JOHN KERRY: PRESS AVAILABILITY IN BEIRUT, LEBANON:

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 

Press Availability in Beirut, Lebanon

Press Availability

John Kerry

Secretary of State

Beirut, Lebanon

June 4, 2014

---

SECRETARY KERRY: Well, good afternoon, everybody. Thank you very much for waiting for a few minutes. It’s a great pleasure for me to be back in Beirut. I’ve been here many times before, unfortunately never with enough time to stay and enjoy the beauty of the city, which I would like to do. But this is the first time nevertheless that I’ve been able to be here as Secretary of State, and I told the prime minister earlier, somehow we have to arrange the problems of the world and the region so that we can spend more time.

Lebanon is obviously much more than a beautiful country, which it is, it’s a very important country, and it’s very important to the security of the region and beyond. And I think everybody knows that the United States of America is deeply committed to Lebanon’s security, to its stability, to its sovereignty, and to supporting the Lebanese people during this difficult period.
We all know that the consequences of the civil war in Syria reach well beyond Syria’s borders, and Lebanon is feeling those consequences as much as any other country or community. Nowhere, in fact, has the international impact of what is happening in Syria been felt more in many ways than what is happening here. And that particularly includes the 1,600 cities, towns, and villages across Lebanon that are now hosting refugees of all ages.

I have personally had the opportunity to meet with some of those refugees, the Syrian refugees, who are now in the Jordan camps. And when I was there, it was impossible for me not to feel the incredible frustration and anger and loss that those refugees felt. If it isn’t enough that they don’t see their life situation changing, what they also don’t see is they don’t see the war ending. And so for them, life is difficult, it’s bleak every day.

I’m very proud that the United States of America is leading the charge and responding to this moral and this security imperative. And today, I am pleased to announce on behalf of the American people and on behalf of President Obama another $290 million in humanitarian assistance for those affected by the conflict, both inside Syria and the communities throughout the region where they have taken refuge.

With the newest contribution that I’ve announced today, the United States has now committed more than $2 billion to support refugees and the nations that have opened their doors to them. Let me be clear: There is still an enormous need on the ground that is not being met, and I’m not going to stand up here and pretend that the two billion or the money we’re giving today is enough. Also for those refugees, just being supported in a refugee camp is not enough. It doesn’t change their lives, it doesn’t end the war, it doesn’t speak to their day-to-day sense of loss and abandonment, and it certainly doesn’t provide them with the long-term security and opportunity that they deserve.

So all of us, all nations, have a responsibility to try to end this conflict. And I particularly call on those nations directly supporting the Assad regime – in what has become a grotesque display of modern warfare by a state against its own people – I call on them – Iran, Russia, and I call on Hezbollah, based right here in Lebanon – to engage in the legitimate effort to bring this war to an end. I also call on the international donors who have made pledges, to deliver on those pledges. It is important now, critically important, to support Lebanon and to support others in the region who are suffering the consequences of this humanitarian crisis.

As everybody knows who lives here and comes from Lebanon, Lebanon is different in the way that these refugees are being absorbed because there are not specific camps, and that has provided its own tension, its own form of domestic challenge. And the fact is that they are spread throughout those 1,600 communities that I talked about. That puts a burden on communities, puts a burden on schools, puts a burden on infrastructure. And so it’s important for all of us to recognize the human catastrophe that is unfolding before our eyes, and that is why we in the United States have worked so hard to try to push for a political solution, which is the only real solution to this conflict.

A large portion of the assistance that I just announced today, $51 million, will go directly to refugees in Lebanon and the communities that I just mentioned that host them here – and this combined with the assistance that we’ve already announced brings to about $400 million that the United States has supported just to deal with the refugee situation here in Lebanon.
The devastating events in Syria have obviously gone on for far too long, and I’m proud that we have stood by the people of Lebanon, the Lebanese people, from day one. We will continue to support the people of Lebanon. I want to make it clear: In my conversation today with Prime Minister Salam I made it clear that President Obama is deeply committed to continuing to support Lebanon, continuing to support the security initiatives, and we will continue to remain engaged in our efforts to try to find a way to move forward.

Lebanon’s security for years has been of paramount concern to the United States. And that is why I have to say that the current political stalemate here in Lebanon is deeply troubling. It’s unfortunate that the parliament did not elect a president on schedule, as the Lebanese constitution requires. And now it is far more important for the vacancy to be filled so that the people of Lebanon can reap the benefits of a fully constituted, fully empowered government. That is important for Lebanon, it’s also important for the region, it’s important for those who support Lebanon. And we need a government that is free from foreign influence, with a fully empowered president, and with the president and the parliament responding directly to the people and to the needs of the people of Lebanon.

Earlier today I reiterated my support to President Salam[1] in the meeting we just had, and I reiterated President Obama’s support for the stewardship of the Lebanese Government by Prime Minister Salam and his cabinet. And I thanked the prime minister for the principles that we share and for his commitment to those principles. This is not a time for business as usual. The challenges are just too significant, and the challenges are all interconnected. Lebanon needs and Lebanon deserves to have a fully empowered, fully functioning, complete government. And we hope the Lebanese parliament will select a president quickly.
In the meantime, I did assure the prime minister that the United States will remain a strong and reliable partner, and we will continue to support Lebanon and its institutions. That includes support that is aimed at building the capacity of the Lebanese armed forces and the internal security forces in order to help them be able to secure Lebanon’s borders, to be able to handle the refugee flows, and to be able to calm the tensions and combat terrorism. In fact, we are seeking, right now, to increase our assistance to those institutions.

So the bottom line is this: The bottom line is that a secure and stable Lebanon is a prerequisite for a secure and stable region, and the United States will continue to work closely with our partners in Lebanon in order to protect against any of those who seek a different goal.
Thank you very much, and I’d be delighted to answer a few questions.

MODERATOR: The first question will be from Lesley Wroughton of Reuters.

QUESTION: Thanks, Mr. Secretary. Why did the United States feel it had to recognize the Unity Palestinian Government immediately, when Netanyahu appealed publicly to the international community not to rush to do so? What does this new rift mean for the U.S.-Israeli relations and chances of reviving the peace talks?

On a Lebanon question: What do you fear most from a continued political vacuum in the Lebanese presidency? And do you think the Lebanese politicians can ever reach an agreement when Saudi Arabia and Iran, which are the regional patrons who back rival Lebanese blocs, are at odds over the war in Syria?

SECRETARY KERRY: Well, Lesley, let me begin by, if I can, making it very, very clear, in answer to the terminology you used in your question, the United States does not recognize a government with respect to Palestine, because that would recognize a state and there is no state. This is not an issue of recognition of a government. This is an issue of whether or not, under the terms of our law, there would be any kind of contact or work with that government in some form or another. Now, I have spoken with both Prime Minister Netanyahu and I’ve spoken with President Abbas over the last few days. And we’re going to remain in very close touch. And I want to make it very clear what – exactly what we are doing.

President Abbas made clear that this new technocratic government is committed to the principles of nonviolence, negotiations, recognizing the state of Israel, acceptance of the previous agreements and the Quartet principles, and that they will continue their previously agreed upon security cooperation with Israel. Now, that’s what he has said. He has formed an interim technocratic government that does not include any ministers who are affiliated with Hamas. We have checked that. In fact, most of the key cabinet positions – including the prime minister, the two deputy prime ministers, and the finance ministers – are the very same as in the prior government. And they are all technocrats unaffiliated with any political party and they are responsible for facilitating new elections.

Now, let me be clear. As we said, based on what we know now about the composition of this technocratic government which has no ministers affiliated with Hamas and is committed to the principles that I described, we will work with it as we need to, as is appropriate. We will work with it in that context, as, I might add, Israel is obviously working with it for security purposes. It has transferred revenues. There are certain day-to-day needs.

But I want to make it very clear we are going to be watching it very closely, as we have said from day one, to absolutely ensure that it upholds each of those things it has talked about, that it doesn’t cross the line. And the law in the United States regarding assistance and engagement states specifically that it makes a judgment about undue influence by Hamas in any way.
At the moment, we don’t have that, and so we are looking to see as we go forward on a day-to-day evaluation – we will measure the composition, we will measure the policies of the new technocratic government, and we will calibrate our approach accordingly. So that is, I think, a much more precise description of exactly what the status is today.

Hamas is a terrorist organization. It has not accepted the Quartet principles. It continues to call for the destruction of Israel. It continues even as it moves into this new posture. And so we are obviously going to watch closely what happens, but we will – as I’ve said, as needed, as long as those conditions are met that have been described – work with it in the constraints that we are obviously facing.

QUESTION: (Off-mike.)

SECRETARY KERRY: I’ve had several conversations with Prime Minister Netanyahu. We’re completely talking about this on a day-to-day basis. Israel is our friend, our strong ally. We are deeply committed. We’ve said again and again the bonds of our relationship extend way beyond security. They are time-honored and as close, I think, as any country in the world. We will stand by Israel, as we have in the past. There is nothing that is changing our security relationship. That is ironclad. And I deal with Prime Minister Netanyahu on a constant basis as a friend as well as as the prime minister of the country, and we’ve had very constructive, straightforward, normal conversations about this process of exactly how we measure things going forward. And I think we will coordinate, as we have throughout my time as Secretary of State. And I can tell you, in the years before I became Secretary, President Obama has constructed a security relationship with Israel that is more interconnected, more cooperative, more extensive than any security relationship between the United States and Israel at any time in history.

MS. PSAKI: The next --

SECRETARY KERRY: And that will continue.

MS. PSAKI: Pardon me. The next question is from Khalil Flayhan from An-Nahar newspaper.

SECRETARY KERRY: I didn’t answer the second part of her question.

MS. PSAKI: All right.

SECRETARY KERRY: Excuse me. With respect to the Saudis – I could have ducked it, but I’ll answer it. With respect to Saudi and Iran, there is no question that both have interests and have expressed them with respect to what is happening here. Our hope is that as in the past, Lebanon has ultimately been able to find its way forward. I said in my prepared comments that we want a Lebanon that is free from outside pressure and outside interference, and we hope that in the days ahead, rapidly it will be possible for a president to be elected by the parliament and provided to the people of Lebanon. People of Lebanon need and deserve a fully functioning, complete government that can meet the serious challenges of this moment, and we hope that will happen. And that’s part of the reason why I’m here today, is to hear firsthand from the prime minister where that is, what he thinks the road forward could be, as well as to learn from him about the impact of the Syrian situation and his views of the Syrian situation going forward.

MS. PSAKI: The next question is from Khalil Flayhan from An-Nahar newspaper.

QUESTION: Do you have any proposal to collaborate to resolve the difficulties to elect a new Lebanese president? And do you think Syrian presidential election will have any impact on the Lebanese presidential election?

SECRETARY KERRY: With respect to the question of do I have any proposal with respect to the election of a president, I have an urging, but not a proposal. It is not up for the United States to come in and make a proposal. This is up to the people of Lebanon, and I come here with President Obama’s encouragement to encourage the government to move forward. But we don’t have a candidate; we’re not in the business of trying to select or put proposals on the table. This is up to the parties here in Lebanon. It’s up to the leaders of Lebanon.
What we are trying to do is draw for them the picture that we see of how the absence of a president complicates matters for other countries that care about this region, that the capacity of the armed forces to respond to a crisis could be affected by the absence of a president. The confidence of the people of the country and the fabric of the politics of the country could be affected by the absence of a president. Ultimately, the tensions that could grow within a cabinet, or outside of the cabinet within the parliament and in the politics of the country, could become tenser as a result of not having a sense that there is a respect for the national pact and for the balance that should exist within the governing of Lebanon.

So I think all of these issues are important, not just to the people of Lebanon, but they’re important to those of us who care about Lebanon and care about the stability of the country and of the region as a whole.

MS. PSAKI: The final question is from (inaudible) from (inaudible).

QUESTION: Thank you. Thank you very much, Mr. Secretary. My question regards our next stop to Paris, France. You have two disagreements with the French Government. You have a disagreement on the warship Paris wants to sell to Moscow, and you have a disagreement on the fine against the French bank BNP for having violated the embargo. So on the first issue on the warships, how you hope for to convince the French Government not to deliver the warship amid discussions in Brussels about further sanctions against Russia?

And on the French bank BNP, your French counterpart Laurent Fabius came out and said that the fine is not sensible. So is it sensible, and is there room for negotiations between the U.S. and France on that issue? Thank you.

SECRETARY KERRY: Well, we have expressed concern, but we have not – when you say we have “disagreements,” I really don’t think that I would characterize them as broad-based disagreements between the countries. They are issues, and there is a concern – not just – I mean, not by the United States. I heard the concern expressed today by President Poroshenko, President-elect Poroshenko, who is concerned about the transfer of this – these ships and the possible presence in Sevastopol and the impact on them. So this is a broader kind of issue that arises in international affairs, but it’s not a conflict, and I don’t think that it’s – I wouldn’t describe it as anything more than something that we need to talk about and work through in the context of our relationship. And we will.

With respect to the BNP, that’s an issue of our justice system. I don’t have anything to do – and the Treasury Department and the Justice Department – I don’t have anything to do with the decision that gets made or how it gets made or what the levels are or the appropriateness of that. We obviously want whatever it is to be fair and to reflect an appropriateness to whatever it is that is alleged to have taken place. And I would have to further evaluate that, and even then I’m not sure that it belongs in our comments publicly between the two countries. But I’m confident that it’s something that we can work through and deal with, and I’m confident we will have some discussion about it in that context.

Thank you all.

QUESTION: (Off-mike.)

SECRETARY KERRY: They’re not going to let me. I have a very tight schedule. I apologize. I apologize.

QUESTION: (Off-mike.)

SECRETARY KERRY: Well – you have a question?

QUESTION: (Off-mike.)

SECRETARY KERRY: What do – do you want to ask a question?

QUESTION: (Off-mike.)

SECRETARY KERRY: No, I’d be happy to take your question.

QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, the timing of – everybody’s asking why today you came to Lebanon. They’re saying because of the elections in Syria, and you’ve been always saying that Assad would fall, his regime would fall, and it didn’t. Yesterday we witnessed election in Syria, and now we have no president. And you’ve been always saying that we would have a president, and we didn’t. So why the timing of your visit today? Is it because of the miscalculation that there was – that you --

SECRETARY KERRY: No, no.

QUESTION: Then why is --

SECRETARY KERRY: My – first of all, I’m – excuse me. First of all, I’m very happy to take your question.

QUESTION: (Off-mike.)

SECRETARY KERRY: Okay, yeah. But you weren’t so sure before. But secondly, let me just say to you unfortunately, when we are traveling, we do have a schedule and we have to try to keep the schedule. We try to answer as many questions as we can. I am here today because we had time and we thought it was very, very important to come to Lebanon. I have not been able to come to Lebanon and meet – and I have more meetings to go to now – I have not been able to do that because of the press of the negotiations we were involved in and the schedule that I’ve had.

But today, because of what is happening to Lebanon, because of the stalemate in its government, because of the influx of refugees, because of the very serious challenges here in terms of stability long-term, relationship with the region, I wanted to come and talk to the prime minister and meet with people so that we can continue to have an impact, hopefully in a positive and constructive way.

Now with respect to the elections that took place, the so-called elections, the elections are non-elections. The elections are a great big zero. They’re meaningless, and they’re meaningless because you can’t have an election where millions of your people don’t even have an ability to vote, where they don’t have an ability to contest the election, and they have no choice. So this – nothing has changed between the day before the election and the day after, nothing. The conflict is the same, the terror is the same, the killing is the same, the problem for the refugees is the same, regrettably, and we are trying to do something about that.

Now it’s hard. It’s not easy. But we’re committed to trying to do something about that because we believe the humanitarian crisis is one of the worst catastrophes any of us have viewed. But we also have to – it’s not up to us to decide when or how President Assad goes. It’s up to people in other countries, and that’s the most important thing – and specifically up to the Syrians, and that’s the bottom line here. We believe in a political settlement. We will continue to fight for a political settlement.

Thank you all very, very much. Appreciate it.

REMARKS: PRESIDENT OBAMA AND PRESIDENT-ELECT OF UKRAINE PETRO POROSHENKO

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE PRESIDEN OBAMA, UKRAINE PRESIDENT POROSHENKO

Remarks by President Obama and President-elect Petro Poroshenko of Ukraine After Bilateral Meeting

Warsaw Marriott Hotel
Warsaw, Poland

10:45 A.M. CET

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Well, it is a great pleasure for me to have the opportunity to have my first extended meeting with President-elect Poroshenko and to hear about his plans for a peaceful and prosperous Ukraine.  Obviously, Ukraine has gone through a very challenging time.  And what we have seen has been a incredible outpouring of democracy in the face of actions by Russia as well as armed militias in certain portions of the east that violate international law, violate sovereignty, and have spurred great violence.

Despite all that, what the Ukrainians said in the election that resulted in President-elect Poroshenko’s inauguration on Saturday is that they reject that past.  They reject violence.  They reject corruption.  And what they’re interested in is the opportunity for Ukrainians to make their own decisions about their own future -- a future in which if people work hard, if they are willing to educate themselves and apply themselves, that they can succeed and that they can choose their own representatives, and that those representatives will look out for their interests and not the interests of only those in power. 

That’s the hope that President-elect Poroshenko represents.  And in my discussions with him today it’s clear that he understands the aspirations and the hopes of the Ukrainian people.  And when I say the Ukrainian people, I mean all the Ukrainian people.  I think that President-elect Poroshenko recognizes that his mandate is not just to help certain portions of his country succeed, but all portions of his country succeed.

We had the opportunity to discuss President-elect Poroshenko’s plans for bringing peace and order to the east that is still experiencing conflict.  We discussed his economic plans and the importance of rooting out corruption, increasing transparency, and creating new models of economic growth.  We discussed issues of energy -- making sure that Ukraine becomes a more energy-efficient economy but also one that is less dependent solely on energy sources from Russia.  And I have been deeply impressed by his vision, in part because of his experience as a businessman, in understanding what’s required to help Ukraine grow and to be effective. 

The challenge now for the international community is to make sure that we are supporting Petro’s efforts.  And the United States has already stepped up in a number of ways.  We’re supplementing the assistance that the IMF is providing with $1 billion in additional loan guarantees, and we’ve discussed additional steps that we might take to help during this reform and transition process.  We’ve discussed additional steps that we can take to help train and professionalize the Ukrainian law enforcement and military so they can deal with some of the challenges that are still taking place in certain portions of the country.  And, in fact, today we announced some additional non-lethal assistance that we can provide -- things like night vision goggles that will help a professional Ukrainian military force do its job. 

And finally, we discussed how in my meetings today with the G7 and tomorrow with the G7, as well as conversations that I’m having with other European leaders, it’s important for the international community to stand solidly behind the efforts of Petro to broker with the Russians a process whereby Russia no longer is financing or supporting or arming separatists on Ukraine’s sovereign territory, and that a unified international community that is clear that that is a violation of international law and that is willing to back up those principles with consequences for Russia should Mr. Putin not seize this opportunity to develop a lawful and better relationship with his neighbors -- that that has to be part of our mission over the next several days. 

So I’m excited about the opportunities.  I think that the Ukrainian people made a wise selection in somebody who has the ability to lead them through this difficult period.  And the United States is absolutely committed to standing behind the Ukrainian people and their aspirations not just in the coming days and weeks but in the coming years, because we’re confident that Ukraine can, in fact, be a thriving, vital democracy that has strong relationships with Europe and has strong relationships with Russia.  But that can only happen if we stand clearly behind them during this difficult time.

Thank you so much for taking the time to meet.

PRESIDENT-ELECT POROSHENKO:  I want to thank President Obama, the United States people, the United States government and Congress for the continuous support demonstrating for the fight, the Ukrainian people, for freedom, for democracy, for building up independent sovereign European state.  This is crucially important for us, and now we feel a friend in need is a friend indeed.  The American position of the American people is very, very important for us.  

Point number two is that from the very beginning, from the first day of inauguration, we are ready to present the plan for peaceful relation, the situation in the east.  And we think that the next several days will be very important, crucial, for the Ukrainian -- history of Ukrainian perspective.  We pay very much attention about the G7 meeting, about the statement, about the possibility for finding out the position for peaceful process on Normandy, when we have -- first Ukraine were invited as a member of anti-Hitler coalition and celebration of the D-Day.  And I think this will be very symbolic because exactly in Normandy we can start to find out this peaceful process in Ukraine.

I want to thank the President for the support in our initiative in the reforming in the energy sector.  I’m very satisfied about our future cooperation in the anti-corruption deal that I think this is crucially important points for the modernization of the country.  I think that our top two very important issue -- we thank you for supporting Ukraine in solving our Crimea problem.  We demonstrate that -- the whole world demonstrate the solidarity in Ukraine in not accepting the aggression in Crimea, in not accepting this whole fake referendum, and not accepting the annexing of the part of Ukrainian territory.  And all the time we will demand restoring law and order, and withdraw the foreign troops from the Crimean territory.

And also, I think it is very important that the United States support the European aspiration of the Ukrainian people.  That is half a year Ukrainian people, millions of Ukrainian people on the street fighting for now and signing a association agreement for the European perspective for my country.  And I think that the modernization of the country, providing the reform of the -- creating the good investment climate, building on the independent coal system, providing the energy efficiency and energy diversification helps Ukrainian people to receive membership perspective for the European Union in very near future after successful program for the modernization, with the strong assistance of the United States of America.

I thank you very much for that.  And I think this was very fruitful and effective negotiation.

END
10:55 A.M. CET

PRESIDENT OBAMA'S REMARKS ON FREEDOM DAY ANNIVERSARY

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE 

Remarks by President Obama at at 25th Anniversary of Freedom Day

 Castle Square

Warsaw, Poland

12:10 P.M. CET

     PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Hello, Warsaw!  (Applause.)  Witaj, Polsko!  (Applause.)   

Mr. President; Mr. Prime Minister; Madam Mayor; heads of state and government, past and present -- including the man who jumped that shipyard wall to lead a strike that became a movement, the prisoner turned president who transformed this nation -- thank you, Lech Walesa, for your outstanding leadership.  (Applause.)   

Distinguished guests, people of Poland, thank you for your extraordinary welcome and for the privilege of joining you here today.  I bring with me the greetings and friendship of the American people -- and of my hometown of Chicago, home to so many proud Polish Americans.  (Applause.)  In Chicago, we think of ourselves as a little piece of Poland.  In some neighborhoods, you only hear Polish.  The faithful come together at churches like Saint Stanislaus Kostka.  We have a parade for Polish Constitution Day.  And every summer, we celebrate the Taste of Polonia, with our kielbasa and pierogies, and we’re all a little bit Polish for that day.  (Applause.)  So being here with you, it feels like home.  (Applause.)           

Twenty-five years ago today, we witnessed a scene that had once seemed impossible -- an election where, for the first time, the people of this nation had a choice.  The Communist regime thought an election would validate their rule or weaken the opposition.  Instead, Poles turned out in the millions.  And when the votes were counted, it was a landslide victory for freedom.  One woman who voted that day said, “There is a sense that something is beginning to happen in Poland.  We feel the taste of Poland again.”  She was right.  It was the beginning of the end of Communism -- not just in this country, but across Europe.

The images of that year are seared in our memory.  Citizens filling the streets of Budapest and Bucharest.  Hungarians and Austrians cutting the barbed wire border.  Protestors joining hands across the Baltics.  Czechs and Slovaks in their Velvet Revolution.  East Berliners climbing atop that wall.  And we have seen the extraordinary progress since that time.  A united Germany.  Nations in Central and Eastern Europe standing tall as proud democracies.  A Europe that is more integrated, more prosperous and more secure.  We must never forget that the spark for so much of this revolutionary change, this blossoming of hope, was lit by you, the people of Poland.  (Applause.) 

History was made here.  The victory of 1989 was not inevitable.  It was the culmination of centuries of Polish struggle, at times in this very square.  The generations of Poles who rose up and finally won independence.  The soldiers who resisted invasion, from the east and the west.  The Righteous Among the Nations -- among them Jan Karski -- who risked all to save the innocent from the Holocaust.  The heroes of the Warsaw Ghetto who refused to go without a fight.  The Free Poles at Normandy and the Poles of the Home Army who -- even as this city was reduced to rubble -- waged a heroic uprising. 

We remember how, when an Iron Curtain descended, you never accepted your fate.  When a son of Poland ascended to the Chair of Saint Peter, he returned home, and here, in Warsaw, he inspired a nation with his words -- “there can be no just Europe without the independence of Poland.”  (Applause.)  And today we give thanks for the courage of the Catholic Church and the fearless spirit of Saint John Paul II.  (Applause.)   

We also recall how you prevailed 25 years ago.  In the face of beatings and bullets, you never wavered from the moral force of nonviolence.  Through the darkness of martial law, Poles lit candles in their windows.  When the regime finally agreed to talk, you embraced dialogue.  When they held those elections -- even though not fully free -- you participated.  As one Solidarity leader said at the time, “We decided to accept what was possible.”  Poland reminds us that sometimes the smallest steps, however imperfect, can ultimately tear down walls, can ultimately transform the world.  (Applause.)  

But of course, your victory that June day was only the beginning.  For democracy is more than just elections.  True democracy, real prosperity, lasting security -- these are neither simply given, nor imposed from the outside.  They must be earned and built from within.  And in that age-old contest of ideas -- between freedom and authoritarianism, between liberty and oppression, between solidarity and intolerance -- Poland’s progress shows the enduring strength of the ideals that we cherish as a free people.

Here we see the strength of democracy:  Citizens raising their voices, free from fear.  Here we see political parties competing in open and honest elections.  Here we see an independent judiciary working to uphold the rule of law.  Here in Poland we see a vibrant press and a growing civil society that holds leaders accountable -- because governments exist to lift up their people, not to hold them down.  (Applause.)   

Here we see the strength of free markets and the results of hard reforms -- gleaming skyscrapers soaring above the city, and superhighways across this country, high-tech hubs and living standards that previous generations of Poles could only imagine. This is the new Poland you have built -- an economic “Miracle on the Vistula” -- Cud nad Wisłą.  (Applause.)    

Here we see the strength of free nations that stand united. Across those centuries of struggle, Poland’s fate too often was dictated by others.  This land was invaded and conquered, carved up and occupied.  But those days are over.  Poland understands as few other nations do that every nation must be free to chart its own course, to forge its own partnerships, to choose its own allies.  (Applause.)

This year marks the 15th anniversary of Poland’s membership in NATO.  We honor Polish service in the Balkans, in Iraq and Afghanistan.  And as Americans, we are proud to call Poland one of our strongest and closest allies.  (Applause.)  

This is the Poland we celebrate today.  The free and democratic Poland that your forebears and some who are here today dreamed of and fought for and, in some cases, died for.  The growing and secure Poland that you -- particularly the young people who are here today -- have enjoyed for your entire lives.

It’s a wonderful story, but the story of this nation reminds us that freedom is not guaranteed.  And history cautions us to never take progress for granted.  On the same day 25 years ago that Poles were voting here, tanks were crushing peaceful democracy protests in Tiananmen Square on the other side of the world.  The blessings of liberty must be earned and renewed by every generation -- including our own.  This is the work to which we rededicate ourselves today.  (Applause.) 

Our democracies must be defined not by what or who we’re against, but by a politics of inclusion and tolerance that welcomes all our citizens.  Our economies must deliver a broader prosperity that creates more opportunity -- across Europe and across the world -- especially for young people.  Leaders must uphold the public trust and stand against corruption, not steal from the pockets of their own people.  Our societies must embrace a greater justice that recognizes the inherent dignity of every human being.  And as we’ve been reminded by Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, our free nations cannot be complacent in pursuit of the vision we share -- a Europe that is whole and free and at peace.  We have to work for that.  We have to stand with those who seek freedom.  (Applause.)        

I know that throughout history, the Polish people were abandoned by friends when you needed them most.  So I’ve come to Warsaw today -- on behalf of the United States, on behalf of the NATO Alliance -- to reaffirm our unwavering commitment to Poland’s security.  Article 5 is clear -- an attack on one is an attack on all.  And as allies, we have a solemn duty -- a binding treaty obligation -- to defend your territorial integrity.  And we will.  We stand together -- now and forever -- for your freedom is ours. (Applause.)  Poland will never stand alone.  (Applause.)  But not just Poland -- Estonia will never stand alone.  Latvia will never stand alone.  Lithuania will never stand alone.  Romania will never stand alone.  (Applause.)  

These are not just words.  They’re unbreakable commitments backed by the strongest alliance in the world and the armed forces of the United States of America -- the most powerful military in history.  (Applause.)  You see our commitment today. In NATO aircraft in the skies of the Baltics.  In allied ships patrolling the Black Sea.  In the stepped-up exercises where our forces train together.  And in our increased and enduring American presence here on Polish soil.  We do these things not to threaten any nation, but to defend the security and territory of ourselves and our friends. 

Yesterday, I announced a new initiative to bolster the security of our NATO allies and increase America’s military presence in Europe.  With the support of Congress, this will mean more pre-positioned equipment to respond quickly in a crisis, and exercises and training to keep our forces ready; additional U.S. forces -- in the air, and sea, and on land, including here in Poland.  And it will mean increased support to help friends like Ukraine, and Moldova and Georgia provide for their own defense.  (Applause.) 

Just as the United States is increasing our commitment, so must others.  Every NATO member is protected by our alliance, and every NATO member must carry its share in our alliance.  This is the responsibility we have to each other.    

Finally, as free peoples, we join together, not simply to safeguard our own security but to advance the freedom of others. Today we affirm the principles for which we stand. 

We stand together because we believe that people and nations have the right to determine their own destiny.  And that includes the people of Ukraine.  Robbed by a corrupt regime, Ukrainians demanded a government that served them.  Beaten and bloodied, they refused to yield.  Threatened and harassed, they lined up to vote; they elected a new President in a free election -- because a leader’s legitimacy can only come from the consent of the people.

Ukrainians have now embarked on the hard road of reform.  I met with President-elect Poroshenko this morning, and I told him that, just as free nations offered support and assistance to Poland in your transition to democracy, we stand with Ukrainians now.  (Applause.)  Ukraine must be free to choose its own future for itself and by itself.  (Applause.)  We reject the zero-sum thinking of the past -- a free and independent Ukraine needs strong ties and growing trade with Europe and Russia and the United States and the rest of the world.  Because the people of Ukraine are reaching out for the same freedom and opportunities and progress that we celebrate here today -- and they deserve them, too.

We stand together because we believe that upholding peace and security is the responsibility of every nation.  The days of empire and spheres of influence are over.  Bigger nations must not be allowed to bully the small, or impose their will at the barrel of a gun or with masked men taking over buildings.  And the stroke of a pen can never legitimize the theft of a neighbor’s land.  So we will not accept Russia’s occupation of Crimea or its violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty.  (Applause.)   Our free nations will stand united so that further Russian provocations will only mean more isolation and costs for Russia. (Applause.)  Because after investing so much blood and treasure to bring Europe together, how can we allow the dark tactics of the 20th century to define this new century?

We stand together because we know that the spirit of Warsaw and Budapest and Prague and Berlin stretches to wherever the longing for freedom stirs in human hearts, whether in Minsk or Caracas, or Damascus or Pyongyang.  Wherever people are willing to do the hard work of building democracy -- from Tbilisi to Tunis, from Rangoon to Freetown -- they will have a partner in our nations.  For in the struggles of these citizens we recall our own struggles.  In their faces we see our own.  And few see this more clearly than the people of Poland.

The Ukrainians of today are the heirs of Solidarity -- men and women like you who dared to challenge a bankrupt regime.  When your peaceful protests were met with an iron fist, Poles placed flowers in the shipyard gate. 

Today, Ukrainians honor their fallen with flowers in Independence Square.  We remember the Polish voter who rejoiced to “feel the taste of Poland again.”  Her voice echoes in the young protestor in the Maidan who savored what she called “a taste of real freedom.”  “I love my country,” she said, and we are standing up for “justice and freedom.”  And with gratitude for the strong support of the Polish people, she spoke for many Ukrainians when she said, “Thank you, Poland.  We hear you and we love you.”  (Applause.)   

Today we can say the same.  Thank you, Poland -- thank you for your courage.  Thank you for reminding the world that no matter how brutal the crackdown, no matter how long the night, the yearning for liberty and dignity does not fade away.  It will never go away.  Thank you, Poland, for your iron will and for showing that, yes, ordinary citizens can grab the reins of history, and that freedom will prevail -- because, in the end, tanks and troops are no match for the force of our ideals. 

Thank you, Poland -- for your triumph -- not of arms, but of the human spirit, the truth that carries us forward. There is no change without risk, and no progress without sacrifice, and no freedom without solidarity.  (Applause.) 

Dziękuję, Polsko!  God bless Poland.  (Applause.)  God bless America.  God bless our unbreakable alliance.  Thank you very much.  (Applause.)

                        END             12:28 P.M. CET

SECRETARY KERRY'S REMARKS ON 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF TIANANMEN SQUARE PROTEST

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 

Message on the 25th Anniversary of Tiananmen Square

Press Statement

John Kerry

Secretary of State

Washington, DC

June 4, 2014

---

Today of all days, we remember the courage and commitment of hundreds of thousands of peaceful protesters who took to the streets to demand fundamental, universal rights. I’ll never forget turning on the television in my office and seeing a column of tanks halted by a single man armed only with his conscience. In those uncertain days, I was in the presence of 2,000 students in Massachusetts. I shared with them that these events were not the happenings of a weekend, but the happenings of an epoch, of a lifetime, and they demanded a moral and political response.

For all people who seek freedom, Tiananmen Square still stirs our conscience. That is why the United States and the international community commemorate the tragic loss of hundreds of lives and the heavy price paid by those who braved the violence in pursuit of the freedom to express their views. We express our sorrow to the families still grieving the loved ones, the lost, and especially to the Tiananmen Mothers.

We all recognize and appreciate that China has made marked social and economic progress in the past several decades. Continued progress will be defined by openness not just to the world, but to the voices and diverse perspectives of China’s citizens. Open discussion and examination of the events of 1989 and a full public accounting of those killed, detained, or missing would be a sign of strength and healing, not weakness and division. A peaceful, prosperous future is made more promising by healing the wounds of the past. We call on Chinese authorities to release from prison all those still serving sentences in connection with the events surrounding June 4, 1989, and end the ongoing pattern of harassment, detention, and official retribution against those who participated in the demonstrations, their family members, and those who continue to bravely speak out. We also urge China to release those who were detained in advance of the anniversary of June 4, and to uphold its international commitments to protect fundamental freedoms of all in China. All societies are stronger when every citizen has a say and a stake in their country’s direction.

SECRETARY KERRY'S REMARKS WITH UKRAINES PRESIDENT ELECT POROSHENKO

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 

Remarks With President-elect Petro Poroshenko Before Their Meeting

Remarks

John Kerry

Secretary of State

Marriott Hotel

Warsaw, Poland

June 4, 2014

---

SECRETARY KERRY: Good morning, everybody. It's a great pleasure for me to be with President-elect Poroshenko, who won a dramatic victory all across Ukraine. He won everywhere, and clearly has been given a mandate to try to lead the country into a new era. And I look forward to this meeting to talk about some of those priorities, then he will meet with the President.

And what happened in Ukraine in this election is really quite remarkable. It's a great example to the world, an example about courage, determination, and, most of all, a commitment to be free, to determine their own future. So we will work very, very closely. It's a privilege for me to be with the president-elect, who will be sworn in formally this Saturday, and Vice President Biden will be there. We look forward to celebrating that.

PRESIDENT-ELECT POROSHENKO: I want to thank the people of the United States for (inaudible) for the democracy, for the freedom. And I think it is enormously important to have a (inaudible) with the United States, with the European Union, and I'm really confident that we modernize the country, we build up the democracy, and we build up the freedom. Welcome.

LAGOON OF VENICE AS SEEN FROM SPACE

Image Credit: NASA.

FROM:  NASA 

A narrow barrier island protects the Lagoon of Venice from storm waves in the northern Adriatic Sea, and breakwaters protect inlets to the lagoon. Red tiles on the roofs of Venice contrast with the grays of the sister city of Mestre, and the cities are joined by a prominent causeway. What appears to be another causeway joining the island to the airport (top right) is actually the combined wakes of many boats and water taxis shuttling between them. Small, bright agricultural fields on well-drained soils (top left) contrast with the darker vegetation of back-bay swamps, where fishing is a popular pastime.

The water is turbid in the northern half of the lagoon, the result of heavy use by watercraft and of dense urban populations on the shores. This turbidity and other issues of environmental concern led to the creation in 2002 of the Atlas of the Lagoon (Atlante della laguna), which was set up to document environmental conditions and to track changes. Today, the Atlante della laguna is available online (in Italian) and provides a comprehensive collection of interpretive maps and imagery—including astronaut photographs from the International Space Station. A detailed view of Venice in 2007 can be viewed here. A more detailed article on the use of astronaut photography to monitor environmental change in the Lagoon of Venice is available here.

This astronaut photograph (ISS039-E-19482) was acquired on May 9, 2014, with a Nikon D3S digital camera using a 400 millimeter lens, and is provided by the ISS Crew Earth Observations Facility and the Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, Johnson Space Center. The image was taken by the Expedition 39 crew. It has been cropped and enhanced to improve contrast, and lens artifacts have been removed.  Caption: M. Justin Wilkinson, Jacobs at NASA-JSC.

SEC CHARGES CHARTER SCHOOL OPERATOR WITH DEFRAUDING INVESTORS IN $37.5 MILLION BOND OFFERING

FROM:  U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION 

The Securities and Exchange Commission charged a charter school operator in Chicago with defrauding investors in a $37.5 million bond offering for school construction by making materially misleading statements about transactions that presented a conflict of interest.

The SEC alleges that UNO Charter School Network Inc. and United Neighborhood Organization of Chicago not only failed to disclose a multi-million-dollar contract with a windows company owned by the brother of one of its senior officers, but investors also weren’t informed about the potential financial impact the conflicted transaction had on its ability to repay the bonds.

UNO is settling the SEC’s charges by agreeing to undertakings to improve its internal procedures and training, including the appointment of an independent monitor.

“UNO misled its bond investors by assuring them it had reported conflicts of interest in connection with state grants when in fact it had not,” said Andrew J. Ceresney, director of the SEC’s Division of Enforcement.  “Investors had a right to know that UNO’s transactions with related persons jeopardized its ability to pay its bonds because they placed the grant money that was primarily funding the projects at risk.”

According to the SEC’s complaint filed in federal court in Chicago, UNO entered into two grant agreements with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (IDCEO) in 2010 and 2011 to build three schools.  Each grant agreement contained a provision requiring UNO to certify that no conflict of interest existed when it signed the agreements.  UNO was required to immediately notify IDCEO in writing if any actual or potential conflicts subsequently arose.  If UNO breached this conflict of interest provision, IDCEO could suspend the payment of grants and recover grant funds already paid to UNO.

According to the SEC’s complaint, UNO breached the conflict of interest provision as it entered the construction phases of the project in 2011 and 2012.  UNO contracted two companies owned by brothers of its chief operating officer.  UNO agreed to pay one company approximately $11 million to supply and install windows and the other company approximately $1.9 million to serve as an owner’s representative during construction.  UNO did not advise IDCEO in writing about either of those conflicted transactions.

The SEC alleges that when UNO conducted its $37.5 million bond offering in October 2011, it issued an official statement to investors in bond offering documents that devoted an entire subsection to the subject of conflicts of interest.  UNO affirmatively assured investors that its conflicts policy was more robust than required for non-profit organizations.  UNO did disclose the contract with the company serving as owner’s representative, which was owned by the chief operating officer’s brother – who was a former UNO board member himself.

The SEC alleges that UNO nonetheless failed to disclose its much larger transactions with the windows company owned by another brother of the chief operating officer.  Moreover, nothing in the official statement disclosed that UNO already was in breach of the conflict of interest provision in its June 2010 grant agreement with the IDCEO because it already had transacted with both companies without advising the agency in writing about those engagements.  UNO also failed to disclose in the official statement that IDCEO could recoup all of the grant money as a result of this breach of the conflicts of interest provision.  Had IDCEO exercised its rights under the grant agreements and recouped the entire amount of the grants, UNO would not have had the cash to repay the grants and therefore would have had to liquidate its charter schools – the very revenue-producing assets essential for repayment of the bonds.

“Conflicted transactions and self-dealing by issuer officials can be material information for municipal bond investors and should be given appropriate focus by issuers and underwriters in disclosure documents,” said LeeAnn Gaunt, chief of the SEC Enforcement Division’s Municipal Securities and Public Pensions Unit.  “Failing to disclose material information undermines investor confidence in the municipal securities market and places at risk an important source of funding for local government projects.”

The SEC complaint charges UNO with violations of Section 17(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933.  UNO neither admitted nor denied the charges in the settlement.

The SEC’s investigation is continuing.  It has been conducted jointly by staff in the Chicago Regional Office and the Municipal Securities and Public Pensions Unit, including Michael Mueller, Eric Celauro, and Michael Foster.  The case is being supervised by Peter K.M. Chan.

FDA REPORTS ON MAMMOGRAPHY QUALITY STANDARDS ACT

MQSA National Statistics

FROM:  U.S. FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION 

MQSA National Statistics

In this section of the MQSA Scorecard, we present the most commonly requested national statistics regarding the MQSA program. These statistics are updated on the first of each month.

Certified facilities, as of October 1, 2013 8,691

Certification statistics, as of June 1, 2014  

  Total certified facilities / Total accredited units 8,714 / 13,523

  Certified facilities with FFDM2 units / Accredited FFDM units 8,154 / 12,790

FY 2014 inspection statistics, as of June 1, 2014  

  Facilities inspected 5,323

  Total units at inspected facilities 7,947

  Percent of inspections where the highest noncompliance was a:  

    Level 1 violation 0.3%

  Level 2 violation 11.4%

  Level 3 violation 1.4%

  Percent of inspections with no violation 86.9%

Total annual mammography procedures reported, as of June 1, 20141 38,747,608

1 This number is an aggregate of the total number of procedures performed annually as reported by facilities to their accreditation bodies. Facilities are asked to disclose this information at their initial accreditation, and then at the time of their re-accreditation, which takes place once every three years. FDA began collecting these data in 1998. The aggregate does not reflect the current number of procedures performed at these facilities, but only the numbers reported by them during the three-year period prior to the current date. We have aggregated only the numbers reported by certified, non-Veterans Administration facilities.

2 FFDM - Full Field Digital Mammography unit.

WASTE METHANE MADE INTO BIODEGRADABLE PLASTIC BY SCIENTISTS

FROM:  NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION 

A biodegradable plastic made from waste methane

Scientists are making PHA (a biodegradable polymer similar to the polypropylene used in yogurt containers) from waste methane

What if we could make the Great Pacific Garbage Patch just disappear? What if plastics didn't accumulate in our landfills? What if we could reduce greenhouse gas emissions while replacing up to 30 percent of the world's plastics with a biodegradable substitute?

Researchers have tried for decades to achieve these goals. One approach being taken is the development of an efficient production process for poly-hydroxyalkanoate (PHA)--a biodegradable polymer similar to the polypropylene used to make yogurt containers.

Scientists at Stanford University and a Palo Alto, Calif.-based start-up company called Mango Materials have come up with a new way to make PHA from waste methane gas. And, with funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF), Mango Materials is advancing the process toward commercialization.

PHA is a biodegradable polyester that is produced naturally inside some bacteria under conditions of excess carbon and limited nutrient availability. Processes being developed to make PHA at a commercial scale typically involve bacteria strains that have been genetically modified to boost production and corn-based sugar as the carbon source.

The microorganisms feed on plant-derived sugars and produce PHA. The PHA is then separated from the bacteria and made into pellets that can be molded into plastic products. This approach has several shortcomings: It requires use of agricultural land and other inputs to produce feedstock, and it competes with the food supply.

Mango Materials' process uses bacteria grown in fermenters to transform methane and oxygen, along with added nutrients (to supply excess carbon), into PHA. Eventually, the PHA-rich bacteria--now literally swollen with PHA granules--are removed from the fermenters, and the valuable polymer is separated via proprietary techniques from the rest of the cell mass. The PHA is then rinsed, cleaned, and dried as needed.

After the products made of the PHA have reached the end of their useful life, the plastic can be degraded anaerobically (without air)--to produce methane gas. This closes the loop and provides a fresh feedstock for PHA production.  Because PHA's properties can be tweaked by varying the copolymer content or with additives, Mango Materials has identified a range of applications.

"We are currently focused on applications where biodegradability is key," says Molly Morse, CEO at Mango Materials. "However, we're open to all sorts of applications and are eager to bring PHA bioplastics to market."

This unique approach addresses challenges that have derailed previous attempts at PHA commercialization. Other processes use sugar as a carbon feedstock, whereas Mango Materials uses waste methane--which is considerably less expensive than sugar.

"By using methane gas as the feedstock, we can significantly drive down costs of production," Morse says.

In addition, the process relies on a mixed community of wild bacteria that are obtained through natural selection rather than genetic engineering. Using wild bacteria that are not genetically altered alleviates concerns of some toward genetically modified organisms. And, the use of a mixed community of wild bacteria reduces production costs because it eliminates the need to sterilize equipment.

"This stands in contrast to the processes many biotech companies use that require high-purity, genetically engineered cultures," says Allison Pieja, director of technology at Mango Materials.

As an added environmental benefit, the process sequesters methane, a potent greenhouse gas, and provides an economic incentive for methane capture at facilities such as landfills, wastewater treatment plants and dairy farms. The unused, vented methane from California landfills (based on 2010 data from the Methane to Markets Partnership)--if used as PHA feedstock--would yield more than 100 million pounds per year of plastic. (This estimate is based on Mango Materials' internal calculations using its own rates and yields).

Mango Materials has vetted this technology and achieved excellent yields at the lab scale. Field studies have shown that the methane-consuming cultures grow just as well on waste biogas, which includes contaminants such as sulfides, as on pure methane. Now, the company is setting out to achieve the same yields at a commercial scale. Mango Materials standard commercial plants will be sized to handle the methane produced at an average wastewater treatment plant--enough to produce more than 2 million pounds per year of PHA.

This technology was funded through the NSF Small Business Innovation Research Program.

This article was prepared by NSF for the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and appeared in the February 2014 issue of Chemical Engineering Progress.

Investigators
Molly Morse
Related Institutions/Organizations
Mango Materials

U.S. DEFNESE DEPARTMENT CONTRACTS FOR JUNE 3, 2014

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

CONTRACTS

AIR FORCE

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Aerospace Systems, Palmdale, California, has been awarded a ceiling $9,900,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for B-2 modernization and sustainment. The Flexible Acquisition Sustainment Team (FAST) II contract requirements include B-2 enhancements, sustainment logistics elements including sustaining engineering, software maintenance and support equipment. Also included is programmed depot maintenance of the fleet and other interim contractor support. Work will be performed at Palmdale, California, with performance at other locations, namely Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri; Tinker AFB, Oklahoma; Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio; Edwards AFB, California, and Hill AFB, Utah, and the base period work is to be completed May 2, 2019. If the option is exercised, the work is to be completed May 2, 2024. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2014 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $6,355,000 are being obligated at time of award on delivery order 0001 for Common Very Low Frequency Receiver Increment 1. The total price for delivery order 0001 is $26,584,648. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, B-2 Division Contracting, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center/WWZK, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio is the contracting activity (FA8616-14-D-6060).

L-3 Communications, IEC, Anaheim, California, has been awarded an $8,281,679 cost-plus-incentive-fee modification (P00017) on FA8807-12-C-0011 for software coding and security certification on the military global positioning system user equipment contract. The contract modification is to mature the software coding of the GPS receiver cards being developed and perform security certification to enable faster fielding of military-code capable GPS receivers to the warfighter. Work will be performed at Anaheim, California, and is expected to be completed by April 15, 2015. Fiscal 2014 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $6,000,000 are being obligated at time of award. The Space and Missile Systems Center Contracting Directorate, El Segundo, California, is the contracting activity.

DEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY

Ibis Biosciences, Inc., Carlsbad, California, has been awarded a $7,217,926 cost-plus fixed-fee contract. The contract is to develop the PUMA Biosensor system, which is a new point-of-care hand-held device suitable for use in the field with molecular diagnostics for screening viruses, respiratory pathogens and bio threats. Work will be performed in Carlsbad, California, and is expected to be completed by April 30, 2015. Fiscal 2014 applied research funding in the amount of $3,000,000 was obligated at the time of the award. The contracting activity is DARPA, Arlington, Virginia (HR0011-14-C-0083).

DEFENSE HEALTH AGENCY

SeKON Enterprises, Inc., Herndon, Virginia is being awarded a potential $9,499,405 firm-fixed-price contract (HT0011-14-F-0009) to provide support to the Defense Health Agency’s Information Management office. The total potential contract value including the eight-month base period, four one-year option periods, and the transition-in and -out periods is $64,746,604. The contractor will provide analysis to support DHA IM office decisions on business need, mission priorities, alternatives solutions, business process change, policies, and funding. This contract will also support the development and management of business processes, health data management strategies and collaboration in the development and implementation of national health IT standards. Work will be performed in Virginia with an estimated completion date of Feb 14, 2015. Fiscal 2014 operation and maintenance funds in the amount of $5,630,761 are being obligated at award. This contract was competitively procured under the National Institutes of Health Information Technology Acquisition and Assessment Center's CIO-SP3 Small Business government-wide acquisition contract. Defense Health Agency, Falls Church, Virginia is the contracting activity (HT0011-14-R-0004).

NAVY

Guam MACC Builders A JV, Honolulu, Hawaii, is being awarded $39,699,700 for firm-fixed-price task order 0006 under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract (N62742-10-D-1309) for the design and construction of X-Ray Wharf improvements to Berth 1 at Naval Base, Guam. The work includes the rehabilitation and modernization of the north berth at X-Ray Wharf to provide berthing and utilities for Auxiliary Cargo and Ammunition Ship (T-AKE) class supply vessels; including dredging, sheet pile bulkhead, cement/soil mix gravity wall, mooring dolphin, relocation of buoys, wharf deck, fenders, cathodic protection, potable water, bilge and oily waste treatment, sewer, fire protection, and storm drain utility systems, security fencing and lighting, wharf deck lighting, and associated support buildings. Work will be performed in Santa Rita, Guam, and is expected to be completed by October 2016. Fiscal 2014 military construction (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $39,699,700 are being obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Six proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Pacific, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, is the contracting activity.

Olin Corp. - Winchester Ammunition, East Alton, Illinois, is being awarded a $27,681,245 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for 9mm frangible ammunition in support of the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Navy. The 9mm frangible ammunition will be used for indoor and outdoor close quarter battle (CQB) training. CQB operations are in locations where there may be populated areas beyond the impact area of an operation for the Air Force, Coast Guard and Navy. Work will be performed in Oxford, Mississippi, and is expected to be completed by June 2019. Fiscal 2014 procurement, military ammunition funds in the amount of $1,955,248 will be obligated at time of contract award. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with three offers received. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, Crane, Indiana, is the contracting activity (N00164-14-D-JN45).
American Rheinmetall Munition, Stafford, Virginia, is being awarded a $26,037,082 firm-fixed price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for 3,154,286 40mm day/night M1110 practice cartridges. The M1110 contains a chemiluminescent projectile for training of Marines in the use of the 40mm low velocity cartridge under day and night/low-light conditions. Work will be performed in Camden, Arkansas, and is expected to be completed by February 2016. Fiscal 2012 and 2014 procurement (Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $26,037,082 will be obligated at the time of award. Contract funds in the amount of $14,531,088 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was a sole-source procurement in accordance with 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(1). The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Virginia, is the contracting activity (M67854-14-D-7403).

Kellogg Brown & Root Services, Inc., Houston, Texas, is being awarded a $22,142,994 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for base operating support services at Isa Air Base, Bahrain and its outlying support sites including the Patriot Battery Site at Riffa, Bahrain. The work to be performed provides for all management, supervision, labor, materials, and equipment necessary to perform services for general information, management and administration, galley, housing (bachelor/unaccompanied housing), facility support (facility investment, facility management, custodial, pest control, integrated solid waste management, grounds maintenance and landscaping), electrical, wastewater, water and base support vehicles and equipment, and environmental. The maximum dollar value including the base period and four option years is $113,824,554. Work will be performed in Isa, Bahrain, and is expected to be completed by September 2019. Fiscal year 2014 operation and maintenance (Navy, Marine Corps, and Army) contract funds in the amount of $10,921,919 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with six proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N62470-14-D-6012).

The Boeing Co., Seattle, Washington, is being awarded a $19,857,582 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-12-C-0112) for the procurement of one spare P-8A CFM-56 engine and one spare engine build-up unit in support of the P-8A Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft. Work will be performed in Seattle, Washington, and is expected to be completed in August 2015. Fiscal 2014 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $19,857,582 will be obligated on this award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland is the contracting activity.

Rockwell Collins, Inc., Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is being awarded a $15,947,962 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-priced contract (N00019-09-C-0069) to exercise an option for the procurement of AN/ARC-210(V) electronic radios and ancillary equipment for a variety of aircraft. This option provides for the procurement of 182 RT-1990(C)/ARCs and conversion of four RT-1939(C)s to RT-1990(C)s. Work will be performed in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and is expected to be completed in December 2015. Fiscal 2014 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $15,947,962 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland is the contracting activity.

King Aerospace, Inc., Addison, Texas, is being awarded a $9,458,209 modification to a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N00019-12-D-0014) to exercise an option for contractor logistics services in support of C-9B aircraft, including base site operations, depot planned maintenance interval inspections and engine shop visits. Work will be performed in Cherry Point, North Carolina (60 percent); Ardmore, Oklahoma (10 percent); Whidbey Island, Washington (10 percent); Addison, Texas (10 percent); and Miami, Florida (10 percent), and is expected to be completed in May 2015. No funds are being obligated at time of award. Funds will be obligated against individual delivery orders as they are issued. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland is the contracting activity.

BAE Systems Mayport, Jacksonville, Florida, is being awarded a $9,270,465 modification to previously awarded contract (N40024-10-C-4406) for ship repairs, hull, machinery, electrical, electronics, ship alterations, and piping alteration as required on USS Carney (DDG-64). The primary focus of this repair package is to accomplish structural repairs and habitability upgrades. Work will be performed in Jacksonville, Florida, and is expected to be completed by September 2014. Fiscal 2014 operations & maintenance (Navy), fiscal 2014 other procurement (Navy) and working capital funds (Navy) funding in the amount of $9,270,465 will be obligated at time of award. Contract funds in the amount of $9,215,334 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Southeast Regional Maintenance Center Jacksonville, Florida, is the contracting activity.

ARMY

General Dynamics Land Systems, Sterling Heights, Michigan was awarded an $11,421,811 modification (P00011) to contract W56HZV-14-C-B019 for the procurement of three additional DVH Stryker ECP ICVV prototype test vehicles, under Phase II of the Stryker Engineering Change Proposal Upgrade program. Fiscal 2014 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $5,715,337 were obligated at the time of the award. Work will be performed in Sterling Heights, Michigan, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2016. Army Contracting Command, Warren, Michigan is the contracting activity.
APPTRICITY Corp.*, Irving, Texas, was awarded a $10,543,119 firm-fixed-price contract for the annual license maintenance for the Transportation Coordinators Automated Information for Movements System II (TC-AIMS II) commercial supply chain solutions software: [Theater Operations Software (TOPS)]. Funding and work location will be determined with each order. The estimated completion date is Jan. 31, 2019. One bid was solicited and one received. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois is the contracting activity (W52P1J-14-D-0069).

ITT Exelis Systems Corp., Colorado Springs, Colorado was awarded a $9,490,510 modification (BA0343) to contract W911SE-07-D-0006 for the Army Prepositioned Stock-5 support to the Army Field Support Battalion-Qatar. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $4,198,314 were obligated at the time of the award. Estimated completion date is Dec. 31, 2014. Work will be performed in Qatar. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island, Illinois is the contracting activity.

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY

Sysco Seattle, Kent, Washington, has been awarded a maximum $173,507,460 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for subsistence prime vendor support for various customers in Seattle, Washington – Zone 1 (Ships). This contract was a competitive acquisition with two offers received. This is a two-year base contract with one two-year option period. Location of performance is Washington with an Aug. 3, 2016 performance completion date. Using military service is Navy. Type of appropriation is fiscal year 2014 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE300-14-D-3009).

Sysco Seattle, Kent, Washington, has been awarded a maximum $110,818,565 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for subsistence prime vendor support for various customers in Seattle, Washington – Zone 2 (Land). This contract was a competitive acquisition with two offers received. This is a two-year base contract with one two-year option period. Location of performance is Washington with an Aug. 3, 2016 performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. Type of appropriation is fiscal year 2014 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE300-14-D-3010).

ScImage, Inc.,* Los Altos, California, has been awarded a maximum $45,000,000 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment contract for digital imaging network-picture archive and communication system, components, system options and accessories, upgrades, training, maintenance services, and turnkey installation. This contract was a competitive acquisition with ten offers received. This is a two-year base contract with one one-year option period. Location of performance is California with a May 29, 2017 performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal year 2014 through fiscal year 2017 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE2D1-14-D-8302).

Genco Infrastructures Solutions, Inc., Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been awarded a maximum $7,955,284 modification (P00006) exercising the first one-year option on a one-year base contract (SP3300-13-C-5002) with four one-year option periods. This is a fixed-price/incentive-firm and cost-reimbursable contract for warehousing and distribution support services. Location of performance is Pennsylvania with a May 31, 2015 performance completion date. Using service is Defense Logistics Agency Distribution Bahrain, Southwest. Type of appropriation is fiscal year 2014 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Distribution, New Cumberland, Pennsylvania. (Awarded May 16, 2014)

*Small Business

U.S. WISHES PEOPLE OF THE KINGDOM OF TONGA WARM WISHES ON THEIR INDEPENDENCE DAY

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 

The Kingdom of Tonga Independence Day

Press Statement

John Kerry

Secretary of State

Washington, DC

June 3, 2014

---

On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I offer warm wishes and congratulations to the people of the Kingdom of Tonga as you celebrate the anniversary of your nation’s independence on June 4.

The United States and the Kingdom of Tonga share a close partnership based on mutual respect and shared interests. The safe return of your troops from Afghanistan is especially on our minds. Americans everywhere are grateful for your courage and commitment to peace and security throughout the world.

The inauguration this year of a joint security cooperation program between the Nevada National Guard and His Majesty’s Armed Forces will strengthen our close partnership. Our work together to create shared prosperity, combat climate change, and improve regional cooperation throughout the Pacific region will continue to unite us in the future.

As you celebrate your independence day, the United States stands with you as an unwavering partner and friend. I wish the people of the Kingdom of Tonga peace and prosperity in the years to come.

PRESIDENT OBAMA'S REMARKS AT MEETING OF CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPEAN LEADERS

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE 

Remarks by President Obama Before a Meeting with Central and Eastern European Leaders

Koniecpolski Palace
Warsaw, Poland

3:24 P.M. CET

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Well, thank you very much.  Good afternoon. And along with President Komorowski, I’m very pleased to welcome our outstanding allies from across Central and Eastern Europe.  We have done this before in Prague and on my last visit to Warsaw.  And I want to thank my fellow leaders for being here.

As the President indicated, this 25th anniversary of Polish freedom reminds us of the transformation that’s taken place all across the region.  The countries represented here have all undertaken hard reforms, have built democratic institutions, have delivered greater prosperity for their citizens, and underlying this progress is the security guarantee that comes from NATO membership.  We’re here today because as NATO allies we have to stand absolutely united in our Article 5 commitments to collective defense.  We stand together always. 

And as I’ve said throughout the day and previously back home, I continue to believe that NATO is the cornerstone foundation of U.S. security, not just European security.  Now, given Russia’s actions in Ukraine, NATO has increased its presence across the region from the Baltic to the Black Sea.  I thank our allies for the contributions they’re making, and I’ll be discussing the initiative that I announced today to bolster the U.S. presence in Europe. 

A number of countries represented here have already committed to increasing their investments in our collective defense, and today we’ll be discussing additional steps that we can take both as individual nations and as an alliance to make sure we have the capabilities that we need.  I expect that we’ll also have an opportunity to discuss how Europe, especially Central and Eastern Europe, can continue to diversify its energy sources.  The United States will be exporting more natural gas to the global market in the years to come.  But more immediately, there are steps that we can take together to reduce energy risks, upgrade our energy infrastructure and improve efficiency. 

So, again, I want to thank our fellow leaders for being here today.  I think their presence sends a powerful message that as NATO allies, we stand as one.  Citizens across Central and Eastern Europe need to know that what you’ve built over the last 25 years no other nation can take away. 

So, again, thank you, President Komorowski, for your hospitality.  And I think once the press clears the room, we can get the meeting started. 

END          
3:27 P.M. CET