HomeDipNote: All Posts ...Diplomacy at Work in 2023 hide Diplomacy at Work in 2023 DipNote DIPNOTE BLOGGERS December 29, 2023 Secretary Blinken traveled more than 255,000 miles in 2023. As we say goodbye to 2023 and prepare for 2024, we look back at a year of diplomatic efforts serving the American people at home and around the world. This year, Secretary Blinken visited numerous cities across the globe, in response to crises and to advance security and prosperity for the United States and our partners. Join us for a look back at U.S. diplomacy this year. United With Ukraine Secretary Blinken signs a flag while touring a State Border Guard of Ukraine Detached Commandant Office of Security and Resource Supply site in Kyiv Oblast. [State Department photo] Secretary Blinken speaks to U.S. Embassy employees in Kyiv, Ukraine. [State Department photo]One year later, Kyiv stands. And Ukraine stands. Democracy stands. The Americans stand with you, and the world stands with you. Antony J. BlinkenSecretary of State The United States continued its unwavering support of Ukraine as it regained territory and defended its citizens against Putin’s war of aggression. In February, President Biden traveled to Ukraine to express the steadfast U.S. commitment to Ukraine’s freedom, sovereignty, and independence. Secretary Blinken demonstrated ongoing U.S. support in Ukraine by meeting with the country’s leadership and U.S. embassy employees in Kyiv and visiting a Border Guard supply site. Moreover, the United States provided approximately $74 billion in military, humanitarian, and economic assistance for the people of Ukraine. The United States – together with our allies and partners – is firmly committed to supporting Ukraine’s defense today, tomorrow, for as long as it takes. We Are NATO Secretary Blinken participates in a flag raising ceremony for Finland at NATO Headquarters, in Brussels, Belgium. [State Department photo] Our NATO Alliance grew even stronger as Finland became the 31st member in April. We look forward to welcoming Sweden soon. During 2023, our shared message was clear: NATO Allies are committed to enhanced deterrence and defense, to greater and smarter defense spending, to deeper ties with Indo-Pacific partners. NATO’s door remains open to new members, and it will stay open. We worked relentlessly to rally allies and partners around helping Ukraine defend itself and denying Putin his strategic aims. What we are doing with the NATO Alliance is more important than ever before. NATO has stepped up in important ways to deal with the challenges that we are facing now and is preparing for what we will face in the future. The United States looks forward to hosting the NATO Summit in Washington, D.C. in July 2024. Global Challenges, Local Solutions Secretary Blinken delivers the closing keynote address at the Cities Summit of the Americas at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, Colorado. [State Department photo] Whether it is enhancing regional cooperation, supporting democracy, combatting fentanyl trafficking, or countering corruption, the 2023 Cities Summit of the Americas advanced key foreign policy goals. In Denver, the Secretary convened community activists, civil society, private sector, academic and youth representatives, as well as Indigenous organizations and representatives of under-represented groups from across the Western Hemisphere. Leaders from municipalities, provinces, states, and Tribal Nations cultivated regional cooperation and strengthened city-to-city ties throughout the hemisphere. The Summit implemented multiple commitments to effectively promote democratic governance, inclusive economic growth, humane and orderly migration, sustainability and resilience, and equitable social inclusion across the hemisphere. The State Department will continue the momentum from the Cities Summit into and throughout 2024. Breaking Records to Support Americans’ International Travel Secretary Blinken visits the Passport Agency in Houston, Texas. [State Department photo] 2023 saw an unprecedented demand for passports. We issued more than 24 million passports between October 2022 and September 2023 — the highest number ever in our nation’s history. Secretary Blinken visited several passport centers in the United States to thank the many hardworking teams for their efforts to serve the American people. Our top priority is the safety and security of U.S. citizens, and our teams around the world will continue to support Americans as they travel internationally. Exchanging Our World Secretary Blinken shakes hands with a YSEALI participant in Jakarta, Indonesia. [State Department photo] For more than 50 years, the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ (ECA) exchanges have empowered young people around the globe, supported civil society and democratic ideals, and promoted peace and understanding between the United States and other countries. ECA funded exchange alumni encompass over 1 million people, including more than 88 Nobel Laureates and nearly 600 current and former heads of state and government. In 2023, we celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX), the 30th anniversary of the Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX), the 20th anniversary of the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) programs, and the 10th anniversary of the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI). Secretary Blinken participates in a youth soccer clinic as part of the FIFA Women’s World Cup – Australia and New Zealand 2023 at Wellington Regional Stadium in Wellington, New Zealand. [State Department photo] In August, while Secretary Blinken cheered on the U.S. National Women’s soccer team at the World Cup, he lauded the power of sports diplomacy to connect people, take down barriers, and build bridges. Secretary Blinken raises a guitar after performing during the Global Music Diplomacy Initiative Launch at the State Department. [State Department Photo] In September, we launched the Global Music Diplomacy Initiative. Music gives voice to democratic ideals, to the powerful and the powerless, across borders and beyond barriers, and to generations of citizens – from all walks of life – worldwide. Global Health: Working Together to Save Lives Secretary Blinken and Ambassador-at-Large Dr. John Nkengasong at the launch of the Bureau of Global Health Security and Diplomacy. [State Department photo] In August, the State Department launched the Bureau of Global Health Security and Diplomacy to lead and coordinate the Department’s work on strengthening global health security. This year, we commemorated the 35th World AIDS Day and marked the 20th anniversary of the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). Through PEPFAR, the U.S. government has invested more than $100 billion in the global HIV/AIDS response, the largest commitment by any nation to address a single disease in history, saving 25 million lives, preventing millions of HIV infections, and accelerating progress toward controlling the global HIV/AIDS pandemic in more than 50 countries. Together, we can prevent, detect, and respond to infectious diseases to protect the world from health threats in 2024 and beyond. The Climate Crisis: Working Together for Future Generations Secretary Blinken participates in the UN Climate Conference Leaders Event: Transforming Food Systems in the Face of Climate Change in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. [State Department photo] At the 28th annual UN Climate Change Conference (COP28), we made unprecedented progress in addressing climate change. Nations from around the world committed to taking necessary actions to avoid the worst impacts of the climate crisis. We know that bold action to tackle the climate crisis is more urgent than ever. The record-breaking heat, floods, storms, drought, and wildfires devastating communities around the world underscore the grave risks we already face. Through our actions at home and our leadership abroad, the United States is doing its part to build a net zero-emission, resilient future to create jobs and ensure a healthy, livable planet for generations to come. The United States is all in on Africa. At the U.S.-African Union Commission High-Level Dialogue we reaffirmed our strong commitment to partnership grounded in shared values to address global issues in line with AU Agenda 2063 Goals and Aspirations. [State Department photo] Secretary Blinken meets With African Union Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat. [State Department photo] The United States and African Union Commission (AUC) convened the 9th Annual U.S.-AUC High-Level Dialogue in Washington, D.C., led by Secretary Blinken and AUC Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat. The Dialogue focused on shared priorities, which included stemming the recent tide of military takeovers by promoting democratic governance and ensuring the composition and leadership of international institutions reflects the critical role of African voices in global governance. U.S. Commitment to Advancing Peace and Security in the Middle East Secretary Blinken embraces Lior Gelbaum, right, 24, a dual U.S.-Israeli citizen, in Tel Aviv, at a donation center for victims of the Hamas attacks. [State Department photo] Following Hamas’ October 7 terrorist attacks in Israel, Secretary Blinken traveled to the region multiple times to underscore our support for Israel’s right to defend itself, negotiate the release of hostages, press for humanitarian pauses and lifesaving assistance for the civilians in Gaza, and emphasize the moral and strategic imperative for Israel to take all possible measures to prevent civilian harm. The United States continues to believe that the best path to ensuring a sustainable peace – and for that matter, Israel’s security – is to advance the realization of a Palestinian state as part of a two-state solution. Fundamentally, Hamas is both a terrorist organization and an idea – and it is incumbent upon all of us to present a better idea if we want to advance a more peaceful future. Secretary Blinken attends a meeting with Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, and Secretary General of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Hussein al-Sheikh in Amman, Jordan. [State Department photo] Secretary Blinken wrote “Light in the darkness” on a tile at the Abrahamic Family House in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. [State Department photo] We are a Pacific Nation Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken participates in the U.S.-Pacific Islands Forum meeting at the APEC House in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. [State Department photo] As fellow Pacific nations, the fundamental fact is this: Our fates are tied together. And we’ve never been more committed to our shared vision for the future. Antony J. BlinkenSecretary of State The spirit behind the U.S.-Pacific Islands Forum is about seizing the possibilities of this moment to build a more secure, a more resilient, a more inclusive, a more prosperous region. We are working together to strengthen climate resilience; to protect the region’s natural resources; to increase digital connectivity; to create greater opportunity for all of our people. In Papua New Guinea, Secretary Blinken underscored the U.S. commitment to our shared regional priorities and deepening our cooperation around them – including tackling the climate crisis; advancing economic growth; promoting sustainable development; strengthening health security; countering illegal, unreported fishing; and expanding our people-to-people ties. Because of the leadership of the Pacific Islands, big countries and small states alike are better positioned to choose their own path, enjoy greater access to clean air and water, and protect more of the planet for their children and their grandchildren. President Joe Biden walks with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol at Camp David, the presidential retreat. [AP Photo/Alex Brandon] President Biden met with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at Camp David for a U.S.-Japan-ROK summit to reaffirm our commitment to the security and prosperity of our people, the Indo-Pacific region, and the world. The President commended their leadership in transforming relations between Japan and the ROK, noting “with the renewed bonds of friendship—and girded by the ironclad U.S.-Japan and U.S.-ROK alliances—each of our bilateral relationships is now stronger than ever. APEC2023: Creating a Resilient and Sustainable Future for All Private sector and stakeholder engagements during the 2023 U.S. APEC Economic Leaders’ Week in San Francisco. [State Department photo] 2023 was the United States’ year to host Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). We hosted meetings and events across the United States to make strides in economic policy and decisions to benefit the American people and communities around the world. Some of the biggest APEC 2023 outcomes included announcements of $200 billion of investments from companies in the Asia Pacific into the United States and $50 billion of U.S. private sector investments into APEC economies. APEC Economic Leaders also endorsed the Golden Gate Declaration to advance the 21 APEC economies’ important work on sustainability, resilience, and economic inclusion. After passing the torch to Peru to host APEC in 2024, the United States will continue to focus on global economic gains, sustainability, and security. Secretary Antony J. Blinken holds an end of year press availability from the press briefing room at the State Department. [State Department photo] As we reflect on our priorities and commitments in 2023 and prepare for the challenges and work ahead in 2024, the State Department will continue to represent and serve the American people. As Secretary Blinken says, “We go to work each day with the American flag at our backs, and there is nothing more inspirational.”
