Mme. Secretary was in three countries in one day today. After
departing Georgia, she spent a busy day in Azerbaijan, met with Embassy
Baku families and staff, and then was wheels up for Istanbul where we
see her deplaning. She is in Turkey for talks on Syria.
Meeting with Staff and Families of Embassy Baku
Remarks
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Embassy Baku
Baku, Azerbaijan
June 6, 2012
Well, it’s wonderful to see you again. How many of you were here when I was here two years ago? Oh, good. (Laughter.)
Well,
it’s great to be back and to have this opportunity to thank you in
person once again for the outstanding work you do every day on behalf of
this very important relationship between our two countries, and I want
to thank Adam Sterling for taking the reins in Baku once more. I know
it’s been difficult not to have an ambassador for much of the last few
years, but we are very lucky to have Adam’s leadership. And I’m hoping,
hoping, hoping that we’ll put the ambassador-designee who has his
hearing next week on a fast track, because I certainly heard firsthand
from the government here how much they are hoping to get an ambassador
and be able to go from there.
I’m glad to be back in this
beautiful chancery garden, though I know it is a somewhat bittersweet
reminder that Embassy Baku just lost a member of the Embassy family. I
know how difficult it was for you when Myaka passed. He had been – was
one of the very first employees when our Embassy opened in 1992, and he
was one who saw our relationship grow over the last 20 years. He was, by
all accounts, an exemplary colleague, and the tree that you planted in
his memory will be a lasting memorial to his service.
During the
past few years, you’ve done so much. You worked hard to gain openings
for freedom of political expression and to support the people of
Azerbaijan, to stand up for our values and our interests, to work on
behalf of American businesses. I just came from the Gas & Oil
Exhibition and saw a number of the American businesses represented
there. I thanked the locally employed staff for your critical monitoring
services during the past election. Our Foreign Service and local staff
are empowering women and girls to become innovative business leaders.
And I’m especially pleased to hear about your work helping girls at risk
of early marriage develop practical skills, find jobs, and gain
financial independence.
And when you launch programs that show
farmers how to produce enough crops to feed their families and have
enough left over to earn a decent living, you are truly expanding
economic opportunity. Just as when you connect American businesses with
Azerbaijan markets, you’re helping create American jobs. And when you
talk to Azerbaijani students about opportunities to study in the United
States, you are helping to build bridges between our people. So on these
and so many other areas, I’m very grateful.
I spoke specifically
to President Aliyev today about building a new, state-of-the-art
chancery for you to work out of, and I reminded him that this discussion
began when my husband was president. So – (laughter) – we need to speed
it up, and we’re trying to do just that. I hope one day soon you can
work together in one modern and secure location. In the meantime, I
especially want to thank Gunnery Sergeant Lance Grubin and the Marine
security guards for all the extra hours they put in to help keep you
safe over the last year.
Now I know that you’re going to keep
working long after I’m gone, and I know that secretaries, charges,
ambassadors come and go, and our locally employed staff provide the
memory bank for all that went before and are absolutely instrumental.
And I know that many of you representing the United States Government in
all our various incarnations here in this mission are going to be
absolutely devoted to doing everything you can during your time here in
Baku to broaden and deepen this significant relationship. I think we’re
making real progress. There’s a long way to go, but it is one of the
most strategically located countries if you look at any map, and the
opportunities for us to work closely on everything from security to the
economy to human rights to opportunity for women and others is just
unlimited.
So please take a moment to think about how much you’ve
already done, and I look forward to hearing from Adam and then from the
new ambassador all that you are continuing to do. Thank you all very
much. (Applause.)
