Meeting with Staff and Families of Embassy Abidjan
Remarks
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
U.S. Embassy Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire
January 17, 2012
Well,
thank you, and I am so pleased to be here with all of you today to
thank you. Thank you for the great support that you are giving to the
important relationship between the United States and Cote d'Ivoire and
the people of both of our countries. I know that 2011 was a challenging
year, and I am so grateful by what you did during the course of this
past year. I want to thank the Ambassador. Thank you very much, Phil,
and Mrs. Carter, Amanda, thank you for your leadership. Thanks to all of
you who are here today representing the team that is so important that
is our country, our government, with people from every agency, and all
of you here.
It was quite a year because it started with conflict
and violence, but it ended with successful elections. And for most of
you, that was a return to a more normal workday, which I know was very
welcome. But even in the hardest of times, as the government ground to a
halt, as roads were shut down, as the legally elected president was
trapped in a hotel, the future of the country at risk, you kept going.
And I especially want to thank the locally employed staff, all of the
Ivoirians who came to work every day, who took the risks, who worried
about your families. Thank you. Thank you for the example and the
service you provided. (Applause.)
And thanks to our Foreign
Service and Civil Service officers who kept working on the programs that
we support here. You kept delivering the lifesaving AIDS drugs, you
kept the cables coming so we could have a firsthand view of what was
going on. We didn’t have to just read the news; we could get it directly
from those of you who were on the ground living it and seeing it. And I
know that despite impassable roads and personal risks, that did not
keep Ambassador Carter or DCM Julia Stanley, who I see back there, and
their team from doing whatever was required – meeting with government
leaders, meeting with those who were trying to bring an end to the
crisis.
You do outstanding work every day, not just through a
crisis. I’m aware of that because I see the results. Thank you for the
partnerships you’ve created with NGOs. Thank you for helping women and
men start small businesses. Thank you for working with farmers to
increase their productivity. Thank you for working with American
businesses to bring more of our businesses here to this country. Thank
you for fighting malaria and other diseases. Thank you for everything.
And I know that many of you are without your children, and we’re going
to try to do something about that. The Ambassador and I talked about
this last night, and I will certainly report back to our team in
Washington that other embassy families have brought their children back
here, and I hope that we will be able to do that as well. (Applause.)
Now
I understand that we have a few people here on their first tours. And
no matter what anyone tells you, this is not quite a model. Not every
first tour is so eventful. But what great experience from great
leadership you have acquired. And I remember when I called in to talk to
the Ambassador and to express my concern about all of you, I was so
proud to know that I was talking to such a first-rate team, Americans
and Ivoirians alike. I also know that our locally employed staff are
here providing continuity, providing the knowledge that new ambassadors,
new secretaries always need.
This is a critical time in Cote
d'Ivoire’s history. I had excellent meetings today with members of the
government, with, of course, the president, the prime minister, and
others. The United States stands ready to be a good partner and a friend
as you restore peace and security, pursue reconciliation, follow an
agenda for economic and social development. We are optimistic about what
the future will be for Cote d'Ivoire and for our partnership.
Twenty-five years ago when another Secretary of State – the last time a
Secretary of State came, it was George Shultz – arrived here, Cote
d'Ivoire was the economic engine of West Africa. You will be again. I
have no doubt about that. (Applause.)
So thank you for your service, thank you for your commitment to this important relationship, and now, I’d like to
shake hands and thank you personally for everything you do. (Applause.)
