Marie Harf

Deputy Spokesperson
Daily Press Briefing

Washington, DC

December 18, 2013

 

Index for Today's Briefing

DEPARTMENT Secretary Kerry Concluded Fourth Trip to Asia Earlier Today PHILIPPINES Post-Typhoon Reconstruction Efforts SOUTH SUDAN Evacuated Three Groups of U.S. Citizens / Ambassador Page Met with President Kiir in Juba / Encouraged by President Kiir's Remarks Welcoming Dialogue INDIA Secretary Call to Indian National Security Advisor Menon Deputy Consul General / Diplomatic Security Arresting Authority / Diplomatic Notification in September Under Secretary Sherman Spoke with Foreign Secretary Singh State Has Not Received Official Communication on Possible Change of Credentials Vienna Convention SYRIA Islamic Front / Ambassador Ford / General Idriss / SMC / Opposition Trilateral Meeting / Geneva II / External Participation to Be Discussed at Trilateral London 11 / OPCW AFGHANISTAN Chair of the Afghan High Peace Council Rabbani / Ambassador Dobbins / Ambassador-at- Large Cathy Russell BSA LIBYA/BENGHAZI Blue Mountain Group RUSSIA Delegations for Opening, Closing Ceremonies in Sochi JAPAN National Security Strategy, Revised National Defense Program Guidelines SOUTH SUDAN Working to Arrange Additional Transportation as Necessary to Accommodate Demand / Evacuations / Emergency Personnel Remain TURKEY Expect Turkey to Meet Highest Standards in Judicial System ECUADOR USAID / Efforts to Renegotiate Bilateral, Country Assistance Agreements DOMINICAN REPUBLIC/HAITI Deep Concern re. Impact of a Ruling on Citizenship Status Involving Persons of Haitian Descent in the Dominican Republic DPRK Dennis Rodman Kenneth Bae ROK Deputy Secretary Burns' Meeting with ROK First Vice Foreign Minister COUNTERTERRORISM Designation EGYPT Remain Concerned about Politically Motivated Arrests and Detentions INDIA Embassy Security AFGHANISTAN Third Country National Detainees BOLIVIA/PERU Jacob Ostreicher COLOMBIA Reports re. Anti-Coca Spraying

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MS. HARF: Yeah, Catherine.

QUESTION: Can I ask you about the Dominican Republic --

MS. HARF: Yes.

QUESTION: -- and Haiti? There was a recent ruling in the Dominican Republic which would strip citizens of Haitian descent of their DR citizenship. Just recently there were immigration talks going on that were being moderated by Venezuela, and this caused the breaking of them. Do you have a reaction to that ruling? And then also, Venezuela announced that these talks may resume.

MS. HARF: Okay, yeah. We’ve certainly seen the plan, I think that was in response to the ruling. We’ve conveyed our deep concern to the Government of the Dominican Republic regarding the ruling’s impact on the citizenship status of persons in the Dominican Republic, the majority of which, as you mentioned, are of Haitian descent. We’ve urged the government to continue close consultation with international partners and civil society to identify and expeditiously address in a humane way concerns regarding the plan’s scope and reach to affected persons. So we’ll continue the dialogue, but we have expressed our concerns over it.

QUESTION: Marie?