The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
November 23, 2013

Fact Sheet: First Step Understandings Regarding the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Nuclear Program

The P5+1 (the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Russia, and China, facilitated by the European Union) has been engaged in serious and substantive negotiations with Iran with the goal of reaching a verifiable diplomatic resolution that would prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

President Obama has been clear that achieving a peaceful resolution that prevents Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon is in America’s national security interest.  Today, the P5+1 and Iran reached a set of initial understandings that halts the progress of Iran's nuclear program and rolls it back in key respects.  These are the first meaningful limits that Iran has accepted on its nuclear program in close to a decade.  The initial, six month step includes significant limits on Iran's nuclear program and begins to address our most urgent concerns including Iran’s enrichment capabilities; its existing stockpiles of enriched uranium; the number and capabilities of its centrifuges; and its ability to produce weapons-grade plutonium using the Arak reactor.  The concessions Iran has committed to make as part of this first step will also provide us with increased transparency and intrusive monitoring of its nuclear program.  In the past, the concern has been expressed that Iran will use negotiations to buy time to advance their program.  Taken together, these first step measures will help prevent Iran from using the cover of negotiations to continue advancing its nuclear program as we seek to negotiate a long-term, comprehensive solution that addresses all of the international community's concerns.

In return, as part of this initial step, the P5+1 will provide limited, temporary, targeted, and reversible relief to Iran.  This relief is structured so that the overwhelming majority of the sanctions regime, including the key oil, banking, and financial sanctions architecture, remains in place.  The P5+1 will continue to enforce these sanctions vigorously.  If Iran fails to meet its commitments, we will revoke the limited relief and impose additional sanctions on Iran.

The P5+1 and Iran also discussed the general parameters of a comprehensive solution that would constrain Iran's nuclear program over the long term, provide verifiable assurances to the international community that Iran’s nuclear activities will be exclusively peaceful, and ensure that any attempt by Iran to pursue a nuclear weapon would be promptly detected.  The set of understandings also includes an acknowledgment by Iran that it must address all United Nations Security Council resolutions – which Iran has long claimed are illegal – as well as past and present issues with Iran’s nuclear program that have been identified by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).  This would include resolution of questions concerning the possible military dimension of Iran’s nuclear program, including Iran’s activities at Parchin.  As part of a comprehensive solution, Iran must also come into full compliance with its obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and its obligations to the IAEA.  With respect to the comprehensive solution, nothing is agreed until everything is agreed.  Put simply, this first step expires in six months, and does not represent an acceptable end state to the United States or our P5+1 partners.

Halting the Progress of Iran’s Program and Rolling Back Key Elements

Iran has committed to halt enrichment above 5%:

·         Halt all enrichment above 5% and dismantle the technical connections required to enrich above 5%.

Iran has committed to neutralize its stockpile of near-20% uranium:

·         Dilute below 5% or convert to a form not suitable for further enrichment its entire stockpile of near-20% enriched uranium before the end of the initial phase.

Iran has committed to halt progress on its enrichment capacity:

·         Not install additional centrifuges of any type.

·         Not install or use any next-generation centrifuges to enrich uranium.

·         Leave inoperable roughly half of installed centrifuges at Natanz and three-quarters of installed centrifuges at Fordow, so they cannot be used to enrich uranium.

·         Limit its centrifuge production to those needed to replace damaged machines, so Iran cannot use the six months to stockpile centrifuges.

·         Not construct additional enrichment facilities.

Iran has committed to halt progress on the growth of its 3.5% stockpile:

·         Not increase its stockpile of 3.5% low enriched uranium, so that the amount is not greater at the end of the six months than it is at the beginning, and any newly enriched 3.5% enriched uranium is converted into oxide.

Iran has committed to no further advances of its activities at Arak and to halt progress on its plutonium track.  Iran has committed to:

·         Not commission the Arak reactor.

·         Not fuel the Arak reactor.

·         Halt the production of fuel for the Arak reactor.

·         No additional testing of fuel for the Arak reactor.

·         Not install any additional reactor components at Arak.

·         Not transfer fuel and heavy water to the reactor site.

·         Not construct a facility capable of reprocessing.  Without reprocessing, Iran cannot separate plutonium from spent fuel.

Unprecedented transparency and intrusive monitoring of Iran’s nuclear program 

Iran has committed to: 

·         Provide daily access by IAEA inspectors at Natanz and Fordow.  This daily access will permit inspectors to review surveillance camera footage to ensure comprehensive monitoring.  This access will provide even greater transparency into enrichment at these sites and shorten detection time for any non-compliance.

·         Provide IAEA access to centrifuge assembly facilities.

·         Provide IAEA access to centrifuge rotor component production and storage facilities.

·         Provide IAEA access to uranium mines and mills.

·         Provide long-sought design information for the Arak reactor.  This will provide critical insight into the reactor that has not previously been available. 

·         Provide more frequent inspector access to the Arak reactor.

·         Provide certain key data and information called for in the Additional Protocol to Iran’s IAEA Safeguards Agreement and Modified Code 3.1.

Verification Mechanism

The IAEA will be called upon to perform many of these verification steps, consistent with their ongoing inspection role in Iran.  In addition, the P5+1 and Iran have committed to establishing a Joint Commission to work with the IAEA to monitor implementation and address issues that may arise.  The Joint Commission will also work with the IAEA to facilitate resolution of past and present concerns with respect to Iran’s nuclear program, including the possible military dimension of Iran’s nuclear program and Iran’s activities at Parchin.

Limited, Temporary, Reversible Relief

In return for these steps, the P5+1 is to provide limited, temporary, targeted, and reversible relief while maintaining the vast bulk of our sanctions, including the oil, finance, and banking sanctions architecture.  If Iran fails to meet its commitments, we will revoke the relief.  Specifically the P5+1 has committed to:

·         Not impose new nuclear-related sanctions for six months, if Iran abides by its commitments under this deal, to the extent permissible within their political systems. 

·         Suspend certain sanctions on gold and precious metals, Iran’s auto sector, and Iran’s petrochemical exports, potentially providing Iran approximately $1.5 billion in revenue. 

·         License safety-related repairs and inspections inside Iran for certain Iranian airlines.

·         Allow purchases of Iranian oil to remain at their currently significantly reduced levels – levels that are 60% less than two years ago.  $4.2 billion from these sales will be allowed to be transferred in installments if, and as, Iran fulfills its commitments.

·         Allow $400 million in governmental tuition assistance to be transferred from restricted Iranian funds directly to recognized educational institutions in third countries to defray the tuition costs of Iranian students.

Humanitarian Transaction

Facilitate humanitarian transactions that are already allowed by U.S. law.  Humanitarian transactions have been explicitly exempted from sanctions by Congress so this channel will not provide Iran access to any new source of funds.  Humanitarian transactions are those related to Iran’s purchase of food, agricultural commodities, medicine, medical devices; we would also facilitate transactions for medical expenses incurred abroad.  We will establish this channel for the benefit of the Iranian people. 

Putting Limited Relief in Perspective

In total, the approximately $7 billion in relief is a fraction of the costs that Iran will continue to incur during this first phase under the sanctions that will remain in place.  The vast majority of Iran’s approximately $100 billion in foreign exchange holdings are inaccessible or restricted by sanctions. 

In the next six months, Iran’s crude oil sales cannot increase.  Oil sanctions alone will result in approximately $30 billion in lost revenues to Iran – or roughly $5 billion per month – compared to what Iran earned in a six month period in 2011, before these sanctions took effect.  While Iran will be allowed access to $4.2 billion of its oil sales, nearly $15 billion of its revenues during this period will go into restricted overseas accounts.  In summary, we expect the balance of Iran’s money in restricted accounts overseas will actually increase, not decrease, under the terms of this deal. 

Maintaining Economic Pressure on Iran and Preserving Our Sanctions Architecture

During the first phase, we will continue to vigorously enforce our sanctions against Iran, including by taking action against those who seek to evade or circumvent our sanctions. 

·         Sanctions affecting crude oil sales will continue to impose pressure on Iran’s government.  Working with our international partners, we have cut Iran’s oil sales from 2.5 million barrels per day (bpd) in early 2012 to 1 million bpd today, denying Iran the ability to sell almost 1.5 million bpd.  That’s a loss of more than $80 billion since the beginning of 2012 that Iran will never be able to recoup.  Under this first step, the EU crude oil ban will remain in effect and Iran will be held to approximately 1 million bpd in sales, resulting in continuing lost sales worth an additional $4 billion per month, every month, going forward.

·         Sanctions affecting petroleum product exports to Iran, which result in billions of dollars of lost revenue, will remain in effect.

·         The vast majority of Iran’s approximately $100 billion in foreign exchange holdings remain inaccessible or restricted by our sanctions. 

·         Other significant parts of our sanctions regime remain intact, including:

o   Sanctions against the Central Bank of Iran and approximately two dozen other major Iranian banks and financial actors;

o   Secondary sanctions, pursuant to the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act (CISADA) as amended and other laws, on banks that do business with U.S.-designated individuals and entities;

o   Sanctions on those who provide a broad range of other financial services to Iran, such as many types of insurance; and,

o   Restricted access to the U.S. financial system.

·         All sanctions on over 600 individuals and entities targeted for supporting Iran’s nuclear or ballistic missile program remain in effect.

·         Sanctions on several sectors of Iran’s economy, including shipping and shipbuilding, remain in effect.

·         Sanctions on long-term investment in and provision of technical services to Iran’s energy sector remain in effect.

·         Sanctions on Iran’s military program remain in effect.

·         Broad U.S. restrictions on trade with Iran remain in effect, depriving Iran of access to virtually all dealings with the world’s biggest economy

·         All UN Security Council sanctions remain in effect.

·         All of our targeted sanctions related to Iran’s state sponsorship of terrorism, its destabilizing role in the Syrian conflict, and its abysmal human rights record, among other concerns, remain in effect.

A Comprehensive Solution

During the six-month initial phase, the P5+1 will negotiate the contours of a comprehensive solution.  Thus far, the outline of the general parameters of the comprehensive solution envisions concrete steps to give the international community confidence that Iran’s nuclear activities will be exclusively peaceful.  With respect to this comprehensive resolution:  nothing is agreed to with respect to a comprehensive solution until everything is agreed to.  Over the next six months, we will determine whether there is a solution that gives us sufficient confidence that the Iranian program is peaceful.  If Iran cannot address our concerns, we are prepared to increase sanctions and pressure. 

Conclusion 

In sum, this first step achieves a great deal in its own right.  Without this phased agreement, Iran could start spinning thousands of additional centrifuges.  It could install and spin next-generation centrifuges that will reduce its breakout times.  It could fuel and commission the Arak heavy water reactor.  It could grow its stockpile of 20% enriched uranium to beyond the threshold for a bomb's worth of uranium. Iran can do none of these things under the conditions of the first step understanding.

Furthermore, without this phased approach, the international sanctions coalition would begin to fray because Iran would make the case to the world that it was serious about a diplomatic solution and we were not.  We would be unable to bring partners along to do the crucial work of enforcing our sanctions.  With this first step, we stop and begin to roll back Iran's program and give Iran a sharp choice:  fulfill its commitments and negotiate in good faith to a final deal, or the entire international community will respond with even more isolation and pressure.

The American people prefer a peaceful and enduring resolution that prevents Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and strengthens the global non-proliferation regime.  This solution has the potential to achieve that.  Through strong and principled diplomacy, the United States of America will do its part for greater peace, security, and cooperation among nations. 

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
November 23, 2013

Statement By The President On First Step Agreement On Iran's Nuclear Program

THE PRESIDENT:  Good evening.  Today, the United States -- together with our close allies and partners -- took an important first step toward a comprehensive solution that addresses our concerns with the Islamic Republic of Iran’s nuclear program.   

Since I took office, I’ve made clear my determination to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.  As I’ve said many times, my strong preference is to resolve this issue peacefully, and we’ve extended the hand of diplomacy.  Yet for many years, Iran has been unwilling to meet its obligations to the international community.  So my administration worked with Congress, the United Nations Security Council and countries around the world to impose unprecedented sanctions on the Iranian government.

These sanctions have had a substantial impact on the Iranian economy, and with the election of a new Iranian President earlier this year, an opening for diplomacy emerged.  I spoke personally with President Rouhani of Iran earlier this fall.  Secretary Kerry has met multiple times with Iran’s Foreign Minister.  And we have pursued intensive diplomacy -- bilaterally with the Iranians, and together with our P5-plus-1 partners -- the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Russia, and China, as well as the European Union.

Today, that diplomacy opened up a new path toward a world that is more secure -- a future in which we can verify that Iran’s nuclear program is peaceful and that it cannot build a nuclear weapon. 

While today’s announcement is just a first step, it achieves a great deal.  For the first time in nearly a decade, we have halted the progress of the Iranian nuclear program, and key parts of the program will be rolled back.  Iran has committed to halting certain levels of enrichment and neutralizing part of its stockpiles.  Iran cannot use its next-generation centrifuges, which are used for enriching uranium.  Iran cannot install or start up new centrifuges, and its production of centrifuges will be limited.  Iran will halt work at its plutonium reactor.  And new inspections will provide extensive access to Iran’s nuclear facilities and allow the international community to verify whether Iran is keeping its commitments.

These are substantial limitations which will help prevent Iran from building a nuclear weapon.  Simply put, they cut off Iran’s most likely paths to a bomb.  Meanwhile, this first step will create time and space over the next six months for more negotiations to fully address our comprehensive concerns about the Iranian program.  And because of this agreement, Iran cannot use negotiations as cover to advance its program.

On our side, the United States and our friends and allies have agreed to provide Iran with modest relief, while continuing to apply our toughest sanctions.  We will refrain from imposing new sanctions, and we will allow the Iranian government access to a portion of the revenue that they have been denied through sanctions.  But the broader architecture of sanctions will remain in place and we will continue to enforce them vigorously.  And if Iran does not fully meet its commitments during this six-month phase, we will turn off the relief and ratchet up the pressure.

Over the next six months, we will work to negotiate a comprehensive solution.  We approach these negotiations with a basic understanding:  Iran, like any nation, should be able to access peaceful nuclear energy.  But because of its record of violating its obligations, Iran must accept strict limitations on its nuclear program that make it impossible to develop a nuclear weapon. 

In these negotiations, nothing will be agreed to unless everything is agreed to.  The burden is on Iran to prove to the world that its nuclear program will be exclusively for peaceful purposes.

If Iran seizes this opportunity, the Iranian people will benefit from rejoining the international community, and we can begin to chip away at the mistrust between our two nations.  This would provide Iran with a dignified path to forge a new beginning with the wider world based on mutual respect.  If, on the other hand, Iran refuses, it will face growing pressure and isolation.

Over the last few years, Congress has been a key partner in imposing sanctions on the Iranian government, and that bipartisan effort made possible the progress that was achieved today.  Going forward, we will continue to work closely with Congress.  However, now is not the time to move forward on new sanctions -– because doing so would derail this promising first step, alienate us from our allies and risk unraveling the coalition that enabled our sanctions to be enforced in the first place. 

That international unity is on display today.  The world is united in support of our determination to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.  Iran must know that security and prosperity will never come through the pursuit of nuclear weapons -- it must be reached through fully verifiable agreements that make Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons impossible.

As we go forward, the resolve of the United States will remain firm, as will our commitments to our friends and allies –- particularly Israel and our Gulf partners, who have good reason to be skeptical about Iran’s intentions. 

Ultimately, only diplomacy can bring about a durable solution to the challenge posed by Iran’s nuclear program.  As President and Commander-in-Chief, I will do what is necessary to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.  But I have a profound responsibility to try to resolve our differences peacefully, rather than rush towards conflict.  Today, we have a real opportunity to achieve a comprehensive, peaceful settlement, and I believe we must test it.

The first step that we’ve taken today marks the most significant and tangible progress that we’ve made with Iran since I took office.  And now we must use the months ahead to pursue a lasting and comprehensive settlement that would resolve an issue that has threatened our security -- and the security of our allies -- for decades.  It won’t be easy, and huge challenges remain ahead.  But through strong and principled diplomacy, the United States of America will do our part on behalf of a world of greater peace, security, and cooperation among nations.

Thank you very much.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
November 22, 2013

Joint Statement on the Inaugural Meeting of the U.S.-Russia Bilateral Presidential Commission Working Group on Threats to and in the Use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in the Context of International Security

The United States and the Russian Federation held the inaugural bilateral meeting of the Working Group on Threats to and in the Use of ICTs in the Context of International Security, under the U.S.-Russia Bilateral Presidential Commission, on November 21–22 in Washington, D.C.  In June 2013, President Obama and President Putin agreed to establish the working group to enhance confidence between the United States and the Russian Federation.  U.S. Special Assistant to the President and Cybersecurity Coordinator Michael Daniel and Russian Deputy Secretary of the Security Council Nikolay Klimashin chaired the meeting, and State Department Coordinator for Cyber Issues Christopher Painter and Russian Special Coordinator for Political Affairs in the Use of ICTs Andrey Krutskikh served as the co-coordinators. 

This meeting of the working group addressed a broad range of issues of mutual interest on threats to and in the use of ICTs in the context of international security.  A key component of the discussion concerned the implementation of the bilateral confidence building measures (CBMs) announced by Presidents Obama and Putin in June 2013.  These bilateral CBMs are intended to promote transparency and enhance strategic stability by reducing tensions caused by threats to and in the use of ICTs.  One CBM, for example, uses the Nuclear Risk Reduction Centers in Washington and Moscow to facilitate reliable, real-time bilateral communication about malicious activity concerning threats to and in the use of ICTs.  The participants discussed the implementation of the bilateral CBMs, and ways to promote regional CBMs in venues such as the OSCE and the ASEAN Regional Forum.

In addition to the CBMs, the working group also addressed policy issues such as norms of state behavior, cooperation to combat crime in the use of ICTs, and defense issues resulting from the use of ICTs.

The United States and the Russian Federation agreed to hold meetings of the Working Group on Threats to and in the Use of ICTs in the Context of International Security on a regular and scheduled basis.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
November 22, 2013

Readout of the President’s Meeting with the Peace Corps

In 1961, President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps to promote peace and increase international understanding by encouraging Americans to serve in developing countries.  This afternoon, on the 50th anniversary of President Kennedy’s assassination, President Obama met with longtime supporters of the Peace Corps, its leadership, and volunteers currently serving in Tanzania.  Together, they paid tribute to President Kennedy’s legacy and reaffirmed the importance of serving others at home and abroad.  Since the Peace Corps’ creation, more than 215,000 Americans have committed their lives and talents serving others in 139 countries, and have returned home to give back to their own communities.

President Obama opened the meeting by observing a moment of silence at 2:00 p.m. EST to honor President Kennedy’s memory.  He expressed his appreciation for the commitment exemplified by Peace Corps’ supporters and volunteers and for continuing to respond to President Kennedy’s call to service.  In his web-based videoconference with Peace Corps volunteers in Tanzania, the President learned more about how Americans are keeping those ideals alive today by working to promote food security, bolster health, and empower youth in sub-Saharan Africa.   

Peace Corps Supporters and Volunteers who attended the meeting included:

  • Carrie Hessler-Radelet, Acting Director of the Peace Corps
  • Tim Shriver, Chief Executive Officer of the Special Olympics
  • Harris Wofford, Former Senator from Pennsylvania
  • L. Mariko Schmitz, Board Chair of the Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Washington
  • Glenn Blumhorst, President of the National Peace Corps Association
  • Five Peace Corps Volunteers serving in Tanzania

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
November 22, 2013

FACT SHEET: U.S.-Morocco Strong and Enduring Commitment

Advancing Security and Counterterrorism Cooperation

Morocco is one of our closest counterterrorism partners in the Middle East and North Africa region and one of the most active members of the Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF).  The Government of Morocco is implementing a comprehensive counterterrorism strategy, which reflects technical expertise as well as leadership in the religious and cultural dimensions of countering violent extremism.  Rabat will host the 5th meeting of the GCTF’s Coordinating Committee in spring 2014.

Morocco continues to demonstrate its strong commitment to building international cooperation during its 2012-13 membership on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).  It is currently chairing the UNSC Counter-Terrorism Committee, where it plays a strong leadership role in advancing counterterrorism cooperation, including in the Maghreb and Sahel.  Morocco is a strong partner and an active participant in international peacekeeping operations, contributing over 1,700 personnel to U.N. peacekeeping operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Côte d’Ivoire, and the NATO KFOR mission in Kosovo.

Morocco maintains an effective border security regime and seeks to modernize its strategic trade control system.  With assistance from the Department of State’s Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation’s Export Control and Related Border Security Program, the Moroccan government is working to finalize and pass through Parliament a strategic trade control law and implementation regulations.  If successful, Morocco will be the first North African country to bring its legal framework for nonproliferation export controls up to international standards.

Diplomatic and Political Areas of Cooperation

Regional Issues:  The Government of Morocco is a key U.S. partner in the Middle East and Africa.  Morocco supported the Framework for the Elimination of Chemical Weapons in the Executive Council of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, as well as the UNSC resolution that called on the Syrian regime to fully cooperate in the elimination of its chemical weapons program.  To address the cultural, religious, and social aspects of Mali’s reconstruction, His Majesty King Mohammed VI recently announced that Morocco will train 500 Malian imams in the countries’ shared spiritual values of openness and tolerance.

Democracy and Governance:  The U.S. government is committed to continue to work with Morocco to realize the promise of Morocco’s 2011 constitution and explore ways in which the United States can help strengthen Morocco’s democratic institutions, civil society, and inclusive governance.  In November 2011, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) supported the largest domestic election monitoring initiative in Moroccan history, with more than 2,400 individuals in 8,700 polling stations observing voting in the country’s legislative elections.  USAID is also working to strengthen political parties in Morocco and has helped build civil society’s capacity to engage in democratic reform and advocate for citizens and marginalized groups, particularly the young and the poor.  The United States has expressed strong support for the steps Morocco has taken to qualify for the Open Government Partnership, of which the United States is a founding member.

Equal Futures Partnership:  The Equal Futures Partnership is an innovative, U.S.-led multilateral initiative designed to drive action by member countries with the goal of empowering women economically and politically.  The United States strongly supports Morocco’s efforts to undertake policy, institutional, and legal reforms in advance of the government’s plan on promoting gender equality and addressing gender-based violence.

Migration Challenges:  In order to address challenges in the areas of migration and refugee processing, and in response to recommendations from the Conseil National des Droits de l’Homme (CNDH), King Mohammed VI has called for the establishment of a new comprehensive migration policy.

Economic Areas of Cooperation

Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC):  Morocco’s $697.5 million five-year compact closed in September 2013.  The program was designed to reduce poverty and stimulate economic growth through investments in five projects.  These strategic investments increased productivity and improved employment in sectors with high-growth potential such as agriculture, fisheries, and artisan crafts, complemented by investments in financial services and enterprise support.  The MCC compact for Morocco highlighted the importance of the MCC model of strong country ownership, evidence- and results-based approaches to investment decisions, strong accountability systems, and transparent governance.  Morocco was selected as eligible to develop a second compact by MCC’s Board of Directors in December 2012 and is in the preliminary analysis phase of program development.

Trade and Business Environment:  The United States and Morocco signed a Free Trade Agreement on June 15, 2004 that entered into force on January 1, 2006.  The United States-Morocco FTA is a comprehensive agreement that supports the economic and political reforms that are underway in Morocco and provides for improved commercial opportunities, both for U.S. exports to Morocco, and for Moroccan exports to the United States, by reducing and eliminating trade barriers.  The entry into force of the FTA has facilitated a significant increase in U.S.-Moroccan trade and investment.  U.S. exports to Morocco reached $2.2 billion in 2012, up from $481 million in 2005.  Moroccan exports to the United States likewise increased to $932 million in 2012, up from $446 million in 2005.  U.S. foreign direct investment in Morocco has increased 309 percent since 2005, reaching $613 million in 2012.

Morocco was the first Middle East partner to endorse Joint Principles for International Investment and Information and Communication Technology Services Trade with the United States.  These principles reflect our common commitment to 21st century open and modern economies.

On November 21, 2013 U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Michael Froman and Moroccan Minister for Finance and Economy Boussaid signed a Trade Facilitation Agreement that represents a forward-leaning, 21st century agreement on customs reform and modernization.  The agreement includes provisions covering internet publication, transit, transparency with respect to penalties, and other issues that will further boost Morocco’s competitiveness and benefit its trade environment. 

On November 21, 2013 the Department of Homeland Security Acting Secretary Rand Beers and Moroccan Minister for Finance and Economy Boussaid signed a Customs Mutual Assistance Agreement, which will allow our two governments to exchange customs information to help detect, investigate, and prosecute crimes such as terrorism, narcotics smuggling, weapons smuggling, money laundering, trafficking in persons, and customs violations.

The U.S. Department of Labor is planning to provide up to $5 million to fund technical assistance project(s) to support efforts in rural and peri-urban areas of Morocco to reduce child labor and assist youth of legal working age to secure decent work, and provide household members (age 18 and older) with opportunities for improved livelihoods.  The Department of Labor is also planning to provide up to $1 million for one or more cooperative agreements to fund technical assistance project(s) in Morocco to increase gender equality at work through support to relevant civil society and non-government organizations and efforts to empower women with respect to their labor rights.

Entrepreneurship:  Morocco agreed to host the 2014 Global Entrepreneurship Summit, President Obama’s signature initiative to promote entrepreneurship overseas.  USAID, in partnership with the U.S. Department of State’s Global Entrepreneurship Program, recently launched the Center of Entrepreneurship and Executive Development (CEED) in Morocco.  CEED will empower entrepreneurs to succeed in challenging business environments and is financed through a grant of $2.6 million for programming in Morocco and Tunisia.

Local Development:  The Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) supports Morocco’s framework for advancing regionalization (decentralization) through $250,000 in support to a community-based planning project that trains student activists and local civil society organizations to work collaboratively to develop community initiatives in partnership with commune and local government leaders. 

Educational and Cultural Areas of Cooperation

Youth Exchanges:  Moroccan youth participate in a variety of programs sponsored by the Educational and Cultural Affairs Bureau at the Department of State, including:  the English Access Microscholarship Program, an after-school English language enrichment program for underserved populations; the Youth Exchange and Study Program, an exchange for secondary-school students from countries with significant Muslim populations to attend school and live in the United States with U.S. families for an academic year; the Fulbright Program; TechWomen, a program for young women to receive mentoring from technology experts in Silicon Valley; and the International Visitor Leadership Program, which invites emerging Moroccan leaders to travel to the United States.  There are also several U.S.-government sponsored exchange programs that send Americans students and researchers to Morocco.  In academic year 2012, over 1300 Moroccans studied in the United States and over 950 Americans studied in Morocco.

Education:  USAID has improved pre- and in-service training of teachers, providing in-service training to over 3,000 teachers, including 269 women.  In partnership with the Ministry of Education, USAID has improved and adapted national pre-service teacher training materials for use at training colleges and distance education programs.  USAID also developed an interactive in-service teacher training program, for the newly established teacher training summer institute, including an orientation program for newly hired professors at teacher colleges.

Peace Corps:  Since the program’s founding in 1963, over 4,400 Volunteers have served the Kingdom in numerous sites, sectors, and projects.  Today, Peace Corps/Morocco focuses on youth development.  In 1995, education Volunteers began teaching English in community youth centers (“Dar Chebab”), enabling youth to practice the English they learned in school.  While content-based English teaching is still widely used, the program today focuses on youth leadership, strengthening youth networks, building the capacity of professionals who work with youth, and promoting girls’ education.  Volunteers are assigned to Dar Chebabs (youth centers), and work with local professionals and youth to promote volunteerism and youth leadership.  There are 215 Peace Corps volunteers currently serving in Morocco.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
November 22, 2013

Joint Statement by the United States of America and the Kingdom of Morocco

In their meeting today at the White House, President Obama and His Majesty King Mohammed VI reaffirmed the strong and mutually beneficial partnership and strategic alliance between the United States and the Kingdom of Morocco.  The two leaders stressed that this important visit provides an opportunity to map out a new and ambitious plan for the strategic partnership and pledged to advance our shared priorities of a secure, stable, and prosperous Maghreb, Africa, and Middle East.   The two leaders also emphasized our shared values, mutual trust, common interests, and strong friendship, as reflected throughout our partnership.

Support for Democratic and Economic Reforms

The President commended the action and the leadership of His Majesty the King in deepening democracy and promoting economic progress and human development during the past decade.  The President and His Majesty the King reaffirmed their commitment to work together to realize the promise of Morocco’s 2011 constitution and explore ways in which the United States can help strengthen Morocco’s democratic institutions, civil society, and inclusive governance.  The President welcomed the King’s commitment to end the practice of military trials of civilians.  The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the UN human rights system and its important role in protecting and promoting human rights and fundamental freedoms, and committed to deepening the ongoing U.S.-Morocco dialogue on human rights, which has been a productive and valuable mechanism for the exchange of views and information.  Noting their shared concern about migrants, refugees, and human trafficking issues worldwide, the President expressed support for Morocco’s initiative to reform its asylum and immigration system based on recommendations from Morocco’s National Human Rights Commission.  The President welcomed Morocco’s intent to take concrete steps to qualify for and join the Open Government Partnership and to realize the vision of the Equal Futures Partnership by ensuring women fully participate in public life, and that they lead and benefit from inclusive economic growth. 

Economic and Security Cooperation

The two leaders emphasized that the United States and Morocco are dedicated to working together to promote human and economic development in Morocco.  They noted the successful conclusion, in September 2013, of Morocco’s first Millennium Challenge Compact, and the Compact’s positive impact on job creation, economic growth, and human development throughout Morocco.  The President highlighted the U.S. Agency for International Development’s new development strategy for 2013-2017, designed to help the Moroccan government achieve its reform goals and respond to the needs of Moroccan citizens.  This strategy focuses on:  enhancing the employability of youth; increasing civic participation in governance; and enhancing educational attainment for children at the primary level.

They noted that the two countries signed a Customs Mutual Assistance Agreement on November 21, 2013 to expand bilateral cooperation on the detection of money laundering, trade fraud, and other financial crime.  Additionally, on November 21, 2013 the United States and Morocco signed a Trade Facilitation Agreement that furthers the U.S.-Morocco Free Trade Agreement and represents a forward-leaning, 21st century agreement on customs reform and modernization.  Morocco is our first partner in the region to conclude such an agreement, as well as to endorse joint principles on investment and information communication technology services trade.  These important initiatives reflect our common commitment to building stronger economic ties with and among the region.

The President and His Majesty the King recognized the importance of Morocco as a trade and investment platform for North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa and the benefits of maintaining an attractive business climate for investment in Morocco.  Building on the December 2012 U.S.-Morocco Business Development Conference in Washington, DC, the King noted that planning is underway for a second such Conference to be held in Rabat in 2014.  The 2014 Business Development Conference aims to build on business-to-business contacts in aviation, the agriculture and food industry, and energy to expand trade and promote investment, as well as regional economic integration.  The President expressed appreciation to the King for offering to host the 2014 Global Entrepreneurship Summit, and both leaders highlighted the importance of fostering broad-based economic opportunity in the region, particularly for young people and women. 

Educational and Cultural Cooperation

Applauding their people-to-people ties, the President and His Majesty the King are committed to exploring further cooperation to promote mutual understanding and interfaith dialogue in Morocco and throughout the region.  They reiterated their commitment to enhance and diversify exchange programs that include the Moroccan American Commission for Educational and Cultural Exchange.  The President and His Majesty the King underscored the importance of early ratification and implementation of the agreement between the two countries on the registration and status of the system of American schools in Morocco.  Both leaders committed to strengthening ties and increasing mutual understanding between Moroccan and American youth.  The President commended His Majesty the King for graciously committing to donate $1 million per year over the next 5 years to the J. Christopher Stevens Virtual Exchange Initiative, which hopes to connect youth from all different age groups in the Middle East and North Africa with youth in the United States through virtual exchange. 

The Issue of the Western Sahara

The President pledged to continue to support efforts to find a peaceful, sustainable, mutually agreed-upon solution to the Western Sahara question.  U.S. policy toward the Western Sahara has remained consistent for many years.  The United States has made clear that Morocco’s autonomy plan is serious, realistic, and credible, and that it represents a potential approach that could satisfy the aspirations of the people in the Western Sahara to run their own affairs in peace and dignity.  We continue to support the negotiations carried out by the United Nations, including the work of the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy Ambassador Christopher Ross, and urge the parties to work toward a resolution.   The two leaders affirmed their shared commitment to the improvement of the lives of the people of the Western Sahara and agreed to work together to continue to protect and promote human rights in the territory.

Regional Security and Counterterrorism Cooperation

The leaders noted their partnership on the United Nations Security Council over the past two years in the advancement of international peace and security, including in Mali, the Sahel, Syria, Libya, and the Middle East.  They reaffirmed their commitment to continue to deepen civilian and military cooperation in the areas of non-proliferation and counter-terrorism.  To address their deep concern for the continuing threat posed by terrorism, the United States and Morocco intend to continue cooperation to bolster democratic criminal justice institutions and to counter the threat of violent extremism in the region.  The leaders also reinforced their commitment to regional cooperation initiatives.  

The leaders are committed to continuing close cooperation in the Global Counterterrorism Forum and to work to strengthen regional political, economic, and security ties across North Africa and the Sahel, including through a reinvigorated Arab Maghreb Union and other regional forums.

The President encouraged Morocco to join the United States in founding the International Institute of Justice and the Rule of Law in Malta, which intends to train a new generation of criminal justice officials across North, West, and East Africa on how to address counterterrorism and related security challenges through a rule of law framework.

Africa

His Majesty the King thanked the President for the importance given to the promotion of social development and economic prosperity within Africa. The President acknowledged His Majesty the King’s leadership and the actions carried out by Morocco in the field of peace keeping, conflict prevention, human development, and the preservation of cultural and religious identity.

In this context, both countries committed to explore joint initiatives to promote human development and stability through food security, access to energy, and the promotion of trade based on the existing Free Trade Agreement.  The two Heads of State were pleased to note their common assessment of the critical role of human and economic development in promoting stability and security on the African continent, and committed to explore in greater detail concrete options for pragmatic, inclusive cooperation around economic and development issues of mutual interest.

Middle East Peace

His Majesty commended the continuous commitment of the President and the efforts of the Secretary of State to advance Middle East peace.  The President acknowledged the contribution of His Majesty, Chairman of the Al Quds committee, to the efforts aiming to achieve a two state solution. 

Conclusion

The President and His Majesty the King closed the meeting by emphasizing their shared commitment to the special and longstanding relationship between the United States and the Kingdom of Morocco, which in 1777 became the first nation to recognize the independence of the United States.  President Obama and King Mohammed VI reaffirmed their commitment to stay in close contact and to continue on a path of increased cooperation that will strengthen the United States-Morocco strategic partnership, including the next meeting of the U.S.-Morocco Strategic Dialogue in Rabat.  They each intend to designate a senior official to lead the implementation of the commitments made today, and the President thanked His Majesty the King for his invitation to visit Morocco.  Today’s meeting demonstrates that the interests of the United States and Morocco continue to converge, and that this historic partnership, which began in the 18th century, continues to thrive well into the 21th century. 

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
November 22, 2013

Readout of Vice President Biden’s Meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc of Turkey

Vice President Biden met with Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc today to discuss a range of bilateral and regional issues that promote our shared interests.  The Vice President underscored the value both he and the President place on continuing to work with Turkey to broaden and deepen this vital partnership.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
November 22, 2013

Readout of Vice President Biden's Call with Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych

In a phone call today with Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, Vice President Biden expressed his disappointment in the Ukrainian government’s decision to delay preparations for signature of an Association Agreement and Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement with the EU.  As the Vice President has told President Yanukovych before, it is our strong conviction that closer integration with Europe offers Ukraine a strategic opportunity to strengthen its democracy and return its economy to prosperity.   The Vice President underscored the continued support of the United States for the Ukrainian people and their aspirations for European integration.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
November 22, 2013

Statement by the President on the State Visit by President Hollande of France

Michelle and I look forward to welcoming President Hollande and Valérie Trierweiler on a state visit to the United States, to include a state dinner at the White House on February 11, 2014.  The United States and France are close friends and allies, including through NATO, and our countries have worked together to support democracy, liberty, and freedom at home and abroad for more than two centuries.  During the visit, we will discuss opportunities to further strengthen the U.S.-France security and economic partnership.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
November 21, 2013

Remarks As Prepared for Delivery by National Security Advisor Susan E. Rice

At Georgetown University, Gaston Hall
Washington, D.C.
Wednesday November 20, 2013

“America’s Future in Asia”

Thank you, Victor, for all your exceptional work to advance American policy toward Asia -- from your time on the NSC staff to your current contributions as Director of the Asia Studies Program at the School of Foreign Service.  I’d like to thank President DeGioia, Provost Groves, and my former colleague, Dean Lancaster, for the opportunity to speak here today and for Georgetown’s unrivaled success in preparing America’s future leaders, especially so many of our policy makers. 

President Obama is deeply committed to leaving our world more stable, more secure, more free, and more prosperous for generations to come.  Those of you who are students today are uniquely poised to seize the transformative potential of tomorrow across our rapidly changing world.  Nowhere are the challenges and the opportunities we face so great as in the Asia Pacific region. Two years ago, in laying out his vision for America’s role in the region, President Obama said, “Asia will largely define whether the century ahead will be marked by conflict or cooperation, needless suffering or human progress.” 

Thus, rebalancing toward the Asia Pacific remains a cornerstone of the Obama Administration’s foreign policy.  No matter how many hotspots emerge elsewhere, we will continue to deepen our enduring commitment to this critical region.  Our friends in Asia deserve and will continue to get our highest level attention.  Secretary of State John Kerry has traveled to the region several times and will return again in just a few weeks. 

Secretary of Commerce Pritzker and U.S. Trade Representative Froman led important U.S. delegations there last month.  Vice President Biden will visit China, Japan and Korea in early December.  And, although we were all disappointed that the government shutdown compelled the President to cancel his trip to Asia in October, I’m pleased to announce today that President Obama will return to Asia this coming April to continue strengthening our ties across the region. 

I’d like to take this opportunity to outline what we aim to achieve in the Asia Pacific over the next three years.  Ultimately, America’s purpose is to establish a more stable security environment in Asia, an open and transparent economic environment, and a liberal political environment that respects the universal rights and freedoms of all.  Achieving that future will necessarily be the sustained work of successive administrations.  In the near term, President Obama will continue to lay the critical foundations for lasting progress in four key areas—enhancing security, expanding prosperity, fostering democratic values, and advancing human dignity.      

Enhancing Security

Let me begin with security, which is the underpinning of all progress in every region.  We are making the Asia Pacific more secure with American alliances—and an American force posture—that are being modernized to meet the challenges of our time.  By 2020, 60 percent of our fleet will be based in the Pacific, and our Pacific Command will gain more of our most cutting-edge capabilities.  As we are seeing in the Philippines today, our military presence in the region is vital, not only to deter threats and defend allies, but also to provide speedy humanitarian assistance and unmatched disaster response.

We are updating and diversifying our security relationships in the region to address emerging challenges as effectively as we deter conventional threats.  We are urging our allies and partners to take greater responsibility for defending our common interests and values.  By next year, we will complete the first fundamental revision of our bilateral defense guidelines with Japan in more than 15 years.  Japan is also creating its first-ever National Security Council, and I look forward to working closely with my Japanese counterpart on regional and global challenges.  In South Korea, we’re enhancing the alliance’s military capabilities to ensure that our combined forces can deter and fully answer North Korea’s provocations.  With Australia, we are bringing our militaries closer by rotating Marines through Darwin and deepening cooperation in newer areas like missile defense and space and cyber security.  And, we’re doing more with Thailand and the Philippines to address maritime security and disaster response.  To diversify the network of security relationships in the region, we are strengthening trilateral cooperation with our allies and our security partners and encouraging them to cooperate more closely among themselves.

When it comes to China, we seek to operationalize a new model of major power relations.  That means managing inevitable competition while forging deeper cooperation on issues where our interests converge—in Asia and beyond.  We both seek the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, a peaceful resolution to the Iranian nuclear issue, a stable and secure Afghanistan, and an end to conflict in Sudan.  There are opportunities for us to take concerted action to bolster peace and development in places like sub-Saharan Africa, where sustainable growth would deliver lasting benefit to the peoples of Africa as well as to both our countries. 

We’re improving the quality of our military-to-military relationship with China, as we enhance our strategic security dialogues and cooperate on issues like counter-piracy and maritime security.  Greater military engagement and transparency can help us manage the realities of mistrust and competition, while augmenting the high-level communication that has been a hallmark of this Administration’s approach to China.   

As we diversify the ways in which we do business with China, we will continue to champion respect for the rule of law, human rights, religious freedom and democratic principles.  These are the common aspirations that all people share.  We will do this, even and especially when it is not the easy or expedient thing to do.  I sat on the Security Council with China for four and a half years working on many of these issues.  I know all too well that we have some fundamental differences that cannot be minimized.  But, I also know that our interests on many of the major challenges of our time can and should be more closely aligned.    

Nowhere is this more evident than in confronting the threat that North Korea poses to international peace and security.  The regime threatens its neighbors.  Pyongyang proliferates dangerous goods and technologies.  It seeks to expand its nuclear weapons arsenal and its long-range missile program in flagrant violation of international law.  Consequently, one of our most pressing security goals is to roll back the threat posed by North Korea’s nuclear and other WMD programs. 

To that end, we are prepared for negotiations, provided that they are authentic and credible, get at the entirety of the North's nuclear program, and result in concrete and irreversible steps toward denuclearization.  Pyongyang’s attempts to engage in dialogue while keeping critical elements of its weapons programs running are unacceptable, and they will not succeed.  We will continue to join with international partners, especially China, to increase pressure on North Korea to denuclearize.  We will do what is necessary to defend ourselves and our allies against any threat from North Korea, and we will maintain and expand, as necessary, both national and multilateral sanctions against North Korea.  There will continue to be significant costs to future provocations. 

Pyongyang has a choice:  on the one hand lies greater isolation and crippling economic privation; on the other, a true chance for peace, development and global integration.  Another growing threat to regional peace and security—and to U.S. interests—is the rise of maritime disputes in the East China Sea and South China Sea.  We aim to help governments in the region to communicate better with one another, so that incidents at sea do not unintentionally spark wider conflicts.  We encourage all parties to reject coercion and aggression and to pursue their claims in accordance with international law and norms through the establishment of peaceful, diplomatic processes for preventing maritime conflicts.  A good first step would be progress on a Code of Conduct for the South China Sea.  How the nations and institutions of the Asia Pacific manage these disputes will be a harbinger of their ability to shape their shared security future.  

Indeed, many of Asia’s most vexing security challenges are transnational security threats that transcend borders like climate change, piracy, infectious disease, transnational crime, cyber-theft, and the modern-day slavery of human trafficking.  No one nation can meet these challenges alone.  That is, in part, why we are increasing our engagement with regional institutions like the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the East Asia Summit.  These groups allow nations to develop ideas, share best practices, address disputes constructively, and nurture a sense of shared responsibility.  Asia’s regional institutions are essential to delivering more effective solutions than any one nation can muster on its own. 

Expanding Prosperity

These security goals constitute one key element of our Asia Pacific strategy.  Yet, we have an equally essential economic agenda in the region.  By the end of 2016, we aim to transform our economic relations with the region through: dramatically increased U.S. exports; the implementation of the most ambitious American free trade agreement in decades; and closer cooperation with China, India and other emerging economies in pursuit of sustained global growth. 

Our own economic future is inextricably linked to that of the Asia Pacific.  A full quarter of the goods and services exported by the United States are bound for Asia, and about 30 percent of our imports come from the region.  More than a million Americans serve in jobs supported by our exports to Asia.  And, that number has risen 50 percent in the last decade.  We are committed to growing these numbers while making sure the benefits are broadly shared.  As a Pacific nation, the United States is working to shape a more dynamic future for the entire region by promoting U.S. business and forging new ties of commerce. 

Asia needs open and transparent economies and regional support for international economic norms, if it is to remain a world-wide engine of economic growth.  Driving a global economic recovery that creates jobs here in the United States and addresses the kinds of trade imbalances that contributed to the economic meltdown in the first place will require hard work on both sides of the Pacific.  For the United States, that means boosting our exports and continuing to bring down our budget deficit.  For countries in Asia, it means shifting the focus from overseas markets to strengthening their domestic sources of demand. 

Our foremost economic goal in the region is concluding negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership and achieving Congressional approval.  The 12 nations that are part of the TPP negotiations represent more than 40 percent of global trade.  So, the rules we establish through this agreement will set the standard for future trade agreements.  It will take on unfair practices by state-owned enterprises and the regulatory barriers goods encounter at and behind borders.  This will help level the playing field for everyone.  The TPP will promote workers’ rights, environmental protections, and build stronger safeguards for intellectual property, improving economic conditions for everyone, not just the few. 

We welcome any nation that is willing to live up to the high-standards of this agreement to join and share in the benefits of the TPP, and that includes China.  The TPP can be the core of a far broader agreement expanding to countries across the Asia Pacific.  To help realize that vision, we are working to negotiate a series of agreements with ASEAN that will put those countries in a better position to join high-standard trade agreements like the TPP.  ASEAN represents a $2.5 trillion economic block that contains some of the fastest growing countries in Asia, as well as some of its poorest.

Helping these dynamic economies improve their policies on key issues, like investment principles, will benefit them.  It will also foster even greater trade and investment opportunities for the United States in Southeast Asia.  By 2030, India is projected to have the largest population of any country in the world and the third-largest economy.  During the past decade, India and the United States have developed a valued global partnership, and President Obama aims to make the next decade even more transformative.  From the Look East Policy to India’s contributions to maritime security and its expanding involvement in regional organizations,

India has much to offer Asia and the world.  Together, our nations launched a new clean energy partnership, mobilizing billions of dollars in public and private investment for solar, wind, and alternative energy projects in India.  And, our governments have joined with private sector partners in both countries to launch a $2 billion infrastructure debt fund – the first of hopefully many future funds meant to attract financing for Indian infrastructure projects.  We look forward to deepening our cooperation across the broad spectrum of our relationship. 

The United States also seeks to elevate our economic relationship with China in the years ahead.  Last week, China’s leaders announced plans for sweeping reforms that, if realized, could go a long way towards leveling the playing field for private and foreign investors and moving China’s economy towards market principles.  That’s an opportunity we must seize. 

But even as we increase trade and pursue a bilateral investment treaty, we will continue insisting on tangible progress in areas that matter to U.S. businesses and workers.  These include: China continuing to move towards a market-determined exchange rate; increasing U.S. access to Chinese markets; and bolstering protections for U.S. companies’ intellectual property rights and trade secrets, especially against state-sponsored cyber theft.

Cyber-enabled economic espionage hurts China as well as the U.S., because American businesses are increasingly concerned about the costs of doing business in China.  If meaningful action is not taken now, this behavior will undermine the economic relationship that benefits both our nations.  As the world’s two largest energy consumers, energy producers, and greenhouse gas emitters, the U.S. and China also have a duty to lead together to tackle climate change and spur the global transition to a low-carbon energy future.  Last June, Presidents Obama and Xi reached an historic agreement to phase out certain potent greenhouse gases. 

In July, we launched initiatives under the U.S.-China Climate Change Working Group to scale up successful technologies and policies around heavy duty vehicles, smart grids, and carbon capture and sequestration.   Given that Asian economies will be the strongest driver of energy demand in the coming decades, how the region meets its energy needs will have critical implications for global energy supply and climate security.  We have a vested interest in shifting the global energy mix to cleaner, low-carbon, and more efficient energy technologies.  As we work toward this goal in Asia, we will partner with regional leaders in renewable and clean-energy technologies, like India, Taiwan, Japan and South Korea, to bring these technologies to the market. 

We are also promoting cleaner-burning natural gas, as well as safe and secure nuclear energy, to meet the region’s rising energy demand with lower-carbon alternatives. Another key driver of global economic growth and development is the expansion of women’s participation in the workforce throughout the Asia Pacific.  This single change has the potential to do the most good for the greatest number of people.   In developed countries like Japan, fuller participation in the workforce by women could increase per capita GDP by as much as four percent.  And, it’s no coincidence that in the Philippines, where they are making strong progress to close the gender gap, they also have one of the fastest growing economies in the region.  The World Economic Forum has shown that those two factors are closely correlated.  Simply put, the smaller the gender gap, the stronger the economic growth. 

Fostering Democratic Values

Strengthening our shared security and promoting our shared prosperity are vital elements of America’s commitment to the Asia Pacific region.  So too is advancing respect for the rights and values we hold dear.  Since World War II, the United States has played a key role in fostering one of the most significant developments of the past century – the advance of democracy in Asia.  In the early years of this new century, we must help to consolidate and expand democracy across Asia to enable more and more people to participate fully in the political life of their countries.

The rapid change we have seen in Burma in just the past two years is a portent of the possible.  Not unlike North Korea, Burma was a pariah state, ruled by a military junta and responsible for egregious violations of human rights.  When President Obama took office, Aung San Suu Kyi was in her fourteenth year of house arrest, and hundreds of Burmese citizens were imprisoned merely for exercising their right to free speech.  Burma’s leaders faced enormous economic pressure and intense international isolation—until they chose another path.  Over the last several years, we have worked closely with both President Thein Sein and Aung San Suu Kyi, and with the government and people of Burma as they’ve made historic changes. 

Today, more than 1,000 political prisoners have been released, and we’re helping Burma build a credible electoral infrastructure ahead of its 2015 national elections.  We’re supporting a process of constitutional reform and national reconciliation.  As Burma moves toward greater openness and change, we are easing sanctions, while encouraging responsible investment and robust support for the people and civil society activists who suffered so long under the iron fist of dictatorship. 

There is still a great deal of work ahead before Burma fully transitions to democracy.  The challenge of overcoming ethnic tensions and violence—and of protecting vulnerable minorities like the Rohingya will require persistent vigilance.  But, if progress continues, by the end of President Obama’s second term, we hope to have helped Burma reestablish itself as a regional leader and a thriving, prosperous democracy. 

Not all countries will achieve progress so dramatically, but the steady work of political reform presses on in nations across the region.  The United States will support those working to pry open the doors of democracy just a little wider -- from Cambodia to Fiji.  We will continue to help nations strengthen institutions to uphold justice and the rule of law and to meet the basic needs of their people.  Working with the Open Government Partnership and the Community of Democracies, we will help protect civil society and support its work to shape the region’s development.  We will combat the corruption that makes it so difficult for ordinary citizens to run for office, start a business, or send their kids to school. And, in every country of the region, we will strive to improve protections for ethnic and religious minorities and help nations see the diversity of their peoples as a source of deep strength. 

Fidelity to our values will guide us as we pursue closer relations with the countries of the Asia-Pacific, including those with which we differ.  We will continue to champion the freedom to speak one’s mind, the ability to access information freely, to practice one’s faith without fear.  And, we will speak out when governments trammel or toss aside basic rights and freedoms, which are the birthright of every human being. 

Advancing Human Dignity

That brings me to our last set of goals— helping improve the well-being of the region’s most vulnerable people, who share the same desire for dignity as all mankind.  We want an Asia Pacific region in which poverty continues to decline, citizens are healthier, children are educated, the environment is protected, and women can participate fully and equally in their societies.  And, we are working in partnership with countries throughout the region to give life to this vision. 

We know we can fight AIDS, reduce preventable child deaths, and improve food security across the Asia Pacific, because we’ve seen real progress in all these areas over the past five years.  Further progress is possible where countries demonstrate the political will to invest in their own development and step up to do big things together.  Our Feed the Future program has helped more than 400,000 rice farmers throughout the region increase their yields through the more efficient use of fertilizer. 

Through the Partnership for Growth, we are working with the Philippines to strengthen the country’s foundations for economic development while improving their ability to mitigate the impact of future disasters. 

Throughout the Pacific Islands, we are partnering with governments to address development challenges ranging from adapting to rapid population growth to reducing high poverty and unemployment rates.  And, we are working with Indonesia and others to craft a measurable, ambitious development agenda for 2015 and beyond.  With smart, targeted investments, countries in the Asia Pacific are leading dramatic improvements in development.  Across the region, we are partnering with countries to address issues that affect all people, including public health challenges.  In an era when someone can step onto a plane in Jakarta at breakfast and be in Los Angeles by lunch, we are increasingly focused on the threat posed by global pandemics.  At the same time, we continue to support governments and health care providers across the region to improve public health.

For example, we are working closely with Bangladesh on our joint pledge to end preventable child deaths, and we are collaborating with Indonesia to improve maternal and infant health in rural communities.  America has a stake in Asia’s children growing up to be productive members of society.  That is why we are investing in early childhood education and expanding access to post-secondary school training at universities and vocational institutions throughout the region.  We are working especially closely with the ASEAN nations on this goal, establishing several new programs to help the young people of Southeast Asia develop new skills and opportunities.   

Equally, we have an economic and moral stake in elevating women as full partners in every facet of life in the Asia Pacific.  Therefore, we are helping to prevent and respond to gender-based violence and to combat the scourge of human trafficking.  Through the Equal Futures Partnership, we’re joining with countries across the region, the World Bank, the UN, and others to advance reforms that create more opportunities for women to participate in the political and economic life of their countries.  In Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam, we are involving more women in helping their countries better manage natural resources, respond to pandemics, promote educational reform, and improve food security. 

Finally, we will do more to help foster sustainable growth by protecting the environment and conserving Asia’s natural resources, while implementing measures to help communities adapt to the impact of climate change.  We are redoubling our efforts to protect threatened wildlife and reduce trafficking in endangered species in cooperation with regional forums like APEC.  Our planet is a non-renewable resource that supports some 7 billion people—half of them in the Asia Pacific.  We have a duty to those who will inherit this earth to put in place practices that will sustain and improve life for future generations. 

Conclusion

I’d like to end today by highlighting a place where all these elements—security, alliances, economic ties, development, institutions and universal values— have recently come together in a major manifestation of America’s commitment to the region.  The Philippines is our oldest ally in Asia.  Our nations are forever bound by the blood we shed together, the families we built together, and the history we’ve made together.  Last week, a super typhoon slammed into the Philippines, leaving thousands dead and millions more in dire need of assistance.  As President Obama said, “when our friends are in trouble, America helps.” 

Before the storm, our disaster relief experts from USAID were already on the ground.  Pacific Command moved into action.  We put hundreds of Marines from Okinawa on the ground in Tacloban almost immediately to help with the search and rescue.  Within days, the USS George Washington Strike Group arrived with helicopters, small ships, water purification capacity, medical services, and equipment to clear roads and ferry aid to outlying areas.  Over the weekend, joining with UNICEF, we were able to help the Filipino Government bring Tacloban’s municipal water purification and production system back online.  It is now providing clean drinking water to more than 275,000 people.  

We are cooperating seamlessly with our allies in the region, particularly Japan and Australia, who have stepped up to help a neighbor in need.  Together, we are working round-the-clock to manage the immediate crisis and help the Filipino people begin rebuilding their country.  Recovery will be a long process, but the United States will stand beside the Philippines every step of the way—getting people back to work, rebuilding homes, reopening schools. 

Our pledge to the people of the Philippines reflects our broader pledge to the people of the Asia Pacific.  America’s commitment won’t expire a few months or few years from now.  The United States of America will be there, reliable, constant, strong and steady for the long haul.  And together, with the people of the Asia Pacific, we will continue to advance the shared security, prosperity and human dignity that we all cherish. 

Thank you.