Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken will host a Diwali reception at the Department of State on Wednesday, October 26, at 5:30 p.m. EDT. Secretary Blinken will be joined by Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom Rashad Hussain and Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs Deputy Assistant Secretary Nancy Izzo Jackson.
This event underscores religious freedom as a key foreign policy priority of the United States. It also recognizes the importance the U.S. Government places on engaging and working with faith communities – to include Hindu, Sikh, Jain, and Buddhist communities that celebrate Diwali – across the world to advance shared interests.
Secretary Blinken's remarks will be open press and live streamed on www.state.gov and www.YouTube.com/statedept. The event access time for press wishing to cover in-person is 4:40 p.m. from the Department's C Street entrance.
Media representatives may attend this event upon presentation of one of the following: (1) a U.S. Government-issued photo media credential (e.g., Department of State, White House, Congress, Department of Defense or Foreign Press Center), or (2) an official photo identification card issued by their news organization, or (3) a letter from their employer on official letterhead verifying their current employment as a journalist. Additionally, they must present an official government photo identification card (i.e., U.S. driver's license or passport).
