UNDER SECRETARY KENNEDY: It is now my pleasure to introduce the Honorable Hillary Rodham Clinton,
the 67th Secretary of State.
Madam Secretary.
(Applause.)
SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you, thank you.
(Cheers.)
Thank you all very much.
(Cheers.)
Thank you, thank you.
It is – it’s such a great delight to be back here at the State Department with so
many former colleagues and so many friends.
And I am thrilled to be here at the new Hillary Clinton Pavilion.
I’m sure you will notice it is the most transparent part of the entire project.
(Laughter.)
And to be with my colleagues Secretary Albright and Secretary Powell and Secretary Kerry and
to know that all of the former living secretaries have really pledged their efforts to bringing
about this Diplomacy Center, and Pat – Pat Kennedy – to you and every member of the
Foreign and Civil Service as well as the local nationals who represent our interests around
the world, thank you.
Thank you for devoting your lives to our country.
Serving alongside you was one of the great honors of my life, and I will always be proud
of the work we did together.
I want to recognize Ambassador Bagley, who was tireless in pursuit of the opportunity
to tell the story of the center and bring more attention to it, and to all the donors
who worked so hard to bring this to light.
I’m excited about the historic artifacts and the cutting-edge exhibits that will be
here to teach and inspire future generations about the work of our country’s diplomats.
And I am particularly pleased to see my friend and my congresswoman, Congressman Nita Lowey,
here, who has been instrumental in supporting the work of the State Department and USAID
over so many years in the Congress.
Students and visitors alike will be able to simulate high-stakes diplomatic negotiation,
learn more about about resolving disputes in our increasingly interconnected and interdependent
world.
I think we should look for some dispensation when the center is finally finished and opened
to the public to toast it with the vodka from the AK-47 bottle –
(laughter) – and stand in front of Madeleine’s pins trying
to decipher what they all mean.
This will also help more Americans understand the ways in which their generosity and innovation
have improved lives around the world.
There will be, for example, a clean cookstove on display.
That is another one of the public-private partnerships that we launched to prevent millions
of needless deaths from dirty stoves and toxic smoke around the world.
There will be so many opportunities for visitors to get a deeper understanding of what that
word “diplomacy” means, and every secretary since Jefferson and generations of diplomats
will have their work reflected in this museum.
We may have belonged to different political parties, served in different eras, faced different
challenges, but we all believed deeply in the United States of America and the mission
that our country has to lead the world with strength, smarts, and confidence in our values.
Diplomacy is one of the greatest forces for peace, prosperity, and progress the world
has ever known.
And today, the lessons of this museum are more vital and urgent than ever.
Democracy, freedom, and the rule of law are under attack around the world.
A rising tide of authoritarianism and illiberalism threatens the foundations of the post-World
War II global era that American diplomats have built and defended since Marshall and
Acheson.
And at a time when the longstanding bipartisan goal of a Europe that is whole, free, and
at peace is under enormous pressure, we would do well to remember what it feels like to
stand in the shadow of the giant segment of the Berlin Wall that will greet visitors here
at the center.
It’s signed by leaders who helped end the Cold War, unified Germany, and expand democracy.
So history has a lot to teach us.
It also is a reminder that we have our own challenges and our own opportunities.
We should remember that the world looks to America as the indispensable nation not just
because of the size of our military or the strength of our economy.
It looks to us because America stands for universal values and aspirations; and if we
stay true to those values, like the best of the men and women whose leadership and service
will be commemorated here, then our country will weather every storm on the horizon.
Thank you all very much.
(Applause.)
UNDER SECRETARY KENNEDY: Thank you very much, Madam Secretary.