Clinton Praises “Comprehensive” Afghan Plan to Fight Corruption (2010-07-22).  Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton praised the Afghan government’s proposals to the 40 international delegations at a conference in Kabul on how it will improve governance and reduce corruption, and said the plan has the support of the United States.

Speaking to reporters at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul July 20, Clinton said the conference, the largest international gathering ever held in Kabul, had been “a real milestone” and “a turning point” for the country, with a show of support for Afghanistan from a broad coalition of nations and “very well thought-out plans” that were presented by President Hamid Karzai.

The Karzai government pledged to improve governance in Afghanistan by implementing legislation to define a major crimes task force and an anti-corruption tribunal, combating cash smuggling, and improving financial audits of government ministries and lower-level government offices. The plan follows President Karzai’s decree prohibiting nepotism in the Afghan government.  U.S. Relieves 100 Percent of Afghanistan’s $108 Million Debt (2010-07-22) | U.S. to continue economic development assistance, training security forces in Afghanistan (2010-07-21) |Obama, Cameron Reaffirm Commitment to Afghanistan (2010-07-20)

U.S. Welcomes International Court Ruling on Kosovo’s Independence (2010-07-22).  The U.S. government has welcomed a ruling by the International Court of Justice that upholds the legality of Kosovo’s 2008 declaration of independence.

“The International Court of Justice today issued its advisory opinion and decisively agreed with the longstanding view of the United States that Kosovo’s declaration of independence is in accordance with international law,” Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in a statement. “We call on all states to move beyond the issue of Kosovo’s status and engage constructively in support of peace and stability in the Balkans, and we call on those states that have not yet done so to recognize Kosovo.” Secretary Clinton on Court’s Opinion on Kosovo Independence | Readout of Vice President Biden’s Meeting with Prime Minister Hashim Thaci of Kosovo (2010-07-21)

 Clinton Announces New Sanctions Against North Korea (2010-07-21). The United States will strengthen existing economic sanctions and impose new restrictions against North Korea over its nuclear weapons program and its recent unnecessarily provocative actions, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says.

Clinton said a shift in North Korea’s behavior could improve its security and the international respect it seeks. The North could have a peace treaty, normal relations with the United States and an end to sanctions — if it would cease “its provocative behavior, halt its threat and belligerence toward its neighbors, take irreversible steps to fulfill its denuclearization commitments and comply with international law,” Clinton told reporters.

“If North Korea chooses that path, sanctions will be lifted, energy and other economic assistance will be provided, its relations with the United States will be normalized and the current armistice on the peninsula will be replaced by a permanent peace agreement,” Clinton said at a July 21 press conference in Seoul.

 Clinton Says Pakistan Showing Greater Commitment Against Terror (2010-07-21). The Pakistani government has become “very serious” about fighting the violent extremist organizations within its borders, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says, and while there is more work to be done she envisions greater cooperation between the United States and Pakistan against terrorist groups as more trust is built between the two governments.

Clinton spoke with several reporters who traveled with her July 18 to Islamabad, where she led a U.S. delegation for a meeting with Pakistani officials as part of the U.S.-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue.

She told CBS’s Maria Usman that Pakistani officials have reached their own conclusion that terror organizations, which have targeted innocent Pakistani civilians, are seeking to undermine the Pakistani state, and over the past 18 months they have made “the extraordinary commitment of military assets against different terrorist groups that we now see.” Clinton Announces Massive Aid for Pakistan’s People (2010-07-19) |  Secretary Clinton and Minister Qureshi Following Strategic Talks (2010-07-20) | U.S. Announces Humanitarian, Post-Conflict Assistance to Pakistan (2010-07-19)

Belgium's National Day (2010-07-21). On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I congratulate the people of Belgium on the 180th anniversary of your National Day this July 21.

The rich history between the United States and Belgium dates back to before our nations were founded. We have stood together for centuries, aiding each other in adversity, cheering one another’s successes, and building strong international organizations to address global challenges.

Historic Finance Reform Becomes Law (2010-07-21). President Obama signed into law a bill that will radically reshape the U.S. financial system for the first time since the aftermath of the Great Depression, providing more safeguards against excesses on Wall Street and more protection to consumers of its products. At a July 21 ceremony at the White House, Obama said the law will benefit investors, consumers and the financial industry itself.

“Our financial system only works — our markets are only free — when there are clear rules and basic safeguards that prevent abuse, that check excess, that ensure that it is more profitable to play by the rules than to game the system. And that is what these reforms are designed to achieve: no more, no less,” the president said.

The Senate passed the final bill July 15 after the House of Representatives had approved it in June. The explicit objective of the measure is to reduce the risk of a major financial crisis in the future. The measure tries to address what its writers perceive as the root causes of the recent financial problems. Obama at Signing Ceremony for Financial Reform Bill (2010-07-21) | Treasury Dept. on U.S. International Financial Reform Agenda (2010-07-20) | Remarks by President Obama on the Passage of Financial Regulatory Reform (2010-07-16)