Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari Meets Sec. Tillerson

Photo: State Department

Readout

Office of the Spokesperson

Department of State

Washington, DC

March 12, 2018

The statement below is attributable to Spokesperson Heather Nauert:‎

Secretary Tillerson met with Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari on March 12 in Abuja to strengthen the U.S. partnership with Nigeria. He recognized Nigeria’s leadership in the Lake Chad Basin Multinational Joint Task Force which seeks to defeat Boko Haram and the ISIS affiliate in West Africa. The Secretary expressed concern about the recent attacks and abductions and agreed to expand counterterrorism cooperation to diminish the threats to U.S. and Nigerian interests. They reviewed plans for presidential elections in 2019, and considered opportunities to promote Nigeria’s economic recovery, enhance trade, and increase investment. The Secretary encouraged political and economic reforms. He also urged full implementation of UN Security Council resolutions related to the DPRK.

Nigerian Foreign Minister Geoffrey Onyeama and Sec. Tillerson: Press Availability

Photo: State Department

Press Availability

Rex W. Tillerson
Secretary of State

Presidential Villa

Abuja, Nigeria

March 12, 2018

MODERATOR: Gentlemen of the press, we are delighted to have hosted the American Secretary of State, Mr. Rex Tillerson, who just left our president a short while ago. Now he is here with our minister of foreign affairs, and they are going to address the press. Here, Mr. Secretary of State and our minister, we have both Nigerian journalists and American journalists. So after your initial remarks, they will then ask questions – two from the American side and then two from the Nigerian side.

So, Mr. Secretary of State, we can proceed with your remarks. Thank you.

SECRETARY TILLERSON: Well, good afternoon, and I am so pleased to be back in Nigeria, a place that I have visited many, many times. And I particularly appreciate the time that President Buhari and Foreign Minister Onyeama have given me to discuss our countries’ relationship, and importantly the commitments we have and make to one another.

We collaborate to create a number of opportunities to increase trade and investment and to expand access to electricity, an essential component of both human and economic development. We also take on a number of challenges across this continent together, from corruption to disease to terrorism. As Africa’s largest economy, Nigeria is America’s second-largest trading partner on the continent with over $9 billion in Nigerian-U.S. total goods traded last year.

Later this year, we will inaugurate the U.S.-Nigeria Commercial and Investment Dialogue and a Trade and Investment Framework Council, both very positive steps to develop stronger business networks and address barriers to increasing trade and investment from the United States. We also look forward to the finalization of the Continental Free Trade Agreement through the African Union as an important mechanism to accelerate intra-African trade, a step which we believe is going to bring even greater foreign direct investment and I know a greater U.S. business investment and involvement in Africa, and most particularly Nigeria with Nigeria’s large population and growing economy.

We thank Nigeria for the leadership role it is playing in the Lake Chad Basin Multinational Joint Task Force with Chad, Cameroon, Niger, and Benin. Boko Haram and ISIS-West Africa have caused the displacement of millions and stolen the future from so many. The recent kidnapping of more than 100 school girls is heartbreaking. Nigeria has the United States’ full support, and we are actively working with our partners here on other ways we can assist you in this fight.

Finally, I shared with the president the United States optimism about the future of democratic governance here and throughout the continent. Nigeria’s elections and peaceful transfer of power in 2015 demonstrated for the rest of Africa and the world that diverse societies can conduct peaceful, democratic transitions of leadership. The United States looks forward to joining with government and civil society groups in support of transparent, credible, fair, and peaceful elections once again here in Nigeria.

The United States also commends Nigeria’s anti-corruption efforts. President Buhari’s work has resonated across the continent with his recent recognition as the African Union’s anti-corruption champion. We continue to encourage the Nigerian Government to work with civic and community leaders to create a durable social, economic, and political infrastructure that supports lasting peace and development for the decades to come. This is essential to deepening the people’s trust in their government, strengthening security efforts in the northeast, and improving the United States’ ability to partner with Nigeria in the future. We see nothing but a very bright future ahead for Nigeria and for U.S.-Nigerian relations. Thank you.

MODERATOR: Thank you. Honorable Minister for Foreign Affairs.

FOREIGN MINISTER ONYEAMA: Well, first of all, we’d like to thank Secretary Tillerson for coming to Nigeria, and especially, as you know, he was slightly under the weather during his last – his trip to the last country he visited. So it was really quite a great effort for him to be here, and we’re very appreciative of that.

His visit here clearly shows the level of the relationship between the two countries. The two presidents have an excellent personal relationship, and that has transmitted down through the U.S. Government and the Nigerian Government. And during their meeting they talked about a number of things.

With regards to the economy, the Secretary recognized the size and the importance of Nigeria economically in Africa, and they appreciated, together with Mr. President, the importance of U.S. investment in Nigeria. And Mr. President pointed out that there are a large number of U.S. companies investing in Nigeria. The Secretary pointed out that Nigeria was the second-largest trading partner of the United States in Africa, and they both recognized the need and the possibilities of increasing that level of trade. And as you know, Mr. President is – has set up a commission, a committee chaired by the vice president, on the enabling business environment council.

So as a government, the need and the objective is there to make Nigeria an attractive place to do business, and we look forward very much to the United States as such an important trading partner being involved economically and trade-wise with the country. And of course, as the Secretary has just reiterated, he also mentioned that the Continental Free Trade Area treaty is about to be signed in Kigali, Rwanda in the framework of the African Union to promote greater intra-African trade, and the U.S. supports that very much. And this is a treaty that will probably signed early next week.

With regards to governance, again, Mr. Secretary recognized that our president is so highly regarded in the area of good governance, especially anti-corruption. And as you all know, he is a champion of the African Union theme for this year on anti-corruption, and this was acknowledged and recognized by the Secretary.

And in this context, it talked about the elections, our elections next year, and the importance of maintaining the peaceful trajectory that we have. He pointed out that Nigeria, such a large country, was an excellent model for the rest of Africa, having held three years ago already peaceful and transparent elections, and the U.S. will do everything in their power to support that process and keeping the peace and the good governance throughout.

And on the security question, Mr. President thanked the Secretary for the support that Nigeria is receiving from the United States in our various challenges and battles with terrorism. And in particular, as you know, the United States has agreed to sell to Nigeria the A29 Super Tucano aircraft, which our aircraft and military believe will be a game changer. It will take some time before we get delivery, but hopefully they might somehow fast-track the production of these aircrafts for us.

And of course, Mr. Secretary talked about the importance of cooperating with all the various countries in fighting this asymmetric war against terrorism; but he also pointed out – and Mr. President, of course, has been saying that for a very long time – that the real battle will be in providing the economic environment for those who might otherwise be influenced by violent extremist ideology, and the importance of education. But there again, the – Mr. Secretary pointed out that the U.S. was really there, ready to support Nigeria going forward in – economically, socially, culturally. So it was an excellent meeting that they both had. Thank you.

MODERATOR: Thank you, Honorable Minister. Question time. The first question is Josh Lederman of AP. Thank you.

QUESTION: Thank you so much. Mr. Foreign Minister, your government has long suggested that the Boko Haram insurgents have been defeated, but the response to the abduction of a hundred girls from Dapchi appears to have been badly mismanaged, taking a week to even acknowledge that the girls were missing. What went wrong, and do you still assess that insurgency to have been defeated?

And Secretary Tillerson, while we’ve been here in Africa, Jared Kushner met with the Mexican president without inviting your U.S. ambassador to Mexico. He’s trying to broker Mideast peace despite losing his top security clearance, and he’s under mountain – mounting scrutiny over widespread reporting that his business ties to the UAE led him to push the administration to side against Qatar in the Gulf crisis. Can you tell us, how is this helping your diplomacy? Thank you.

MODERATOR: Please, go ahead.

FOREIGN MINISTER ONYEAMA: Okay. Well, with regard to the kidnapping of the girls in Dapchi, it would be – it’s incorrect, actually, to say that it took a week to acknowledge. It was acknowledged immediately and there was some auditing that was being done, and strategizing. Now, other people might have made comments to the press, but those comments did not represent the government, and no government official came out to indicate that – any lack of acknowledgement of what took place.

Now, fighting terrorism is a new challenge globally. When we talk of having degraded Boko Haram, this government was referring more specifically to the situation that was confronted when the government took over. That was a situation where you had a classical military confrontation and Boko Haram was capturing territory, holding onto territory, and hoisting flags. And so as a conventional military threat, Boko Haram has been completely degraded.

Now, there is a challenge with regards to sporadic suicide bombings and, of course, latterly this kidnapping of the girls. We don’t by any stretch of the imagination minimize those, but it’s really a different kind of warfare as it is. And the government is sparing no effort in addressing that, but it’s a different challenge that requires intelligence and also understanding the environment that breeds this kind of limited support for Boko Haram – the indoctrinization – indoctrination of young children.

So in a nutshell, the answer is it didn’t take a week to acknowledge the abduction of these girls, and secondly, of course, it’s a global challenge. It’s not only in Nigeria, so – the terrorist challenge – and it’s something that we are addressing. But as far as military – classical military threat, we’ve certainly degraded the capacity of Boko Haram to mount a classic military offensive.
Thank you.

MODERATOR: Next question.

SECRETARY TILLERSON: Well, yeah, I think as to – this trip to Africa’s been really important for the administration, and that’s what I’ve been focused on for the past week, as you know. I think, with respect to Mr. Kushner’s portfolio of assignments that the President has given him, I think it’s best to leave any comment on that to himself or the White House.

MODERATOR: Thank you. Next question will come from Ibrahim Adra of Channels Television.

QUESTION: Thank you, Mr. Secretary of State. Ibrahim Adra, Channels Television, and I would like to welcome you on behalf of the state house press corps and hope that this is not your last visit.

Mr. Secretary, like you did mention, one of the side consequences of the Boko Haram insurgency that Nigeria has been fighting to contain is the abduction of secondary school girls in Chibok and of late Dapchi. And we also had just now been told how Mr. President is appreciative of the effort the United States Government, but I’d like to push a little further. In specific terms, in what ways will the United States assist Nigeria in securing these girls from their captors, and how soon?

SECRETARY TILLERSON: Well, first, we respect the responsibilities of the Government of
Nigeria. This is sovereign territory of Nigeria. But the way we support is in providing them capability, capacity, whether it’s equipment, but also training personnel for special operations, and sharing certain intelligence to ensure that they have all the information available to plan and carry out a recovery effort.

But I think it’s also important to put this in the broader regional context as well. Boko Haram is a threat to others regionally, and this has been a subject in my meetings elsewhere while in Africa as well. And in my discussions, in fact, with President Deby in Chad earlier today we spoke about the threat of Boko Haram. And I think what’s important and has really been powerful is the collaboration of the joint task force that – of which Nigeria is a part and Chad is a part, to respond to this threat of terrorism, of which Boko Haram is one organization. There are other threats that the leadership in this part of the country has to deal with and this part of the continent has to deal with.

So the United States is very engaged in that coordinated effort as well, both in supporting, equipping, training, and where we can advise and provide information. I think that’s the best way we can help the Government of Nigeria secure the release of these girls, which we hope will be done in a peaceful manner. We hope that something that can be worked out and they will be persuaded to release these girls quickly. That’s what we’re pray, anyway.

MODERATOR: Thank you, Mr. Secretary of State. Next is Nike Ching of the Voice of America.

QUESTION: Thank you very much. Mr. Secretary, after President Trump accepted North Korea’s invitation for direct talks, North Korea leader Kim Jong-un has not said anything publicly. Have the North Koreans said anything to you privately? How likely do you think it is that the meeting will actually take place, and do you think the two leaders will come to some sort of a deal? And also, where would you suggest the meeting to take place?

Mr. Foreign Minister, if I may, with the recent attacks in Mali, the killing of the U.S. soldiers in Niger and continued (inaudible) in Nigeria by Islamic militants, why is the war against the – against the militants failing to register any gains? Things seem to be getting worse in spite of the big buildup by the regional states and the West, U.S., France (inaudible). Thank you very much.

SECRETARY TILLERSON: With respect to the ongoing discussions about a potential meeting between President Trump and Kim Jong-un, as you know, it’s a very recent development. There will be – several steps will be necessary to agree on a location, agree on a scope of those discussions. It’s very early stages. We’ve not heard anything directly back from North Korea, although we expect to hear something directly from them. So I would – I know those are all questions that people are anxious to have answers to. I would say just remain patient and we’ll see what happens.

QUESTION: How about a location?

SECRETARY TILLERSON: That as well. Nothing – nothing’s been agreed, and I don’t want to start floating ideas out through the media. I think it’s going to be very important that those kind of conversations are held quietly between the two parties.

FOREIGN MINISTER ONYEAMA: Regarding whether things are going – are getting worse in the fight against terrorism, I wouldn’t necessarily agree that that accurately represents the situation, but there is no doubt that the threat is there. There is no doubt that the damage that they are capable of and are actually inflicting is great. And this explains, of course, why there are so many countries involved and now establishing a presence militarily in this part of the continent.

But it’s work in progress, if I can use the word “work” to describe that kind of activity, and it requires a lot of intelligence. And as I said, it’s an asymmetric warfare that a lot of the countries in this part of the continent are just not prepared for, and there’s a lot of – there’s a lot of effort and there’s been a lot of success, I mean really very concrete successes that have been achieved.

But clearly, there’s a lot that still needs to be done, which is why there are these investments. Why does it appear sometimes that these terrorists are able to – or seem to be getting more emboldened and stronger? We’ve seen the attack in Burkina Faso and the ones that you’ve mentioned. Well, sometimes – very often, these are soft targets. It’s so difficult sometimes to prevent completely, but with a greater sharing of intelligence – and I think there’s greater cooperation now with the G5 Sahel, the Multinational Joint Task Force, the Americans have a presence here – we hope to be turning the corner very soon.

MODERATOR: Thank you. Final question will come from Tony Ailemen of BusinessDay newspaper.

QUESTION: Mr. Secretary of State, my name is – my name is Tony Aileman, reporter for BusinessDay newspaper. Sir, we – when you were speaking recently because of your trip you did – African countries to be careful with the kind of loans they take from China. Sir, you also are aware that African countries are facing massive infrastructure deficiency. So I would like to know what alternatives are available to African countries to be able to get resources to develop their massive infrastructure deficiencies. Thank you.

SECRETARY TILLERSON: Well, I’ve commented on this question a couple of other times, and I think it’s important that our view be clearly understood. We do not seek to keep Chinese investment dollars from flowing to countries that need those investment dollars. What we are cautioning countries is to look carefully at the implications of the level of debt, the terms of the debt; whether the arrangements around that financing are in fact creating local jobs, local capacity, or are the projects being carried out by foreign labor being brought to your country? Is the structure of the financing such that you will always be in control of your infrastructure? Are there mechanisms to deal with default in a way that you do not lose the ownership of your own assets? These are national assets, whether they’re ports or railroads or major highways.

And we have seen this occur in other countries where countries were not so careful, and as a result they got themselves in a situation where they ultimately lost control of their infrastructure, they lost the ownership of it, they lost the operatorship of it. And that’s the caution we have. There are very well-known international rules and norms, well-known financing structures to deal with unforeseen circumstances, and I think we’re just – we’re cautioning countries to look carefully.

And there are other alternatives. There are other alternative financing mechanisms available, and I think in particular, if governments create the right conditions around those infrastructure investments, there are also great potential for public-private sector co-investing in infrastructure. And we are developing mechanisms and the President has charged some of his executive staff back home to begin to develop alternative financing mechanisms that will also create alternative opportunities to what China is offering. And again, it may be that China is fine, but we have seen many, many examples around the world where it didn’t work out so well for the host country. And as friends of all countries, we’re just asking: Be careful.

MODERATOR: On behalf of the presidency and the state house press corps, I’d like to say thank you to Mr. Secretary and the Honorable Minister Onyeama.

Chadian President Idriss Deby Meets Sec. Tillerson

Photo: State Department

Readout

Office of the Spokesperson

Department of State

Washington, DC

March 12, 2018

The following is attributable to Spokesperson Heather Nauert:

Secretary Tillerson met with Chadian President Idriss Deby today in N’Djamena to affirm the United States’ strong partnership with Chad and close collaboration on regional security, counterterrorism, and refugees. The Secretary thanked President Deby for his leadership and recognized Chad’s contributions to regional security and stability including Chad’s participation in the UN Multidimentional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali, the Multinational Joint Task Force, and the G5 Sahel Joint Force.

The Secretary and President Deby discussed Chad’s border security challenges, and agreed on the importance of a political solution in Libya. They also reviewed constructive steps Chad has taken to meet the information-sharing and identity management requirements of Presidential Proclamation 9645 of September 24, 2017.

The United States committed to continued cooperation with Chad on counterterrorism, regional stability, and other shared interests. The two also consulted on improving prospects for attracting American investment to Chad.

Chadian Foreign Minister Mahamat Zene Cherif and Sec. Tillerson: Press Availability

Photo: State Department

Rex W. Tillerson
Secretary of State

Presidential Palace

N’Djamena, Chad

March 12, 2018

FOREIGN MINISTER CHERIF: (In French.)

SECRETARY TILLERSON: Well, thank you very much, Foreign Minister Cherif, and I am pleased to return to Chad and to be making my first trip as the Secretary, the first such visit to Chad by any American Secretary of State.

I have known President Deby for many years and I appreciate him receiving me and his hospitality that he extended today. My visit follows the dedication of a new U.S. embassy building here in N’Djamena last October. This dedication and my visit both demonstrate the United States commitment to deepening our relationship with Chad. As I told President Deby, the United States values Chad as a strategic partner in this region.

We know that Chad faces many security threats on each of its borders. We appreciate Chad’s important role in providing security for its own citizens and its contribution to the security of its neighbors as well. Chad plays a vital role in countering terrorism and violent extremism in the Lake Chad Basin and the greater Sahel. Chad contributes more than 4,000 troops to regional forces who are protecting Chadians and other partner nations. And we honor the many sacrifices of many Chadian soldiers who have served with the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali and the Multinational Joint Task Force as well as their commitments to the G5 Sahel Joint Force. These are all significant efforts to counter terrorism in Africa and promote greater stability.

Conflicts in the region have brought domestic demands on Chad as well as Chad hosts many refugees and internally displaced persons as a result of the regional instability. During our conversations, President Deby and I discussed the importance of Chad’s continued engagement in counterterrorism efforts across the region and the United States commitment to strengthening our partnership with Chad.

We also discussed the United States commitment to democratic reforms. The Chadian constitution provides for freedom of speech and assembly. Peaceful gatherings and nonviolent protest allow citizens to share their concerns with their government. This type of citizen engagement should be allowed. We also encouraged Chad to take proactive steps to join the international fight against the trafficking of persons. We look forward to greater cooperation with Chad on every front including counterterrorism, encouraging democratic reforms, and strengthening economic ties between our countries.

Thank you again, Minister Cherif, for welcoming me to your country, and I want to thank President Deby again for his generous provision of the time for our important discussions. Thank you.

MODERATOR: Thank you, Secretary Tillerson. I don’t know if there are some questions from the press (inaudible).

QUESTION: (Inaudible.)

MODERATOR: (In French.)

QUESTION: (In French.)

SECRETARY TILLERSON: With respect —

MODERATOR: (Inaudible.)

SECRETARY TILLERSON: Yeah, with respect to the travel ban, we had a very good exchange between President Deby and myself, and first I wanted to ensure that the people of Chad understand they are welcome in the United States. The steps that have been taken are necessary because of all of the conflict that exists on Chad’s borders, and we recognize the challenges this presents to Chad and the Government of Chad in ensuring that Chad has full control of people who are traveling in and out of its own borders.

We had a very good trip from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the State Department late last year – visited Chad – and we had a very good exchange and many, many important positive steps have been taken by the Government of Chad to strengthen the control over its own passports, to strengthen the information sharing around people who are of concern, potential terrorists. And these steps, I think, are going to allow us to take actions to begin to normalize the travel relationship with Chad. There will be a report prepared in the United States later this month and that will be reviewed with the President in April and we hopeful – we’re hopeful that we can return things to a normalization of travel status, but we’ll have to wait for the final report.

QUESTION: (In French.)

SECRETARY TILLERSON: Well, I think as I just indicated in response to the prior question, the impetus for the action taken on the travel ban – and Chad was not singled out as the only country – had to do with an assessment of the ability of Chad to ensure that passport issuance, passport cancellation, tracking passports that have been lost, that there was a very sound process within the Chadian Government to ensure that it was keeping control of passports. The second was in issuing new passports and ensuring that the latest technologies were being used in issuance of new passports. And then the third was the sharing of information around individuals of concern.

And I think these steps actually are all in Chad’s interest as well, because this strengthens the internal security for Chad as well as meeting some of the security concerns that the United States has more broadly. And again, as I indicated, all of these areas have been addressed by Chad and significant progress made in our most recent engagement late last year.

So that – there was no other impetus behind the action that was taken than to improve security in both of our countries.

FOREIGN MINISTER CHERIF: (In French.)

QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, the President’s authorized the department to spend 120 million to counter Russian meddling in Western democracies. But more than a year later, we have not spent any of this money. Why? And isn’t this failure part of the broad set of (inaudible) on your watch, including a paralysis – specifically (inaudible) and (inaudible) inability to get even close to a full leadership in place by now?

And Mr. Foreign Minister, were you at all insulted when you heard that President Trump described Africa as shithole countries (inaudible)?

SECRETARY TILLERSON: The funds that you’re referring to, some of those funds were in the Department of Defense’s budget and the Congress authorized the transfer of funds, and a memorandum of understanding was developed in order to transfer those funds. That memorandum was actually requested in March of last year. We only received DOD’s concurrence in the last couple of months, so a large portion of those funds were tied up over at DOD.

In terms of the use of the funds, now that we have our confirmed under secretary for diplomatic relations – for public diplomatic relations[i], there is a very active effort underway through the Global Engagement Center now using social media and other tools to begin to respond to Russia’s – in particular Russia’s meddling and interference in elections not just here but abroad. So we’re in the early stages of developing that effort and those programs, and some of those funds are being used – very small amounts at this point – as we staff up to be able to respond more proactively.

Having said that, there have been other actions taken through interagency processes to respond already, so it has not gone without a response.

FOREIGN MINISTER CHERIF: (In French.)

QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, (inaudible) that the foreign minister, how concerned are you about the threat of ISIS in Libya, as well as in the Sahel (inaudible)? And what reassurances did you give (inaudible)?

And Mr. Foreign Minister, were you reassured (inaudible)? And (inaudible) your desire (inaudible) the U.S. (inaudible)?

SECRETARY TILLERSON: Well, as we anticipated, as we have had success in defeating ISIS in Iraq and Syria, we knew that fighters would flee that area, and we knew that Africa is a place they would come. Now they have established themselves in various regions and they are – they have actually recruiting efforts underway. So we are concerned about the presence of ISIS in Libya but also the presence of ISIS elements elsewhere in the Sahel. It’s the reason we strongly support the G5 Sahel forces, but also the forces in Mali as well, to control the spread of ISIS in this region. As we’ve said many, many times, this is a global fight to defeat ISIS, both on the battlefield but also ideologically, and that fight goes on here very actively in Africa, with our important partner Chad contributing significantly to that effort.

FOREIGN MINISTER CHERIF: (In French.)

# # #

Sec. Tillerson Lays Wreath at August 7th Memorial Park in Kenya

Photos: State Department

 

Rex W. Tillerson
Secretary of State

Nairobi, Kenya

March 11, 2018

 

SECRETARY TILLERSON: Please, take a seat. Well, good afternoon and thank you for being here. I just have some very brief remarks.As all of you well know, 1998 terrorists thought they could demoralize and destroy the Kenyan and American people by attacking the U.S. embassy here in Nairobi. Of course, they were wrong. Nearly 20 years later, we meet here to honor those who we lost and those who were injured. Hundreds of lives were taken and hundreds if not a thousand more were changed forever. Some of our current embassy colleagues who survived this tragedy, including Ambassador Godec and his wife Lori and our current locally employed staff at the embassy that day of the bombing, are with us as well. And it’s an honor to meet all of you, and I appreciate you being here.
To the survivors present, please know that the American people remember your service and your sacrifice as well as those who are not with us today and have been forever lost. Our hearts are with the many who lost family, friends, and colleagues on that tragic day.

Today we remember them and their bravery, the compassion, and the sacrifice, as well as many who without hesitation that day and at risk to themselves rushed into action to save lives and help others. We honor those heroes and the courage they displayed as well. They are all examples to us.
As our work continues to end terrorism, those who sought to divide us here have failed. Our commitment to work together as Americans and Kenyans is steadfast, it is enduring, and we will build on the shared values and our shared future, which remains very strong. We will never forget the names on this wall.

Thank you.

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta Meets Sec. Tillerson

Photo: State Department

Office of the Spokesperson

Department of State

Washington, DC

March 10, 2018

The following is attributable to Spokesperson Heather Nauert:

Secretary Tillerson met with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta yesterday in Nairobi and highlighted long-standing U.S.-Kenya cooperation on counterterrorism, regional security, and trade. He welcomed the joint announcement between President Kenyatta and opposition leader Raila Odinga as a positive step toward healing Kenya’s ethnic and political divisions. The Secretary emphasized strong U.S. support for democratic institutions, including the judiciary, civil society, and the media, and expressed concern about restrictions to political space. Secretary Tillerson and President Kenyatta also discussed the shared goal of defeating al-Shabaab in Somalia, strengthening AMISOM, and the need for a viable political process on South Sudan. They also agreed to identify opportunities to expand commercial and business ties.

Kenyan Foreign Minister Monica Juma and Sec. Tillerson: Press Availability

Photo: State Department

Press Availability

Rex W. Tillerson
Secretary of State

Nairobi, Kenya

March 9, 2018

 

FOREIGN MINISTER JUMA: Thank you. Excellency Mr. Rex Tillerson, Secretary of State, United States of America, Excellency Ambassador Godec, colleagues from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, members of the Fourth Estate: I am delighted to welcome and host His Excellency Rex Tillerson, the Secretary of State of the United States, to Nairobi today. The Secretary is in Kenya for three days as part of his official visit that began at the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa and that is heading to a number of African countries, namely Djibouti, Ethiopia, Chad, and Nigeria.

On behalf of His Excellency the President, the government, and the people of Republic of Kenya, and indeed on my own behalf, I take this opportunity to express our utmost gratitude to Secretary Tillerson for his historic visit. Visiting Kenya as part of his first official tour of Africa is not only a great testament to, but a timely reaffirmation of, our deep historical and strategic relationship between Kenya and the United States of America.

Late this afternoon, Secretary Tillerson had the opportunity to meet and hold bilateral talks with Excellency President Uhuru Kenyatta, during which a range of issues were discussed and modalities of follow-up of agenda agreed upon. During their meeting, President Kenyatta expressed his satisfaction at the existing strong bilateral cooperation on a wide range of issues and areas. He reaffirmed his commitment to continue working closely with the administration of the United States on matters of mutual interest.

The discussion focused on priority areas of cooperation, including their shared conviction in the fight against terrorism, radicalization, other transnational crimes, as well as regional peace and security, and more importantly, our economic partnership.

On the bilateral front, President Kenyatta shared his focus on the Big Four agenda, which aims at improving livelihoods, creating jobs, and growing the economy of Kenya by focusing on critical areas of our economy in the next five years. He urged the Government of the United States of America to support the implementation of the Big Four and observed with delight the steps taken by a number of American companies, including Bechtel International, to set their African headquarters in Nairobi and their readiness to commence investment in construction of a number of our infrastructure projects. The president also expressed his appreciation that all processes are now complete in readiness for the inaugural direct flight between Nairobi and New York and expressed his optimism in the – that this flight – this flight – direct flight between our countries will boost people-to-people contacts and trade between our countries.

In our exchange of views with Secretary Tillerson, I have reaffirmed and the president as well has reaffirmed Kenya’s commitment to the values of democratic governance, constitutionalism, the rule of law, and human rights. We underscored the importance of respecting established democratic institutions as the basis for entrenching democratic governance across the globe. We noted the exponential growth of trade between our countries and we hope that we can begin to negotiate towards concluding a framework that will succeed AGOA when it comes to an end in 2025.

At the regional front, Kenya sits in a fragile region with numerous security threats. We commend the Government of the United States of America for their existing robust partnership and support to us in the area of security, military, and intelligence cooperation. In this area, the president urged and Secretary Tillerson reaffirmed the commitment of the two countries to continue working together in the fight against terrorism, in countering violent extremism, and other security threats. We especially welcome the continued support of the USA to AMISOM. We in Kenya, like other troop-contributing countries, believe in the need for sustained engagement in order to sustain the gains made and to create an enabling environment to turn Somalia around. On South Sudan, we noted the slow progress in the IGAD high-level revitalization process, and we share very deep concerns about this crisis that has impact on large numbers of people. But President Kenyatta reaffirmed Kenya’s continued demonstrated commitment towards our efforts to restore South Sudan to normalcy.

In reference to environmental and wildlife conservation, we appreciate the longtime support from the U.S., especially against illegal poaching and trade of wildlife trophies obtained from endangered species, and we continue to urge further U.S. support in this endeavor in order that we can sustain and preserve our common humanity.

I wish at this point to thank Secretary Tillerson for this historic visit. We hope he’ll come back again to enjoy the fauna and beauty of our country that we hold in trust for humanity, and we hope that this time he will also take some time to enjoy a little bit of that menu. It is now my honor and pleasure to invite the Secretary of State of the United States to make his remark. Secretary Tillerson, please.

SECRETARY TILLERSON: Well, thank you so much, Secretary Juma, for the welcome, and congratulations on your recent confirmation to your new position. And I truly enjoyed coming to Kenya and to continuing the work of the United States in this enduring partnership between our two countries. I do want to congratulate President Kenyatta and opposition leader Odinga on their meeting this morning and their joint announcement. This is a very positive step, in our view, and while we know addressing Kenya’s ethnic and political divisions will take some time and effort, today both of these men showed great leadership in coming together in the agreement that they signed today. The United States looks forward to supporting the process that was announced this morning to bring the country together and to address the various national divisions. Kenya is a leader in Africa and a longtime partner of the United States, and we are steadfast in our support for Kenya.

Tomorrow, on behalf of the American people, I will pay my respects to those who died 20 years ago in the U.S. embassy attacks here and in Dar es Salaam. Tragically, we still are confronted with the face of terrorism. During our meeting today, we discussed threats facing Kenya, Africa, and the global community. The United States appreciates our security partnership with Kenya and our shared fight against terrorism. We recognize the 4,000 Kenyan troops serving in Somalia as part of AMISOM to counter al-Shabaab and bring stability to that country.

Kenya is a country of tremendous opportunity. With a fast-growing GDP at more than 5 percent, a vibrant culture of entrepreneurship, and a regional economic – and a regional economic leader, we are eager to find more ways to work with you to grow our economic cooperation. In 2016, total trade between our countries was just under $1 billion. I know we can do much more, and we look forward to growing our trading relations. We commend the government’s Big Four economic growth initiative, and look forward to deepening the ties between American and Kenyan business communities to support this effort.

As the secretary already commented on, we shared our concerns during our discussions with the president about the importance of democratic institutions and Kenya as a leading democracy in Africa. We believe that there are actions that need to be taken in Kenya and that they need to correct certain actions, like shutting down TV stations and threatening the independence of the courts. I know Kenya takes these matters seriously. A free and independent media is essential to safeguarding democracy and giving all Kenyans confidence in their government.

The United States looks forward to growing our comprehensive relationship with Kenya. Our commitment is not to one party, but to all of the Kenyan people. We stand ready to assist Kenyan – Kenya and the Kenyan people as they move forward on what we know will be a very bright future. Thank you very much.

MODERATOR: Your Excellencies will take a few questions. I want to ask (inaudible).

QUESTION: Karibu Kenya, Secretary Tillerson. Given the timing of the commitment to unity by President Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga – (inaudible) preceded your arrival – did the U.S. have anything to do with that mediation? And as mentioned by Secretary Monica Juma, the U.S. has reaffirmed its commitment to Kenya’s security – sorry, to collaborating with Kenya in the area of security, as well as growing trade. But what about the other programs, such as PEPFAR, Power Africa, YALI, and AGOA?

SECRETARY TILLERSON: Well, I think the U.S. obviously has been very supportive of Kenya’s journey moving forward after what’s been a difficult election period. And we were very, very encouraged and pleased to see the two leaders come together today. But I think we really want to give them the credit. This was a very important, I think, action on their part to show that they’re ready to work on behalf of all Kenyans regardless of party and begin to really take this long journey that’s necessary to restore the country, eliminate these divisions that are creating obstacles to Kenya’s future. And so I really – all the credit goes to the two leaders this morning that came together in a very important agreement.

MODERATOR: We have another question from AP. (Inaudible.)

QUESTION: Thank you. Madame Cabinet Secretary – (inaudible) microphone? Madame Cabinet Secretary, could you respond to the Secretary’s remarks, and can Kenya truly call itself a democracy in light of the severe restrictions imposed on free media in the country, starting with the silencing of television outlets, the firing of editors, and pressure on news outlets to stifle criticism of the government?

And Mr. Secretary, can you talk a little bit about the fact that your administration has been running the government for more than a year now and we still see vacancies in key administration posts, including assistant and under secretaries, also including the North Korean envoy? What’s taking so long to fill these posts and what’s your response to allegations that some posts are being left unfilled intentionally? Thank you.

FOREIGN MINISTER JUMA: Let me respond to the question around the media, because I think this has been played up significantly. First of all, I think the definition of democracy goes way beyond the media, but also the provision of free press in this country is secured within our constitution. And the incident that is being referenced here is a one-off incident. It’s an incident that affected three of more than tens of TV stations in this country. It is a matter that involved investigation of the police, and you will know, if you operate in this environment, that we have perhaps the largest media corps anywhere on this African continent.

So the notion that there is a restriction of the media in Kenya is actually not backed by fact and reality. In this country, I think it is important for me to emphasize that we bestowed upon ourselves a progressive constitution because we believed that only that constitution, only those liberties, only those privileges guaranteed by the constitution would help us to realize our full potential as a country. And that involves a whole range of rights and protection of institutions beyond the media.

And I have to say this, that since this process began, the start of that new constitution, which was three decades ago, up and until 2010, when we promulgated the 2010 constitution, and from 2010 to today, including in the event that Secretary of State was referencing this morning, are all indications of our fidelity to our aspiration to deepen our democratic credentials. And therefore, I want to put it to everyone here that the democratic project in this country is on the right trajectory, and it is not under any form of threat whatsoever.

SECRETARY TILLERSON: Well, I think this is a question you’re probably going to be asking the day the end of the first term of this administration ends. We have a number of nominees in the system, as you well know. We have – we’ve had a number that have been confirmed this year. There are several waiting on their hearings to be scheduled before the relevant committees. But as you well know, the process is a fairly rigorous one, from the time we select an individual, they agree to serve, to go through their clearance processes, to go through the clearance both from a standpoint of security but also the clearance with the White House process, and then make their way over to be nominated directly for consideration by the confirmation by the Senate.

And along that way, not surprisingly, sometimes things come up and people decide they want to proceed any further, or things come up that disqualify individuals. That’s why we have a clearance process. It’s an important element of the whole process of naming and confirming people so that when they are confirmed and they’re ready to serve, there’s no question that they meet all the qualifications as well. And when that happens, we have to start the process over, and that’s happened to us on a number of occasions.

I think with respect to the open positions – I’ve said this many, many times; I’m going to stick with what I’ve said and stand by it – I think if you look at the results that we’re getting in very important policy areas, and you mentioned North Korea, and the open positions we have there, I think as we’ve seen in the last 24 hours, the policy that was put in place and has been executed by the State Department over the past year has succeeded. And we’ve done that in spite of the fact that we have people serving in acting positions in some cases.

So as I’ve said many times, I don’t lose a wink of sleep over the fact that we may not have our nominees in the position because we have very capable, skilled, career diplomats ready to step up and serve in those positions. And they are serving superbly, and we are moving the policies forward, and nothing is being held up because the positions are open.

Would I like to have them filled? Of course I would like to have them filled, because it’s easier on everyone, including our career people, and some of the career people that are waiting for confirmation. It’s a very different matter to be Senate-confirmed versus in an acting role, and we know that. But having said that, I am very, very proud of the State Department and the work that we’re getting done.

MODERATOR: One final question from Ferdinand Omondi.

QUESTION: Thank you. It’s Ferdinand from the BBC. The United Nations accuses Kenya and Uganda of aiding the conflict in South Sudan by supplying arms at a time when the U.S. is pushing South Sudan’s neighbors to enforce an arms embargo. What is the U.S. position in this, and what actions, if any, are being taken?

SECRETARY TILLERSON: Well, the U.S. believes that the arms embargo should be enforced, and that’s – our position has been very clear on that.

FOREIGN MINISTER JUMA: I also have to state here that Kenya is not involved in any supply of arms to any of the parties. For the longest period of time, Kenya has been involved in the search for peace in South Sudan, and it would be foolhardy that we would invest in the search for peace while at the same time arming parties to that conflict. We take the first unintended consequences, including large numbers of refugees that are already flowing into our territories.

So I have to make it abundantly clear that Kenya has no intention of exacerbating that conflict, that Kenya is engaged in terms of efforts to normalize South Sudan, and it is not in our policy or our intention to get involved in supplying arms to either South Sudan or any other country for that matter.

MODERATOR: Thank you, Your Excellencies. And that concludes – that’s the end of this press briefing. Thank you.

Djiboutian President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh Meets Sec. Tillerson

Photo: State Department

Office of the Spokesperson

Department of State

Washington, DC

March 10, 2018

The following is attributable to Spokesperson Heather Nauert:

Secretary Tillerson met with Djiboutian President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh in Djibouti on March 9 to affirm the United States’ commitment to our broad partnership with the Government of Djibouti as it addresses regional political, development, and security challenges. The Secretary thanked President Guelleh for continued security cooperation, which promotes the common economic and security interests of the people of Djibouti and the United States. The Secretary also encouraged President Guelleh and Djibouti to further efforts to make Djibouti a more attractive destination for foreign investment.

Djiboutian Foreign Minister Mahamoud Ali Youssouf and Sec. Tillerson: Press Availability

Photo: State Department

Press Availability

Rex W. Tillerson
Secretary of State

Presidential Palace

Djibouti City, Djibouti

March 9, 2018

FOREIGN MINISTER YOUSSOUF: (Via interpreter) The Secretary of State has had two crucial meetings with myself and with the President of the United States. The Secretary of State is here at the beginning of his five-nation African tour, and Djibouti is extremely proud to be on the list of countries that the Secretary of State is visiting.

We’ve had many fruitful discussions today, but we are very proud also of the fact that Djibouti is the host country to Camp Lemonnier, and we’ve had many fruitful discussions pertaining to our goal together in fighting against violent extremism, and security, stability throughout the region. We have talked about many issues: our relations with China, and also many other commercial issues pertaining to the region. And also we also talked about the fact that this year there will be some upcoming meetings of the binational forum.

SECRETARY TILLERSON: Well, first let me begin by thanking Foreign Minister Youssouf for his very warm welcome to Djibouti, and I appreciate his leadership, not just here, but in the region as well. And we had a very fruitful discussion on how we can deepen U.S. – United States and Djibouti relations.

I also want to thank President Guelleh for the opportunity to have an important dialogue with him, as well. As I expressed to the foreign minister, the United States is committed to continuing this very strong partnership with Djibouti. Our relationship continues to provide benefits to both the people of the United States, and certainly to the people of Djibouti. And both of us are working together to address a variety of challenges that this region is confronted with.

One of our most important areas of cooperation and mutual interest, I think is well understood, is security. And we are grateful to Djibouti for hosting thousands of United States troops here in Djibouti. This is a relationship that has been mutually beneficial to both the United States and Djibouti, by strengthening Djibouti military forces, as well. U.S. military presence here does facilitate a very quick response to terrorism and violent extremism that threatens both of our countries. But as well, it threatens the region and stability in this region.

Wherever that threat may come from, whether it be ISIS finding its way to this continent or from al-Qaida, al-Shabaab, or other terrorist organizations, we are here in partnership with the people of Djibouti to protect the citizens of both our countries, as well as countries in the region. And we greatly appreciate all that Djibouti is doing, and the contribution of troops it makes to the African Union Mission in Somalia, through AMISOM. Djibouti plays a major role in safeguarding the free flow of global commerce through the Red Sea, allowing billions of people to access goods from all over the world by keeping the sea lanes free and open.

During our meeting we discussed the large role Djibouti plays in humanitarian support. It is a critical staging point for significant humanitarian aid that is distributed throughout the region – in particular, countries that are suffering food insecurity. Djibouti is a very important port for the delivery and the distribution of food assistance to so many countries. And Djibouti also plays an extremely important role in its hosting of refugees that are escaping conflict in the region.

We talked about our efforts to support reforms that would create long-term prosperity for Djibouti and will make Djibouti even more competitive for investments and trade. And part of our commitment in working with the Government of Djibouti is to continue long-term progress towards good governance, strengthening the governance and the institutional governance capacity here in Djibouti. We are committed to support civil society development and institution-building in several ways, and we had a very good exchange on that.

So again, thank you, Excellency, for the warm welcome. We look forward to continuing this very important relationship with Djibouti. And again, I appreciated the opportunity for both of our meetings today. They were very useful to me. Thank you.

MODERATOR: We can take a few questions.

QUESTION: Good morning, Your Excellencies. It’s (inaudible) from Djibouti Television. My question is for the State Secretary, Rex Tillerson.

And Mr. Secretary, as part of your walking visit to Djibouti, how do you look forward in order to expand and strengthen partnership and trade and investment between the United States of America and Djibouti?

And my second question is related to the security issue. Let’s bear in mind that Djibouti is the biggest African country for the peacekeeping mission in Somalia, and one of the key allies in the fight against al-Shabaab in Somalia in that country. How United States and other countries from the sub-region can work together in order to better fight or enhance security in the regions?

SECRETARY TILLERSON: Well, we had a very good discussion, a lengthy discussion, about the investment climate in Djibouti and what U.S. investors are looking for, in terms of stability and certainty in the investment climate. And we do see that there are investment opportunities in Djibouti. And I think part of this is ensuring that U.S. businesses understand what those opportunities are.

But we had a very good exchange on strengthening the business climate for investment. Transparency is very important to private sector investment. And we had a good discussion around that.

In terms of the joint effort to fight terrorism and al-Shabaab in Somalia, this is – obviously, Djibouti has an important role because of the number of troop contributions that they make to AMISOM. And we coordinate with AMISOM, with the African Union, our own efforts in the fight against al-Shabaab in Somalia. We shared our views on how that is going. We feel that there has been very good progress made in liberating areas of Somalia. It’s important, though, that those areas then are secured so they remain liberated and they don’t fall under control of al-Shabaab.

But we have a lot of work to do in Somalia yet. And I had very good discussions in my meetings in Addis Ababa with the African Union chairperson about that mission. And rest assured, the U.S. is committed to staying engaged with AMISOM forces until we defeat al-Shabaab, and Somalia is stable and secure and able to find its own way forward to prosperity. Thank you.

QUESTION: Thank you so much. Mr. Secretary, for months you’ve been saying that conditions are not yet right for talks with North Korea, and that you would know it when you saw it. Less than 24 hours ago, that was still your position. What changed in the last 24 hours that gave the Trump administration confidence that now is the right time? Can you explain the logic behind starting this process, talks about talks, as you’ve described it at the level of the leaders of the country? And did you know when you made those comments yesterday that this meeting was in the works?

And Mr. President, if I may —

FOREIGN MINISTER YOUSSOUF: Minister. I’m not president. (Laughter.)

QUESTION: Pardon me. My apologies, my apologies. Yes, we’ve been seeing quite a few people today. The United States, the IMF, and others have warned that your country’s incredible debt to China is putting your future at risk. Some say it’s as much as 85 or 90 percent of your GDP. How will Djibouti be able to service that debt?

SECRETARY TILLERSON: With respect to talks with North Korea versus negotiations – and I think this seems to be something that people continue to struggle with the difference. My comments have been that we’re – the conditions are not right for negotiations, but we’ve been saying for some time we are open to talks. President Trump has said for some time that he was open to talks and he would willingly meet with Kim Jong-un when conditions were right and the time was right. And I think in the President’s judgment, that time has arrived now. So there’s no – in my comments yesterday, I was indicating comments about negotiations, but we’ve been open for talks for some time.

In terms of the decision to engage between President Trump and Kim Jong-un, that’s a decision the President took himself. I spoke to him very early this morning about that decision and we had a good conversation. This is something that he’s had on his mind for quite some time, so it was not a surprise in any way, because I think this has long been something. He’s expressed it openly before about his willingness to meet with Kim Jong-un.

So now, I think it’s a question of agreeing on a timing of that first meeting between the two of them and a location, and that will take some weeks before we get all that worked out. So no surprise. We know that there’s been a lot of discussion, and you’ve been reading about it too through the intra-Korean dialogue. We also had been having contacts back and forth with them, as you’re well aware, through channels that we have had open for some time. And I think this was the most forward-leaning report that we’ve have had in terms of Kim Jong-un’s, not just willingness, but his strong desire for talks.

So I think it was really – what changed was his posture in a fairly dramatic way that, in all honesty, was a – came as a little bit of a surprise to us as well that he was so forward-leaning in his conversations with the delegation from South Korea.

FOREIGN MINISTER YOUSSOUF: As far as the debt burden is concerned towards China, let me first underline the fact that no country can develop itself without having a strong infrastructure. And China is, from that perspective, a very good partner. Of course, the burden of debt is there, we are aware of it. But let me tell you that it is so far manageable. We have something, like, 84 percent of our GDP in terms of debt, but we have also to recognize that countries like Japan have more than 200 percent of their GDP in terms of that burden.

So it is manageable. We invested in a very strong and good infrastructure, and we hope that this commercial infrastructure will be able to help us pay back our debt. So we are not that worried, but we have – we keep an eye on that and we see that China is doing a good job in terms of financing our infrastructure.

QUESTION: Thank you. Mr. Secretary, the Gulf Crisis is affecting the Horn of Africa with the United Arab Emirates getting involved in the internal affairs of countries on the Horn of Africa. What is the U.S. response to this situation?

And secondly, the Yemen war is right next door. Many Yemeni-Americans are unable to bring their children or spouses to the U.S. Nearly all of them are being rejected because of the Presidential proclamation. What would you say to these American citizens that are being separated from their families?

SECRETARY TILLERSON: Well, we remain very concerned about the dispute among the Gulf partners and Egypt with Qatar. The President’s been directly engaged in discussions with the leaders about this dispute. I – the State Department has a mission in the Gulf this week talking to all the parties about seeking a way to start a process of resolving this dispute. We are aware that that dispute has spilled over into parts of Africa in – particularly the Horn of Africa. We have spoken directly to the leaders of those countries and asked them to not take their dispute into third countries, but deal with it among themselves, do not use others as part of this disagreement they have with each other. We have – we will continue to send that message to them, because we see that it as unhelpful. The region has enough challenges of its own without having that kind of interference finding its way into the Horn of Africa.

The situation in Yemen is – it can only be described as heartbreaking. It’s a terrible tragedy what’s happening in Yemen – the civilian casualties, the humanitarian tragedy we have on our hands now, both from a health standpoint as well as a food security standpoint. We have made progress in getting the Port of Hodeidah open, where we’re able to get more humanitarian assistance in. Djibouti is playing a role in helping get humanitarian assistance in with flights into the capital of Sana’a.

In terms of the people leaving and wanting to come to the U.S., the President has put policies in place that are designed to ensure that people coming are fully vetted. It is somewhat chaotic. I hope everyone can appreciate that when you have areas of conflict like we’re dealing with and we don’t have functioning governments inside of Yemen, there’s not – a lot of time people are leaving with not good documentation. We’ve all witnessed the kinds of attacks that have taken place both in Europe, we’ve had attacks in the United States as well. The President feels a deep responsibility to do everything he can to prevent those. And so, processes have been put in place that do slow the processing of people’s applications to come to the United States. We are going to follow those procedures closely and we hope that people will be patient with us while we work through that.

QUESTION: I am the correspondent Voice of America in Djibouti. And Mr. Rex Tillerson, Secretary of State, welcome to Djibouti.

SECRETARY TILLERSON: Thank you.

QUESTION: The United States of America are late in investment in the continent Africa. What is the President Trump policy to solve this issue?

(In French.)

SECRETARY TILLERSON: Well, U.S. investment into Africa, and in particular the Horn of Africa, is really a matter for private investors to decide. The United States is continuing to provide significant assistance to the Horn of Africa. I think this year we will be providing something like over $530 million to countries in the Horn of Africa, in the form of assistance.

But business investment and creating business prosperity and economic activity is largely something for the private sector from the United States to engage. I think what we can do in the State Department and as the U.S. Government is to work with countries to ensure that they understand the kinds of business and climate that needs to be created, the kind of fiscal terms, the regulatory kinds of structures, transparency, all of the elements that we know U.S. investors are looking to understand in order to make decisions about investments.

There is significant U.S. investment on the continent broadly, but in the Horn of Africa it’s not as large as we think it could be. And so we’re going to continue to work with governments, not just here in Djibouti but throughout the Horn of Africa, to ensure that U.S. businesses understand what the opportunities are, what the challenges are, and help the host governments understand actions we think they can take to improve the attractiveness of their countries to inbound investment.

FOREIGN MINISTER YOUSSOUF: (In French.)

QUESTION: My name is (inaudible) from (inaudible), and my question is to Mr. Secretary. The critic says Africa is not priority for Trump administration. How do you react to that?

SECRETARY TILLERSON: How do what? Oh, no, that Africa is not a —

QUESTION: Okay.

SECRETARY TILLERSON: Oh, no, it’s that Africa is not a —

QUESTION: How do you react? The critic says Africa is not priority for Trump administration. How do you react?

SECRETARY TILLERSON: Well, I think that’s a mischaracterization in terms of the importance of Africa to the United States. And our relationship with Africa dates back obviously for more than a century, and we have diplomatic relations with countries in Africa that date back more than a century. And I think it is variable around the continent; depending on where you are in the continent, that relationship is stronger, there’s greater economic activity. And so it is something that’s variable.

What I have been discussing in this trip, and we had discussions with the African Union about yesterday, is we are very encouraged by steps we’re seeing being taken within the African Union and on the continent, such as the continental free trade agreement. We think that’s going to be a really important engine of future economic growth, which, in fact, will create opportunities for more inbound investment from U.S. businesses as well. The civil aviation agreement that’s being negotiated and put into place, we think that’s going to connect Africa and make it easier for U.S. travelers to come to a hub in Africa and then jump off into the continent more easily. That’s going to create, I think, new opportunities as well.

In terms of economic activity, we see a robust future for Africa. You have a very rapidly growing population. Five of the twelve fastest-growing economies in the world are in African countries. So we see the economic opportunity here.

Obviously, there are important security issues that we share as well. As terrorism moves around the globe, we have created a Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS. We see ISIS has come to this continent. We will be on this continent to fight ISIS with important partners like Djibouti and other countries who are not just contributing money but they’re contributing their own blood of their own fighters to eradicate terrorism. So there are many, many bonds that bind us together from a security standpoint, but also a future economic opportunities standpoint.

Thank you.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn Meets Sec. Tillerson

Photo: State Department

 

Office of the Spokesperson

Department of State

Washington, DC

March 8, 2018

The following is attributable to Spokesperson Heather Nauert:

Secretary Tillerson met with Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn in Addis Ababa today, his first stop on his first visit to Africa as U.S. Secretary of State. The Secretary emphasized long-standing U.S. commitment to and partnership with the Ethiopian people. The Secretary thanked the Prime Minister for Ethiopia’s continued leadership on regional humanitarian and security issues, noting specifically Ethiopia’s role as a host of refugees and one of the most significant contributors to peacekeeping operations, and the role Ethiopia can play in the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) to improve regional relations.

The Secretary encouraged completing the democratic reforms to broaden political participation, particularly in light of the ongoing government transition. The Secretary also stressed the role of the private sector and the desire to see increasing numbers of U.S. firms invest in and export to Ethiopia, who bring with them a focus on transparency and training. The Secretary commended the Prime Minister for his commitment to Ethiopia’s future, demonstrated by his decision to step down, to facilitate a peaceful transition, and to make way for further reforms.

Ethiopian Foreign Minister Workneh Gebeyehu and Sec. Tillerson: Press Availability

Photo: State Department

Press Availability With Ethiopian Foreign Minister Workneh Gebeyehu
03/08/2018 09:32 AM EST

Press Availability
Rex W. Tillerson
Secretary of State
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

March 8, 2018

MODERATOR: Would you join me to welcome the two foreign ministers. May we rise, please? I thank you very much. Ameseginalehu. Your Excellency Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu, foreign minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia; Your Excellency Rex Wayne Tillerson, U.S. Secretary of State; ambassadors, ministers, all protocol observed, welcome to Addis Ababa, the political and diplomatic hub of Africa.

As His Excellency Minister Tillerson said during his speech at George Mason University, Africa is part of the future. It’s a continent in which 70 percent of its population is youth. This population, Your Excellency, is an opportunity and, again, a challenge. Ethiopia, as a UN-U.S. partner and longer in the continent, I believe this extraordinary visit will further deepen the ties of Ethiopia and the United States, one of the oldest diplomatic ties.

According to our program, His Excellency Dr. Workneh and His Excellency Rex Tillerson will highlight the gist of their discussions to the media, and that will be followed by questions from media houses. Media houses, make sure that you have one questions. If it is more than one, the two principals will ask – will respond to one question only.

I thank you very much. Excellency Dr. Workneh.

FOREIGN MINISTER WORKNEH: Thank you very much. Thank you. Good afternoon. The house is full. Your Excellency Rex Tillerson, Secretary of State of the United States of America, we are delighted to have you here in your visit to Africa as a first stop here in Addis Ababa. United States and Ethiopia have a century-old relationship, a relationship which, time-tested, always a relationship.

So Your Excellency, your coming here is a testament for this strong relationship. I and Excellency Secretary discussed extensive issues bilaterally. We discussed about our regional issues – the regional security, international issues, international politics – at the same time, how to boost our economic ties and investment between the United States of America and Ethiopia.

We touched about the issue of South Sudan and Somalia, which we are working very closely together. And also, we discussed other very important security concerns that we have in common. And also, I explained to Excellency about our situation, the country’s situation, the transition that we are in the process, and we are very thankful that the United States of America is a close friend, which – working with us in all aspects, especially in economic areas. So it was very cordial, candid, and very fruitful discussion. And thank you so much, Your Excellency.

SECRETARY TILLERSON: Well, thank you as well, Excellency, for the warm welcome and hospitality. And we just had a very enjoyable lunch where we were able to continue our discussion with a number of members of both of our delegations, which is always useful to gain a greater understanding of each other. I also want to welcome both the local press and the foreign media as well to this event. And we do appreciate our partnership, and particularly at such a critical time for Ethiopia. I also look forward to my meeting later today with the prime minister.

And I’m quite excited to be in Ethiopia. This is my first visit, and certainly this was an important place to start my trip as Secretary of State to the continent, in large measure because of the more than 100-year diplomatic relationship between Ethiopia and the United States. And it’s been an enduring relationship; as the foreign minister described it, an all-weather relationship, that even when storm clouds gather we remain friends and have always worked through challenges together.

I also want to acknowledge again today this being International Women’s Day and an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women across the world, and note the role of women in Ethiopia in promoting economic growth as well. It’s quite evident the prominence that women already occupy in government, but in economics as well, strengthening the rule of law, the important role they play in human rights and building and strengthening a civil society that will thrive.

As I indicated, the United States and Ethiopia are longstanding partners. I was glad to have the opportunity to exchange views with the foreign minister on many areas of mutual interest that we share. We recognize and share concerns expressed by the government about incidents of violence and loss of life. We do firmly believe the answer is greater freedom for people, not less. We recognize the transition that is underway in Ethiopia, the first-ever voluntary transfer of power. And I view this as a very positive symbol of the strength of this very young democracy in Ethiopia, a peaceful transition of power.

Given recent events, the United States has expressed our concerns with the government’s decision to impose another state of emergency, because it does put restrictions on fundamental rights like assembly and expression. We also discussed in our exchange the importance of ensuring that security forces remain disciplined in maintaining law and order, preventing violence. They have a very difficult challenge on their hand. This is – this tests their own discipline as well.

We firmly believe that democratic reform, economic growth, and lasting stability are best addressed through an inclusive political process, rather than through the imposition of restrictions. And we encourage the Ethiopian people as well to maintain patience, maintain support for your government through this change, through this transition, but also in pursuing this journey of democracy, which takes time and effort. Democracy is not easy. It takes a lot of work. But staying with it, lasting change will come about, and to not resort to violence. Violence is simply never a solution.

I was able to raise these concerns because of this very, very strong relationship that exists between Ethiopia and the United States, and we share so many values as partners. We want Ethiopia as a country to succeed and prosper, and we’re confident that they will succeed and prosper, providing many, many economic benefits not just for the Ethiopian people, but for the neighboring countries in Africa, and ultimately for U.S. business interest as well.

We welcome the proactive steps that have already been taken with the release of thousands of prisoners, including journalists and political leaders, and we encourage additional concrete measures to allow greater political freedom of expression. As the seat of the African Union, Ethiopia plays a critical and significant role in leadership in the region throughout the continent and the world, and we appreciate its efforts for – to further our mutual goals of peace and prosperity on the continent. This is especially true of our shared security interests. As the largest contributor – Ethiopia is the largest contributor to UN peacekeeping operations – they play a vital role in AMISOM in Somalia, as well as peacekeeping efforts in Sudan and South Sudan. We have shared treasure together in trying to advance the cause of peace, and we have shared blood together in this advance for the cause of peace, and we acknowledge that.

Ethiopia’s influence in supporting the security of Somalia and Djibouti are particularly important at this time to keep global commerce routes open. These routes through the Red Sea affect billions of people around the world in terms of their economic stability. And we discussed the United States is eager to help Ethiopia liberalize its economy. We think it’s going to bring great opportunity and attract many business interests as they continue the process of reform and liberalization, strengthen its judicial and commercial institutions, and assist in humanitarian emergencies here and throughout the region, including the almost one million refugees that currently reside in Ethiopia. And we need to reside – recognize Ethiopia’s generosity in hosting those refugees.

The United States is a long-term friend and partner of Ethiopia. We look forward to working with you as the people of Ethiopia seek greater peace, democracy and prosperity, all of which we know you will succeed at achieving. Thank you.

MODERATOR: Thank you so much, excellencies. Now, back to the media. Tibebu Yared from EBC.

QUESTION: Thank you very much. I am Tibebu from EBC. My question goes to Your Excellency Mr. Tillerson. What is the purpose and, of course, the implication of your visit to Ethiopia at this particular time? Thank you.

SECRETARY TILLERSON: Well, as I indicated, this is a very, very longstanding relationship, more than 100 years. Ethiopia is a large-population country, they are an important security partner in areas that I’ve already touched upon, and we also see Ethiopia’s journey towards democracy – I think 27 years now, which is a long time, but it’s a young democracy, and as I indicated, democracies are challenging. It’s not easy to take a country forward as a democracy. And so we’re here also to support Ethiopia’s journey towards a democratic society and institutions.

But importantly, also, to have an exchange on additional steps that could be taken, what else can the U.S. do to be supportive and helpful of Ethiopia’s economic development. Ethiopia has a vibrant economy, but there’s a lot of potential that has yet to be realized in Ethiopia’s economy, and we think there are great opportunities for U.S. private sector engagement in supporting economic growth, creating jobs for these many, many millions of young people who are working hard at getting an education in school; now they want to have their opportunity for a future themselves. And so we would like – we want to be a part of that and hope to be a part of that.

So there are so many touch points where we share a common interest of security, stability for the region, which affects our security but also affects global security, and then opportunities for economic prosperity. And that’s the purpose of the trip, is to – for us to better understand how do we work together as partners to achieve what are really common aspirations.

MODERATOR: Next question, Sisay Woubeshet, Afro FM. I am trying to meet gender parity. (Laughter.)

QUESTION: Thank you very much. My question also goes to Secretary Tillerson. You came during the time of the second state of emergency here in Ethiopia, and what is your opinion towards the state of emergency, as many nations are opining on that? And how is the U.S. following the current political situation in Ethiopia and what role does it want to play? Thank you very much.

SECRETARY TILLERSON: Well, as I indicated, first and foremost, I want to acknowledge this voluntary transfer of power. We think that’s a very powerful symbol to the strength of the democratic process here in Ethiopia, and we think it’s important that the parliament, which has been elected by the Ethiopian people, decide who the next leadership be. That’s the way democracies should perform.

So I want to first acknowledge the very positive aspects of what is happening. I know it’s challenging for the country. It creates uncertainty. And that is the hard part of democracy. But we support this peaceful transfer of power.

As to the state of emergency, as I indicated, we believe ultimately giving people greater freedom gives them a greater investment in this democracy as well. And so while we appreciate the government’s responsibility to maintain control and not allow violence to break out and harm innocent people as well who may become victims of violence, it is important that that – that the country move on past the state of emergency as quickly as possible. We hope that that can occur. As I said, we’re encouraged that a number of steps have been taken to release large numbers of people who have been detained. That’s an important step. But the citizens of Ethiopia have a responsibility as well to behave in a nonviolent way, and we hope the government allows that nonviolent expression to take place. This is all part of understanding how to best serve the citizens of Ethiopia.

MODERATOR: Thank you very much. Girum Chala from CGTN, international correspondent based in Addis.

QUESTION: Thank you very much. I’m from CGTN. Mr. Minister, thank you very much, as well as Mr. Secretary. Ethiopian Airlines over the past few years has spent about $20 billion – that’s Ethiopian money – invested in the United States, in Boeing Company, to be particularly straightforward. Now, when it comes to those – the money spent, 100,000-plus jobs were created in the United States. When it comes to the investments of the United States to Africa, Ethiopia particularly, we don’t see much. Policy-wise, what’s the next move in this country and particularly also in the African continent to expedite investment? And how do you view, Mr. Minister, the expectation from Ethiopia’s side, the U.S. involvement in helping the country industrialize and even more trade internationally? Thank you very much.

SECRETARY TILLERSON: Well, we had a very robust discussion of economic opportunities and the potential economic opportunities that we see within Ethiopia. And because you mentioned the aviation connection, Ethiopia is becoming a critical hub for intercontinental traffic for people traveling from the United States, with more and more nonstop connections for Americans to travel to Addis Ababa and then make connections to other parts of the continent. I think this is going to promote a great deal of interest in Africa and in Ethiopia. There are still economic reform measures that are necessary, not just in Ethiopia, but in other parts of Africa as well, to lower some of the barriers to investment, create greater certainty to outside business investors, strong rule of law, good regulatory processes. The more privatization of holdings as possible creates opportunities. But we understand this is all part of governments in transitions, economies in transitions, but that’s what we encourage, is what are the areas of opportunity where we believe there will be strong interest in U.S. companies to participate.

I commented on, in our discussions, the what we understand soon-to-be-completed continental free trade agreement, and we believe stimulating intra-continental economic activity and trade from countries on the continent is actually going to create even more opportunity for inbound foreign investment, and certainly U.S. business interest, in wanting to be a part of the intra-continental trading system as well. Similarly, with the civil aviation agreement that’s being negotiated through the African Union. That once again is going to just tie the continent more closely together, more efficiently.

All of these are very positive conditions for outside businesses to want to participate and be a part of. So I think a number of very positive steps are being taken, and I think it’s really ensuring that American businessmen and investors understand what are the opportunities here. And we had discussions about how to do that as well. Recently creating an American Chamber of Commerce-Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce partnership is going to be very important to exposing American businesses to the opportunities here.

So I think there’s a lot of it in front of us yet to come, and as the conditions are created and some of these pieces come into place, I think American business and private sector interest is going to grow in Ethiopia.

FOREIGN MINISTER WORKNEH: Yeah. As Secretary has said, the issue of investment and trade is also one of the agendas that we have discussed with Secretary Tillerson. Africa is a future continent, as Secretary said, and Africa is a population who have more than 70 percent of users and skilled labor. So coming to Africa is, by all measurements, will benefit the business, the investment of America. So we are expecting more investors to come to Ethiopia and Africa; we are expecting more business from here to United States of America and from America to Ethiopia. Ethiopian Airlines is one of the largest airline who have the largest passengers from here, from Africa to United States of America and vice versa. This trade relationship will continue, and we hope that this visit also assists a lot to this – boosting this investment in trade.

MODERATOR: Last question. Kylie Atwood, CBS.

QUESTION: Thank you. Secretary Tillerson, I want to pivot to North Korea for a minute with you. South Korea now says that Kim Jong-un is willing to negotiate with the U.S. on abandoning his nuclear program. You’ve said that you are listening to North Korea, and you said that the message from them will come very explicitly. Is this the message that you needed to hear? And are you worried that the South Koreans are overeager? Can the U.S. now commit to negotiations with North Korea? And I have to ask you one more question about Russia.

MODERATOR: Only one question.

QUESTION: I got cut off last time. Can I ask one more? Thank you. Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov is said to be here in Ethiopia at the same time as you, and the Russian embassy says he’s actually staying at this same hotel. He says there have been talks of you and he meeting. Do you plan to meet with him while you’re here? And if not, what does that say about U.S. diplomacy, that you refuse an opportunity to meet face to face to express U.S. frustrations over Russia’s continued military campaign in Syria? Thank you.

SECRETARY TILLERSON: I think there’s five or six questions in there. (Laughter.)

QUESTION: I’m sorry, but we had to do it.

SECRETARY TILLERSON: First, with respect to North Korea, I think, as President Trump has indicated, potentially positive signals coming from North Korea by way of their intra-Korean dialogue with South Korea. We maintain very, very close communication with President Moon of the Republic of Korea. They are keeping us well informed of their meetings, the content of those meetings and the nature of those meetings, and we’re providing them input as well.

In terms of direct talks with the United States – and you asked negotiations, and we’re a long ways from negotiations. I think it’s – we just need to be very clear-eyed and realistic about it. I think the first step – and I’ve said this before – is to have talks, have some kind of talks about talks, because I don’t know yet, until we are able to meet ourselves face to face with representatives of North Korea, whether the conditions are right to even begin thinking about negotiations. And that’s kind of the current state of play.

With respect to my meeting Foreign Minister Lavrov, I’ve lost track of how many meetings he and I had last year. So any notion of us rejecting diplomatic engagement is really silly. That’s just silly. We have had extensive negotiations, contact, dialogue. We have strategic dialogues. We have a number of mechanisms by which we talk to one another. I was unaware Foreign Minister Lavrov was going to be here at the same time I was until a couple of days ago, and I’m unaware of any outreach to want to meet until I was on my way over here. My schedule’s largely set, so if it doesn’t work out here, he and I see each other often around the world, and we have each other’s telephone numbers, and we do use them.

MODERATOR: Thank you. I thank you, excellencies. Thank you, media houses. Your Excellency Tillerson said that this is his first visit, but I hope this will not be his last visit to Ethiopia. Thank you very much. Thank you.