SECRETARY CLINTON: I am delighted to welcome to the State Department the Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan, with whom I have worked now for two years as Secretary of State. And I appreciate this opportunity to continue our dialogue on a range of important issues.
FOREIGN MINISTER SAUDABAYEV: (Via interpreter) Thank you, Secretary. I am glad to have this opportunity to meet with you so that we could summarize the results of our cooperation last year. And also, I would like to say that we should make plans for the next year. And I would like to say that I am grateful to you for your outstanding contribution to the partnership between the U.S. and Kazakhstan, especially with respect to continued contacts between President Nazarbayev and President Obama.
And I would like to stress that this is an especially important day for me because I am meeting with you. You’re a really outstanding person, an excellent politician and diplomat. And I think that the contribution you are making will serve to strengthen the foundation for the relationship between our countries.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you so much, Minister. Thank you all very much.
