Thursday, June 30, 2011

Oh, Canada!

I do not post the Secretary's greetings for every national day, but this one is special. This post is dedicated to Jessica, and Hillary and I are singing our hearts out. ♪♫♪♪ Oh Canada! ♪♫♪♪!!!!! (Discourse has the cotton balls for your ears.)

Canada Day

Press Statement

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
June 30, 2011

On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I congratulate the people of Canada as you celebrate the 144th Anniversary of your Confederation this July 1.

Canada and the United States share an enduring history of friendship and alliance in times of peace as well as war. We have come together to trade, exchange perspectives, and to solve problems throughout our hemisphere and the world. We share thousands of miles of geography and hundreds of years of history, and together we have created a culture of friendship and family between our peoples.

As Americans, we cherish our close relationship with Canada. In these days of challenge and opportunity, we will continue to work closely together to address our common challenges of the 21st century. From Cape Spear to the Queen Charlotte Islands to the farthest reaches of the North, wherever you gather to sing "O Canada," I wish all Canadians a safe and happy Canada Day celebration.




I could not end this without a tiny treat. Mme. Secretary, in red for Canada, on the Rainbow Bridge at the conclusion of the celebration of the Boundary Waters Treaty in 2009.

Secretary Clinton's Remarks in Vilnius On Strategic Dialogue with Civil Society

The image is not from this event If relevant images come in, or better yet, a video, I will replace this.


Remarks On Strategic Dialogue with Civil Society


Remarks

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Radisson Hotel Lietuva
Vilnius, Lithuania
June 30, 2011



Thank you very much, Minister Azubalis, and thank you for Lithuania’s leadership with the Community of Democracies and with the OSCE. It’s a real privilege for me to be with all of you this evening for this Civil Society Strategic Dialogue. I know that around this table and in this audience are men and women of extraordinary courage and commitment. And as the minister said, we thought it was important to expand our dialogues beyond governments, and in fact to engage in an ongoing discussion with civil society at the same level that we do with governments around the world.

The foreign minister joined me in Washington for this launch of a Strategic Dialogue with Civil Society in February. And I want to introduce the team of people who have helped to lead this effort with me: our Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, Michael Posner; Tomicah Tillemann, our Special Advisor on Civil Society and Emerging Democracies; and others from our State Department in Washington, because what we hope is that this is an ongoing networking and discussion that can assist those of you who are on the front lines, doing the hard work of creating space for freedom, democracy, and opportunity.

In Krakow last July, when we met with the Community of Democracies, I spoke then about the critical importance of civil society and the many challenges facing civil society, but I don’t think – I’ll speak for myself; I certainly did not foresee all of the changes that would occur in just half a year. We saw in Tunisia the beginning of a great movement for freedom, and we saw one of the most efficient authoritarian regimes give way to citizens demanding their basic rights. In Egypt, we saw a peaceful movement based on simple ideas of dignity and democracy, and a call for transformative change. And yet, at the same time, we have seen governments unleash brutal waves of repression against civil society around the world. We’ve seen staggering violence directed against activists in Syria and other parts of the Middle East. From Belarus to Bahrain to Burma, we’ve seen crackdowns and arrests. And there have been numerous efforts to enact regulations and legislation to restrict and even eliminate your work.

I know that some of you are here at great personal risk, and I know you have left behind family, friends, and colleagues who continue that work at great personal risk. We come together today with our own causes and interests but as part of a community of shared values and a common commitment to human rights and freedoms. Because you are on the front lines, you understand better than any of us what is facing you, what you need from us, what tools could help you do the work that lies ahead. So for the next hour, I want to hear from you.

In Krakow last year, we made specific commitments to strengthen civil society and we’ve made some progress. Together, we have refocused the UN Human Rights Council on Defending Civil Society by seeing the passage of a historic resolution creating the first special rapporteur on freedom of assembly and association. We’ve convinced regional organizations like the Organization of American States to take up this cause. We’ve made strides in marshalling diplomatic pressure around the world to stand against civil society being put under threat. Canada has led a working group in the Community of Democracies, and five times we’ve come together when draft legislation anywhere threatened civil society, and five times the laws were not enacted.

Because technology both empowers and endangers your work, we are giving activists new tools to try to circumvent the many obstacles that governments are putting in your way. The United States has invested $50 million in supporting internet freedom and we’ve trained more than 5,000 activists worldwide. Right next door, there’s another one of our so-called tech camps, where we are training several dozen activists from around the world to be able to use technology and avoid being shut down by governments using technology against them. We are also increasing our funding to the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law so that when countries propose repressive laws, civil society has access to world class legal expertise. And finally, together with a consortium of NGOs, led by Freedom House and involving a dozen other countries, we created a fund called Lifeline. This fund will provide legal representation, cover medical bills arising from abuse, facilitate visits to activists in jail, and help replace equipment that is damaged or confiscated as a result of harassment.

So those are some of the promises we made and the promises we’ve kept, but we know there’s so much more to be done. You are changing your countries from within, and our priority is to do all we can to support you. So I look forward to hearing about what’s working and what’s not working, what we can do better, what we should stop doing, what we should do more of. And I thank you all for being with us as we take this time to take stock of where civil society is across the world.

And let me now turn it over to Assistant Secretary Posner.

Secretary Clinton's Remarks at TechCamp Vilnius


Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton speaks at TechCamp Vilnius, Thursday, June 30, 2011, in Vilnius, Lithuania. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)


Remarks on TechCamp Vilnius


Remarks

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Alec Ross
Senior Advisor for Innovation
Radisson Hotel Lietuva
Vilnius, Lithuania
June 30, 2011



SECRETARY CLINTON: I want to thank Alec and Katie and everybody from the State Department team who are here as part of this tech camp. Alec Ross has been my right hand on all that we’re doing on internet freedom, and then the actual, practical day-to-day work that you’re talking about here. And I have to just thank you for being part of this tech camp. How many tech camps have we run now, Alec?

MR. ROSS: This is the third.

SECRETARY CLINTON: This is the third. And what we are finding as we do these around the world – because we had – didn’t we have a tech camp in Indonesia?

MR. ROSS: We did.

SECRETARY CLINTON: It’s almost miraculous, the way people come together to meet each other, to truly network in person as well as electronically. And then not so long after, there were these terrible mudslides and awful catastrophes in Indonesia, and the people who’d been at the tech camp put together a network to be able to bring relief supplies and help families get connected up with one another. So whether it’s Indonesia or it’s Haiti or it’s Lithuania, we believe that creating these opportunities to empower all of you with whatever information and ideas we can put on the table is a very important part of how we support civil society.

I think any society needs three strong legs, if you think about a society as a stool. You need open, responsive, accountable, effective government. You need open, free, dynamic markets. And you need creative, innovative, persistent civil society. And one of those missing means you’re not going to have what you need. If you have a government that doesn’t work, or you have a market that doesn’t empower people, or you have a civil society that is oppressed, you won’t get the maximum benefit that every society should be able to provide to individuals so that each individual can live up to his or her own God-given potential.

So I don’t want to interrupt the work you’re doing because that’s what you’re here for. And it’s not only to look at charts like that – (laughter) – but to look at each other, and to meet each other, and to bring solidarity with each other in order to maximize your impact and those with whom you work as we keep moving toward a world where we have more freedom, more democracy, more opportunity and equality.

So with that, I’m going to ask Alec to come back here. He’s the guy who’s actually leading our efforts. And one of the things that we’re doing is not only these tech camps but also coming up with new apps, new technology, new ways of empowering you. And we know very well that for every advance in technology that you can make as individuals, there are forces that will also try to undermine that and will try to use the very same tools as a means of subverting and repressing. So we have to add to our numbers and we have to be willing to keep coming up with new ways of getting over, under, around, and through the walls and other techniques that are used to prevent people from freely communicating.

Those of you who know something about our country and our Constitution know that we enshrined in our First Amendment freedom of speech, freedom of expression, freedom of assembly. I don’t think George Washington or Thomas Jefferson, as smart as they were, could have imagined the internet, but the basic value and principle remains the same. Just as meeting in a physical place should be available, so should meeting on the internet be made available, and that’s why I made internet freedom one of the highest priorities of my time as Secretary of State.

So thank you all for being part of what is truly a movement, a global movement. And I’ll turn it back to Alec and to his team from the State Department, and I’ll look forward to hearing some stories about what came out of this tech camp the way I heard about it from the other tech camps that we’ve had. Thank you all very much.

Remarks: Hillary Clinton at Women Enhancing Democracy

At this milestone event we see Mme. Secretary with the President of Lithuania, the host country, Dalia Grybauskaite, Tarja Halonen, President of Finland, and Atifete Jahjaga, President of Kosovo. You cannot blame me if I feel a slight pang for not being able to call HRC "Mme. President" among these women leaders. It is obvious that they consider her a respected colleague.



Remarks at Women Enhancing Democracy Event


Remarks
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Presidential Palace
Vilnius, Lithuania
June 30, 2011


(In progress) and thank you for your patience. I appreciate greatly being here for this important conference as part of the Community of Democracies beginning its second decade. And I want to acknowledge those who are on the podium with me. Thank you, Wendy, for that introduction; and Margot Wallstrom, thank you for the work you’re doing; and my friend, the president from Finland who has been a great leader in so many of these issues for so long; and my friend and our host and our ally in this important conference, Dalia, thank you so much for everything that you have done.

It is such a pleasure for the United States to be co-chairing the Community of Democracies Working Group on Gender Equality and the Promotion of the Rights of Women with a trailblazer when it comes to women in politics. And I am delighted to see in the audience so many distinguished leaders from across the world. In addition to the presidents of Finland and Lithuania, we have also Mongolia, Kosovo; I know Cathy Ashton will also be part of this important conference. And I’m also told by our global ambassador for women’s issues, Melanne Verveer, that the conversation has already been very productive.

I think this is an important time for us all to pause and take stock of where we are as democracies and whether we are fulfilling the promise and potential that we so believed in over the last decades. When the Soviet Union collapsed here in Europe, we knew that there was a lot of work to be done to build democratic institutions, to ensure the rule of law, accountability, transparency, protection of minorities, a free press, an independent judiciary, and so much else. But we also knew that if democracy did not deliver in tangible ways, in improving the lives of people, there would be great disappointment. And it was essential that women, half the population, needed to be given the opportunity to fully experience the benefits of freedom.

I’m not sure we could have foreseen even 10 or 11 years ago how much progress has been made. Just look at Lithuania today. Not only has it conducted a very successful chairmanship of the Community of Democracies, but it is setting a high standard for the rest of us – a female president, a female speaker of parliament, a female finance minister, and a female defense minister. Why, pretty soon, they’re going to start comparing Lithuania to Finland. (Laughter.) (Applause.) And what Central and Eastern Europe have proven is that democracy without the full rights and responsibilities guaranteed and the full participation welcomed of women is a contradiction. And so we can look at this region and see an enormous amount of progress. But let’s be very honest with ourselves – there is still a long way to travel.

According to the Inter-Parliamentary Union, 20 percent of seats in parliaments worldwide are now held by women. I would add that’s a higher percentage than in my own country. And with one-half the population, there is simply no reason women should only be represented at one-fifth of the seats at the table. In too many places, still today, and in too many discussions affecting the futures of entire societies, women’s voices, their vital voices are underrepresented or absent altogether.

But as we look at new democracies taking hold, from Latin America to Africa and the Middle East and Asia, I think there are so many lessons that can be learned and applied from what happened here in Europe.

Think about the Polish women who ran a shipyard’s newspaper that helped bring about a revolution that truly did change the world. Think about a woman like Nasta Palazhanka of Belarus, who joined a youth protest movement at age 14 and continues to devote her life to bringing freedom and human rights to her country. Or think about a woman like Zane Olina, who returned home from a Fulbright Scholarship in America and created a corps of volunteer teachers to serve in poor Latvian communities, and she calls her program Mission Possible. And of course, we see it in the President of Lithuania, who as an economist and now as president, has helped to put and keep Lithuania on the path to prosperity.

So if we are looking for examples of individual leadership, of results, we have many we can share from Europe. Today, it is North Africa and the Middle East experiencing its own season of change, and we especially have to work together to ensure that all people – women, as well as men – are part of that change.

Across the region, we have seen on our own television screens how women have stood on the frontlines of the struggle for freedom and human rights. They have more than earned their place as equals in the democratic societies they have struggled to create, but we know that transitions to democracy are difficult. And we know that they come from the soil of preexisting cultures, and so we have to be sure that democratic change doesn’t leave women behind. We need to, for example, ensure that the new democratic Tunisia embraces and reaffirms its commitment to women’s equality.

The United States was disappointed to see only two Tunisian women appointed to the Transitional Government, but there is also some good news. In April, the commission responsible for drafting Tunisia’s new electoral code ruled that there must be full gender parity on election candidate lists and not just at the bottom of the lists, but from the top down. And for our part, we are supporting on-the-ground efforts to increase women’s participation in the political process.

In Egypt, we have seen steps both forwards and backwards. Women played an absolutely critical role in carrying out Egypt’s revolution, and yet Egypt’s constitutional committee does not have a single female member. When women marched to celebrate International Women’s Day, they were harassed and abused. As one woman put it, “The men were keen for me to be here when we were demanding that Mubarak should go. But now that he has gone, they want me to go home.” So the United States supports efforts like the Charter of Egyptian Women. Nearly 500,000 women and men and 500 NGOs signed on to a set of demands for the political, social, and economic rights of women in Egypt. And we will be funding a wide variety of programs to help Egyptian women as they exercise their roles as community leaders, business owners, and citizens.

And today, we are pleased to welcome women from across the Arab world, including Hoda Badran of the Alliance for Arab Women. It’s a sign of how important the relationships are between old, young, and new democracies that they have taken the time, as their countries undergo dramatic change, to be here with us today.

We also need an active effort to ensure that women are safe from violence in the political process, on the streets, in their homes. And we were very troubled by reports of sexual violence used by governments to intimidate and punish protesters seeking democratic reforms in some Middle Eastern and North African countries. We urge all governments to conduct immediate, transparent investigations to hold those responsible accountable.

Just this past week, the United States and the United Nations came together, as we often have, to once again stand up against violence that affects women and girls. We are particularly concerned about the Democratic Republic of Congo. We have committed more than $30 million to combat sexual and gender-based violence there. And we salute the Lithuanian parliament for making it clear that there is absolutely no safe space, in public or in private, for violence against women. This is not a private a concern. It is a matter of public interest and human rights.

I think we also have to remember, as we meet in this beautiful hall, talking about women and democracy, how many tens of millions, hundreds of millions, of women and girls in the world today don’t yet even have the basic necessities of life – deprived of education, deprived of health care, deprived of an opportunity to live up to their own God-given potential. And we will campaign for their rights, and we will work for the changes that are necessary.

But I also want to remind us to keep our eye on what happens every day in their lives, and look for ways we can make a difference. For example, the World Health Organization considers smoke from dirty cooking stoves to be one of the five most serious health risks affecting people in poor and developing countries. And who’s mostly hunched over those stoves, breathing that dirty air, harming their health, shortening their lives? Who mostly is wandering for hours looking for fuel, either trees and twigs or dung? Who is it that really bears the brunt of the work that is done day to day in most places in the world? Well, it is women and girls. And in an effort to try to provide clean cookstoves in 100 million homes by 2020, the United States, along with many other countries, led by the United Nations Foundation, is part of the Clean Cookstoves Global Alliance.

Because we think changing the conditions of women and girls must go hand-in-hand; their economic, political, and social empowerment must be addressed simultaneously.

This January, as a commitment to the Community of Democracies, the United States brought together more than 120 women from Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Turkey, Greece, and Cyprus who own or wish to start small to medium-sized businesses to kick off the Invest for the Future Initiative. We want to help women across the world to train, network, and connect so that they too can start businesses to support themselves and their families, and eventually, employ their neighbors. And we will be expanding this program into Central Asia, the Balkans, Moldova, Belarus, and Ukraine.

We are especially appreciative of the work that has been done by so many of the European leaders represented here. We thank all of you for that support. I particularly want to thank the Scandinavian countries for the work you do to integrate refugees into your societies by giving women access to work and education, and by protecting women from the scourge of human trafficking. I want to acknowledge the programs that The Netherlands are running to train civil society leaders and business women in Afghanistan. And I want to thank Lithuania again for your support for women entrepreneurs in Georgia, Afghanistan, Belarus, and Ukraine.

We want to do more to figure out what it is women themselves want, because we don’t want to be in a position of imposing or trying to sell ideas that may or may not be responsive to the needs that women themselves have. Through the Gender Equality Working Group, we partnered with The Netherlands to put together dialogues with female civil society leaders. The first meeting was in Tunisia in May; it brought together women from Tunisia, Morocco, Yemen, Egypt, Iraq, and Lebanon.

So our work is to help empower and enable, to convene and then to support. Our struggle is not just about the choices people make in the voting booth, it’s about all the choices that should be available to women today – to study, to take out a loan, to inherit money, to win custody of children, to start a business, to drive.

Sometimes dignity means nothing more profound than to walk safely to fetch water or visit a friend without fear that you’ll be beaten, harassed, or kidnapped. But for too many women in too many places, even these most basic rights remain a distant dream. Whether you are a woman in downtown Cairo or a mother in a small Indian village or a girl growing up right here in Vilnius or in New York City, we have to send a clear, unmistakable message that young women, just like young men, have the right to their dreams and their dignity in the 21st century.

When you look back at the last 300 years of history, you can see a pattern. You can see that the 19th century, the great human rights struggle was against organized slavery; the 20th century, the great struggle was against totalitarianism; the great struggle of the 21st century is to ensure that women are fully given the rights they have as human beings – in their families, in their societies, and in the world.

So let us work together, day by day, to make sure that when we meet again 10 years from now, we will be able to look back on progress, not only continuing progress in my country, which someday, perhaps, will match Finland and Lithuania with having a woman president – (laughter) – but in every country everywhere – (applause). And particularly, let those of us who enjoy the benefits of freedom, for whom legal restrictions and barriers have been broken down, and what remains are more internal, more psychological – let us be sure that we keep opening doors for those elsewhere. We cannot take any solace in our own freedoms when women elsewhere are denied those same rights.

So this is a great opportunity for us to come together and acknowledge that women’s progress is essential for global progress, and the United States stands with all of you as we make that progress together. Thank you all very much. (Applause.)

Video: Secretary Clinton "Women Leaders as Agents of Change

Video Remarks to "Women Leaders as Agents of Change" Colloquium


Press Statement
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
June 30, 2011







Hello and welcome to this colloquium dedicated to empowering women as agents of change. I want to thank the Prime Minister for hosting this important forum. As Trinidad and Tobago’s first female prime minister, she is a role model for women not only in her own country, but throughout the region.

In the United States this month we are celebrating the unique contributions by Americans of Caribbean descent. Caribbean-American women have added in ways large and small to the story of America. We have seen them act as agents of change in our own country.

Throughout the Caribbean, we must ensure women are able to realize their potential. They must be allowed to contribute in every capacity – as political leaders, entrepreneurs, social activists, and more. When women prosper, it doesn’t just benefit them, it lifts up their families, their communities and their countries.

As you come together to share experiences and challenges and chart a course for achieving greater gender equality in the region, know that the United States stands with you. Because no society can prosper if half its citizens are left behind.

I can’t wait to hear about your ideas and suggestions to empower more women in the Caribbean community.




Secretary Clinton's Remarks With Budapest Embassy Staff and Families








Remarks With Budapest Embassy Staff and Families


Remarks
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Budapest, Hungary
June 30, 2011


MODERATOR: How about this? Here’s a woman who needs absolutely no introduction. (Laughter.) Everyone please welcome Secretary of State, our boss, Hillary Rodham Clinton. (Applause.)

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, I am delighted to see all of you here. And I am also pleased to see the Ambassador and her family. We’ve been friends for a long time. And I am uniquely qualified to tell you something you probably already know because you’re in very good hands.

But it’s a treat to be here. I want to thank DCM Tim Betts, who is famously calm in a crisis, and Paul O’Friel, who has been instrumental in putting this trip together, and to each and every one of you, Americans and Hungarians alike. Thank you for working so hard on behalf of this very important relationship.

I want to just name a few specifics because this last year you helped (inaudible) a bilateral tax treaty that we hope will encourage U.S. business investment. You just completed negotiations for an air marshal agreement that will enhance security for passengers traveling between our two countries. We’re working hard with the Hungarian Government to expand our operation at Embassy Budapest and bring everyone under one roof, which I know you’re anticipating. And I’m so grateful because these are just some examples of what you do every single day.

Today, the prime minister and I had, as we say in diplo-speak, a very open, frank conversation, productive and comprehensive, and we engaged in all the sensitive issues that you work on every day – Roma inclusion, the importance of an independent media, the rule of law, on an independent judiciary, constitutional reform. We think that’s all very important, and I thank you for your efforts.

In the first-ever Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Report, which is the QDDR, which we issued last year, we highlighted the work done in Debrecen as an example of an innovative way to boost our engagement not just with a government but with the people of the country. By co-hosting a high school trivia contest about the United States, an anti-tolerance – or pro-tolerance campaign, English language instruction, American holiday celebrations, you really helped to convey American culture and values. And we need more creative ideas like that.

I also want to thank you for the work that you’ve done on this trip, and right before the 4th of July and right in the middle of congressional delegations, so I know you’ve had a really busy time. This is going to be a golden week for all of you. (Laughter.) And I know, too, that there’s one person in particular that I have been asked to thank because this person went above and beyond, and that’s Riley Lynch, who wore a lot of different hats – acting management counselor, human resources officer, supervisory general services officer, and logistics control for two CODELs as well as for me. He will be the happiest man in Hungary – (laughter) – when we all get out of your hair and our various planes take off.

In addition to thanking all of our American colleagues, I especially want to thank your local staff because, very honestly, secretaries come and go and ambassadors come and go and even political counselors and econ officers come and go, but the local staff stay and provide continuity and sort of a historical memory and insight. And one person who has done this longer than anyone else is the political section’s Tamas Zemplin. And where is Tamas? (Applause.) Tamas will end his tenure after 40 years with the Embassy. And you’ve seen a lot in the last four decades, my friend. (Laughter.) We thank you for being part of this American-Hungarian team that has seen the move from communism, the incredible freedom that came to your country, and so much else.

So let me thank you all. On behalf of myself and on the entire team in Washington, I really appreciate you, whether you’re State, USAID, Justice, Commerce, DOD, or wherever else you’re from in the United States Government, because you’ve done us all proud. And this relationship is one that we’re deeply invested in and will continue to broaden and deepen and strengthen in every way possible. So thank you all very much.

Secretary Clinton's Remarks at the Inauguration of the Lantos Institute in Budapest



US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton gives a speech during the inauguration ceremony for the Tom Lantos Institute in the Upper Chamber Hall of the parliament building in Budapest, on June 30, 2011. Late US congressman Tom Lantos (in Picture frame) was a Hungarian-born human rights activist and Holocaust survivor. AFP PHOTO / ATTILA KISBENEDEK (Photo credit should read ATTILA KISBENEDEK/AFP/Getty Images)

Participates in the Inauguration of the Lantos Institute


Remarks

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Parliament Building
Budapest, Hungary
June 30, 2011



(Applause.) Thank you all. Thank you all so much. It is indeed a personal pleasure and honor to be in this historic hall for this extraordinary occasion. And I am delighted to join such a distinguished group of speakers and visitors and friends in support of the great effort to establish the Tom Lantos Institute, and with the hope that it will fulfill its promise.

I want to thank Katrina, my friend, for that introduction and for her leadership on behalf of human rights and internet freedom through the Lantos Foundation, which you and your mother and sister have established. And I want to thank all of the speakers that we have heard from. And thank you, Prime Minister. I am looking forward to our meeting later. We will be discussing many of the issues that have been alluded to, and that were so crucial to Tom’s life and work.

And I want to thank the foreign minister for that very important address talking about the transatlantic alliance, democracy, and freedom, values that we hold so dear, and especially to acknowledge the new director of the institute, Rita Izsak, and my predecessor, Dr. Rice, who has worked so hard for democracy and freedom around the world, and joined with then-Chairman Lantos at the State Department five years ago to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Hungarian Revolution.

Dr. Rice is here today to attend various events, along with members of the Reagan Presidential Foundation, upon the centennial anniversary of President Reagan’s birth. I know that Hungarians will never forget President Reagan’s commitment to a free and democratic Europe.

Well, that was a dream of Tom’s, as well. And he has not only lived it, but he has been the embodiment for many of us of what it would mean. Those of us who knew, loved, and admired Tom saw in him the physical moral embodiment of the values that we share, and the commitment to freedom that means so much to the American and Hungarian people. Tom believed with all his heart that a free, democratic Europe depended on a strong transatlantic alliance, and that through institutions like the European Union and NATO, Europe could create a foundation for prosperity, human rights, and democratic, open and pluralistic societies.

We agree. We know we are bound by shared values, and by that common commitment to protect and advance those values. Tom also believed in working across party lines, something that Katrina alluded to. So I am delighted to thank the Government of Hungary, and indeed, the prior government and all of the political representation here in support of this institute.

And I also want to acknowledge the members of the United States House of Representatives, both Democratic and Republican, represented so ably by Congresswoman Bass, who are with us. And yesterday, by unanimous consent, the United States Senate passed a resolution commemorating today’s opening of the Lantos Institute, and reflecting once again the admiration that his colleagues had for Tom. (Applause.)

But I believe probably what would have given Tom the greatest pride, and made his heart swell with love, was to see all of the Lantoses, Tillemann-Dicks, Swetts, and related family members here today. Tom and Annette created this big, extended, warm, wonderful family. And this is one family that didn’t need a village. It created its own village, and it has been influencing the rest of us ever since. And a special acknowledgement to that eldest grandson, who you just saw on the video, Tomicah, who is not only a pivotal player in the foundation and the institute, but also my senior advisor for civil society and emerging democracies in the State Department, so the work goes on that Tom Lantos started. (Applause.)

And lastly, and most particularly and personally, I want to thank Annette. This day belongs to her more than anybody else. Not only were she and Tom beloved companions for more than 70 years – and as we saw, adorable children – and apart from the terrible war that separated them and cost their families so dearly, they rarely spent a moment apart. Annette worked with Tom every day in his congressional office. She travelled with him around the world. They were soul mates.

But their story has not ended with Tom’s passing. It has evolved. Because through this institute and the foundation, Annette will share with Tom, as she always did, the commitment to a future that is better than even the present that we enjoy today, and far better than the past which they shared. Annette has given us this great opportunity to continue to be champions of human rights, democracy, tolerance, and reconciliation.

When Tom Lantos founded the Congressional Human Rights Caucus in 1983, that was new. And he did it because he saw there was a need. It became an invaluable bipartisan enterprise that, for close to three decades now, has brought Democrats and Republicans together. He made human rights seem right to people who had never thought about them much before, or who may have even had a little bit of antagonism to them. But Tom fought for refuseniks in the Soviet Union; for Tibetans to practice their religion; for Christians in Saudi Arabia and Sudan; for Muslims in China; for ethnic minorities in the Balkans; and for people living with HIV/AIDS around the world. No person was written off by Tom Lantos. He thought he had an obligation to reach out and embrace them all.

Now, when Tom grew up here in this country that he loved so much, the only debate that mattered was the one between freedom and fascism, and then between freedom and communism. Tom believed that in our country there were partisan political differences, of course, between Republicans and Democrats or between a President Reagan and a President Clinton, just to pick one. (Laughter.) But Tom always believed that regardless of our political party, we were fundamentally on the same side. We were for freedom. We were for democracy. And that through debate, sometimes contested, we would keep working toward what our founders set as the goal, a more perfect union.

Now, when Tom saw what happened after the communists seized control of Hungary, he realized that through what was called “salami tactics,” they were slicing away, bit by bit, fundamental freedoms. And that, to him, meant he could not go home. But he did not become embittered. He did not look backwards. He kept thinking about what contribution his life could make to the ongoing struggle for freedom and human dignity. He worked with Secretary Madeleine Albright and Senator Robert Dole to bring Hungary and other Central and Eastern European countries into NATO. He spoke out repeatedly for the protection of minorities, and he paid particular attention to the plight of the Roma, Europe’s largest disenfranchised minority. And I am very pleased that, during the presidency of the European Union, the Hungarian Government has pushed for reforms that would guarantee the Roma people the same rights and opportunities their fellow citizens enjoy. (Applause.)

Tom’s past served him in another way, as a call to conscience, a permanent vigilance against anti-Semitism, discrimination, oppression, and genocide. In the bookmark that appears at each of our seats, there is one of his most memorable quotes: “We must remember that the veneer of civilization is paper thin. We are its guardians, and we can never rest.” Tom not only tried to live by those words, he tried to hold other people’s feet to the fire, when he didn’t think they were. A Washington Post article about his life summed up by saying, “His efforts to inspire – or, if necessary, shame – individuals, companies and governments into honorable behavior were exhaustive and creative.” And that’s why, at age 78, he was arrested for demonstrating against the genocide in Darfur in front of the Sudanese Embassy in Washington.

Now, one of the aspects of Tom that has not yet been mentioned is that he was a politician. And, as a recovering former politician myself, I think we should pay tribute to that. Because it is one thing to stand on the outside, out of the arena, advocating for the changes that one wants to see in society, and it is entirely different to roll up your sleeves, subject yourself to the votes and the will of your people, and engage in the hard, often frustrating work of political change.

Tom was a great campaigner. I campaigned for him, he campaigned for me. He would come to my office in the Senate and provide both solicited and unsolicited advice. (Laughter.) And it wasn’t just about human rights. It was often about politics, about building coalitions, about winning elections.

So this was, indeed, a renaissance man. He had a full life that we honor and celebrate. But it would be a disservice to him if we did not look forward to what I am sure he expects from us. Democracy is struggling to be born around the world today. The nations of Central and Eastern Europe have so much to share from their own struggles and triumphs. So, the timing of this institute could not be more opportune. On Europe’s doorstep – across the Middle East and Northern Africa – citizens are demanding what so many others have before. From the United States in the 18th century, to Chile and Tunisia, South Korea, East Timor, post-Soviet countries over the past 30 years.

What are they demanding? That their voices be heard. That they have the opportunity to fulfill their own God-given potentials with enough freedom to make responsible choices for themselves, their families, and communities, that government become more effective, more responsive, more transparent, more open.

And what they are asking demands an answer from all of us. Later today, I will travel to Vilnius to join with the Community of Democracies, where we will work with emerging democracies to share the experiences with those fighting for democracy now, to show solidarity with those in the streets, in Belarus, in Libya, around the world. It is important for governments and civil society alike to shine a bright light on why some young democracies flourish while others fail. How can we help navigate the very difficult road they have begun?

At a time when technology transmits news and information instantly, we have all become the global equivalent of neighbors. And what happens in Tunis and Cairo reverberates in Budapest, Jakarta, and Washington. For all democracies around the world, old and new, including my own country and yours, it is vital that we continue building and strengthening our own democratic institutions. It is vital that we understand that the glue which holds together democracies is trust – trust between people as we widen the circle of democratic inclusion, and trust between the people and their governments. It is vital that we not engage in destructive political tactics or the kind of rhetoric that erodes that trust in democracy and one another. We need strong checks and balances across party lines and from one government to the next.

As we struggle to help new democracies emerge, we can’t let any democracy anywhere backslide. The stakes are too high. Other company – other countries are trumpeting national economic growth over freedom and human rights, as though the two are neither compatible nor mutually reinforcing. So that is why this institute is more needed than ever.

Let us work across all sectors of society and all the lines that we too easily believe divide us, to strengthen and support democracy, civil society, and the rule of law, and to protect the rights of minorities, to make sure that when justice is served, it is administered with due process and judicial integrity, not political vengeance or partisan meddling. Those were the principles for which Tom fought so hard.

In one of his last conversations with a close Hungarian friend, Tom expressed his faith in Hungarians and their ability to persevere through any challenge. He believed that Hungarians would always remember the spirit of the 1956 uprising. But watchfulness was crucial for Tom in our country and in his native Hungary. When he was invited to deliver the keynote address before the United Nations at its Holocaust Remembrance Day, he accepted, planning to repeat again his well-known quote about the veneer of civilization, but his health prevented him from going. And in the end, he asked Katrina to deliver the speech for him. So once again, from his daughter, he heard, the world heard the message of vigilance.

And you won’t be surprised that they also heard one of Tom’s famous rabbi stories. Anybody who knew Tom Lantos could not talk to him for more than 20 minutes without hearing a rabbi story, so let me leave you with one of his favorites. It goes like this: A rabbi asks his followers, “How can one know the moment when the night has ended and the dawn has come?” And his students gave various answers. One asked, “Is it when a man walking through the woods can tell whether an approaching animal is a wolf or a dog?” The rabbi shook his head no. Another student asked, “Could it be when a man walking through the village can distinguish the roof of his house from that of his neighbors?” And once again, the rabbi shook his head no. And then the rabbi spoke, “The moment when you know that the night has turned to day is when you see the face of a stranger and recognize him as your brother.” A story with a big message, as all of Tom’s stories had; a message not only for leaders but also for citizens.

So let us celebrate this inauguration of the Tom Lantos Institute, but more than that, let us pledge ourselves to continue his work in the spirit of Hungarian-American cooperation on behalf of the values that he held so dear and work to hasten that hour when night turns to day for everyone.

Thank you all very much. (Applause.)

Hillary Clinton is intrepid. So brave!
Hillary Clinton calls for democracy in front of Hungary's PM Viktor Orban

I had not known she had Condi with her until I read this! Somehow, this just fills my part-Hungarian heart!

Video: Secretary Clinton's Remarks with Hungarian PM Viktor Orban




Remarks With Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban


Remarks
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Parliament
Budapest, Hungary
June 30, 2011

STAFF: (Via interpreter) Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. I would like to most respectfully welcome you all here today in the building of the Hungarian National Assembly on this occasion when Secretary of State of the United States of America Hillary Rodham Clinton paid a visit to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. They conducted bilateral talks with each other, and now this press conference will be providing an opportunity for them to inform the press about this. We would like to cordially greet the members of the American press also. First I call on Prime Minister Orban to share with you his take on the event so far, and then the Secretary of State and two questions.

PRIME MINISTER ORBAN: (Via interpreter) Good afternoon. Thank you very much. These two fantastic days that we have been enjoying – yesterday. From the perspective of Hungarians, it was an extremely important American president that we honored by erecting a statue for him, and today we discussed about the future with the Secretary of State of the United States of America, who I’d like to most respectfully greet and welcome you here in front of you also.

Hungary and the United States of America, since the demise of communism, have had very strong and ever-enhanced relations. This alliance that we’ve built is value-based and this alliance, again, was reinforced again and again during the past 20 years. And this is precisely what’s happened today. We enumerated the different points on which there is cooperation between the two countries. And I, for my part, I was very happy to share with the Secretary that Hungary would like to maintain this cooperation that was deemed to be successful so far. Such cooperation is our cooperation in Afghanistan, which I consider to be important, where we will continue to adhere to the principle of in together, out together. And we wish in the future also to maintain, together with the 500 or so Hungarian soldiers, our presence and our mission there.

I have shared with the Secretary that Hungary considers the United States of America and the strong relationship between Europe to be of strategic importance. We are a country that is pro-transatlantic relations. European Union is important for us because we are members of it, but beyond this, we also need very deep transatlantic cooperation. So in all those areas and points where the European Union has to cooperate with the United States of America, Hungary will always be a staunch supporter of such cooperation.

I also shared with the Secretary that during the past 20 years, the economic ties between Hungary and the United States of America developed well. We achieved high levels of trade and investment alike, and we would like if the dynamics of this would not break, would not suffer, if the United States of America would continue to have a staunch presence economically in Hungary. I stated to the Secretary that for us, the primary point of reference, framework of reference where we understand each other, where we define ourselves, the first dimension where we develop our strategies is the Central European dimension.

And I’ve done my utmost and I will continue to do my utmost to have the interests and to call the interests of the major powers of the world, among them the United States of America, that Central Europe is an important area facing a wonderful future, where countries are closely knit, where countries have common objectives, and where countries would like to actually assert their interests in the European and international arena as Central Europe. Therefore, Central Europe would like for its own existence, military, logistics, energy, and trade security guarantees assured. And I asked the Secretary that – I asked the United States of America to treat this endeavor of ours with interest.

All in all, in summary, I can say that this visit today, especially since this coincided with the inauguration, opening of the Tom Lantos Institute, it’s an extremely – I think it’s an extremely deep-sounding feeling and good memory in the history of our two countries, because both of the issues we discussed, and also the emotional element, moral element that was symbolized by the inauguration of the Tom Lantos Institute, I think, were well-manifested today in this day. And here in front of the press, I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to Madam Hillary Clinton for working so far today and also in the future on strengthening our alliance. Thank you very much.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you very much, Prime Minister. I am delighted to be back in Budapest, and on such an auspicious occasion. The United States admires greatly the progress of the journey that Hungarians have taken over the last 21 years. And we feel a strong affinity with Hungarians because of our mutual belief and commitment to fundamental freedoms. And yesterday and today gave us that opportunity to demonstrate in a tangible way our strong connections. The celebration of the centennial of President Reagan’s birth with the new statue and then, of course, the inauguration of such an extraordinary Hungarian American, Tom Lantos’s institute to continue the work that he did during his lifetime.

The prime minister and I reaffirmed the strong ties between our countries. We are NATO allies, we are economic partners, and we are friends. Our discussion was productive and far-ranging. We talked about our mutual commitment in Afghanistan, where Hungary’s contributions have been outstanding. We talked too about the important work that Hungary is doing at home as well as through the presidency of the EU to ensure that the Roma people enjoy the same rights and freedoms as any other Europeans. And I deeply appreciate the decisive steps the government has taken to eliminate hate crimes against its Romani citizens.

We are strongly supportive of the prime minister’s commitment to rebuild and strengthen Hungary’s economy. We think that the steps that are being taken to open the economy, to rely more on trade and investment as major economic drivers are absolutely right. We applaud the effort to eliminate corruption that discourages foreign investors and entrepreneurs. And we also talked very openly about preserving the democratic institutions of Hungary and making sure that they continue to grow and strengthen, including providing essential checks and balances.

As friends of Hungary, we expressed our concerns and particularly called for a real commitment to the independence of the judiciary, a free press, and governmental transparency, because it’s important not only for Hungarians that this great democratic journey that our two countries are on – we for somewhat longer than you – but certainly sharing that commitment that we continue to exemplify democratic values and freedoms, first and foremost for the benefit of our own people and for the transatlantic alliance, but also as examples for those who are struggling to define their own democracies now in the Middle East and North Africa.

We look forward to enhancing our cooperation. I think Tom Lantos has laid out a path for both of our countries to follow, and we will work with Hungary to not only expand economic opportunity, but to strengthen democracy and to promote human rights. And I very much appreciate the warm hospitality and the very good discussion that we’ve had on a lot of issues today. Thank you, Prime Minister.

STAFF: (Via interpreter) Thank you very much. Madam Secretary of State, Mr. Prime Minister, two questions – we have time for two questions. First on behalf of the American press (inaudible) Reuters, Arshad Mohammed.

QUESTION: Thank you. Secretary Clinton, you said that you spoke very openly and frankly with the prime minister. What specific concerns did you raise? Did you raise the recent media law? Did you raise the passage of the constitution with so little opposition support, or apparently consultation? Did you raise the concerns that the new constitution would limit or restrict the independence of the country’s highest court?

Also on democracy, though in another part of the world, it’s my understanding that the U.S. Government – that the Obama Administration has decided to resume formal, direct, unrestricted contacts with the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. Have you begun those contacts yet or is this something you intend to do? At what level will or have those contacts been? And how do you address critics, including those in the U.S. Congress and those in Israel who believe that any dealings with the Muslim Brotherhood should be avoided because positions espoused by some of its sympathizers are anathema to some of America’s basic values?

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, Arshad, I lost track of the number of questions, but let me – (laughter) – let me try to answer in two baskets, first with respect to Hungary and then with respect to the Muslim Brotherhood.

With respect to Hungary, the prime minister and I discussed every issue that you have raised – the constitutional court, the media law, just the whole gamut of concerns. And obviously, we consider Hungary a close friend, a strong NATO ally. We greatly respect Hungary’s commitment to freedom, the fact that the prime minister has fought for freedom his entire adult life, and we had a candid conversation today. We have encouraged our Hungarian friends to ensure a broad, inclusive constitution that is consistent with its own democratic values and the European values as well. And I underscored the importance, in any government, to enshrine checks and balances. Certainly, we believe in the United States that transparency and checks and balances are absolutely crucial.

And I think throughout the process of implementing the constitution and the accompanying cardinal laws, it is important, and certainly the prime minister made that very clear to me, that he is committed to ensuring that Hungary is very true to its democratic traditions, to protect individual liberties, maintain freedom of the press and the judiciary, and ensure checks and balances. So we had, as I said and as the prime minister has said, a very wide-ranging, comprehensive, productive discussion.

With respect to the Muslim Brotherhood, the Obama Administration is continuing the approach of limited contacts with the Muslim Brotherhood that has existed on and off for about five or six years. We believe, given the changing political landscape in Egypt, that it is in the interests of the United States to engage with all parties that are peaceful and committed to nonviolence, that intend to compete for the parliament and the presidency. And we welcome, therefore, dialogue with those Muslim Brotherhood members who wish to talk with us.

Now, in any of those contacts, prior or future, we will continue to emphasize the importance of and support for democratic principles, and especially a commitment to nonviolence, respect for minority rights, and the full inclusion of women in any democracy. You cannot leave out half the population and claim that you are committed to democracy. So I think that the importance here is that this is not a new policy, but it is one that we are reengaging in because of the upcoming elections, but there will be certain expectations set and certain messages delivered, and we hope that the move toward democracy that is taking place in Egypt will actually result in the kind of inclusive, participatory political system that we would like to see.

STAFF: (Via interpreter) Thank you very much. The next question, Hungarian Press TV 2, (inaudible).

QUESTION: (Via interpreter) Good afternoon. (Inaudible) from TV 2. The question is to both the guests. Which areas are the ones where you consider it to be important and beneficial to develop American-Hungarian ties medium, short and long-term? And also, Madam Secretary, may I ask you how does America look on the ever-strengthening European Union – the ever-strengthening economic ties of Hungary with China?

PRIME MINISTER ORBAN: (Via interpreter) America plays a key role in the security of the world; therefore cooperation in the field of security is something of outstanding significance to us. I’m sure you all know the professional details of this cooperation in Afghanistan, the whole cooperation and the process of passenger identification, et cetera, the list is long. I think Hungary definitely has a very balanced approach when it comes to the personal freedoms and the issue of security, and this approach, I think, is not far from the American mindset.

Therefore when it comes to security cooperation between Hungary and U.S., but also U.S. and Hungary is definitely something that we will always support. And I would think it would be very good if there was a new impetus given to the economic relations between America – the United States and Hungary. Since, as I’ve mentioned to you, Central Europe will be the engine of growth in the next coming five to ten years, just like we saw it as it was palpable before the financial crisis. Perhaps the ratio – the share will be even greater.

So there is definitely an up and coming region, and we would very much like if American capital, both in investment, technology, job creation, would play a tangible role that is fitting of its size. What concerns cooperation with other major powers in the world, Hungarians have understood that it is well beneficial to follow the example of others. We might have not been able to establish such close ties as America has, but we are working on it.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, I agree with the prime minister that our cooperation on security is very important and close, and we appreciate that greatly. As I said earlier, our cooperation in Afghanistan has been quite important. We also appreciate the role that Hungary is playing as the president of the European Union in working to forge agreements on security between the United States and the European Union, particularly, as the prime minister said, on the passenger name records issue that we are deeply involved in working out with the European Union.

I do think that it is important to strengthen our economic ties. The prime minister made a very convincing case to me in private, and he has just given you a short version of it. His view is that Central Europe will be the economic engine for growth in the future. So we want the United States to be more involved economically – more direct investment, more trade, more entrepreneurial activity. So I will take away from our meeting the assignment of looking for ways as to how we can cooperate more closely on economic investment and growth.

And finally, I would say on the European Union and China, we welcome the European Union becoming more involved with China. I noticed the visit of the Premier Wen Jiabao just recently to the United Kingdom, Germany, Europe; the announcement of trade deals. We are very interested in making sure China is a responsible stakeholder in the world. There is no question of its very rapid growth, which is enormously beneficial to the Chinese people in material ways of lifting them out of poverty. But as China plays a greater role on the world stage we also hope that China will learn more about our Western values, about what we’ve been discussing here today – democracy, rule of law, freedom, protection of minorities, independent judiciary, free press, the things that we consider our birth rights in the transatlantic alliance. Because we do want, as China gains in influence, for it to be a responsible influence in the world, and I think increasing the ties between the European Union and China is one more way of helping to have that influence run toward China and how it thinks about its future.

STAFF: (Via interpreter) Thank you very much, Madam Secretary. Thank you very much Mr. Prime Minister for informing the public. Thank you for coming. God wish you good work.


SECRETARY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON: Public Schedule for June 30, 2011

Just a note here. The Secretary has already moved on from Budapest to Vilnius. Since a plethora of nice photos are already available from Hungary, I thought I would include these right up front in this post. We see her at the the inauguration ceremony for the Tom Lantos Institute in the Upper Chamber Hall of the parliament building in Budapest with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Foreign Minister Janos Martonyi, and U.S. Ambassador Anne Derse as well as at the U.S. Embassy . Enjoy!



Public Schedule for June 30, 2011

Public Schedule

Washington, DC
June 30, 2011

SECRETARY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON:
Secretary Clinton is on foreign travel in Budapest, Hungary and Vilnius, Lithuania. She is accompanied by Assistant Secretary Posner and Director Sullivan. Ambassador Verveer joins Secretary Clinton in Vilnius. Click here for more information.

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

On Hillary Clinton's Plane: Special Briefing En Route Budapest, Hungary

Briefing En Route Budapest, Hungary


Special Briefing

Senior Department Official
Senior Official
Budapest, Hungary
June 29, 2011

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL THREE: So the Secretary is on her way to Budapest for the opening of the Tom Lantos Institute and her bilateral visit in Hungary. She will then go on to Vilnius, Lithuania for the Community of Democracies event and a bilateral visit there, and then onto Spain for a bilateral visit. To give you the flavor of this trip, we have two senior administration officials, and I will now turn it over to official number one.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: The Secretary is going to be able to visit three countries on this trip that she has not previously visited in her capacity as Secretary of State. And so that makes it a special trip for her and the countries involved. And she will on this trip do what we always do when we travel to Europe, which is advance our broad based and comprehensive partnership with Europe and with Europe abroad.

She’ll be talking across the board about the things that we are doing with and in support for these countries. She will look at internal developments, especially in the countries of Hungary and Lithuania as they mark 20-plus years of transition. She will also be looking at issues of economic adjustment, particularly in the country of Spain. And with all three of the countries she will be looking at the EU agenda as we collaborate with our EU partners, as all three of these countries are EU members. She will be working with them on our global agenda, as Europe is really the cornerstone of our global engagement, and she will be talking about the details of what we are doing to advance stability and democracy in every place from the Balkans to Afghanistan to Libya.

As part of our global engagement, one of the special themes of this entire trip and for each of her stops will be democracy and what we are doing together as democracies to advance the issues of human rights, fundamental freedoms, to perfect our own democracies, and to advance this agenda elsewhere. As you know, one of the issues that she has emphasized and that we are seeing on the ground is how difficult democratic transition can be and how important it is for us to seize moments of opportunity to make sure that we translate promise into reality, and as we do so, to make sure that we carry out a very special responsibility that we as established democracies, but also newer democracies, even like second generation democracies that have come through transition, to pay it forward and to help to use the assistance and the support, the lessons, and the experiences that we’ve gained to help others who are in the midst of their own struggle.

In Hungary, as you have heard already, the Secretary will start with the opening of the Lantos Institute, and there really will be two themes as part of that event. First is the extraordinary individual that Tom Lantos was as the only Holocaust survivor to be a member of Congress, a lifelong fighter for human rights and freedom, but also somebody who in the midst – in the course of his congressional tenure worked across partisan lines. And all of those themes will also carry over in terms of what the Lantos Institute is about, what it is set up to achieve, which is to advance democracy, inclusion, tolerance, bipartisan cooperation.

She will also meet with civil society leaders in Hungary that will allow her to carry on that message and that dialogue from the Lantos Institute, and she will be able to hear from political voices across the spectrum of Hungarian political life and to continue that dialogue. And then, of course, she will have a session with Prime Minister Orban, and in that session she will talk about all aspects of our wide-ranging partnership, the many areas on which we cooperate, everything from Libya, where Hungary is the protecting power for the United States, to Afghanistan, where they have 500 troops on the ground and lead a PRT or provincial reconstruction team, and to the EU agenda, where they are working on energy cooperation, issues relating to Roma, issues relating to Croatia’s accession into the European Union. And of course, as a friend and partner, we will also talk about advancing democracy, strengthening democracy within Hungary.

We will talk in greater detail later about the agendas in Lithuania and Spain, but just to touch very briefly for them now, when we arrive later in the day in Lithuania after the Hungary stop, the Secretary will take part in an event on women enhancing democracy. This will include over 20 women leaders from the Middle East, Europe, elsewhere around the world. It is an event that is co-chaired by the Lithuanian and Finnish presidents, but it will also include leaders from Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, and Slovakia. It is women’s rights and advancement of women is a key part of our human rights agenda. It’s the work that Ambassador Melanne Verveer has been engaged in. The U.S. and Lithuania are co-chair of the Community of Democracies Working Group on Gender Issues, and this will be an opportunity for the Secretary and all these women leaders to address the issues that are associated there.

The Secretary will then have a Strategic Dialogue with Civil Society that is a continuation of the Strategic Dialogue she launched in Washington. She is committed to hearing directly from the people who are on the ground working to advance democracy. She wants to know about the problems and the challenges they face, but also about where they see progress and potential, and to share ideas about the way forward. There are about 150 civil society leaders who will be present in Lithuania for an event associated with the Community of Democracies, and this will involve individuals from that group.

On Friday morning, the Secretary will attend the Community of Democracies ministerial, which will include representatives from about 130 countries around the world. And (inaudible) --

QUESTION: (Inaudible.)

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: About 130.

QUESTION: Do you know some of the prominent participants from other countries?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: We can get you the list. We can get you the list and go over that. And here again, it is about the need to help each other. It is about a need to share lessons learned, talk openly, and see what we can do at this crucial time for action, when we’ve watched the events in Egypt and Tunisia, we’ve watched Arab Spring across the Middle East and Africa, and again, as I said before, to recognize the reality of how difficult transitions can be, the need for those in transition to get help, and the responsibility of those who have been through that transition, long ago or recently, to reach out and help.

The Secretary will also do a number of bilateral meetings in Lithuania. She will meet with the prime minister, the president, and the foreign minister to talk about everything from energy and economy to democracy in the neighborhood and particularly neighboring Belarus. She will touch on issues and the positive developments with the Lithuanian parliament’s recent passage of a Holocaust compensation bill. And she will join the Baltic foreign ministers in an event to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Baltic independence.

And then, just lastly, on Saturday morning in Spain, the Secretary will meet with both the prime minister and the foreign minister. As you know, Spain is a longstanding and greatly valued ally in Afghanistan. They’re working together with us in Libya across the board, and it’s an opportunity for us to look again at the cooperation that we have underway, also, so many contemporary issues, especially as they relate to the economy and what we can do together across the broad range.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL THREE: Senior Official Two, anything to add?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: I think it’s useful to see this trip within the context of the one the President just completed, to – it’s useful to look at this trip by the Secretary of State in the context of the trip the President just completed to Europe in May because these themes are continuous across our Administration. As you know, when the President traveled, one of the principal themes of that trip was the importance of our alliance relationships in Europe. During that trip he visited four countries. On this trip, we will visit three very close allies, important allies, both within Europe and in meeting the global challenges that we face. And so one significant element the President (inaudible) is that we strengthen those alliance relationships because they’re so important to us as we work together to catalyze global action.

Second, as [Senior Administration Official One] said – as Senior Official Number One said – this trip is an important trip with respect to the themes of democracy, development, both within Europe and beyond. That was a very significant element of the President’s engagement in Poland on the last trip, the final stop on his trip. And there, we are working to consolidate democracy in Central and Eastern Europe, especially with regard to those countries that haven’t yet made a full and successful transition to democracy. Senior Official Number One mentioned Belarus, which we are very concerned about. There could well be significant protests and further violence today. We’re watching that very closely. And so we will be putting a spotlight on Belarus. We also have concerns about (inaudible) in Ukraine, and we have continued engagement with the Government of Ukraine to express our concerns there.

I’d also say, with regard to democracy in Europe, that there’s an important element of the continuing efforts to achieve an integrated Europe, and there we have encouraged the EU to keep its door open and to continue to welcome those countries that meet its standards for membership. And that’s a very important incentive to countries that have not made their full transition to democracy, to achieve that transition in order to join the EU.

Third, a major theme of the trip is, as Senior Official One mentioned and which, again, reflects an important element of what the President did during his trip to Europe in May, is to speak with our close allies about our global agenda. There we work with our allies – the ones we will be visiting during this trip – on the full range of issues that we face together in the world. These are significant contributors to Afghanistan; they’re involved in the Libya operation, both in the NATO command and control and also in terms of providing support for the implementation of the UN Security Council resolution. We work with them, on the advance of the Arab Spring, more broadly on democracy promotion outside of Europe, and we work with them on climate change, we work with them on a huge range of issues, all of which will be discussed in the bilateral meetings that the Secretary will conduct.

So I think that it’s important (inaudible) to see this as a trip that reflects the continuing of our engagement with Europe from the outset of this Administration and which was highlighted during the President’s (inaudible).

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL THREE: Thank you. We can take three of your questions.

QUESTION: You said that the United States is particularly concerned – very concerned about events in Belarus, where there could be more violence, and about backsliding in Ukraine. To what extent is the U.S. Government concerned about the treatment of the Roma in Hungary and also what some might describe as backsliding in Hungary with regard to the press law, the constitution, et cetera? And to what extent will the Secretary raise those issues, in public or in private, while she’s in Hungary?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: I’ll speak up. You don’t have to --

QUESTION: Thank you.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: We are concerned. Roma is an issue of particular interest for Secretary Clinton and for this Administration. We’ve worked together with Hungary during the course of their EU presidency on their efforts to develop an EU policy toward the Roma, and that is an issue that we look forward to discussing. As I said at the outset, we are also very interested to see the strengthening of democracy in Hungary. We want very much to support advancements on democracy in Hungary, and that will be a key part of our dialogue, both with civil society and with the Hungarian Government.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL THREE: I think you can expect the Secretary to speak to both of these issues tomorrow quite clearly.

QUESTION: Can I ask a question about – you were talking about alliances as a foundation for stability. I’m wondering if the Secretary is going to bring up at all Greece in the context of meetings with other EU members because of the potential instability that could spread from there. And more broadly – she references this in her speech as well, NATO and the EU being a great foundation for stability and so on, but recently we’ve seen Secretary Gates criticize NATO as being almost outmoded or at least in need of a new mission, and Greece does threaten the EU. So I’m just wondering if you have any concerns about that? I mean, it’s – it doesn’t look – (inaudible) as a way to encourage (inaudible).

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: Yeah. Both NATO and the EU have, for many decades, been a force for stability and a force for integration. And as my colleague mentioned, those are the trends and trajectories that we want to see continue and that we are working to support, both as it concerns aspiring members to those organizations but also the issues that arise in the context of membership for both of those institutions. The issue of the economic situation in Europe across the board is one that is current and that the Secretary will raise in the course of this trip. As you know, she’s not stopping in Greece, but we have said just about every day over the course of the past 10 days how pleased we are to see the courageous decisions being taken by the government in Greece and their determination to do those things that are necessary in order to bring their economy into the right circumstance.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL THREE: On NATO, the Secretary has said very clearly that it is important, even as we work together strongly in Afghanistan and Libya and Kosovo, around the world, not to be complacent, that we have to continue to invest in these institutions. And whether it’s NATO members investing in NATO, whether it’s EU members using the strength of the EU to try to address their economic issues collectively, the institutions add value to the national efforts.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: I would just also make a point, which is that that’s actually not what Gates said in his speech. It wasn’t about NATO needing a mission. What he – as the Defense Secretary, was asking that NATO do is ensure that it has the capabilities required to fulfill its commitments, and that’s a distinct difference.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL THREE: Time for one more.

QUESTION: Firstly, you mentioned Belarus, both of you. What do you hope to achieve beyond the expressions of support or condemnation that we’ve heard for the last 20 years? What does the Arab Spring bring to the table that wasn’t there before, and what would you hope to get from Communities of Democracies or the Western democratic liberal community?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: Do you want to start with that, and I’ll –

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: Sure. I’m happy to start on Belarus. And as you know, Belarus has been a longstanding problem. Things have recently gotten worse, and it is an issue of great concern for the countries of the region, but for all of the friends of democracy across Europe and Eurasia. There have been a number of statements that have been issued by political leaders about the situation in Belarus, but those statements have also been backed up by actions. Everything by sanctions from the European Union to travel restrictions, other measures, asset freezes, things – steps that have been undertaken by the United States Government as well as by many European governments individually and the EU together.

There have been – also been efforts to set up funds to take concrete action to promote democratic development inside Belarus to liberalize travel for those not associated with the regime so that we can work at the problem, if you will, from both directions.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: One of the things you’ll see tomorrow in Lithuania is some of the work that we’re doing to strengthen civil society through a variety of means. I don’t want to --

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL THREE: I think we’ll talk a little bit more about that precise vehicle tomorrow when we pre-brief on Lithuania. But –

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: Yeah. But there’s some exciting work we’re doing to support civil society in repressive places and to get tools to enable those who are seeking to break out of the oppression that they’re experiencing, and that work we’re doing closely with our European allies. You heard this when we were in Poland with the President, that the Poles have played a leadership role in this regard in working with us on Belarus, but we also have close cooperation with the EU broadly and with a number of these countries bilaterally, including with the Lithuanians.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL THREE: Okay, guys.

QUESTION: Can I ask one more? A quick one? On her speech, (inaudible) reference to countries that crow about their economic growth but don’t respect the freedoms, as if they’re mutually exclusive. I’m assuming that’s a reference to China, and I’m wondering if there’s any sort of – if the U.S. is having or seeing any sort of encroachment by China or China’s attempts to (inaudible) people in Central and Eastern Europe, the way you see China sort of pushing its agenda in South America or Africa.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL THREE: The Secretary, as you know, throughout her tenure, has stressed the importance of democracy, economic liberalization, development going hand in hand, and that there is a limit to how much you can do on one track if you aren’t also making progress on the other track. So I think you just see that theme repeated here.

Thanks, you guys.

QUESTION: (Inaudible.) She’s not going to go beyond what the U.S. Government has previously said about Greece, correct? The economic stuff gets left to the Treasury as it always does? There’s nothing new or –

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL THREE: They are in the middle of trying to work through their issues, so we are supportive of the efforts that the government is undertaking and watching closely as they make very important decisions in the next couple of days.

QUESTION: I think the Treasury – its purview for the most part

SECRETARY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON: Public Schedule for June 29, 2011



Public Schedule for June 29, 2011


Public Schedule
Washington, DC
June 29, 2011


SECRETARY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON:
AM
Secretary Clinton departs for foreign travel. Click here for more information.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Update on Secretary Clinton's Travel Itinerary

Subsequent to her visits to Hungary and Lithuania (as originally posted below), Secretary Clinton will make a stop in Madrid at the end of this week. Here is the update.

Secretary Clinton To Travel to Madrid, Spain

Press Statement

Victoria Nuland
Department Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
June 28, 2011

Following her travel to Hungary and Lithuania, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will travel to Madrid, Spain, July 1-2, 2011. In Madrid, Secretary Clinton will underscore the close partnership and friendship the United States and Spain enjoy, based on shared values and common interests. The Secretary will meet with Spanish President José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero and Foreign Minister Trinidad Jiménez to discuss a range of issues including Afghanistan, North Africa, and the Middle East and trade, investment, and the economy.

Here is the original post.

Secretary Clinton to Travel to Budapest and Vilnius

Press Statement

Victoria Nuland
Department Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
June 24, 2011

Secretary of State Clinton will travel to Budapest, Hungary, June 29, to participate in the dedication of the Lantos Institute. The establishment of the Lantos Institute has been supported by the Government of Hungary to promote Hungarian-born Congressman Tom Lantos’ long commitment to democratic principles and the protection of individual and human rights. Secretary Clinton will also meet with Prime Minister Orban, Foreign Minister Martonyi, and representatives of civil society while in Budapest.

Secretary Clinton will visit Vilnius, Lithuania, from June 30 to July 1, to participate in the Community of Democracies 6th Ministerial. The Ministerial will bring together senior government officials, parliamentarians, NGOs, women and youth leaders, and the private sector to advance the shared goals of strengthening civil society and supporting emerging democracies. During her visit, the Secretary will participate in the "Women Enhancing Democracy" gathering of world leaders, held under the auspices of the Community of Democracies’ working group on women’s empowerment. She will also host a session of the Strategic Dialogue with Civil Society focused on challenges to the freedoms of speech and association. While in Vilnius, the Secretary will hold bilateral meetings with President Grybauskaite, Prime Minister Kubilius, and other Lithuanian officials.