The United States is committed to engagement with all states, including traditional allies, rising powers and potential new partners, and states with whom we disagree. The Secretary explained our approach in her address to the Council on Foreign Relations on July 15, 2009. She indicated we would "lead with diplomacy, even in the cases of adversaries or nations with whom we disagree. We believe that doing so advances… more »
About the Author: Mark Toner serves as Director of the Press Office.
Today, Secretary Clinton travels to Russia for a two-day visit accompanied by Senator Mitchell. In Moscow, the pair will discuss efforts to promote Middle East peace in a meeting of the Quartet with U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, and European Union High Representative Catherine Ashton, as well as Quartet Representative Tony Blair.
The Secretary will also meet with senior Russian officials to discuss progress on a successor agreement to START,… more »
The world recognizes March 8 as International Women's Day. This year marks the fifteenth anniversary of the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing. The message from that conference still resonates today: Human rights are women's rights, and women's rights are human rights. As Secretary Clinton has said, no country can move ahead if half its population is left behind.
How best can we advance women's rights as human rights?more »
About the Author: Aaron Snipe is a Foreign Service Officer who worked with the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Muthanna Province, Iraq.
For many of my Foreign Service colleagues who volunteered to serve in Iraq, our service was a transformational experience. Long hours, meaningful work, and friendships forged in the crucible of war make Iraq a most unique diplomatic assignment. Many of us who served on Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRT) developed friendships with local Iraqi officials, tribal leaders, religious leaders, university students, and every-day citizens. For some, these connections will always endure as cherished memories. Yet for others, finding ways to keep in touch with… more »
About the Author: Robert D. Hormats serves as Under Secretary of State for Economic, Energy and Agricultural Affairs.
It's appropriate that my first DipNote entry focus on one of the President's highest economic priorities: that of expanding exports.
On Monday, March 15, I was interviewed on The Diane Rehm Show about the National Export Initiative (NEI). This historic initiative has a goal of doubling U.S. exports over the next five years and will support two million new jobs. The show was a great opportunity… more »
Today, Secretary Clinton met with Irish Foreign Minister Michael Martin. Secretary Clinton said, "I am delighted to be standing here with the foreign minister. Because of our personal relationship and because of the close relationship between our two countries, we always look forward to these visits. And I'm also going to be meeting later with other friends and particularly looking forward to seeing the Taoiseach tonight at the American-Ireland Fund gala. It may go without saying, but I'll say it anyway, that the United States and Ireland have a close historic, cultural, familial relationship. Millions of Americans trace their ancestry back to Ireland and are very proud to do so, not just on St. Patrick's Day but all year long."
The Secretary continued, "On March 9th, the Northern Ireland Assembly voted to complete the process… more »
Today, Secretary Clinton met with Northern Ireland First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness. Secretary Clinton said, "[I]t's a great pleasure to welcome the first minister and the deputy first minister from Northern Ireland. I have enjoyed the opportunity to work with both of these leaders, and I am delighted that they are coming here to the United States having successfully concluded the devolution agreement known as the Hillsborough Agreement. And I look forward to discussing with them the way that -- the ways that the United States will continue to support a peaceful and prosperous future for the people of Northern Ireland." Full Textmore »
The U.S. government is trying to better understand the specific impacts of climate change on vulnerable populations. As part of that effort, I recently visited Senegal as a member of a Study Team on Climate Change and Migration sponsored by the German… more »
About the Author: Katie Dowd serves as New Media Director at the U.S. Department of State.
Today, I am so excited to announce the arrival of a new State Department project called Opinion Space. Opinion Space is an innovative, interactive online tool we are launching in partnership with the University of Berkeley Center for New Media. Accessible to anyone around the world, Opinion Space solicits fresh perspectives on U.S. foreign policy and incorporates users' input into a creative visual display, based on the wisdom of crowds, to identify insightful ideas. You can find Opinion Space at www.state.gov/opinionspace. … more »
About the Author: Matthew Buffington serves as the Media Relations Officer for the Middle East and North Africa at the Washington Foreign Press Center.
On a Foreign Press Center (FPC) social media tour with 29 foreign journalists, Achilles Peklaris took on Washington, D.C. and San Francisco. Armed with only his iPhone, the "Village Voice of Athens," as Achilles is sometimes known, directed hard-hitting, poignant questions at U.S. government officials from the State Department, White House and Congress.
However, something funny happened in San Francisco. During a meeting with Facebook, Achilles' questions turned from blunt journalism to a testimonial about how the social media website Facebook changed his work. Not… more »
DipNote is the official blog of the U.S. Department of State —a place to share stories, discuss experiences, and inspire new ideas on the important foreign policy issues of the day. more »
Chile Earthquake
For information or inquiries about U.S. citizens in Chile, please call 1-888-407-4747. You may email: ChileEarthquake@state.gov.
Anyone can see from the posts below that the what used to be Canaan but became Israel then became Palestine and is now Israel again "situation" is intractable…
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Assistant Secretary Crowley (Mar. 16): "Weâre going to show our commitment to the parties in the Middle East peace process. Thatâs what the American people expect us to do." Full Text» more »
Secretary Clinton (Mar 13): " is an example of what we call 21st century statecraft and an opportunity to extend our engagement ... directly to the people of the world." Media Note» more »
![Secretary Clinton waves near plane in Guatemala City, March 5, 2010. [State Department Photo]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2010_0317_clinton_departure_m.jpg)
![Young woman plucks flowers to sell at market, Amritsar, India, Mar. 7, 2009. [AP File Photo]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2010_0305_woman_india_m.jpg)
![Container ships docked at terminals in Port Elizabeth, NJ, Sept. 8, 2008. [AP File Photo]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2010_0317_export_initiative_m.jpg)
![Birds nesting in Iles de la Madeleine near Dakar, Senegal March 19, 2006. [AP File Photo]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2010_0316_Senegal_Bird_m.jpg)
![Screenshot of Opinion Space on state.gov, March 15, 2010. [State Department image]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2010_0315_opinion_space_m.jpg)
![Smart phone is shown in San Francisco, Nov. 3, 2009. [AP File Photo]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2010_0315_smart_phone_m.jpg)
