Acting Assistant Secretary for Global Public Affairs Elizabeth Kennedy Trudeau will travel to Nepal, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, and the Kyrgyz Republic from September 28-October 9, 2022. Her 12-day trip will prioritize working with US diplomatic missions on policy and messaging priorities, including countering disinformation from Russia and the People’s Republic of China, ongoing US support to the people of Afghanistan, social equity, media freedom, and climate, the US Department of State said. Acting Assistant Secretary Trudeau will meet with government officials and civil society organizations, foreign media outlets and press, influencers, students, journalists, and US public diplomacy sections.

In Nepal, Acting Assistant Secretary Trudeau will meet with minority group activists, media contacts, and embassy exchange program alumni for roundtable discussions on disinformation and media’s role in a democracy.  She will also visit Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) sites in Kathmandu.

In the UAE, Acting Assistant Secretary Trudeau will participate in discussions with Pan-Arab media outlets and the Dubai Public Policy Research Center.  She will also visit the Global Public Affairs Dubai Regional Media Hub and participate in media engagements. In Uzbekistan, Acting Assistant Secretary Trudeau will deliver a keynote speech to Webster University’s English for Professionals in Mass Media graduates.  She will also engage in roundtable discussions with local NGOs, travel to Djizzakh to tour a women’s shelter, and meet alumni from a range of US government-funded exchange programs. In the Kyrgyz Republic, Acting Assistant Secretary Trudeau will meet with government officials, media outlets and development organizations, and social media influencers.  She will discuss the importance of a free press and US government support to strengthen the professionalism and independence of media. Acting Assistant Secretary Trudeau will also visit with Kyrgyz Republic official government spokespersons to discuss the changing media landscape. Finally, she will meet with local NGOs to discuss gender-based violence, gender equality, and inclusive economic development. Acting Assistant Secretary Trudeau will also engage with local media in one-on-one press interviews.