Secretary Blinken’s Travel to Vienna, Seoul, and Manila

FP Report

WASHINGTON DC: Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken will travel to Vienna, Seoul, and Manila, from March 14 to 20, 2024.

In Vienna, Secretary Blinken will attend the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) and serve as Head of Delegation for the United States during the High-Level Segment. At the CND, the Secretary will emphasize that illicitly manufactured synthetic drugs and their precursors are fueling a public health crisis that affects communities across the United States and around the globe. The United States looks to secure concrete commitments from countries to take domestic, regional, and international action to address synthetic drugs and their precursors. While in Vienna, Secretary Blinken will also meet with senior Austrian officials, as well as International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi to discuss nuclear safety, security, and safeguards issues.

In Seoul, Secretary Blinken will head the U.S. delegation to the third Summit for Democracy, hosted by the Republic of Korea, bringing together hundreds of leaders from governments, civil society, and the private sector committed to strengthening democratic governance, protecting human rights, and advancing the fight against corruption. The Summit demonstrates how the United States and like-minded democracies organize to address the world’s most pressing challenges. The U.S. will also highlight progress made since the last Summit for Democracy to counter the proliferation and misuse of commercial spyware. The Secretary will also meet with Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and other ROK officials.

In Manila, Secretary Blinken will meet with President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., and Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique Manalo to advance shared economic priorities and underscore the United States’ ironclad commitment to the U.S.-Philippine alliance. Secretary Blinken, President Marcos, and Secretary Manalo will discuss areas to deepen U.S.-Philippine cooperation on a range of bilateral and global issues, including on regional peace and stability, human rights and democracy, economic prosperity, health, clean energy, semiconductors, and the digital economy.