White House Announces #WHTweetup for Arrival Ceremony of Republic of Korea President Lee Myung-bak

Posted by DipNote Bloggers / September 28, 2011

On October 13, 2011, President Barack Obama will host President Lee Myung-bak of the Republic of Korea at the White House for a State Visit. This State Visit will highlight the strong alliance, global partnership, and deep economic ties between our two countries, and celebrate the strong bonds of friendship between the American and Korean people.

State Visits begin with an arrival ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House, a tradition that started during the Kennedy Administration to formally welcome a visiting head of state. The White House announced today that the arrival ceremony for the Republic of Korea, one of the most wired nations in the world, will mark the largest White House Tweetup yet.… more »

Secretary Clinton Meets With Egyptian Foreign Minister Amr

Posted by DipNote Bloggers / September 28, 2011

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton met today with Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr at the Department of State in Washington, D.C. Following their meeting, Secretary Clinton said:

"...It is a great pleasure to welcome the foreign minister here to the State Department for our first official bilateral meeting. We've spoken on the phone several times during these last few months, we've seen each other at large multilateral meetings, but there is no substitute for a face-to-face meeting. So I am very pleased we had the opportunity to discuss a range of issues, and I expressed our very strong support for Egypt's ongoing democratic transition.

"It is clear that Egypt's leadership in the Arab world and in the region and beyond is key to regional progress. And I was very pleased that Egypt has recognized the Transitional National Council in Libya.… more »

The Fight Against Global Corruption

Posted by John M. Brandolino / September 28, 2011

About the Author: John Brandolino serves as a Senior Advisor in the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL). He represented the United States at a meeting of the G-20 Anticorruption Working Group in Paris on September 19-20.

Anticorruption experts from G-20 member countries met in Paris last week to assess progress on the fight against global corruption. As a baseline for this assessment, attendees used the wide ranging set of commitments adopted by President Barack Obama and G-20 leaders at the G-20 Summit in November 2010. Those commitments included concrete actions -- such as ratifying and implementing the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC), establishing legislation to counter foreign bribery, and introducing protections for whistleblowers who report corruption -- while creating and strengthening anticorruption bodies.

The information presented at the Paris meeting demonstrates… more »

Embassy New Delhi Hosts Workshop on “Women in Science”

Posted by Tim Neely / September 28, 2011

About the Author: Timothy Neely serves as a Counselor for the Environment, Science, and Technology at the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, India.

Did you know that only nine of the more than 300 Nobel prizes awarded in science since 1901 have been won by women? This is in spite of the fact that women have historically been responsible for crucial scientific and technological advances such as discovering AZT, the drug that has combated AIDS for many decades; formulating the theory of radioactivity; and teaching us that there are many galaxies outside of the Milky Way.

While increasing numbers of women have pursued science and technology education and professions over the last two decades, many female students and professionals still face obstacles to pursuing a career in science. It is essential that the barriers that discourage women from studying science and pursuing it as a career are identified and overcome. If women are not encouraged to pursue careers in science, what vital discoveries and advances might… more »

Join a Discussion on the Response to the Crisis in the Horn of Africa

Posted by DipNote Bloggers / September 27, 2011

On Tuesday, October 4, 2011, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Johnnie Carson will hold a conversation with Sam Worthington, President and CEO of InterAction, on the crisis in the Horn of Africa. The discussion will be moderated by Cheryl Benton, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, and streamed live on www.state.gov and DipNote at 3:00 p.m. ET. You are invited to participate by submitting questions, some of which will be selected for response during the live broadcast. Submit your questions in the comment section… more »

APEC Leaders Discover New Innovations in California

Posted by Kurt Tong / September 27, 2011

About the Author: Kurt Tong is the U.S. Ambassador for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC).

This year, as host of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the United States has pushed the forum to produce concrete, tangible results -- in a phrase, to "get stuff done." Over the past two weeks, San Francisco has hosted the Third APEC Senior Officials Meeting and Related Meetings (SOM 3), and California has truly demonstrated to APEC what it means to turn ideas into concrete results.

APEC delegates had the opportunity to see how Californians "get stuff done" in a variety of fields -- from alternative energy to women's economic inclusion, from disaster management to, of course, wine-making.

When the meetings kicked-off with a joint Transportation and Energy Ministerial Conference, ministers were invited to a showcase of alternative-energy vehicles. Highlights from the showcase included a hydrogen-powered garbage truck that uses methane from landfills… more »

Secretary Clinton Meets With Portuguese Foreign Minister Portas

Posted by DipNote Bloggers / September 27, 2011

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton met with Portuguese Foreign Minister Paulo Portas at the Department of State on September 27, 2011. Secretary Clinton and Foreign Minister Portas discussed the strength of the U.S.-Portugal relationship, the economic challenges now facing Portugal and Europe, Portugal's contribution to NATO International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, and Portugal's diplomatic role in North Africa and the Middle East during the democratic transitions of the Arab Awakening.

Secretary Clinton said, "...I was in Lisbon last when Portugal hosted several major meetings, including the NATO Summit and the U.S.-EU Summit. It was an extremely productive visit, and I must say that our bilateral relationship is very strong. Portugal has been a friend and an ally to the United States, and we greatly appreciate all the work that we do together… more »

President Obama’s Message on the Occasion of Rosh Hashanah

Posted by DipNote Bloggers / September 27, 2011

At sundown tomorrow night, the Jewish community in the United States and around the world will gather to celebrate the start of the new year. In a video message on the occasion of Rosh Hashanah, President Barack Obama said:

"The days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are a time for repentance and reflection. An opportunity to reaffirm our friendships, renew our commitments, and reflect on the values we cherish.

"As the High Holidays begin, we look back on all the moments during the past year that give us reason to hope. Around the world, a new generation is reaching for their universal rights. Here in the United States, we've responded to our challenges by focusing on the things that really matter -- friendship,… more »

National Export Initiative Advances U.S.-Singapore Economic Ties

Posted by David Adelman / September 27, 2011

About the Author: David Adelman is the U.S. Ambassador to Singapore.

It was of course still dark as I boarded the plane on the morning of September 13, but those of you who have traveled out of Singapore on an early morning flight know how peaceful this time of day can be. I was treated to the breathtaking sight of a brilliant full moon off the left side of the plane and a crimson sunrise to my right. I traveled to the United States for the "Five-Cities-Five-Days" National Export Initiative (NEI) Outreach tour, during which I visited Lansing, Michigan; St. Paul, Minnesota and St. Louis, Missouri. The U.S. Embassy's Senior Commercial Officer, Patrick Santillo, joined me and also visited Charleston, West Virginia and Cincinnati, Ohio. We met with U.S. companies in America's heartland to talk about exporting to Singapore and Asia. We shared with them… more »

U.S., Ukraine Sign Memorandum of Understanding on Nuclear Security Cooperation

Posted by DipNote Bloggers / September 27, 2011

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton signed the Memorandum of Understanding with Ukraine on Nuclear Security Cooperation on September 26, 2011.The MOU will work to prevent proliferation and to secure vulnerable nuclear materials. Secretary Clinton and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kostyantyn Gryshchenko delivered brief remarks. Secretary Clinton said:

"...Ridding the world of nuclear weapons is a priority for both of our countries. And at last year's Nuclear Security Summit, both President Yanukovych and President Obama vowed to work together to prevent proliferation and to secure all vulnerable nuclear materials. And in fact, President Yanukovych announced Ukraine's decision to get rid of all of its stocks of highly enriched… more »