral fora, including at the United Nations.The United States and EU agreed to continue to strengthen their cooperation to promote and protect human rights, democracy, and the rule of law worldwide. For media inquiries, please contact&nbsp;DRL-Press@state.gov.						Tags																					Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor																								Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs																																European Union																																																					Human Rights and Democracy																																							LGBT Rights																															Office of the Spokesperson