Friday’s global agenda: House votes on North Korea

by Julian Pecquet - 02/15/13 2:28 PM ET

Brainard made comments on the global economy at “The G20 Agenda under the Russian Chairmanship” conference hosted by the International Institute of Finance (IIF) and the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation in Moscow earlier today. Those comments should be up on the IIF website later today.

Winning the peace: Libya’s ambassador to the United States is calling for American help to “win the peace” on the second anniversary of the rebellion that toppled Moamar Gadhafi. Read his exclusive op-ed for The Hill here.

In other news:

{mosads}President Obama’s pick to be the next leader of the Pentagon’s Africa Command estimated that the U.S. military needs to increase its intelligence-gathering and spying missions in Africa by nearly 15-fold. [Washington Post]

The Obama administration formally asked Iran to free the country’s two top opposition leaders ahead of national elections. [The Wall Street Journal]

President Bashar Assad and the opposition in Syria rejected Russia‘s overtures for a meeting between the two sides. [The Washington Post]

Lobbying and regulations:

The Podesta Group has signed a $1 million contract with the Republic of Iraq to “provide strategic counsel to the principal on strengthening the principal’s ties to the United States government and institutions. Registrant will also assist in communicating priority issues in the United States-Iraq bilateral relationship to relevant U.S. audiences, including the U.S. Congress, executive branch, media, and policy community.”

Podesta has also been retained to lobby on behalf of India.

Georgia‘s president has hired Gregory A. Maniatis/The Ithaca Group to “assist the office of President of Georgia, who currently is the leader of the major party in opposition to the ruling political party, in communicating the President’s positions, programs and objectives to U.S. audiences including the Administration, U.S. Congress, think tanks and other non-profit organizations, policy-makers and opinion makers, and the U.S. media; to develop U.S. public support for policies of the incumbent President of Georgia; through providing strategic advice, creation of content for websites and e-mail newsletters; provision of information to U.S. reporters and media outlets; providing advice to and assistance with speeches and public statements; and arranging, preparing for and attending meetings with members of Congress and/or staff and/or U.S. Executive Branch officials.”

Sorini, Samet & Associates has been hired by Societe Nationale des Pares Industriels (SONAPI) of Haiti to “provide support to SONAPI on the continued implementation and compliance with the requirements of the HOPE and HELP legislation, with specific reference to the labor and social compliance obligations of the legislation. This will include both technical advice on the requirements for implementation, and supporting officials of SONAPI in meeting with the US Government, US Congress, international organizations, and other interested stakeholders, including the private sector, on the implementation of the legislation and programs related to it.”

Global Affairs news you might have missed:

Obama didn’t call Libya‘s president on night of Benghazi attack

US reaffirms Zimbabwe diamond sanctions on Valentine’s Day

Lawmakers scold administration for ‘tepid’ action in Mali

State Department schedule:

SECRETARY JOHN KERRY

AM Secretary Kerry attends meetings and briefings, at the Department of State.

(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)

9:45 a.m. Secretary Kerry visits the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) headquarters, at the Ronald Reagan Building. Please click here for more information.

(OPEN PRESS COVERAGE)

Pre-set time for video cameras: 7:30 a.m. at the 14th Street entrance of the Ronald Reagan Building.

Final access time for journalists and still photographers: 9:15 a.m. at the 14th Street entrance of the Ronald Reagan Building.

12:45 p.m. Secretary Kerry hosts a working lunch with Italian President Giorgio Napolitano, at the Blair House.

(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)

PM Secretary Kerry attends meetings and briefings, at the Department of State.

(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)

****

UNDER SECRETARY FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH, ENERGY, AND THE ENVIRONMENT ROBERT HORMATS

3:30 p.m. Under Secretary Hormats meets with Ford Foundation VP Pablo Farias, at the Ford Foundation in New York.

(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)

ACTING UNDER SECRETARY FOR ARMS CONTROL AND INTERNATIONAL SECURITY ROSE GOTTEMOELLER

Acting Under Secretary Gottemoeller is on foreign travel to Belgium, Poland, Switzerland, Israel, and Russia to discuss arms control, nonproliferation and international security issues. Please click here for more information.

CHIEF OF PROTOCOL AMBASSADOR CAPRICIA PENAVIC MARSHALL

10:00 a.m. Ambassador Marshall assists with the working visit of the President of the Italian Republic, H.E. Giorgio Napolitano, at the White House.

(MEDIA DETERMINED BY THE WHITE HOUSE)

12:45 p.m. Ambassador Marshall assists with the meeting between Secretary Kerry and the President of the Italian Republic, H.E. Giorgio Napolitano, at Blair House.

(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)

ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIAN AFFAIRS ROBERT BLAKE

9:30 a.m. Assistant Secretary Blake delivers remarks to the National Council on International Visitors Conference, at the Renaissance Washington Hotel in Washington, DC.

(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)

1:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Blake meets with John Mroz, President and CEO of East West Institute, at the Department of State.

(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)

3:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Blake attends a meeting at the White House.

(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)

ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION AFFAIRS ESTHER BRIMMER

12:15 p.m. Assistant Secretary Brimmer meets with UN Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Haiti Carl Alexandre to discuss the ongoing mission and the role of the UN in Haiti, at the Department of State.

(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)

ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR WESTERN HEMISPHERE AFFAIRS ROBERTA JACOBSON

9:00 a.m. Assistant Secretary Jacobson meets with Senator Tim Kaine, on Capitol Hill.

(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)

10:45 a.m. Assistant Secretary Jacobson meets with Congressman Matt Salmon, on Capitol Hill.

(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)

ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR OCEANS AND INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL AND SCIENTIFIC AFFAIRS KERRI-ANN JONES

2:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Jones meets with Bold Nebraska, at the Department of State.

(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)

ASSISTANT SECRETARY ANN STOCK

Assistant Secretary Stock is on foreign travel to Nepal, Bangladesh and Burma through February 15 to meet with program participants and discuss and strengthen ECA programming. Please click here for more information.

AMBASSADOR-AT-LARGE AND U.S. GLOBAL AIDS COORDINATOR ERIC GOOSBY

9:30 a.m. Ambassador Goosby attends a meeting at the White House.

(MEDIA DETERMINED BY WHITE HOUSE)

SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR GLOBAL INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS RETA JO LEWIS

3:30 p.m. Special Representative Lewis speaks with Mike Rossi, Senior Advisor to the Governor of California for Jobs and Business.

(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)

6:00 p.m. Special Representative Lewis meets with Gavin Newsom, Lieutenant Governor of California, in Washington, D.C.

(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)