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In her confirmation testimony, Hillary Rodham Clinton said: "The best way to advance America's interests in reducing global threats and seizing global opportunities is to design and implement global solutions. ...We must use what has been called "smart power," the full range of tools at our disposal -- diplomatic, economic, military, political, legal and cultural -- picking the right tool or combination of tools for each situation. With smart power, diplomacy will be the vanguard of our foreign policy."
On arrival for her first day as Secretary of State, she addressed Department employees: "There are three legs to the stool of American foreign policy: defense, diplomacy, and development. And we are responsible for two of the three legs. And we will make clear, as we go forward, that diplomacy and development are essential tools in achieving the long-term objectives of the United States. And 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."
Through this web page, the Bureau of Public Affairs releases all speeches, testimony, briefings, statements, and other remarks from the Secretary of State as soon as they are available. (Also see daily press briefings by the Department Spokesman and other releases from the Press Relations Office.)
U.S. Considers Kenya a Key Strategic Partner
Secretary Clinton (Aug. 5): "The United States and Kenya share a long and deep history of friendship and cooperation. We consider Kenya a key strategic partner, a regional leader, and a nation of almost boundless potential. I have just come from a candid and wide-ranging conversation with the president, the prime minister, the vice president, and other ministers of the government where we discussed, in depth, the steps that are needed to realize that potential and to seize the opportunities that I discussed in my speech earlier." Full Text | Video
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