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Subject IndexWednesday, May 13, 2009
New York University Commencement Ceremony
Secretary Clinton (May 13): "Now, I know that it is fashionable in commencement speeches to be idealistic, and that may sound so, but at the root of my conviction is a strong sense of reality. Because you see, I don't think we have a choice. We can sit on the sidelines, we can wring our hands, we can retreat into cynicism, and we know what the results will be: We will cede the field to those whose ideologies are absolutely anathema to people of conscience and faith all over the world. So our positive interdependence, which is a fact, will prepare us to meet these challenges."
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U.S. Election to the Human Rights Council
Ambassador Rice (May 12): "The United States is very pleased to be elected to join the Human Rights Council. We’re particularly gratified by the strong support we received, 90 percent of the valid votes cast, and we’re gratified by the strong showing of encouragement for the United States to again play a meaningful leadership role in multilateral organizations including the UN on the very vitally important set of issues relating to human rights and democracy." -Full Text
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Annual Global Classrooms DC Model United Nations Conference
Secretary Clinton (May 11): "... I have to say coming here this morning brought back a lot of memories. My daughter Chelsea attended Model UN here in Washington back when she was in high school, and it is great to see middle school students involved, as well as high school students. This is an opportunity for you to debate some of the great issues of the day, to meet new people from around the area, because this new century that we’re in demands the best from everyone. And I thank you for caring enough to participate." -Full Text -View Video

In Other News

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Date: 05/12/2009 Description: Special Representative for North Korea Policy Ambassador Steven Bosworth. State Dept Photo
Update on Travel to Asia
Ambassador Bosworth (May 12): "I think everyone is feeling relatively relaxed about where we are at this point in the process. There is not a sense of crisis. We acted together in a strong fashion in the United Nations with the Security Council Resolution, and now I think we are going to proceed with patience and perseverance. We are committed to dialogue, and we are obviously interested in returning to the negotiating table as soon as we can, but this is not a decision that depends on us. It also depends on the DPRK. So we’ve, I think, managed to confirm that we have a common view and a common sense of the road forward." -Full Text -View Video
Date: 03/24/2009 Description: Great Seal State Dept Photo
Guantanamo Bay Closure
Spokesman Kelly (May 12): "Well, you know, we have a process in place, and the first step in this process leading to the closure of Guantanamo is a review of all the cases. And this review is being taken – is taking place at the lead of the Department of Justice. The Department of State is a player in this interagency process. As a general rule, we would not send prisoners to any country where we would have a well-founded fear that these detainees or prisoners could suffer some kind of abuse." -Full Text -View Video
Cover of FY 2010 Department of State Congressional Budget Justification.
FY 2010 Budget Request
The FY 2010 budget request reflects the President's commitment to strengthen the tools of diplomacy and foreign assistance to address current and future challenges that impact the security of the United States. It requests the necessary resources to further increase diplomatic capacity, providing the critical tools and funding that our diplomats require to pursue the most challenging national security issues, now and in the future.
-Fact Sheet -More Budget Documents
Date: 05/08/2009 Description: Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Romanian Foreign Minister Cristian Diaconescu deliver remarks during a signing ceremony between the U.S. and Romania. State Dept Photo
U.S.-Romania Mutual Legal Assistance Protocol and the U.S.-Romania Extradition Treaty
Secretary Clinton (May 8): "These twin agreements between the United States and Romania will allow police and prosecutors in both countries to employ state-of-the-art tools to cooperate more effectively to bring criminals to justice on both sides of the Atlantic. The agreement will form part of an important network of similar agreements that the United States is reaching with all the countries of the European Union."  -Full Text -View Video
Date: 05/07/2009 Description: Comments by Special Representative for North Korea Policy Stephen Bosworth in Beijing, China. State Dept Photo
Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula
Ambassador Bosworth (May 8): "We remain -- the U.S. and, I believe, South Korea -- remain convinced of the need to get back to the negotiating table and to continue to work toward the goal of the verifiable denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. We’ve been saying, for us, the Six-Party process is at the heart of the effort to deal with the North Korean nuclear issue. We are also prepared to deal with North Korea on a bilateral basis but in a way that reinforces the multilateral process. So we will continue to consult closely." -Full Text -View Video
Date: 05/06/2009 Description: President Barack Obama with Afghan President Karzai and Pakistan President Zardari walk along the Colonnade following a US-Afghan-PakistanTrilateral meeting in Cabinet Room. © Official White House Photo by Pete Souza
A New Strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan
President Obama (May 6): "We meet today as three sovereign nations joined by a common goal: to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat al Qaeda and its extremist allies in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and to prevent their ability to operate in either country in the future. And to achieve that goal, we must deny them the space to threaten the Pakistani, Afghan, or American people. And we must also advance security and opportunity, so that Pakistanis and Afghans can pursue the promise of a better life."  -Full Text
Date: 05/07/2009 Description: Remarks by Secretary Clinton and Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak before their meeting. State Dept Photo
Strong, Positive, Constructive Relationship With Slovakia
Secretary Clinton (May 7, 2009): "I am delighted to be meeting with the Foreign Minister of Slovakia, a country that I have visited and very much enjoyed. We have many important matters to discuss. We have a strong, positive, constructive relationship. And we will look for ways to strengthen and further that in the years to come. Welcome, Mr. Minister. "  -Full Text -View Video
Date: 11/26/2008 Description: People stand around a damaged vehicle at the site of an explosion in Mumbai, India, November 26, 2008. © AP Photo
Country Reports on Terrorism
Apr. 30, 2009: The Department of State released the annual Congressionally mandated Country Reports on Terrorism 2008 today. U.S. law requires the Secretary of State to provide Congress, by April 30 of each year, a full and complete report on terrorism with regard to those countries and groups meeting criteria set forth in the legislation. -Full Report  - Special Briefing
Date: 05/05/2009 Description: Secretary Clinton meets with His Excellency Marat Tazhin, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan. State Dept Photo
U.S.-Kazakhstan Cooperation
Secretary Clinton (May 5): "We have a lot of good work going on between the United States and Kazakhstan. I will explore with the minister some additional ways that we can cooperate. And we’re very appreciative of the support that has been given to the United States in a number of areas. "  -Full Text  -View Video
Date: 05/05/2009 Description: Secretary Clinton meets with His Excellency Edward Nalbandian, Minster of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia. State Dept Photo
U.S.-Armenia Relationship
Secretary Clinton (May 5): "The relationship between the United States and Armenia is a very lasting and durable one. The Obama Administration is committed to broadening it, deepening it, working with Armenia to assist them in their continued development and aspirations."  -Full Text -View Video
Date: 05/01/2009 Description: Secretary Clinton speaking at annual Foreign Affairs Day at the Department of State. State Department still from video State Dept Photo
The Foreign Service: Working for a Better World
Secretary Clinton (May 1): "I see [the work of the State Department] as really based on principled and pragmatic partnerships.... We’ve engaged emerging nations and pivotal regional actors on issues of common concern, from climate change and energy, to democracy and good governance, and regional and global security.... Full Text
Date: 01/22/2009 Description: President Obama, Vice President Biden, and Secretary Clinton Named Senator George Mitchell to be Special Envoy for Middle East Peace and Ambassador Richard Holbrooke to be Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan © AP Photo
American "Smart Power": Diplomacy and Development Are the Vanguard
The Obama Administration recognizes that the United States and the world face great perils and urgent foreign policy challenges including ongoing wars and regional conflicts, the global economic crisis, terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, climate change, worldwide poverty, food insecurity, and pandemic disease. Fact Sheet

Highlights

Virtual Student Foreign Service (VSFS) Internships
Date: 05/12/2009 Description: Virtual Student Foreign Service logo: Outline of world map in square surrounded by the words Virtual Student Foreign Service. State Dept PhotoVirtual Student Foreign Service (VSFS) Internships, announced by Secretary Clinton at the 2009 New York University commencement speech, are part of a growing effort by the State Department to harness technology and a commitment to global service among young people to facilitate new forms of diplomatic engagement. The VSFS Internships will be developed over the next year and will seek to harness the energy of a rising generation of citizen diplomats. -Register/More Information
Saluting Asian Pacific Heritage Month 
Date: 04/29/2009 Description: Asian Pacific Heritage Month, 2009: Krishna Das State Dept Photo
Krishna Das has been a Diplomatic Courier in the Bureau of Diplomatic Security since July 2007. He is based in the Washington Courier Office.  -More 

Register Now for the June 2009 Foreign Service Officer Exam
The Foreign Service Officer selection process begins with online registration, proceeds through the selection process, and for those who succeed, culminates in hiring from the register for assignment to the A-100 course, the training and orientation course that marks the beginning of every Foreign Service Officer career. -More

Flu Updates
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is actively investigating isolated human cases of influenza A (H1N1) in several states and is working closely with Canada and Mexico and with the World Health Organization. Updates are available through the links below.

Secretary Clinton traveled to the Middle East April 25-26.

The round State Department seal follows Secretary Clinton's location. Clicking on the seal brings you to a larger interactive map, complete with video, photos, and the Secretary's remarks from the trip.

Traveling?

Zweierspitze Mountain near Mastrils, Switzerland, December 11, 2006. [© AP Images]
Switzerland
Switzerland sits at the crossroads of several major European cultures, which have heavily influenced the country's languages and cultural practices. Switzerland has four official languages--German, French, Italian, and Romansch. The German spoken is predominantly a Swiss dialect, but newspapers and some media broadcasts use High German. Many Swiss speak more than one language. English is widely spoken.
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Date: 07/16/1997 Location: Andorra. Description: Bikers ride past old church in the Envalira pass between Andorra and southern France. © AP Photo
Andorra
Andorra's national income in 2007 was approximately $3.66 billion, with tourism as its principal component. Attractive for shoppers from France and Spain because of low taxes, the country also has developed active summer and winter tourist resorts. With some 270 hotels and 400 restaurants, as well as many shops, the tourist trade employs a growing portion of the domestic labor force.
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Date: 08/25/2003 Location: Malta Description: Aerial view of Mellieha village with its parish church, Malta. © AP Photo
Malta
Malta was an important cultic center for earth-mother worship in the 4th millennium B.C. Archeological work shows a developed religious center there, including the world's oldest free-standing architecture, predating that of Sumer and Egypt.
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Micronesia
The Federated States of Micronesia consists of 607 islands extending 1,800 miles across the archipelago of the Caroline Islands east of the Philippines. The four states are the island groups of Pohnpei, Chuuk, and Yap, and the island of Kosrae. The federal capital is Palikir, on Pohnpei. Following World War II, these islands became part of the United Nations Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, administered by the United States
- Full Text -Post of the Month 
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago is active in the Summit of the Americas process and hosted the fifth Summit April 17-19. Trinidad and Tobago is a democracy that maintains close relations with its Caribbean neighbors and major North American and European trading partners. U.S. interests include a focus on increasing investment and trade, and ensuring more stable supplies of energy. They also include enhancing Trinidad and Tobago's political and social stability and positive regional role through assistance in drug interdiction, health issues, and legal affairs.
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