Tag: rex Tillerson

Trump fires top diplomat Tillerson, names Pompeo successor

by Dave Clark / Jerome Cartillier Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Donald Trump on Tuesday sacked his top diplomat Rex Tillerson and named current CIA chief Mike Pompeo to succeed him, ending a rocky tenure by the Texas oilman who had frequently been at odds with the mercurial US president. A senior White House official said Trump wanted to reshuffle his team with a view to launching talks with North Korea, following […]

Tillerson and Trump’s rocky road to ‘Rexit’

by Sara KAMOUNI Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States – US President Donald Trump Tuesday announced he was firing Rex Tillerson, capping months of speculation the secretary of state was on the verge of being pushed out. Here is a roundup of the numerous points of friction between the pair during Tillerson’s 14-month tenure — on everything from North Korea to climate change: – Iran deal’s future – Trump has blasted the 2015 Iran nuclear deal — aimed at […]

No decision on Trump, Putin meeting: Tillerson

BEIJING, China (AFP) – Russia and the US disagreed on Thursday over whether US President Donald Trump plans to meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Vietnam. Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov told Russian news agencies that the meeting “will be on November 10,” with the exact time still being discussed. But in comments in Beijing, where Trump is on a state visit, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said […]

Tillerson heads to Pakistan as US warns over Taliban havens

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AFP) — US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was to arrive in Islamabad Tuesday as Washington turns up the heat on Pakistan for allegedly providing “safe havens” for Taliban militants. Tillerson’s visit, his first to Pakistan since becoming secretary of state, comes weeks after US President Donald Trump angrily accused the nuclear-armed country of harboring “agents of chaos” who can attack NATO-led forces in neighboring Afghanistan. It follows on the heels of an unannounced stop […]

Tillerson in China to pile pressure on North Korea

BEIJING, China (AFP) — United States Secretary of State Rex Tillerson arrived in Beijing on Saturday to discuss efforts to curb North Korea’s nuclear ambitions and prepare President Donald Trump’s upcoming visit to China. Tillerson was scheduled to meet with President Xi Jinping after talks with top diplomat Yang Jiechi and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, ahead of Trump’s trip in November. The visit comes as relations between the two superpowers appear to be improving after […]

Tillerson says had ‘matter of fact’ exchange with Zarif

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) – United States Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Wednesday he had had a matter of fact exchange with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif but that Washington continues to have “significant issues” with the Iran nuclear deal. “It was a good opportunity to meet, shake hands. The tone was very matter of fact. There was no yelling, we didn’t throw shoes at one another,” Tillerson said. “It was not […]

Tillerson calls on China to use oil as leverage over N. Korea

LONDON, United States (AFP) — United States Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Thursday urged China to use the oil it supplies to North Korea as leverage to pressure the isolated nation into reconsidering its nuclear program. The United Nations Security Council unanimously imposed on Monday an eighth set of sanctions on North Korea after its latest nuclear test, banning it from trading in textiles and restricting oil imports. Washington had called for tougher restrictions, […]

US offers help to Spain in wake of Barcelona attack

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States on Thursday offered its assistance to Spain in the wake of a deadly van attack in Barcelona’s most popular street Las Ramblas, which left at least two dead. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson also said that consular assistance was being provided to Americans in the city, and urged US nationals to check in with their families. “Terrorists around the world should know — the United States and […]

US open to talk if North Korea ready to disarm

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Tuesday, after North Korea’s Kim Jong-Un postponed a threat to fire missiles towards the United States territory of Guam, that Washington remains ready for talks. But the top US diplomat said it would be up to Kim when such negotiations would begin, having previously insisted Pyongyang must demonstrate that it accepts it will have to give up its nuclear program. “I have no response […]

Tillerson: World united to disarm North Korea

MANILA, Philippines (AFP) — United States Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Monday that a United Nations Security Council vote to impose sanctions on North Korea showed that world powers were united behind a push for a denuclearized Korean peninsula. Speaking at a security forum in Manila, Washington’s top diplomat said Kim Jong-Un’s regime must halt ballistic missile tests if it wanted to talk to the US about resolving the standoff. “It’s quite clear in terms […]

PHL open to addressing US human rights concerns on sidelines of ASEAN meetings

(Eagle News) — The Department of Foreign Affairs welcomed on Friday the talk about human rights between President Rodrigo Duterte and  United States Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations-hosted meetings, noting that it was an “opportunity to address (the US’) concerns and correct the perceptions they may have gleaned from exaggerated media reports.” In a statement, the DFA noted that discussions on human rights issues were […]

US’ Tillerson won’t meet North Korea envoy at ASEAN talks in PHL

United States Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will not meet his North Korean counterpart at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations forum in Manila and will instead push to deepen Pyongyang’s diplomatic isolation, a senior US official said Wednesday. North Korea’s push to build a nuclear-armed missile capable of threatening US cities has brought the region to the brink of crisis, and Washington is using every diplomatic lever to shut the program down. But, in […]