The Secretary of State, appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate, is the President's chief foreign affairs adviser. The Secretary carries out the President's foreign policies through the State Department, which includes the Foreign Service, Civil Service, and U.S. Agency for International Development. On February 1, 2013, John Kerry was sworn in as the 68th Secretary of State of the United States.
On May 16-19, Secretary Kerry travels to Beijing and Seoul to meet with senior government officials to discuss a range of issues, then to Seattle to deliver remarks on trade, including the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Trip Page»
Secretary Kerry (May 13): "The United States stands very firmly behind the Wales commitments, with respect to NATO. We believe very strongly in NATO’s role, particularly on the southern flank in dealing with Libya, in dealing with some of the problems of migrants." Full Text» Trip Page»
Secretary Kerry (May 6): "The United States and Djibouti, plain and simply are friends, and we are working together in common interest on any number of things -- obviously security, but well beyond security too." Full Text» Trip Page»