About the Author: Paula Williams serves in the Bureau of Consular Affairs.
Are you traveling abroad this holiday season? Make sure you’re prepared for your holiday travel by checking out travel.state.gov before you go.
Travel.state.gov is the State Department’s primary location for information about travel to other countries. There is information about every country in the world on such practical topics as entry requirements, road conditions, and safety and security among others. It is also the official source of information for U.S. citizens during emergency situations abroad.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s Travel to Morocco, Tunisia, and the United Arab Emirates
Press Statement Victoria Nuland Department Spokesperson Washington, DC December 5, 2012
From December 11-13, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will travel to Marrakech, Morocco to participate in a meeting of the Friends of the Syrian People. This latest meeting provides an opportunity to consult with like-minded governments in the region and around the world on how best to continue support for the Syrian opposition and on efforts to end the bloodshed. While in Morocco, she will also meet with King Mohammed VI, as well as senior Moroccan government officials, to discuss bilateral and regional issues.
She will then travel to Tunis, Tunisia to co-host the 9th Forum for the Future Ministerial with the Government of Tunisia on December 13. This year’s Forum welcomes increased levels of civil society, private sector, and government participation and focuses on the key themes of women’s empowerment, freedom of expression and association, and economic governance and entrepreneurship. Secretary Clinton will also meet with senior Tunisian government officials to discuss progress in the country’s transition to democracy as well as bilateral and regional issues.
Secretary Clinton will conclude her trip in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates and participate in the 3rd ministerial meeting of the Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF) on December 14. The centerpiece of the meeting will be the announcement by Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed of the opening of the first-ever International Center of Excellence on Countering Violent Extremism, which the GCTF set in motion at its September 2011 launch. The Center will provide a venue for training, dialogue, collaboration, and research to counter violent extremism in all of its forms and manifestations by bringing together the experts, expertise, and experience that exist in countries around the globe. The Secretary will also meet with senior Emirati government officials to discuss regional and bilateral issues.
Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Robert O. Blake, Jr. Travel to Ireland, Bangladesh, Bhutan
Media Note Washington, DC December 4, 2012
Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Robert O. Blake, Jr. is traveling to Ireland, Bangladesh, and Bhutan December 4 through December 13.
In Dublin, Assistant Secretary Blake will participate in meetings at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Ministerial. Assistant Secretary Blake will meet with OSCE interlocutors on human rights, elections, border security and anti-corruption, and hold bilateral meetings with the heads of delegations of Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and the Kyrgyz Republic.
From Dublin, Assistant Secretary Blake will travel to Dhaka, Bangladesh, on December 8. Assistant Secretary Blake will address the Women’s Entrepreneurship Symposium. The Symposium supports the New Silk Road vision of enhancing regional economic integration and advancing economic growth, peace, and stability, by empowering women through entrepreneurship and trade. Please click here for more information on the Symposium.
While in Dhaka, Assistant Secretary Blake will also meet with Bangladeshi officials, civil society leaders, and private sector representatives to discuss a wide range of bilateral and regional issues on labor, development, governance, and trade. He will also record an episode of the television program “A Conversation with Bangladesh.”
On December 11 Assistant Secretary Blake will travel from Bangladesh to the Kingdom of Bhutan, where he will meet with officials from the Government of Bhutan to discuss issues of mutual interest, including our support for the advancement of women and girls in South Asia.
Assistant Secretary Anne C. Richard to Travel to Jordan and Lebanon
Media Note Office of the Spokesperson Washington, DC November 23, 2012
Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration Anne C. Richard will travel to Jordan and Lebanon from November 25-30, 2012.
In Jordan, Assistant Secretary Richard will attend the Advisory Commission Meetings of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNWRA). At the meetings, she will hold bilateral discussions with refugee-hosting governments and other members of the Advisory Commission. She will also meet with Government of Jordan, international, and non-governmental officials to discuss policy and program issues regarding displaced Syrians in Jordan, and Iraqi and Palestinian refugees.
In Lebanon, Assistant Secretary Richard will meet with Government of Lebanon, international, and non-governmental officials to discuss the humanitarian situation in Lebanon and the situation of Syrian, Iraqi, and Palestinian refugees.
For information about this visit, please contact PRM’s Public Affairs Advisor Deborah Sisbarro PRM-Press-DL@state.gov or (202) 453-9339.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s Travel to the Middle East
Press Statement Victoria Nuland Office of the Spokesperson Washington, DC November 20, 2012
Secretary Clinton will depart today on travel to Jerusalem, Ramallah, and Cairo, leaving from the East Asia Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. She will meet with regional leaders, starting with our Israeli partners, to consult on the situation in Gaza.
Her visits will build on American engagement with regional leaders over the past days - including intensive engagement by President Obama with Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Morsi - to support de-escalation of violence and a durable outcome that ends the rocket attacks on Israeli cities and towns and restores a broader calm. As President Obama noted in his conversations with President Morsi, we commend Egypt’s efforts to de-escalate the situation and are hopeful that these efforts will be successful.
She will emphasize the United States’ interest in a peaceful outcome that protects and enhances Israel’s security and regional stability; that can lead to improved conditions for the civilian residents of Gaza; and that can reopen the path to fulfill the aspirations of Palestinians and Israelis for two states living in peace and security. She will continue to express U.S. concern for the loss of civilian life on both sides.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s Travel to Australia, Singapore, Thailand, Burma, and Cambodia
Press Statement Victoria Nuland Department Spokesperson Office of the Spokesperson Washington, DC November 9, 2012
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will travel to Perth and Adelaide, Australia; Singapore; Bangkok, Thailand; Rangoon, Burma; and Phnom Penh, Cambodia November 11-20, 2012.
On November 11, Secretary Clinton will travel to Perth, Australia to join U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr, and Australian Defense Minister Stephen Smith for the annual Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN) to discuss security cooperation and other regional and global issues. In Perth, Secretary Clinton will meet with Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Foreign Minister Bob Carr. She will also visit the new Western Australia – United States & Asia Centre (USAC). She will then travel to Adelaide where she will meet with Australian business leaders as well as visit Techport Australia, Australia’s largest and most advanced shipbuilding facility.
Secretary Clinton will travel to Singapore on November 16-17 to meet with senior government officials, including Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Foreign Minister Kasiviswanathan Shanmugam, on a wide range of issues.
On November 17, Secretary Clinton will travel to Bangkok, Thailand. She will join President Obama and his delegation on November 18 for meetings with Prime Minister Yingluck and other senior Thai officials to underscore our strong alliance and discuss shared priorities and regional issues in advance of the ASEAN East Asia Summit.
Secretary Clinton will accompany President Obama to Burma on November 19, and join his meetings with Burmese President Thein Sein and Chair of the National League for Democracy and Member of Parliament Aung San Suu Kyi.
Secretary Clinton will also accompany President Obama on his travel to Phnom Penh, Cambodia November 19-20 to attend the U.S.-ASEAN Leaders Meeting and the East Asia Summit.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton delivers remarks at the Global Business Conference on Travel and Tourism at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. on October 2, 2012. A text transcript can be found at http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2012/10/198561.htm.
Strategic Dialogue on International Travel: Exceeding the President’s Travel and Tourism Goals
As the Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs, I had the distinct pleasure today of briefing leaders from the travel and tourism industry on the strides we and our partners have made in transforming how we facilitate travel by legitimate visitors to the United States, while maintaining the highest standards of border security. My remarks were part of a half-day Strategic Dialogue on International Travel to review the progress we have made in meeting and exceeding the President’s travel and tourism goals.
You see, our consular officers in 222 visa issuing posts around the world have always understood that they are often the first and only interaction a foreigner will have with a U.S citizen. The visa process protects our borders, but it is also an integral part of our public face beyond those borders. This is why we are working harder than ever to make that process… more »
Inaugural Launch of the U.S.-Brunei English Language Enrichment Project for ASEAN
Remarks Hillary Rodham Clinton Secretary of State Universiti Brunei Darussalam Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei September 7, 2012
SECRETARY CLINTON: We believe that learning English is a valuable tool in the 21st century, especially here in Southeast Asia. Scientists collaborate in English. Schools and universities often share information and ideas in English. International business and commerce rely on English. And it is the operational language for ASEAN, which makes it essential for diplomacy and regional cooperation.
Now, this is not in any way to undermine the importance of national and local languages, which are rich in meaning and culture and history. But speaking English can help foster cross-cultural friendships and partnerships, because when people from different countries are able to speak the same language, they can better understand each other, avoid misunderstandings and miscalculations, and try to find ways to collaborate to solve common problems. They can exchange ideas more easily about local, regional, and global trends and learn more on a personal level about each other’s lives and circumstances.
So this program is about more than learning a language. It’s about building ties of friendship, learning, cooperation, and partnership among the peoples of this diverse region. It’s about making ASEAN an even more effective and active organization. And it’s about strengthening the relationships people-to-people between ASEAN and the United States. MORE
Remarks With Timor-Leste Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao
Remarks Hillary Rodham Clinton Secretary of State Government Palace Dili, Timor-Leste September 6, 2012
SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you very much, Prime Minister, and I am absolutely honored and delighted to be the first-ever United States Secretary of State to visit Timor-Leste, and to help celebrate your 10th anniversary of an independent, democratic state. I told the Prime Minister when we met in February that I was determined to get there before the year was out as a very visible sign of our support for all that has been accomplished by the government and the people of this nation.
My message to the Timorese people is this: The United States was proud to stand with you during your struggle for independence, and we are standing with you as you work to build a strong democracy with robust institutions, the rule of law, and protecting the rights of all of your citizens. Strong democracies, we know from long practice, make more stable neighbors and capable partners, which is one of the reasons why the United States is advancing democracy and human rights as a central pillar of our engagement throughout Asia. MORE
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![Travelers walk through the terminal at Washingtons National Airport, Nov. 2010. [AP File Photo]](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20130216110621im_/http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2010_1222_airport_travel_m.jpg)
