PRESIDENT OBAMA'S REMARKS AT EMBASSY OF THE NETHERLANDS

Remarks by the President at the Embassy of the Netherlands

Embassy of the Netherlands
Washington, D.C.

11:26 A.M. EDT

Q    Mr. President, do you have any message for the Dutch people?

THE PRESIDENT:  Obviously, we're all heartbroken by what’s happened.  And this is an opportunity for me to extend on behalf of all the American people our deepest condolences over the loss of family and friends; to express our solidarity with the people of the Netherlands, with whom we've been friends and had the deepest ties for centuries; and to assure the Dutch people that we will work with them to make sure that loved ones are recovered, that a proper investigation is conducted, and that ultimately justice is done.

DEPUTY CHIEF OF MISSION MR. MOLLEMA:  And we thank the President for being here.  There’s been an outpouring of support from the American people, and I can only say that on behalf of the Dutch people, we're deeply grateful.  Thank you very much.

END
11:27 A.M. EDT

REMARKS ON MALAYSIA BECOMING FIRST INITIATIVE PARTNER TO REACH FULL TRAINING CAPABILITY

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT  
Presentation at Malaysia's Full Training Capacity Ceremony
Remarks
Tom Kelly
Acting Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
December 13, 2013

Thank you General Datuk (DAH-toe) Raja Mohamed Effandi bin Raja Mohamed Noor, Chief of Army. It’s a pleasure to be here in Port Dickinson for this important event. As the Acting Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, it is my honor to be here on behalf of the U.S. Department of State and the Office of the Global Peace Operations Initiative. This program, which is lead by the U.S. Department of State and supported by the U.S. Department of Defense, has helped train and equip more than 225,000 peacekeeping personnel worldwide, including many right here in Malaysia.

The United States is very honored to celebrate Malaysia’s significant achievement as the first Global Peace Operations Initiative partner country to reach Full Training Capability. What this means, what this ceremony today celebrates, is that Malaysia is the first of our partner nations to become fully self-sufficient in training their military peacekeepers to deploy to UN peace operations. That is indeed an accomplishment to celebrate.

Malaysia has a long history as a valued partner in global peace and security operations. The first Malaysian deployment began in 1960 in the present day Democratic Republic of the Congo. Malaysia’s contributions have since expanded, with over 900 Malaysian troops currently deployed on missions around the world. Malaysian peacekeepers are serving in the Democratic Republic of the Congo along with Lebanon, Sudan, South Sudan and Western Sahara. We in the United States are grateful for the thousands of Malaysians who have served on over 13 different United Nations peacekeeping missions in the past. Most importantly, we must also recognize, and never forget, the 29 Malaysian peacekeepers who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country, the United Nations, and the world pursuing international peace and security.

I would like to express the United States’ particular appreciation for Malaysia’s service and sacrifice alongside U.S. forces in Somalia. Twenty years ago last October, two U.S. Black Hawk helicopters were shot down over Mogadishu, leaving U.S. service members trapped in hostile territory. Malaysian forces helped rescue the American troops. Nine Malaysians were injured. One lost his life. Their bravery is an inspiration to each of us here today.

Malaysia’s deployment to Afghanistan, although not strictly a peacekeeping mission, was very successful in helping the Afghan people recover and rebuild from years of violence by providing medical assistance and access to clean drinking water. The United States was proud to work with Malaysia in support of that mission.

I would also like recognize Malaysia’s effectiveness, superior conduct and professionalism in United Nations peace operations. Your high-quality peacekeepers reflect the training caliber at the Malaysian Peacekeeping Centre, the first of its kind in Southeast Asia. This training center demonstrates Malaysia’s role as a provider of peacekeepers, a training supplier, and an important regional partner.

Malaysia has consistently committed to building Southeast Asia’s capacity to deploy on peace operations. Malaysia provides instructors to regional training courses organized by the United States Pacific Command. The Malaysian Peacekeeping Centre here at Port Dickson also hosts a number of international events relating to gender, protection of civilians, civil-military coordination and child protection. Training courses in these areas make a critical contribution to international peace operations and build effectiveness of United Nations peacekeepers from other troop contributing countries. The United States has been pleased to stand with Malaysia in these efforts.

The United States applauds Malaysia’s innovative approach to building regional capacity by incorporating other regional partners’ peacekeeping forces with their own units, as Malaysia has done with Brunei. We encourage continued national investment in these “attached unit” opportunities that enable other countries to contribute troops to international peacekeeping missions and foster regional collaboration.

We also commend your efforts to integrate women into the peacekeeping deployment cycle. Malaysian women are part of the battalion in Lebanon and one of the Malaysian female peacekeepers serves as an expert on mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Female peacekeepers play an important role by improving access and support for local women, and helping to reduce conflict and confrontation. We encourage Malaysia to continue its efforts in this regard.

We are proud that the United States has contributed more than $3 million to Malaysia’s success in obtaining self-sufficient capabilities in peace operations training. The United States looks forward to continuing to work with Malaysia in their future contributions to international peace operations. Achieving full training capability is not the end of the partnership between our two countries; it simply marks the creation of a new framework for our partnership, which we look forward to jointly developing.

Through our new partnership framework, the United States will continue to work with Malaysia in other areas of defense cooperation. We look forward to every opportunity to discuss not only our continued cooperation on international peace operations, but other areas of defense cooperation of mutual interest to our two nations.

In closing, I would like to again give our congratulations Malaysia for its significant achievement as the first Global Peace Operations Initiative partner country to reach full training capability. The United States applauds Malaysia’s enduring leadership in peace operations and looks forward to continuing our defense cooperation partnership with the Government of Malaysia. Thank you very much.

SECRETARY OF STATE KERRY'S REMARKS AT THE FOURTH GLOBAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP SUMMIT IN KUALA LUMPUR

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 
Remarks at The Fourth Global Entrepreneurship Summit
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
October 11, 2013

Selamat Pagi.. Good morning. (Applause.) Four thousand seven hundred delegates, 123 countries – this is really remarkable. And it’s a pleasure – (applause). Yes, it is remarkable. (Applause.)

And it’s a great, great pleasure for me to be in this beautiful, dynamic city. I want to thank Prime Minister Najib. Thank you so much for your welcome, your generous leadership. (Applause.) And the Minister of Finance Two Husni, and the Government of Malaysia, I thank you all for your very generous hospitality and all of your Excellencies, and particularly if I may single her out, our Secretary of Commerce who is here, Penny Pritzker, and the First Lady I see here. Thank you, we enjoyed a wonderful evening the other night. Nice to see you here. (Applause.)

I want to thank you for partnering with the United States to put together the largest-ever Global Entrepreneurship Summit ever conceived. (Applause.) And I especially thank you for promoting entrepreneurship through your policies, which benefit us all.

I also want to thank Startup Malaysia for the exceptional work that you’ve done on this Summit, and for working hard every day – (cheers and applause). They have their special cheering section over here. (Laughter.) But I want to thank them for helping young people across the country – and around the world – to chase their dreams of building their own businesses. As we were walking in here, the Prime Minister said to me, “This is something people want more than anything else today, to start their own business.” Thank you also for bringing together the Global Startup Youth, who I understand are here in full force. (Cheers and Applause.) I was about to say they were here in full force, but they announced that themselves. (Laughter.)

And as you know, this Summit is very, very close to President Obama’s heart. I trust you also understand why the situation in Washington has kept President Obama close to home. But I woke up today to television reports that things are beginning to break a bit, so you can see it was worth his staying and important. But he will be back in Malaysia soon, I promise you. (Applause.)

Let me reiterate very quickly, because I don’t want to spend time on it, that what is happening in our capital in Washington is really nothing more than a moment of politics, and it will pass. But I’ll say this: If only the small group of people who have held us back in these past days were as forward-thinking and collaborative as the people in this room, we would all do a lot better. (Cheers and Applause.)

So I know the President is disappointed that he can’t be here today, but I assure you that his commitment to what you’re doing is as strong as ever – and he joins me in saying with great admiration: “Malaysia negara hebat.” (Applause.)

It’s very fitting that this year’s Summit has brought us together in this incredible country. The many Malaysians who are turning novel ideas into new businesses are strongly supported by a government that is constantly rooting them on and encouraging them.

Malaysia’s Finance Ministry just launched the “One Met” program to train thousands in tech skills, and Prime Minister Najib’s government has set the ambitious and admirable goal of having small- and medium-sized enterprises comprise 40 percent of Malaysia’s GDP by 2015. That’s an extraordinary goal, and I’m confident Malaysia will meet it. If anyone can meet it, it’s Malaysia. (Applause.)

This is the country that reached for the sky not once, but twice, with the iconic twin towers that stand just outside this convention center.

And when most of the world was still discovering the World Wide Web in the 1990s, guess what? This country created Cyberjaya, the first city on earth to be fully wired with high-speed internet. (Cheers and Applause.)

This nation has given the world visionary businesspeople like Jimmy Choo, who made his first pair of shoes at the age of 11. (Applause.) And by the time he was in his twenties, his designs were being worn on sidewalks and catwalks from Los Angeles to London.

And Tony Fernandes, who long before he started hosting “The Apprentice: Asia” – in fact, even before he even turned 30 years old – started the budget airline Air Asia. And with that bold vision, my friends, he revolutionized the way that people connect with one another throughout the region.

As I have walked into this hall and felt the energy here, I have to tell you it’s extraordinary all of the young people who are here. I’m sure you share that feeling. There’s an excitement here, an excitement about possibilities. I actually can almost feel my hair turning brown again. (Laughter.)

It astounds me to think that three in five citizens of ASEAN nations are under the age of 35. Sixty percent of your population. Just imagine what that means for all of the new products and the new services that Southeast Asia can bring to the world. My friends, it really is all in your hands.

And it’s equally fitting that we meet in Kuala Lumpur because this is a multi-cultural city at the heart of a multi-ethnic, multi-faith country, and history has proven time and again that diversity is one of the most important catalysts for discovery.

Here in Malaysia, people of different heritages have been in conversation for a long, long time. You see it in the open houses that you host during holidays, welcoming people of different faiths into your living rooms.

You see it in the Petronas Towers that I mentioned a moment ago, which are a beautiful fusion of modern engineering, traditional Muslim design - of an American architect, of Japanese and Korean construction, and a uniquely Malaysian vision.

Together, they all blended a masterpiece that is recognized around the world and a soaring reminder that Malaysia is much more than a marketplace. It is a human and an economic mosaic – and it is a model for the world. Your open-mindedness and cooperative spirit – these are literally the keys to the future.

When President Obama announced the creation of this Summit in Cairo four years ago, he did so because he understands that freedom of opportunity is humanity’s most powerful motivator.

This is true for all people, regardless of geography or gender, regardless of race or religion. It always has been true, and I’ve got news for you; it always will be.

What unfolded in the historic city of Cairo just a short time after the speech the President gave – and in Tunis, and in Tripoli, and in Sana’a – they all proved the point. The world watched young people just like you – young men and women with great aspirations. They watched them demand the chance to be able to fashion their futures, to be able to have a say in the future, to define it, and just like you are doing today as you turn your dreams into businesses.

President Obama also understands that entrepreneurship is about so much more than profits. It’s about how you build a society that values competition and compassion at the same time.

So much of the work that we’re doing together isn’t just about making money. It’s about making people’s lives better through education, health care, and basic human rights.

A few years ago, a study that was conducted in the United Kingdom showed that the most entrepreneurial countries in the world are also the most prosperous. That’s not an accident. This study also found that entrepreneurship also makes people happier and more fulfilled.

The places where citizens have the freedom to dream up a new idea, where you have an opportunity to share that idea freely with other people, where you can be you own boss – and even, importantly, where you are free to fail. These societies are both the most successful and they are the most cohesive and the most satisfied. Never underestimate how important that is.

And just as there’s nowhere better to talk about innovation than here in Malaysia, there is no one better to talk about innovation than young people. As they say in Bahasa, “Melentur buluh, biar dari rebung nya.” (Applause and Cheers.) “To bend a bamboo, start when it’s still a shoot.”

I look out at this audience here and I see that truth in the proverb. Every step towards progress actually does start with young people:

Mozart composed his first piece of music at the age of 5 years old.

Mandela was 25 when he started fighting against apartheid.

Martin Luther King was 26 when he led the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

Mark Zuckerberg was 19 when Facebook went live.

Malala Yousafzai was only 11 when she started blogging about life under the Taliban.

It is young people who push us forward, always by building something that no one else thought to build – who push us forward by saying aloud something that no one else had the courage to say.

In fact, the first man to hold the office of Secretary of State of the United States, the office I obviously occupy today, was Thomas Jefferson – who, by the way, also happened to be an inventor who helped establish our patent system. He was 33 when he wrote our Declaration of Independence – the mission statement of a risky start-up called the United States of America.

So I am honored to, and I am inspired to be with so many of you – young people who energize us and give us hope by continuing that proud tradition. I’ve actually learned something about a few of you.

I’m thinking of entrepreneurs who are here like Nermin Sa'd, who has come to this Summit from Jordan. And when Nermin talked with female engineers like herself across the Middle East, she realized that so many of their talents were being squandered in countries where cultural norms make it difficult for women to work outside of their homes.

And so Nermin created an online platform where female engineers could freelance from home.

And Nermin’s dream is that in five years, her website will be the first engineering company in all of the Middle East and North Africa staffed completely by women. (Applause and Cheers.)

And I am inspired by entrepreneurs like Tonee Ndungu of Kenya, who’s also come to Kuala Lumpur this week.

The first company that Tonee built failed. But he didn’t give up. He did what any of you would do: he just tried again.

And Tonee’s latest innovation lets students rent textbooks electronically – a book at a time, a chapter at a time, or even a page at a time.

And by making textbooks more affordable, he gives lower-income students a chance to learn that they might not otherwise ever have had.

But that’s not his only motivation, my friends. Tonee is dyslexic, and when he was a student he had to listen to cassette tapes of audio books.

So Tonee’s dream is to lower all kinds of barriers to education in the developing world.

And I’m inspired by young entrepreneurs like 24-year-old Saimum Hossain.

Saimum is here today from Bangladesh, where of 7 million of his countrymen who are homeless and many more have unsuitable housing. So Saimum and some friends set out to put a roof over as many heads as possible – literally.

They started an environmentally friendly company that turns natural materials from plants into sophisticated corrugated sheets that are more durable than metal roofs and provide good shelter.

Saimum’s dream is that soon they will be cheaper than metal so that more of the world’s 100 million homeless can afford sustainable housing. That’s a great dream. (Applause.)

I’m proud to tell you that Nermin, Tonee and Saimum all belong to a program that was born from President Obama’s call to action in Cairo. It’s called Global Innovation through Science and Technology. (Cheers.) And these young people embody the President’s famous affirmation that anything is possible: “Yes, we can!” – or as you say in Malaysia, “Malaysia boleh!” (Applause.)

The Obama Administration is really inspired by the kind of work that the young people here are doing, and that’s why we are going to continue promoting entrepreneurship around the world.

Supporting your creativity and persistence is a key component of our foreign policy agenda – which today, more than ever before, is about economic policy, too.

When entrepreneurs here in Malaysia succeed, I’ll tell you something; they create economic opportunity for Malaysians, of course, but also for people all over the world, including in the United States.

Americans benefit from the success of small businesses around the world through trading and collaborating with them, and by using their goods and services. So President Obama is going to continue doing everything he can to support young people who want to turn their ideas into businesses or non-profit organizations.

And we’ll do that in a few major ways.

First, we’re going to create an environment where people can easily form personal relationships and broad networks with people from every background and every expertise. We’re also going to help them with the training and support that they need to turn their ideas into businesses, and then to bring them to scale.

And when we think of the most successful entrepreneurs, we often think of someone like Steve Jobs, who was sitting in a garage somewhere with a buddy or two. But the truth is, no one makes all of this happen all alone. It takes the private sector working hand-in-hand with NGOs, universities, and governments. And in the end, the networks that we build only make all of us stronger.

So I am proud to announce a new collaboration between the United States State Department and Up Global, which over the next few years will support and train half a million entrepreneurs in 1,000 cities around the world – including right here in Kuala Lumpur. (Applause.)

The second initiative we’re going to launch will connect these entrepreneurs with mentors who can show them the ropes – because as you know better than anyone, starting a business is a daunting task.

And by the end of the year, President Obama will announce the inaugural members of the President’s Committee on Global Entrepreneurship. Penny Pritzker, the U.S. Secretary of Commerce who I introduced earlier, who is herself a very experienced executive and entrepreneur, she will lead this committee of role models who are going to act as partners, as teachers, and as champions for a new generation of success stories.

And third and finally, we must make sure governments support entrepreneurs and the amazing work that you’re all doing. That’s why President Obama is joining forces with organizations like the Kauffman Foundation, the World Bank, and others in order to create a new research network that will help policymakers promote growth and start-ups.

So I can’t tell you how exciting it is, how many great programs are underway or on the way in order to connect innovators with capital, market demands, and lift some of the poorest communities in the world out of poverty.

And I’m especially proud of a new program called Beehive Malaysia. Babson College – which is a school in my home state of Massachusetts – will partner with the U.S. Department of State and Malaysian universities and businesses to give social entrepreneurs a collaborative, shared workspace where they can solve some of the world’s toughest challenges.

My friends, the United States is doing all that we can to support you because we know that the best ideas are never bound by borders. And it’s your ideas that have always created the lion’s share of jobs in our country and in yours.

Just think: As more and more young people join the labor market, the world will need about a half a billion new jobs by 2030, many of which just haven’t been invented yet.

I want to leave you with a thought from a man who inspired me when I was growing up – a younger brother of the youngest man ever elected President, and a visionary leader in his own right – Robert Kennedy.

Robert Kennedy said: “Few will have the greatness to bend history itself, but each of us can work to change a small portion of events – and in the total of all those acts will be written the history of this generation.” “In the total of all those acts.”

Nearly a half a century later, you have more tools at your fingertips than any generation in history, and so you have all the more power to bend history for the better – to bend that bamboo in the ancient Malaysian proverb.

It happens that we also have many more complex challenges today, and it will take even more hard work to move the world forward. And without question, how many countries like mine and yours harness your talents? That is what will shape global economic prosperity and opportunity for generations to come.

As your generation continues to invent and reinvent and push us forward, you will invariably hear a lot of people call you the leaders of tomorrow. But I got news for you: That sells you short.

I know you’re not content to be relegated to the future – you are the present. You are the leaders of today. You are changing the world even as we speak. And I am confident that the rest of us are in your exceedingly capable hands.

So thank you all for all that you do, and all that you will do to bring opportunity to the many around the world. Terima kasih. (Applause.)

It is now my honor to present a message from the man whose vision created the Summit, the President of the United States, Barack Obama: (Applause.)

“Hello, everyone. I had really hoped to be with you in person. Unfortunately, events here in Washington made that impossible. But I am pleased that the United States is being represented at the Summit by two outstanding members of my cabinet, Secretaries John Kerry and Penny Pritzker. And I wanted to take this opportunity to speak directly to each of you about the cause that brings you together today.

To Prime Minister Najib and our Malaysian friends, thank you so much for your leadership in hosting the Fourth Summit – a tribute to Malaysia’s example as a dynamic economy, an engine for regional prosperity, and a country that’s increasingly connected to the global economy.

“Likewise, Malaysia’s diversity, tolerance, and progress can be a model for countries around the world. As I’ve told Prime Minister Najib, I look forward to visiting Malaysia in the future as we continue to deepen the partnership between our two great nations.

“To everyone gathered at this Summit, especially so many young entrepreneurs, thank you for your commitment to the call I issued four years ago in Cairo – the need for new partnerships between the United States and Muslim communities around the world. I was proud to host the First Entrepreneurship Summit and I’m proud of the progress we’ve made since, empowering a new generation of entrepreneurs, including women, with new skills, training, and access to capital, helping small businesses grow and forging new collaborations in science and technology.

“We do all this because we believe that whether you live in Kuala Lumpur or Kuwait or Kansas City, when you’re free to have your own ideas, pursue your dreams, start your own businesses, serve your communities, it isn’t just good for your nations; it means more prosperity and progress for us all. It’s the same daring spirit that brings us together to meet other challenges as well, from hunger to health to climate change. And it’s the spirit you can sustain.

“The United States is proud to do our part. In partnership with Up Global, we’ll help support 500,000 new entrepreneurs and their startups around the world. Some of America’s most successful leaders in business will serve as entrepreneurship ambassadors, mentoring and nurturing the next generation. A new research network will equip governments with proven tools to help entrepreneurs succeed. And we’ll continue to expand the partnerships and exchanges that help entrepreneurs like you learn from each other and turn your ideas into reality.

“Those of you there today, you’re risk takers and dreamers who imagine the world as it ought to be. But you also have the talents and drive to actually build the future you seek, and the United States of America wants to be your partner. We want you to succeed. And when I think of your passion and creativity, I could not be more optimistic about the future we can build together.

“So have a wonderful Summit. May God bless you all and may God’s peace be upon you.”

(Applause.)

SECRETARY OF STATE KERRY VISITS EMBASSY IN KUALA LUMPUR

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 
Meeting With Staff and Families of Embassy Kuala Lumpur
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Joseph Y. Yun
U.S. Ambassador to Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
October 10, 2013

AMBASSADOR YUN: Thank you, guys, for being here. I am so fortunate. Many, many ambassadors don’t get a chance to introduce the Secretary, but in my first four weeks, (inaudible). (Laughter.) I’ve traveled with the Secretary a couple of times. I know how tiring it is. He is so gracious and charming, and he looks great, fresh. (Laughter.)

So this is our Embassy. Thank you, for everyone, on a wet night for being – for giving us such a warm welcome to the Secretary.

SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you. Thank you. Joe, thank you very, very much. Thank you, all. It’s great to be here with you. You have, I’ve got to tell you, a great ambassador in Joe Yun. I cannot (inaudible). (Applause.) They had to twist my arm for me to give him up in the State Department to let him come out here, but I’m glad he is, and he was very, very diplomatic in his introduction of me, because he took great pleasure in introducing me, but the truth is I know he’s really sad he’s not introducing the President of the United States. (Laughter.)

But nevertheless, I’m happy that he is introducing me. I’m very, very pleased to be here with all of you. Thank you for taking time to come out here. I want to introduce Dr. Melanie Billings-Yun, who is here somewhere.

AMBASSADOR YUN: She couldn’t be here. She --

SECRETARY KERRY: Oh, she couldn’t be here?

AMBASSADOR YUN: Yeah.

SECRETARY KERRY: She’s being a doctor somewhere. (Laughter.) What can I say? Well, somebody – anyway, Lee, thanks for your great work, appreciate all you’re doing as DCM, and thank you, all of you. I understand we have five employees here who each have spent something like 35 years. I don't know if they’re all here.

AMBASSADOR YUN: I think some of them are here.

SECRETARY KERRY: Have we got – let me see, I wrote them down so that I could embarrass them appropriately. (Laughter.) Gerard George, is Gerard here? Gerard, there’s Gerard. (Applause.) And Andrew Sin? Andrew here somewhere? Who else have we got? I can’t read my own writing. Oh, Letchu Alagirisamy?

QUESTION: No.

SECRETARY KERRY: No? Not here? Gosh. Okay. Selena Liew Kim Lan?

QUESTION: No.

SECRETARY KERRY: Not here also? How about Irene Tham Chee Lin?

QUESTION: Irene --

SECRETARY KERRY: Irene? Irene, we can all say – well, they’re all working for (inaudible). (Laughter.) Well, I’m glad they’re working hard, but between the five of them, they’ve put in 190 years in helping our Embassy and the United States of America. And even though only one of them is here, how about a round of applause for all of them. (Applause.) Thank you. They’re fantastic, pretty amazing.

And is Matt Ingeneri here?

AMBASSADOR YUN: He’s with Froman.

SECRETARY KERRY: Oh, he’s with Froman, all right. Well, I want to just congratulate him for all the work he has done on this global summit, which is absolutely incredible, and I look forward to addressing it tomorrow, but – everybody’s out working. I mean, Christ. (Laughter.)

Anyway, thank you all. I really just wanted to be able to meet you and, first of all, tell you that the President is obviously not happy that he is not able to be out here doing the business that he needed to do over the course of the last few days. And while I’m proud to be here as the Secretary, the Secretary, as we all know, is not the President and doesn’t have the ability that – the meaning, obviously, of a presidential visit.

So the President will get out here. I’m actually confident of that. But I know he sends his best wishes to every single one of you, but also his apologies for what is going on in Washington, (inaudible) from all of us. I spent 28-plus years in the United States Senate, and it is really painful, sad, to watch what is happening – I should say not happening – right now. But it’s affecting all of you; it affects everybody – the uncertainties, the disruption, the question marks about our country and our government. Believe me, I’ve had some conversations in the last few days out here with leaders about it. It’s impossible – for the Government of the United States of America to be shut down when there are people out here – not to say, “Question mark, what’s going on here? What does this mean and what does the long term mean?” And so my hope is this will end quickly. I know you hope the same thing.

I want to thank you for hanging in, staying at it, not being deterred, not being demoralized, and for recognizing that all of us got into this because we care about the values and the principles that we’re trying to share with the world, and that doesn’t change because of what is happening in Washington. So we’re on the same mission, and we can hold our heads high and be proud that every single one of us are out there trying the best we can to represent our country and to stand up and advance our interests. That’s what this is all about.

Every single one of you is an ambassador. I know we have about 118 or so local staff. How many of you are local staff who – thank you, all of you, very, very much. (Applause.) There’s no way for us to do what we do here or to try to do what we do without your help and support, and I know that sometimes it can be difficult. And we appreciate enormously the fact that you’re committed to this task, and some of you for, as I say, as many as 35 years, which is quite extraordinary.

And for all the rest of you, the hundred and, I guess, 20 or so – 118 or so who are in the Embassy and the some 75 families represented here, many of you sitting right here, I really am happy to say, on behalf of your country, on behalf of the President of the United States, a profound thank you to all of you for what you’re doing. Every one of you may not be walking around yet. Some of you newer people are either in the consular division or in your first or second round. You don’t get the title of ambassador, but there isn’t one of you who isn’t an ambassador every day. And for a lot of people, you may be the first person they ever see that has contact with America, in some cases maybe the only person, but in other cases, you’ll go – they may go on through travel or through one of our education exchange programs or through other things to go to America, or to be in some other country where they have a sense of what they learned by being part of our journey. And it makes a difference in their lives too.

So this is a big deal. This part of the world is changing faster than any other place on the face of this planet. You are part of an extraordinary moment of history. When you think of the journey of this region over the last 20, 30, 40, 50 years, and you go back to the Cold War, and even World War II, where we find ourselves today in this region is stunning. And I’ll tell you, as I sat around that table, listening to the Prime Minister of Vietnam, to the Prime Minister of Laos, to the prime minister of any number of them – of Singapore, of Malaysia, and all these places expressing this commonality of interests, every single one of them feeling the sense of globalization and change and the impact on their governments.

I was talking with the prime – well, I won’t say because it’s not appropriate, it’s a personal conversation – but I just was talking with one prime minister at lunch today who was telling me how it can’t – nobody can go back. There’s too much accountability now. The social media has changed everything. Instant accountability and globalization itself has created a set of norms that’s conditioning behavior, and so everybody’s sort of now reaching for the brass ring. That’s why things like the TPP, the trade agreement, and other things are raising standards and people realize, “Whoa, we better be part of that if we’re going to be successful and continue to go down this road of growth and development, and provide for our citizens.” And the beauty of it is citizens everywhere know what citizens everywhere else are getting, and they know what their problems are, and they know what the challenges are. So we’re now on a much smaller planet with a much greater degree of shared responsibility and shared opportunity, and you all are on the cutting edge of that, making history literally every single day in this transformation that is taking place.

So keep it up, don’t worry. We will get through this in America. We will get back on track. This will end. You will get paid. Things will happen and you’ll enjoy the turkeys I hope you ordered for Thanksgiving, and life will go on, and we’re going to continue to do what we do, because I think that we’re involved in one of the greatest adventures you can ever be involved in. You get up every morning and go to work with the belief that you’re really making a difference for the lives of other people and making a difference for your country. It doesn’t get better than that.

So, thank you all very, very much. (Applause.)

SECRETARY OF STATE KERRY VISIT TO KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 
Press Availability in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Press Availability
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
October 10, 2013


SECRETARY KERRY: Well, I know that President Obama was very disappointed to cancel his visit, especially given his personal connection and commitment to the region. But I also know that he believes very deeply in the importance of the relationship between the United States and Malaysia and also in the potential for a relationship in the years to come.

Today, our two nations are really working together in more areas than ever before, in economics, in climate, in connectivity, law enforcement, counterterrorism, counter-proliferation, maritime security, science, education – you name it, and we are doing it and doing it together. We’re very grateful for Malaysia’s leadership on every single one of these issues.

I had the occasion at a couple of the dinners in the last few days and at the ASEAN meeting as well as the APEC and similarly at the East Asia Summit to have long and good conversations with the Prime Minister, Prime Minister Najib. And I’m grateful for the discussions that we had, as well as with the Foreign Minister. And having just left Brunei and the first-ever summit that has taken place between the U.S. and ASEAN, I want to thank Malaysia for its leadership through every single one of those meetings on all of the topics of importance to us. So we’re very much looking forward to Malaysia’s chair of ASEAN, which will take place a year hence in 2015.

I’m also proud to say that the ties between our people are clearly getting stronger. Thanks to the close coordination between President Obama and Prime Minister Najib, today American Fulbright English teaching assistants are connecting to Malaysian students all over the country in Kuala Lumpur all the way to Kuantan. And I know firsthand the importance of that program, because I was lucky to have my daughter take part as a Fulbrighter, and I know how profound the impact of that program can be. In fact, all of those exchanges make a difference, and that’s why we’re deeply committed to them here in the region.

These critical connections are also behind our commitment in expanding our people-to-people initiatives like the Global Entrepreneurial Summit, which I will have the privilege of addressing tomorrow. I think it speaks to Malaysia’s important role in driving regional prosperity that it is holding and hosting the fourth global summit right here in Kuala Lumpur. And tomorrow, when I speak to them, I’m going to have a chance to talk to young people from around the world who are here in order to find ways to pursue their dreams and make their communities stronger and better.

On behalf of President Obama, the United States is really proud to be part of that effort. But we’re convinced that we can do even more to help young leaders be able to achieve their goals. In order for their success – excuse me – and the success of other entrepreneurs, both in the United States and Malaysia, to be as far reaching as possible, it’s imperative that we support open trade and open investment wherever we can.

Today, the United States and Malaysia have a very strong economic relationship. We are Malaysia’s fourth-largest trading partner and we are the largest foreign investor in Malaysian industries. But we believe we can do more. And the Trans-Pacific Partnership, we think is the instrument to help get us there. Prime Minister Najib and I had a very productive meeting with the TPP leaders in Bali earlier this week. And I really look forward to working with our partners in Malaysia in order to finalize that agreement by the end of the year.

We recognize there are always hurdles in each country, but as U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Froman has said, we are prepared to be both flexible and creative in order to help countries be able to meet both the timing and the goals.

So on behalf of President Obama, I want to thank Malaysia for its very committed partnership. I want to thank them for their friendship. And I look forward to continuing what has already been a very productive trip to the region with a dynamic set of meetings tomorrow morning. With that, I’m happy to take a couple questions.

MS. PSAKI: Anne.

QUESTION: Thank you, Mr. Secretary. On Egypt, having taken this step on aid, what leverage does the United States still have to encourage the result you want there, a transition to – a return to civilian rule, given that neither the previous elected government nor the current interim military government seem to listen to you so far? What hope do you have that the result will be different?

SECRETARY KERRY: Well, I disagree with the premise of that. We’ve had a series of constant conversations regarding the roadmap, the road forward for Egypt. And we will continue to have those conversations. And I think the interim government understands very well our commitment to the success of this government, which we want to see achieve. And by no means is this a withdrawal from our relationship or severing of our serious commitment to helping the government meet those goals.

Obviously, we want to make sure that the roadmap results in a constitution that recognizes universal human rights, that respects minorities, that brings people to the table in an inclusive way, and we’re convinced that – and ultimately results in free and fair elections. In our conversations with the Egyptians, they insist to us that that is exactly the roadmap that they are on, that that is what they intend to achieve. And what we’re doing is holding back a certain element of the aid which we don’t believe is relevant to the immediate needs of this government in terms of the roadmap or in terms of their security.

Now with respect to security, with respect to the Sinai, with respect to the peace process, and with respect to the security needs of the region, we are continuing to provide assistance because it’s in our interest as well as theirs and our friends in the region to do so. In addition, we’re going to continue to provide spare and replacement parts and related services for some of the programs that we think are important to continuing military education and training, because that’s important to our interests. And they are grateful and, I think, understand that.

In addition, we’re going to continue to support areas that directly benefit the Egyptian people – education, private sector development. We will be engaged in that. And we will continue to make certain that the roadmap remains a primary goal for the interim government, because I believe they do want to continue the relationship in a positive way with the United States. Now, we will not be providing direct cash assistance to the budget of the government at this moment in time, and we’re reserving delivery with respect to any key large systems like the Apache or M1A1 tanks and a few things like that.

So I think that on the contrary, we’re going to continue. We want this government to succeed, but we want it also to be the kind of government that Americans will feel comfortable supporting and being engaged in.

QUESTION: How long do you think that suspension will last? And also, could I just ask you very quickly to comment on the kidnapping of the Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zeidan?

SECRETARY KERRY: Sure. I think this recalibration of assistance is really geared to try to leverage the outcomes that citizens in American care about enormously, that Egyptians care about equally – more importantly, that the Egyptian people want for their country. And so as we see this roadmap evolve and actually be met, which the Egyptian Government has said, we expect the renewal of certain of those systems as it is deemed by the President of the United States to be relevant to that particular moment and to the relationship. So this will be on a basis of performance, and it’ll be on the basis of what evolves over the course of the roadmap in the next months.

With respect to Libya, I spoke this afternoon with Ambassador Deborah Jones and we’ve been, obviously, in touch with Washington regarding this. It is clearly a situation that is still evolving. The Libyan Prime Minister, to our understanding, has been released. It is our understanding that there has been no statement yet issued as to the who, what, why, and how. And so we’re staying in very close touch, obviously. Our embassy personnel are secure. We’re confident about our abilities to keep them in that security. But as the situation evolves over the next hours and days, we will obviously share more with you. But it is an evolving situation.

One of the things that it really underscores is something that we’ve been really focused on in these last months, which is building capacity in Libya. And we’ve had a number of meetings and discussions about this over the course of the last months. It’s something we and others, our friends and allies involved in Libya – the French, the British, Italians, and others – are all unified in trying to address. And we have hopes that we can continue to do that probably with greater speed and with greater success, but that is a very major focus that this really underscores the events of the last 24 hours.

MODERATOR: Indira.

QUESTION: Thank you, Secretary Kerry. Is this on? South Africa and Brazil both had nuclear weapons programs, and today they’re both enriching uranium. Iran has said that its right to peaceful enrichment is non-negotiable in the upcoming talks. Can you assure Iran’s new government, which says it wants a deal within a year but is facing strong opposition from domestic hardliners at home, that it too will be allowed to enrich like South Africa and Brazil once it comes clean on all illicit activities?

SECRETARY KERRY: Well, obviously the question of enrichment is at the center of the negotiations themselves, and I’m not about to negotiate here in Kuala Lumpur today in answer to your question. But we have made it clear to Iran that they can have a peaceful nuclear program as they meet the requirements of the international community as expressed in the additional protocols and in the resolutions that have been passed by the UN Security Council.

Now, there is a negotiation coming up in the next few days. We’ve had private discussions; I’ve personally had private discussion with the Foreign Minister, and I think it’s best to keep those discussions private and personal at this point in time. But Iran knows what it needs to do in order to be able to have a peaceful program, and we’re prepared to negotiate a resolution and believe, as President Obama has said many times, that a negotiated, peaceful resolution is by far his preference. So we will negotiate, but we’re not going to negotiate publicly in the next days.

MODERATOR: Thanks, everyone.

SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you all. Have a good evening. Thanks.

U.S. TO SELL APACHE HELICOPTERS TO INDONESIA

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 
Hagel Announces U.S. Deal to Sell Helicopters to Indonesia
By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service

JAKARTA, Indonesia, Aug. 26, 2013 - In a first-of-its-kind deal worth about $500 million, the United States has agreed to sell eight new Apache AH-64E attack helicopters and Longbow radars to Indonesia, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said here today.

Hagel announced the deal during a joint news conference with Indonesian Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro after productive meetings this afternoon with Yusgiantoro and earlier today with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

The secretary is visiting Indonesia as part of an eight-day, four-nation trip that has included a stop in Malaysia and will take him this week to Brunei and the Philippines.

"Providing Indonesia these world-class helicopters is an example of our commitment to help build Indonesia's military capability," Hagel said.

The U.S. military will train Indonesian pilots and help in developing tactics, techniques and procedures for operating in the Southeast Asian security environment, a senior defense official said, adding that details of the delivery and training timeline are being determined.

The agreement represents a significant advance in military capabilities by a key U.S. partner and is the sort of investment the United States believes is prudent to support security in the Asia-Pacific region, the official said.

The new capability "will help Indonesia respond to a range of contingencies, including counterpiracy operations and maritime awareness," he added.

"The United States is committed to working with Southeast Asian nations to grow defense capabilities and deepen military-to-military cooperation with all of our partners," the official said.

During the news conference with Yusgiantoro, Hagel said it has been impressive to watch a democratic Indonesia emerge as one of the most important contributors to peace and prosperity, not only in Asia, but also globally.

"Helping ensure the region's security and prosperity is a goal the United States strongly shares," the secretary said. "The strong and enduring security partnership that has been built between the United States and Indonesia is a relationship the United States greatly values."

Hagel said President Barack Obama looks forward to his October visit to Indonesia and to deepening ties between the two countries.

Progress on security includes increasingly complex exercises between the two militaries, and growing defense, trade and high-level policy engagement, the secretary added.

The two militaries recently launched an initiative to share best practices in defense planning and management to increase Indonesian military capability, Hagel said, and next month the United States and Indonesia will cohost a counterterrorism exercise under the framework of the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting-Plus.

ASEAN is the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, whose 10 member states are Burma, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Defense ministers from these nations attend the annual ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting, or ADMM. And the ADMM-Plus is made up of ASEAN members and eight dialogue partners: the United States, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, India, New Zealand and Russia. This year's ADMM-Plus meeting will be start tomorrow in Brunei.

Hagel said the United States welcomes Indonesia's leadership in promoting regional security cooperation through ASEAN and regional forums such as the East Asia Summit.

"The United States is committed to further strengthening the U.S.-ASEAN relationship and I look forward to meeting with my counterparts this week at the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting- Plus in Brunei to address the many security challenges we face in this region," he said.

Developing long-term and enduring solutions to challenges like maritime security, humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, counterterrorism, and the peaceful management of disputes in the South China Sea calls for greater cooperation and respect for rules and norms among all parties and the institutions that underpin them, the secretary noted.

"I am also pleased to be able to announce that the U.S. and Indonesia have pledged mutual support and cooperation on the search and recovery of U.S. personnel missing from World War II," Hagel said.

Several Indonesian ministries have oversight of such requests, including defense, education and culture, and research and technology. All have agreed to process future requests from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, a joint task force within the Defense Department whose mission is to account for Americans listed as prisoners of war, or missing in action, from all past wars and conflicts.

The United States believes that about 1,800 U.S. personnel are still missing in action from World War II in the waters and lands of Indonesia, a senior defense official said, adding that while not all are recoverable, current research indicates that hundreds ultimately may be found and brought home.

"The United States commitment to this effort is important to our personnel serving today," Hagel said, "to make clear that we stand by our pledge to leave no one behind."