22 January 2009
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Calls for Robust Diplomacy
President’s visit to State Department highlights emphasis on diplomacy
Washington — Hours after being sworn in as the 67th secretary of state, Hillary Clinton arrived for her first day on the job, telling a crowd of State Department employees gathered to welcome her that she will work with “joy and responsibility, commitment and collaboration.”
Speaking on January 22, Secretary Clinton described American foreign policy as a stool with three legs: defense, diplomacy and development. “We are responsible for two of the three legs,” she said.
“I will do all that I can, working with you, to make it abundantly clear that robust diplomacy and effective development are the best long-term tools for securing America's future.”
Clinton was confirmed by the Senate January 21; immediately after the vote, she resigned her seat as a senator from New York. Then, in a private ceremony attended by her husband, former President Bill Clinton, she was sworn in as secretary of state.
OBAMA PLEDGES PRINCIPLED, FOCUSED AND SUSTAINED DIPLOMACY
Clinton’s first day on the job included a visit to the State Department by President Obama and Vice President Biden.
Obama said his decision to meet with State Department officials on his second day in office “underscores my commitment to the importance of diplomacy in renewing American leadership.”
The strength of the United States “comes not just from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from our enduring values,” the president said. “And for the sake of our national security and the common aspirations of people around the globe, this era has to begin now.”
Obama said progress on addressing global challenges “will not come quickly or easily,” and the United States cannot “promise to right every single wrong around the world.”
However, “we can pledge to use all elements of American power to protect our people and to promote our interests and ideals, starting with principled, focused and sustained American diplomacy.”
The Obama administration will seek new partnerships and ask more from the international community “because security in the 21st century is shared,” he said.
“A new era of American leadership is at hand,” the president said, telling State Department employees they would be “at the front lines of engaging in that important work.”
CLINTON SEES GLOBAL “POTENTIAL AND POSSIBILITY”
Secretary Clinton told Obama she was “not only honored and delighted, but challenged” by the president’s visit. “And yet, Mr. President, we feel up to that challenge. We want to do our very best work in furtherance of your goals,” she said.
Clinton announced the appointments of former U.S. Senator George Mitchell as special envoy to the Middle East and former ambassador Richard Holbrooke as special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan. (See “Obama Names Special Envoys for Middle East, Afghanistan-Pakistan.”)
“Nowhere is there a need for a vigorous diplomatic approach more apparent than in the two regions that epitomize the nuance and complexity of our interconnected world,” the secretary said.
At her welcoming reception, Clinton said her task will not be easy, but she described the current global climate as one of “potential and possibility.”
“I don't get up in the morning just thinking about the threats and the dangers, as real as they are. I also think about what we can do and who we are and what we represent,” Clinton said.
For additional information, see the transcript of Secretary Clinton’s welcoming remarks.
