PUBLIC AFFAIRS SECTION

The Press Office

The Press Office works closely with British print and electronic media to provide authoritative information on U.S. government policies. Journalists may contact the Press Office as follows:

   email: presslon@state.gov
   phone: [44] (0)20 7499-9000
   fax:[44] (0)20 7491-2485

Media Information

Representatives of the foreign media traveling on assignment to the United States require “I” classification visas. They are not eligible to travel visa free under the Visa Waiver Program or enter the United States on B-1 business visas. Those who attempt to do so may be denied admission to the United States by immigration authorities at the port of entry.
Further information is available on the Consular Section Visa Requirements for Members of the Media page.

Press Releases

2009

03 November 2009 Sale of U.S. Embassy in London The U.S. State Department has entered into an agreement to sell the Chancery in London, located in Grosvenor Square.  The sale is to Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Company headquartered in Doha, Qatar.  The agreement was signed for the United States by the U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Louis B. Susman.

13 October 2009 Ambassador Susman presents Credentials

17 September 2009 Ambassador Susman Welcomes Wandsworth Council's Resolution To Grant Outline Planning Permission For The Building Of A New U.S. Embassy

11 September 2009 Ambassador and Mrs. Susman Lay Wreath for Victims of 9/11   On the morning of the eighth anniversary of the terrorist attacks in New York City, Pennsylvania and at the Pentagon, Ambassador and Mrs. Susman placed a wreath at a memorial in Grosvenor Square honoring British victims. Accompanying them was Deputy Chief of Mission Richard LeBaron.

26 August 2009 Statement by Ambassador Louis B. Susman on the Death of Senator Edward M. Kennedy

17 August 2009 New U.S Ambassador Arrives in London  Touching down at Heathrow on a direct flight from Chicago, President Obama’s new Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Louis Susman and wife Marjorie Susman, arrived in London this morning. “Marjorie and I are delighted to be here in the United Kingdom. And I am grateful to the President for the confidence that he’s shown in asking me to represent the United States with our most trusted ally,” Ambassador Susman said on arrival.

30 July 2009 Swearing In Of Louis B. Susman, New U.S. Ambassador To The Court Of St. James's  The United States Ambassador to the Court of St. James's, Louis B. Susman, was sworn in on July 29 in Washington, D.C. by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. U.K. Foreign Secretary David Miliband attended the ceremony, as did the British Ambassador to the U.S., Sir Nigel Sheinwald.

26 June 2009   On July 28, 2008, Ambassador Tuttle at the American Embassy in London received a letter from an organization called Marine Environmental Monitoring. They said that an American seaturtle, called a Kemp’s Ridley seaturtle had been found in Devon in January 2007, and had been nursed back to health, but that they were having trouble getting the necessary paperwork to return the turtle to the United States. Could we help, they asked? U.S. Embassy London's involvement in her rescue is shown here on our Youtube video.

29 May 2009 Department of Defense Press Spokesman response to 28 May 2009 Daily Telegraph Article on Detainee Photos

12 March 2009 Response to the Shooting of Policeman in Northern Ireland  The United States commends the people of Northern Ireland and the authorities of the United Kingdom and Ireland for their constructive response to recent sectarian murders. It is clear that the vast majority of people reject violence and murder as the tools of terrorism, not politics.

14 January 2009 Making Sure The Honeymoon Isn't Over : Newlyweds Advised to Avoid Post-Dated Passports if Travelling to the U.S.  Travelers engaged to be married and planning to use a post-dated passport with a new surname to travel to the America for their honeymoon should be aware of changes in travel procedures that could affect their trip. This is due to the New Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) which recognizes only current and not post-dated passports. While ESTA can accommodate last-minute applications, honeymooners may want to consider obtaining a new passport in their married name after their trip.

07 January 2009 Less Than One Week Away: New Travel Procedures Become Mandatory For British Citizens Traveling to the United States  In less than one week, British citizens eligible to travel to the United States on the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) will need to register on line with the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) before departure. Beginning January 12, all nationals and citizens of Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries - including the UK - will be required by law to get travel authorization prior to boarding the airplane.

09 January 2009 U.S. Embassy Press Notice on Guantanamo Bay  Reports in the media suggesting that U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom Robert Tuttle had confirmed that talks with the UK about Guantanamo Bay detainees were at an advanced stage and that a "formal request" had been made to the UK to accept detainees are erroneous.

2008

12 December 2008 One Month Away: New Requirements for British Citizens Traveling to the U.S.  A rough estimate of the number of UK travelers heading to the U.S. next month indicates only about 50 percent of those who qualify to travel visa-free are registering with the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). The goal is to have 100 percent of all eligible UK travelers signed on by January 12 - just one month from now - when ESTA registration in advance of travel becomes mandatory.

24 November 2008 ESTA : New Requirements for British Citizens Traveling to the United States  Beginning 12 January 2009, all nationals and citizens of Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries - including the UK - will be required by law to obtain a travel authorization prior to traveling to the United States under the VWP. Travelers can register for authorization online through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), a free Internet application administered by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) through a U.S. government Web site. This web site is available today and all UK citizens planning to travel to the US in the future are encouraged to apply now.

21 November 2008 Don't Gamble on Fraud to Win the Diversity Visa Lottery  Unscrupulous businesses and attorneys are trying to lure British citizens into participating in a visa program that's not available to them. The U.S. Embassy in London has received reports of organizations which claim that - for a fee - they can make it easier to enter or win the U.S. State Department's annual Diversity Visa (DV) lottery, also known as the "green card lottery."

19 November 2008 American Embassy Pays Tribute to Ian Ralston, Former Director at Liverpool John Moores University  Ambassador Robert Tuttle today paid tribute to a British academic who has devoted 30 years of his life to furthering understanding of the United States to students in the Liverpool area and beyond.

02 October 2008 U.S. Takes First Steps Toward Embassy Relocation

22 September 2008 The US-UK Fulbright Commission announces a significant increase in new awards.

11 September 2008 Ambassador and Mrs. Tuttle Lay Wreath for Victims of 9/11
 • Hi-resolution images from the event are also available

11 September 2008 The New Age of Public Diplomacy  James K. Glassman, Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, at Chatham House.

26 June 2008 American Embassy completes Perimeter Security Project

26 June 2008 Press Briefing with Ambassador David M. Satterfield   Ambassador David Satterfield, Senior Advisor to the Secretary of State and Coordinator for Iraq, discussed recent developments in Iraq at a June 26 press briefing at the Foreign Press Association in London, in which he described Iraq as "a dynamic country...experiencing considerable and significant transformation and evolution, the consequence of the last 18 months of steadily diminishing violence, progressive security, progressive stabilization."
  (MP3 38 minutes)

02 April 2008 Inauguration of US Airways' London Heathrow-Philadelphia Service Marks the Beginning of the U.S.-EU Open Skies Agreement.

14 March 2008 Remarks prepared for delivery by Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey at the London School of Economics
 •  Speech (23 minutes)
 • Q & A (26 minutes)

13 March 2008 Father and daughter that duped international victims into investing in excess of $70 million nabbed by ICE special agents

06 February 2008 Secretary Rice and UK Foreign Secretary Miliband meet in London

06 February 2008 Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Briefing En Route London

04 February 2008 Remarks by Ambassador Charles Ries, Minister for Economic Affairs and Coordinator for Economic Transition U.S. Embassy Baghdad at the London School of Economics

22 January 2008 American Visions Photo Contest Winners

2007

19 December 2007 Presidential Message on Eid al-Adha

10 December 2007 Legal Adviser Bellinger Discusses International Law Issues Related to Detentions in War on Terrorism
 • Prepared text of Bellinger's remarks.

30 November 2007 Remarks by Ambassador Anne W. Patterson at the Nnational Conference of the South Asian Free Media Association Pakistan

22 November 2007 Working to stop counterfeit products  Richard Halverson, Deputy U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Attaché at the U.S. Embassy in London made the following remarks during the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency's Combating Counterfeit Medicines Conference.

15 November 2007 Media Coverage of International Meeting   President Bush and Secretary Rice look forward to an international meeting later this fall focused on supporting the efforts of Israeli Prime Minister Olmert and Palestinian Authority President Abbas to realize President Bush's vision of two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, living side-by-side in peace and security.

15 November 2007 Press event for U.S. Energy Secretary, Samuel W. Bodman  U.S. Energy Secretary Samuel W. Bodman will be addressing members of BritishAmerican Business, the leading transatlantic business organization, on Tuesday 20 November.   Secretary Bodman will discuss the world’s energy challenges and focus on solutions for a clean, safe, and reliable energy future.

06 November 2007 Remarks by Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Karen P. Hughes  Under Secretary Hughes spoke to the International Public Relations Association annual conference in London

01 November 2007 “What is the U.S. Doing to Improve Its Image Abroad?” Remarks by Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Colleen Graffy at Chatham House, London.

01 November 2007 Remarks by Nicholas Burns at the London School of Economics

8 September 2007 News Conference in London on Iraq

11 September 2007 Ambassador and Mrs. Tuttle Lay Wreath for Victims of 9/11

04 September 2007 Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy in London to Highlight President Bush's Global Nuclear Energy Partnership

24 August 2007 Death of Three UK Soldiers in Afghanistan

18 July 2007 President Bush Announces Intent To Nominate David T. Johnson as Assistant Secretary of State (International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs)

21 June 2007 U.S. Agencies Help Nab Suspect In UK Ivory Trade Investigation

18 June 2007 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Helps UK Smash Global Online Child Abuse Network

06 June 2007 U.S. and UK Agencies to Join Forces in Combating Human Trafficking

04 June 2007 Marshall Plan 60th Anniversary Contest: “Digitally Linking Generations”

29 May 2007 Embassy statement on electrical fault near U.S. Embassy

02 May 2007 Statement: U.S. Embassy in London not for sale

26 April 2007 UK/U.S. Extradition Treaty Ratified

05 March 2007 Turbulent Times: Regulation, Security and Profitability in the Airline Industry  Remarks by John R. Byerly, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transportation Affairs at the Chatham House Conference in London

08 January 2007 US and UK sign agreement improving mutual support to military forces

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