This is an archived USAID document retained on this web site as a matter of public record.
Administrator J. Brian Atwood
Introduction of Secretary of State Albright
At First Lady Clinton's Slideshow on Central Asia
Washington, D.C., February 17, 1998
U.S. Agency for International Development
It is my pleasure to introduce to you our
Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright. The
Secretary is not just one of the world's best known
foreign policy leaders, she is also a person of great
vision. It is this sense of vision that has served her
so well as Secretary and in her previous post as
our UN Ambassador.
We are indeed fortunate to have a Secretary of
State who has brought such clear thinking and
energy to the foreign policy challenges facing the
United States. The Secretary has ushered in a new
era at the State Department, and her leadership has
reinvigorated all of us who want the United States
to play an active role in building a peaceful and
more democratic world.
The Secretary's vision is particularly crucial
when we look at an area like Central Asia.
Clearly, this region will be of tremendous
importance to the security interests of the United
States over time, even though few in the public
know much about this very dynamic part of the
world.
Secretary Albright brings not only her
professional background in Soviet studies and
international security policy to the challenges of
Central Asia, she also brings her personal
experience in the region, and her knowledge of its
people and its difficult historical legacy.
Secretary Albright has chosen to make the
transition countries of the former Soviet Union and
Central Europe a priority. She not only grasps the
significance of this strategic area to the United
States, but understands how important it is to
provide the peoples of the region with a clear
blueprint of how to move from totalitarianism to a
new politics that emphasizes the rule of law and a
new economics that supports free markets.
USAID has been working closely with reform-minded governments in the New Independent
States to support stronger civil societies,
privatization and democratization. Secretary
Albright, like many others, has shared our concern
about the less publicized aspects of this
transformation. To make this transition a lasting
one, it must come from both the bottom up and the
top down. Municipal governments, being handed
real political and economic power for the first
time, must increasingly co-operate with NGOs and
citizens organizations on a wide spectrum of local
issues.
USAID's work with those NGOs -- such as
organizations for future political leaders in
Kazakhstan, women's small business centers in
Siberia, Rotarian clubs that stress the need for
public service, artisans centers in that seek to
restore native monuments in Central Asia, and
hospitals in Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan and Armenia
partnered with their American counterparts -- these
organizations will provide the glue to cement the
building blocks of these new societies together.
And to turn from a brief moment from the
state of democracy in Central Asia to democracy
in our own back yard, I can't tell you First Lady
Clinton and Madam Secretary, how often I am
approached by people, both at home and abroad,
who are heartened to see you speaking -- in plain
English -- about why America needs to be
involved and why America's leadership can make
a world of difference. You have both taken the
case for a strong foreign policy to the heart of our
democracy: high school class rooms, chambers of
commerce, state assemblies, even the
neighborhood diner. You have people talking.
And your message of optimism and engagement
has tremendous resonance. Thank you so very
much for your efforts.
It is a real pleasure to present a person who is
a longstanding friend -- not a Washington friend,
but a real friend. Ladies and gentlemen, the
Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright.
This is an archived USAID document retained on this web site as a matter of public record.
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Last Updated on: July 18, 2001
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