Good morning everyone. Thank you for the warm welcome. My colleague from the Department of Defense, Kelly Magsamen, and I just had a constructive meeting with the Foreign Secretary, following up on a phone conversation he held earlier this morning with Secretary Kerry which was also a very productive and constructive discussion. Now let me ... Read More»

Testimony John Kerry Secretary of State   United States Capitol Opening Remarks Before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations Washington, DC February 24, 2015   Well, Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member Menendez and my good former colleagues, and I guess one folk – one person that I didn’t have a chance, Senator Perdue, welcome to this ... Read More»

December 22, 2014 Marking the Tenth Anniversary of the Indian Ocean Tsunami I’ll never forget hearing the news of the tsunami that struck in the Indian Ocean 10 years ago.  The images were gut-wrenching: entire towns razed from Indonesia to Somalia; raging waters sweeping away people’s homes; hundreds of thousands killed and many more separated ... Read More»

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE Office of the Spokesperson  STATEMENT BY SECRETARY KERRY November 20, 2014 Transgender Day of Remembrance   On this year’s Transgender Day of Remembrance, we honor the memory of the innocent souls who died because of who they are and who they love. Today and every day, the United States stands with ... Read More»

John Kerry Secretary of State Shangri-La Hotel Jakarta, Indonesia October 20, 2014   QUESTION: Could I just ask you a very brief question about the thinking that went into the air drops of the weapons and ammunition into Kobane? SECRETARY KERRY: Absolutely. QUESTION: And, for both of you, I’m wondering if you could talk — say anything about ... Read More»

U.S. VISION FOR ASIA-PACIFIC ENGAGEMENT REMARKS John Kerry Secretary of State East-West Center Honolulu, Hawaii August 13, 2014   Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests all, it’s a great, great pleasure for me to be able to be here. And President Morrison, thank you very much for that generous introduction. I appreciate it very much.   ... Read More»

Remarks by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker  America’s Economic Engagement in the Asia Pacific Region Wednesday June 4, 2014 Hosted by the American Chamber of Philippines, Management Association of the Philippines, Makati Business Club (As delivered) Good afternoon everyone. Kumusta kayo. It is an honor to be here in the Philippines at this wonderful ... Read More»

Remarks Deputy Chief of Mission Brian L. Goldbeck Public launch of USAID-funded “Being LGBT in Asia: The Philippines Country Report”  As Prepared RCBC Tower, Makati May 12, 2014 Acknowledgements: Mr. Jose Manuel S. Mamauag, Commissioner of the Commission on Human Rights; Mr. Norman Cualteros, Policy Officer, Office of Senator Benigno “Bam” Aquino Mr. Maurice Dewulf, ... Read More»

ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Bio-Preparedness and Disaster Response Workshop Opening Remarks As Prepared by U.S. Embassy Manila Deputy Chief of Mission Brian L. Goldbeck Intercontinental Hotel, Makati, Philippines Tuesday, August 26, 2014   I would like to thank the Government of the Philippines, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states and the ASEAN Secretariat ... Read More»

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE Office of the Spokesperson For Immediate Release February 27, 2014 Remarks Secretary of State John Kerry On the Release of the Annual Country Report on Human Rights  February 27, 2014 Press Briefing Room Washington, D.C.   SECRETARY KERRY:  Well, good morning, everybody.  Excuse me.  I’ve got a little allergies this morning, ... Read More»

Thank you, Strobe, for the kind introduction. Many years ago when I worked for Senator/Ambassador Mike Mansfield, I frequently heard him declare that the “next century (the 21st century) would be the century of the Pacific.” I remember thinking at the time that this sounded a little overstated – but fortunately I kept my mouth ... Read More»