President Barack Obama hosted Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the White House last week for an official Head of State Visit, marking the close bilateral relationship between the two countries. President Obama will visit the State Department today to deliver remarks at the Chief of Missions Conference. Meanwhile, U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman heads … Continue Reading
Legislative & Executive Branch Ukraine & Russia Deputy Secretary of State Bill Burns was in Kyiv, Ukraine, last week meeting with political leaders, civil society and religious leaders. White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said last Wednesday: “The United States strongly supports Ukrainian leaders’ ongoing work to form an inclusive, multiparty government to represent all … Continue Reading
Executive and Legislative Branch Activity Trade The third round of Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) discussions get underway this week in Washington. U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman and EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht are expected to meet in either January or February to start a “political review” of the progress made in the … Continue Reading
Executive and Legislative Branch Activity Iran Secretary of State John Kerry joined the P5+1 Talks last Friday in Geneva, Switzerland. The Talks failed to reach an agreement this past weekend and are expected to resume at a lower level on November 20. At the conclusion of the Talks, Secretary Kerry said: “There’s no question in my … Continue Reading
Executive and Legislative Branch Activity Iran The Senate is in session this week, while the House is in recess. The Obama Administration continues to urge the Senate to delay acting on new sanctions over Iran’s nuclear program. This week, the P5+1 Talks with Iran resume in Geneva, Switzerland (November 7-8). Syria The Organization for the … Continue Reading
Executive and Legislative Branch Activity Budget and the Debt Ceiling Debate With no congressional consensus on a bill to fund the U.S. federal government for FY 2014, on Tuesday, October 1, the U.S. government partially shut down. Last week, the House attempted to advance its strategy of passing “mini” continuing resolutions (CR) to fund parts … Continue Reading
Executive and Legislative Branch Activity Egypt The State Department continues to call for an end to perceived arbitrary arrests in Egypt. Despite reported calls in Egypt by Islamists and the opposition for U.S. Ambassador Ann Patterson to leave Cairo, the State Department maintains its support for the embattled veteran Foreign Service officer. Meanwhile, Deputy Secretary … Continue Reading
Executive and Legislative Branch Activity Syria Leaders at the G-8 Summit last week reiterated their support for a political solution to the Syrian civil war and for the transitional government plan agreed to last year in Geneva. The G-8 Leaders Communiqué condemned the use of chemical weapons in Syria, but it did not identify the … Continue Reading
Executive and Legislative Branch Activity Syria Austria said it is pulling its troops out of the United Nations (U.N.) peacekeeping mission to Syria after increased battles between Syrian troops and rebels in the Golan Heights. The White House condemned the Assad regime’s assault on the city of Qusayr, noting the attack has killed “untold numbers … Continue Reading
