Antony Blinken

This has to be, and it is for us, a number one priority.

I applaud you for what you did with that, for the leadership on that. It has made a big difference.

I think, from our perspective, going back and lifting sanctions that were previously implemented the intent, the purpose, was to find the best way to protect our service members who served in Afghanistan.

I think we have come very, very close on a couple of occasions, Qatar, Egypt, others participating in the efforts to do this.

We are asking for resources for the World Bank.

Because of the actions we have taken the United States is stronger economically, diplomatically, and militarily than we were 3 years ago.

But even if we were to conclude those agreements, and I believe we actually can conclude them relatively quickly given all the work that has been done, they could not go forward, and the overall package could not go forward absent other…

I think there are other possibilities that we are driving toward including looking at ways to collateralize the principal.

I have to say, yes, the extremely wrongheaded decision by the ICC prosecutor yesterday.

We have managed to move to a better trajectory politically to get back to a clearly mandated democratic government.

We see, I think this committee sees, corruption as being one of the most poisonous things that undermines democracies.

In the Middle East, we're standing with Israel in its efforts to ensure what happened on October 7th never happens again.

We must present the strongest possible offer, one that is relevant and responsive to countries' needs.

Russia is committing aggression not only against Ukraine but against the principles at the heart of the United Nations Charter--sovereignty, territorial integrity, independence--that are the building blocks for global peace and security.

In the Middle East, we are standing with Israel and its efforts to ensure that what happened on October 7 never happens again as we do everything we can to bring an end to the terrible human suffering in Gaza and prevent the conflict from…

The People's Republic of China is pursuing military, economic, and geopolitical preeminence, challenging our vision for a free, open, secure, and prosperous international order.

That statement is incorrect.

As you read it, no. To the contrary, we are providing everything we possibly can to Israel to help them find----

There is a very positive affirmative agenda for the kinds of things that we can do and are doing to try to shore up democratic governance

That is an enormous return on our investment and essential for competing with China around the world.

U.S. leadership is needed to address humanitarian crises elsewhere around the world including in Sudan and Haiti, where millions have been displaced and many killed, and to address global issues that no country can solve alone, including…

We don't have double standards. We treat Israel, one of our closest allies and partners, just as we would treat any other country.

The international community has come together to condemn and confront Iran's brutal crackdown, and we'll continue to act in support of the right of the Iranian people to speak out for their fundamental freedoms.

I think certainly that's possible. We've again, been actively engaged on this.

We've been clear about what the vision is and beyond that, we've been working intensely to flesh it out, working with our partners, working with European partners on this as well.