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Washington, DC – This morning, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-Mass.) delivered the following statement on the nomination of the Honorable Robert Stephen Beecroft, of California, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Iraq. “Our Embassy in Baghdad, the consulates in Basra and Erbil and other offices supporting the...

Washington, DC – At a business meeting led by Chairman John Kerry (D-Mass.) this afternoon, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved the following legislation, resolutions, and nominations en bloc by voice vote: S. 2215, the Increasing American Jobs Through Greater Exports to Africa Act of 2012, with an amendment in the nature of a...

WASHINGTON, DC – Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today introduced a resolution to honor the contributions of Lodi Gyaltsen Gyari as Special Envoy of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and in promoting the legitimate rights and aspirations of the Tibetan people. Senators Richard Lugar (R-Ind.), Dianne...

WASHINGTON, DC – The Senate tonight passed a resolution by Senators John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Richard Lugar (R-Ind.),  Chairman and Ranking Member of the Foreign Relations Committee, commending the four American public servants who died in Benghazi, Libya, including U.S. Ambassador to Libya, J. Christopher Stevens, for their tireless...

Washington, DC - Senator John Kerry, Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, made the following statement today in response to the violence that took place at the Egyptian and Libyan Embassies, resulting in the death of U.S. Ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens and three other American embassy personnel. “The deaths of Ambassador Stevens...

Washington, DC - Senator John Kerry, Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, today responded to the transfer and release of Ramil Safarov, an Azeri soldier who hacked an Armenian soldier to death in his sleep at a Partnership for Peace exercise in 2004.  The Hungarians released Safarov to Azerbaijan where he was set free and treated like...

Washington, DC - Senator Kerry made the following comments today after Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos announced upcoming peace negotiations with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).  “Colombians have suffered for far too long from the violence and insecurity associated with its decades-long internal armed...

Washington, DC - Senator John Kerry, Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, made the following statement today after the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel, led by President Thabo Mbeki, announced that South Sudan and Sudan have reached an agreement on the transit of oil. "A lot of people said this couldn't happen and they...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator John Kerry, Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement after meeting with Chen Guangcheng, a Chinese lawyer and human rights activist who was arrested, jailed, and later confined to his home and brutally beaten for challenging a government policy. He eventually escaped from...

Washington, DC – This morning, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) delivered the following statement at a hearing that explored possible next steps for U.S. policy on Syria.  “We are currently looking at a dangerous and downward spiral in the heart of the Middle East, and one that has the potential –...

Washington, DC – This morning, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) delivered the following statement on the nominations of James B. Cunningham to be Ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and Richard G. Olson to be Ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. “The signing of the Strategic...

Washington, DC – Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA), today announced that he plans to hold additional hearings in the fall to continue educating members and the public on the importance of the Law of the Sea Treaty for the U.S. economy and national security. "The Foreign Relations Committee has held a series of...

Washington, DC – On the 22nd anniversary of the landmark passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Chairman John Kerry and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee passed a resolution of advice and consent to Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (Treaty Doc. 112-7).  The resolution was amended and passed by a strong bi-partisan...

Washington, DC – On the 22nd anniversary of the landmark passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Chairman John Kerry made the following statement during a meeting of the Foreign Relations Committee to consider a resolution of advice and consent to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (Treaty Doc. 112-7).  The...

Washington, DC – On the 22nd anniversary of the landmark passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Chairman John Kerry and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee passed a resolution of advice and consent to Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (Treaty Doc. 112-7).  The resolution was amended and passed by a strong bi-partisan...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator John Kerry, Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, met with Sir Elton John, Annie Lennox, and UNAIDS Director Michel Sidibé who were in town for the International AIDS Conference.  During the meeting they discussed current investments in research, policies and next steps for fighting the...

Washington, DC – This morning, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) delivered the following remarks at the international AIDS 2012 conference.  “Dramatic, life-saving improvements to HIV/AIDS care in this country and across the globe are well within our reach,” said Sen. Kerry. “We only have to...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The following is a statement from Senator John Kerry, Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, on the death of Oswaldo Payá:   “Cuba has lost a valiant champion for tolerance, democracy and social responsibility.  Oswaldo Payá’s legacy will be an enduring inspiration to Cubans...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The following is a statement from Senator John Kerry, Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, in response to Russia’s and China’s veto today of the United Nations Syria resolution:   “Russia and China's veto of the Syria resolution is as surreal as it is dangerous. As Rome burns, they're...

Washington, DC – This morning, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) delivered the following statement at a hearing entitled, “The Next Ten Years in the Fight Against Human Trafficking:  Attacking the Problem with the Right Tools.” The hearing explored the major factors that enable the ongoing...