Deputy Secretary Sullivan Travels to North Africa

Photo: Department of Commerce

Office of the Spokesperson
Department of State
Washington, DC
June 21, 2018

Deputy Secretary of State John J. Sullivan will travel to the Netherlands, Denmark, Algeria, and Morocco, from June 25 to 29, to discuss a range of U.S. priorities, including joint efforts to maintain an enduring defeat of ISIS and promote cooperation on regional and global security challenges.

In The Hague, the Deputy Secretary will lead the U.S. delegation to a special session of the Conference of the States Parties of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to address the ongoing use of chemical weapons worldwide and to reinforce the global norm against such use. Deputy Secretary Sullivan will reiterate the United States’ commitment to ensuring that all those responsible for the use of chemical weapons in Syria, and elsewhere, are held to account.

He will then lead the U.S. delegation to Copenhagen to participate in the Ukraine Reform Conference: ”A Driver for Change”, hosted by the governments of Denmark and Ukraine. There, the Deputy Secretary will reaffirm the United States’ support for Ukraine’s independence and territorial integrity while reiterating our conviction that Ukraine’s future and democratic development depend on the implementation of serious, structural reforms. Deputy Secretary Sullivan will also meet with Denmark’s Foreign Minister, Anders Samuelsen, to discuss a range of bilateral and regional matters.

In Algeria, Deputy Secretary Sullivan will meet with a range of senior government officials. He will participate in the fifth annual bilateral dialogue between the United States and Algeria on security and the fight against terrorism, and will reaffirm our strong bilateral cooperation against terrorism and shared efforts to promote regional stability. He will also discuss with Algerian leaders the efforts to expand the U.S.-Algeria economic partnership.

Finally, the Deputy Secretary will travel to Morocco where he will meet with senior government officials to discuss a range of political, economic, and security issues, including Morocco’s important contributions to the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS. He will also meet with a group of Moroccan youth in Casablanca.

During his trip, the Deputy Secretary will engage with U.S. Embassy staff, as well as representatives and leaders from civil society.