On behalf of the Government of the United States of America, best wishes to the people of Samoa as you gather to celebrate the 55th anniversary of your nation’s independence on June 1.

The United States and Samoa share a strong and enduring friendship, a relationship that has only deepened following the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1971. Strengthened by strong ties with the Samoan people, our cultural and historical links have forged a bond of trust and mutual interest. Our countries share a commitment to work together to combat the risks of natural disasters, foster economic development in the Pacific, manage fishery resources, and strengthen the principles of democracy and human rights. The United States continues to value our warm relationship with Samoa, and we look forward to further strengthening our ties in the years ahead.

We wish all Samoans around the world a happy Independence Day and success in the coming year.

The Office of Website Management, Bureau of Public Affairs, manages this site as a portal for information from the U.S. State Department.
External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein.

Acting Assistant Secretary for International Security and Nonproliferation C.S. Eliot Kang will attend the biannual Plenary Meeting of the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism (GICNT) in Tokyo, Japan June 1-2.

The mission of GICNT is to strengthen global capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to nuclear terrorism. All GICNT partner nations have voluntarily committed to implementing the GICNT Statement of Principles, a set of fundamental nuclear security goals encompassing a range of deterrence, prevention, detection, and response objectives. The Plenary Meeting will highlight progress made by GICNT’s three Working Groups: Nuclear Forensics, Nuclear Detection, and Response and Mitigation. It will also provide a forum for partner nations to showcase their contributions to GICNT and share recommendations that will inform the direction and activities of the Initiative for 2017-2019. The United States and Russia, as GICNT Co-Chairs, will also welcome GICNT’s newest partner nations, Paraguay and Nigeria.

For updates, follow the Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation (ISN) on Twitter at @StateISN.

For more information about GICNT, please go to www.GICNT.org.

For more information about ISN, please visit our website at http://www.state.gov/t/isn/

The Office of Website Management, Bureau of Public Affairs, manages this site as a portal for information from the U.S. State Department.
External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein.

The Department of State’s Young Transatlantic Innovation Leaders Initiative (YTILI) develops and cultivates relationships among emerging European and American leaders. YTILI is an investment in the transatlantic partnership to strengthen prosperity and enhanced security on both sides of the Atlantic.

European participants come from all across the continent. In 2017, 116 young entrepreneurs will participate in this two-way exchange led by Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs (EUR) and implemented by The German Marshall Fund.

Today, 42 of the European Fellows selected for the program arrive in the United States for a 15-day long Fellowship program in Austin, Boston, Charlotte, Denver, Detroit, Salt Lake City, and Seattle. Their American counterparts will travel to Europe later this year.

The transatlantic community remains the bedrock of American foreign policy. It is the foundation of our shared security, our shared prosperity, and our shared values. A stable and prosperous Europe makes for a safer United States, ensures more opportunities for American business, and honors our historic cultural ties to our European partners. The YTILI program honors our shared legacy by building ties for future cooperation and prosperity.

The United States and Europe represent one of the largest economic relationships in the world. In 2016 transatlantic trade averaged $3 billion a day. We are committed to building and sustaining strong relationships in Europe with governments, the private sector, and the next generation of leaders and innovators.

For further information, please contact YTILI@state.gov and visit www.ytili.state.gov for information and biographical data on the Fellows and the cities they will be visiting.

The Office of Website Management, Bureau of Public Affairs, manages this site as a portal for information from the U.S. State Department.
External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein.

Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs Ambassador Tina Kaidanow will travel to Singapore May 31- June 5, 2017.

In Singapore, Ambassador Kaidanow will be the senior State Department representative in the U.S. delegation to the Shangri-La Dialogue, a forum sponsored by the International Institute for Security Studies, for exchanges among defense and security policy professionals from across the Asia-Pacific. She will also meet with senior civilian and military officials from countries across the region to discuss regional security, maritime security, and defense trade issues.

For further information, please contact the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, Office of Congressional and Public Affairs at PM-CPA@state.gov and follow @StateDeptPM on Twitter

The Office of Website Management, Bureau of Public Affairs, manages this site as a portal for information from the U.S. State Department.
External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein.

We condemn in the strongest possible terms the recent barbaric attacks carried out by ISIS terrorists in Baghdad. These brutal attacks, whose victims included innocent children breaking the Ramadan fast and elderly Iraqis collecting their pensions, demonstrate once again the wanton savagery of the enemy we face.

We extend our deepest condolences to the families of the victims and hope for a speedy recovery of those wounded.

And we underline, as the President said recently, “All people who cherish life must unite in finding, exposing, and removing these killers and extremists.”

The United States reaffirms its commitment to support the government and people of Iraq in their struggle against‎ ISIS.

The Office of Website Management, Bureau of Public Affairs, manages this site as a portal for information from the U.S. State Department.
External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein.