Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo remarks to the media
Transcript
Hey, Tony, are you okay? Yeah, You have to be everyone. Welcome. First a few notes on travel. I had a her productive trip to Southeast Asia a week or so ago. Then I’ll be heading out again on Friday of this week, this time to France, to Turkey, to Georgia. Israel got her the U. S. A. And to Saudi Arabia. The conversations will differ, obviously, in each country, many different things to cover. But I’m sure many of them will focus on this administration’s historic efforts to forge peace and cooperation throughout the Middle East. That leads me to my big thing today. The Trump administration has had enormous to success in Marshall and coalitions of like minded nations for the good of American, for the entire world. That’s one example. Just three weeks ago, we continued our unprecedented defense of the unborn by signing the Geneva consensus declaration alongside 32 other nations. I’m especially proud that we made religious freedom of top priority. The United States foreign policy. For the first time in America’s history, our efforts are gaining momentum. We’re building. They’re getting a momentum that is all their own. On November 16th and 17 Poland will host the third ministerial to advance religious freedom or belief. This virtual event on the heels of the 18 4019 ministerial, which were hosted here in Washington State Department are the largest human rights events ever held here at the State Department. Albania, Morocco, Taiwan, the United Arab Emirates and Colombia have all held follow on events as well and the Internet for free, Um, or belief alliance that I launched in February of this year. Now it’s blossomed into 31 member states and growing. Next week, I’ll have very special opportunity to participate in Virtual Alliance ministers meeting to solidify our plans for future accent action in the religious freedom space. You know, we’re building out coalitions to share our values in the economic sphere. In recent weeks, under Secretary Keith Krach has traveled to more than a dozen countries to bring freedom loving countries and companies together in the Clean Network, a group that pledges to use only trusted vendors in their five G networks. I’m happy now. We have almost 50 clean countries today, representing nearly 23 nearly two thirds of the world’s GDP, 170 telephone companies telcos have agreed to be clean. And many of the world’s leading companies air on board. That includes 27 of 30 NATO allies, 31 of 37 OECD members, 26 of 27 E. U members and 11 12, 12 of the three C’s nations. Under Secretary Keith Krach is now down in South America is discussing the clean network with the government officials and private sector leaders in Brazil. And in fact I got the news within the last hour that the government Brazil supports the clean network principles and I’m confident we’ll signed an MOU in the very near future. I want to thank Brazil and its leadership for doing that. We’re also standing alongside of Brazilian partners to protect the environment with the U. S Brazil Environmental Framework Dialogue that was held earlier today. The United States and Brazil are about riel results when it comes to protecting the environment and growing our economies, not empty rhetoric under secondary crocus also led the first ever Japan US Brazil Trilateral exchange, which will advanced democracies ability to prosper together. A sovereign and independent states. Talk about Asia for just a minute. I’m pleased to announce that on the 20th of this month, Undersecretary Crock will lead our economic prosperity partnership dialogue with Taiwan under the auspices, the American Institute of Taiwan and the type of economic and cultural representative office here in the United States. The dialogue signifies that our economic relationship with Taiwan ah vibrant democracy and a reliable partner is strong and growing will help increase cooperation, everything from safe and secure supply change to the clean and five G, security to health, security and two more turning to another State Department. You’re building out coalitions of the like minded. Last week, the Bureau of Energy Resource is under the leadership of Assistant Secretary Fannin convened a virtual meeting of the Energy Research Governance Initiative. 20 countries attended, working for secure, resilient, diverse and well governed critical energy, mineral and supply change. We’re proud to participate in the 35th annual Joint Economic Development Group meeting with Israel later this week. The Trump Administration has exerted American leadership in unprecedented ways and multilateral institutions to just a SUI helped protect the intellectual property rights by ensuring that the World Intellectual Property Organization is run by an individual who respects property rights. Last week the United States helped ensure that the United Nations stewards its finances responsibly. I’m happy to report that an American with 40 years of administrative budget experience will be placed in the U. N. System. Having won a seat on the advisory committee on administrative and Budgetary questions doesn’t sound like much, but it’s a big deal. This advisory body shapes the UN’s regular budget and its peacekeeping budget. It’s nearly $10 billion a year, with more than two billion coming from the United States alone. Our diplomats made the case to our allies and partners on why having an American voice on this committee for the first time in an awfully long time is crucial to ensuring the money is spent responsibly. I want to congratulate Donna Marie. American leadership also continues on the counterterrorism front today, the United States in Nigeria, co hosting a virtual meeting with members of the global coalition, focused on countering the threat of Isis and its worldwide branches, including West African, and to supporting ongoing international efforts throughout the region and in the Middle East. Just last week, the United States sanctioned for many’s former Lebanese government minister, Gibran Brazil, under global Magnitsky authorities for his role in corruption. The Lebanese people clearly want their corrupt political class so much of it beholden to Hezbollah to stop ruining their country. Our action shows the American people stand with the Lebanese people as they call for their political leaders to chart a new direction marked by reforms, transparency and honesty, governance and on Iran. Our efforts to protect the American people from the regime in Tehran will not cease today the Treasure Department sanctioned and international network of companies and individuals that procured electronic components for a sanctioned Iranian military firm. I think it’s clear by now that those who do business with Iran’s military and proliferation sensitive industries are risking the exact same punishment in Europe. The United States welcomes. They use adoption of guidelines for third state participation in permanent structure cooperation projects. Opening the door to US participation in you defensive issues will strengthen NATO EU cooperation as well and very importantly, interoperability. We look forward to completing an administrative arrangement with the European Defense Agency that your broad U. S. Participation inside of Pesko closer to home our prayers are with the people of the region as the recover and rebuild from hurricane status. Horrible devastation. The United States government is proud to have provided assistance already to our friends in Central America, proud to support Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru as these governments work together to address illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing, we’re very concerned that the Chinese I you you activity, this unregulated fishing took place off the coast of Ecuador, as it has elsewhere in the world. I was with the Ecuadorian foreign minister. He and I both agree that this must stop on Bolivia. President Trump was pleased to send a delegation headed by Treasury Undersecretary Brett Macintosh for the inauguration of President Luis Arce on November 8th. I also spoke to the president elect last week to congratulate him on his historic victory. We also congratulate the people of ST Vincent and the Grenadines on their successful election last week, and we continue to seek similar free and fair elections in Venezuela and in Nicaragua. There’s also plenty of news before it closed on the human rights front yesterday, the State Department sanctioned for senior Chinese Communist Party officials and Hong Kong police who have undermined Hong Kong’s promised autonomy and crushed the freedoms of its people. We will continue to challenge actions by the CCP and its Hong Kong proxies who stifle democracy and basic freedoms. On Monday in Syria, we unleash the fifth branch of the Caesar Act designations on Bashar Assad and his regime, and the United States commends the you for taking similar actions to sanction individuals responsible for prolonging the horrific conflict inside of Syria. We will continue to coordinate with our you and like minded partners to promote accountability for the regime there and the atrocities it has committed against the Syrian people. In Geneva yesterday, the United States presented our national report on the U. S. Commitment to domestic human rights at the U. N. Universal periodic review. I’m very proud of the work we did. Our remarkable, vibrant democracy provides for the greatest freedoms and protection of human rights anywhere in the world. The brutal regimes shouting the loudest about our record have the most to hide about their abysmal treatment of their own people. With that, I’m happy to take questions which hi, is the State Department currently preparing to engage with the Biden transition team? And if not, at what point does a delay hamper a smooth transition or pose a risk to national security, there will be a smooth transition to a second trump administration. All right, we’re ready. The world is watching what’s taking place here. We’re gonna count all the votes. When the process is complete, they’ll be electors selected. There’s a process. The Constitution lays it out pretty clearly. The world should have every confidence that the transition necessary to make sure that the State Department is functional today. Successful today and successful with the president who’s in office on January 20th, a minute afternoon will also be successful. I went through a transition on the front, and I’ve been on the other side of this Ah, very confident that we will do all the things that are necessary to make sure that they, the government, the United States government continue to performance national security function as we go forward. So you believe there’s widespread voter fraud, that the reports that we’re getting from Pennsylvania from Michigan showing both totals and NASA leads or significant leads with 99% reporting are going to be overturned and that the United States failed to conduct a fraudulent free election rich on the Secretary of State. I’m getting calls from all across the world. These people are watching our election. They understand that we have a legal process. They understand that this takes time, right? Took us 37 plus days in an election back in 2000, conducted a successful transition. Then I’m very confident that we will count and we must count every legal vote. We must make sure that any vote that wasn’t lawful or not be counted that dilute your vote if it’s done improperly. Got to get that right. When we get it right, we’ll get it right. We’re good shake. Should foreign leaders not be calling? Were President elect Biden? I’m not I can barely hear you. Ma’am. I’m sorry. Obama said I want about the sanctions against Iran. Brazil, in Lebanon. We know that we heard that this waas on the making for some time, but I want to ask about the timing. Have you where you we’re doing this, uh, toe make a new stage for the new administration. Andi also I want to ask about that. I’m saying to you a one we expect that to be delivered. So the second question is about the arms sales to the United Arab Emirates. So we’ll have significant announcements with respect to that here very, very soon way. Continue to review arms sales all across the world, including two are important friend and partner in the United Arab Emirates. We’re confident we will. We will be able to provide them weapons systems that will ensure their security and do the work that we all need to do collectively to counter the threat from the Islamic Republic of Iran. Did you ask about Iranian sanctions earlier and the impact of those you know, the sanctions against LeBron Brazil in Lebanon? Are you setting the stage for the new administration? I want to ask about the timing. That’s it. Yeah. So I’ll answer that question more broadly. No, the sanctions we put in place because the right and proper and we’ll deliver good outcomes for the people in the country in which we sanction their leaders who are corrupt. That certainly holds true for Gibran Basile, right? This was someone who was deeply connected to a foreign terrorist organization, Hezbollah. We’ve now sanctioned him. The Lebanese people don’t wanna have anything to do with that independent nation. They want a sovereign country. They don’t want the political elites that have been corrupted through the system that was put in place and permitted them to loot and rob their country. They want freedom. They want prosperity. They want jobs. Those are the things we want. The sanctions that we put in place against the former minister are appropriate and useful towards getting us closer to that one day with the Lebanese people can have what it is they so richly deserved. Expecting Christina. Hi, Christina. Hi. How are you? Good. Good. Um, is there any evidence that the CCP has interfered in the recent election or is trying to sow chaos in the aftermath of the legal challenges? It was a question about Russia, CCP or any foreign interference. So I’m gonna I’m gonna leave that question to the Department of Homeland Security and to the just department folks who deal with that. But as I think we all said prior to the election, we did an enormous amount of work to reduce the risk that they would have the capacity to have a significant capability to, uh, to interfere in the elections themselves. And I’ll leave the details of what they have determined so far about that. Teoh for them to announce. Go ahead, I’ll take one more. Hi. Hello, Secretary. Um, you said when the process is completed, So what? When are you? Yeah, this is the This is the third question. Just this just man, if you would. I came out here today and talked about important foreign policy issues. This is now the third question important thing that’s happening in this country right now. I’m wondering, Yes, ma’am, go and ask your question. I’ll give my answer. What kind of guidance are you giving to American diplomats on how to characterize the results of the presidential election? And also, this department frequently sends out statements encouraging free and fair elections abroad on for the losers of those elections to accept the results? Doesn’t President Trump’s refusal to concede discredit those efforts? That’s ridiculous, and you know it’s ridiculous, and you asked it because it’s ridiculous. Look, the truth, you asked. The question is, when you ask the question, if you if you will permit me toe, answer it. You asked a question. That is ridiculous. This department cares deeply to make sure that elections around the world are safe and secure and free and fair, and my officers risk their lives to ensure that that happens. They work diligently on that we often encounter situation, for it’s not clear about a particular election. We work to uncover facts we work to do discovery toe, learn whether in fact, the outcome. The decision that was made reflected the will of the people. That’s our responsibility, what we try to do along with partners all across the world, along with OSC inspectors, to make sure that those elections were free. For We want every one of those votes to be counted in the same way that we have every expectation that every vote here in the United States will be kind of two. It is totally appropriate. The United States has an election system that is laid out deeply in our Constitution, and we’re gonna make sure that we get that right, and we have we have all of you have should and should be committed to making sure that that happens. I think every one of you wants that same outcome. You want every vote to be counted. You want to run the process we want the law to be imposed in a way that reflects the reality of what took place. And that’s what I think we’re engaged in here in the United States. And that’s what we work on every place all across the world. Thank you all. He’s referred President elected by Have you given State Department?