News and reports from the State Department.

Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Richard R. Verma will lead the U.S. delegation to the 54th General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS) in Asunción, Paraguay. He will join U.S. Ambassador to the OAS Francisco O. Mora, Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Brian A. Nichols, and Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for the Western Hemisphere at the National Security Council Daniel P. Erikson.

Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs James C. O’Brien will travel to Baku, Azerbaijan, and Dubrovnik, Croatia, from June 27 to June 29. In Baku, Assistant Secretary O’Brien will meet with senior Azerbaijani government officials, including Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov. The discussions will focus on progress in the U.S.-Azerbaijan bilateral relationship and U.S. support toward concluding a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Additionally, Assistant Secretary O’Brien will engage with members of civil society...

On this International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, the United States reiterates its condemnation of torture and recognizes the bravery, dignity, and humanity of victims and survivors of torture worldwide. Despite the absolute prohibition of torture under international law, governments continue to use torture and other inhumane treatment as tools of repression against detainees, human rights defenders, members of marginalized populations, and those who voice opinions with which these governments disagree. The United States condemns torture wherever and whenever it...

On June 26, 2024, Secretary Antony J. Blinken presented the State Department's annual report on international religious freedom. The report highlights the status of religious freedom globally and underscores the importance of this fundamental right.

The Department of State has announced a reward offer under the Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program of up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of German national Ruja Ignatova. Ignatova is wanted in the United States for her involvement in one of the largest global fraud schemes in history.

On June 26, 2024, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken issued a statement in recognition of Madagascar's National Day. "On behalf of the United States of America, it is my pleasure to wish the people of Madagascar a heartfelt congratulations as you celebrate 64 years of independence on June 26," Blinken stated.

Secretary Blinken’s Call with Kenyan President William Ruto

The text of the following statement was released by the Governments of the United States of America and Romania on the occasion of the U.S. – Romania Strategic Dialogue.

Secretary Blinken will deliver on-camera remarks for the release of the 2023 International Religious Freedom Report on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, at 11:30 a.m. in the Treaty Room at the U.S. Department of State. This event will be livestreamed on www.state.gov.

Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Maldivian Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer met at the State Department in Washington, D.C., on June 25, 2024.

In honor of Pride Month, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken will host a convening and reception for U.S. leaders championing Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex (LGBTQI+) equality across the U.S. government and around the world on Thursday, June 27, at the Department of State. The convening will begin at 1:00 p.m. EDT in the Burns Auditorium, and the reception remarks will begin at 6:00 p.m. EDT in the Benjamin Franklin Room. The Secretary will deliver remarks at both events which will be open to pre-registered press and streamed live on the Department...

The United States has sanctioned nearly 50 entities and individuals forming a covert network used by Iran’s Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL) and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to gain illicit access to the international financial system. According to officials, Iran’s MODAFL and the IRGC generate revenue from illicit trade, leveraging a "shadow banking" network of Iranian exchange houses and numerous foreign cover companies under their control to funnel funds for terrorism and other activities that threaten global security.

Ambassador at Large for Cyberspace and Digital Policy Nathaniel C. Fick will travel to Asuncion, Paraguay, and Santiago, Chile from June 25-28, 2024.

The following statement was released by the Governments of the United States of America and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam on the occasion of the first U.S.-Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Economic Dialogue.

On June 25, 2024, the U.S. Department of State published in the Federal Register a notice of sixteen persons statutorily debarred for having been convicted of violating, or conspiring to violate, the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2751, et seq.). This action, pursuant to section 127.7(b) of the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) (22 CFR parts 120-130), underscores the Department’s responsibility to protect the integrity of U.S. defense trade.