Press Statement
Marie Harf
Acting Department Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
April 27, 2015
Secretary of State John Kerry will travel to Colombo, Sri Lanka, on May 2 for his first trip to the country and the first visit by a Secretary of State since 2005.
In Colombo, he will meet government leaders, civil society members, and other representatives from the country’s diverse communities to hear and express U.S. support for their vision for a more peaceful, stable, and prosperous future for its people. Secretary Kerry will also join his hosts for the celebration of the Buddhist holiday of Vesak.
Secretary Kerry will also visit Nairobi, Kenya, beginning on May 3, to reinforce the importance of our strong bilateral relationship. In his meetings with government officials, business leaders, opposition leaders, humanitarian aid organizations and civil society representatives, he will discuss a range of issues including security cooperation -- particularly in light of the recent tragic attack at Garissa University College – refugee assistance, trade, and biodiversity.
This visit will focus on our common goals, including accelerating economic growth, strengthening democratic institutions, and improving regional security.
On May 5, Secretary Kerry will travel to Mogadishu, Somalia to reinforce the United States commitment to supporting Somalia’s ongoing transition to a peaceful democracy. In his meetings with federal and regional government officials, he will discuss security cooperation and Somalia’s progress towards meeting its reform and development benchmarks in view of its 2016 elections. He will also meet with civil society leaders to discuss the importance of a vibrant NGO sector and thank African Union troops for their role in stabilizing Somalia. This is the first ever Secretary of State visit to Somalia.
The Secretary will travel to Djibouti, Djibouti, on May 5, where he will meet high-level leaders to discuss our bilateral cooperation and their support to evacuation efforts from Yemen. He will engage with Djiboutian youth and religious leaders on a range of issues. The Secretary will also visit with U.S. military personnel at Camp Lemonnier.
This is the first time that a sitting Secretary of State will visit Djibouti.
On May 6 and 7, Secretary Kerry will visit Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He will meet with senior government leaders to discuss a variety of issues related to regional security.
Secretary Kerry will then travel to Paris, France, to meet with Foreign Ministers from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries to discuss shared regional priorities and security cooperation, as well as participate in Victory Day commemorations marking the allied victory in Europe. While in Paris, the Secretary will also meet with French Foreign Minister Fabius to discuss regional and global issues.
To read the full piece from U.S. Department of State, click here.