Meets with the Embassy Staff and Their Families
Remarks
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Embassy Riga
Riga, Latvia
June 28, 2012
Thank
you so much, Ambassador. And oh my goodness, it’s wonderful to see you
in these absolutely fabulous surroundings. I am so pleased to have this
opportunity to express in person my gratitude for the work that you do
every day. I want to start with Ambassador Garber. Thank you for the
last three years and your leadership. You’re wrapping your time up, but
it is certainly going to be a loss for many, because you’ve been such an
active, engaged ambassador. And I thank you for that.
I’m told
that this has been quite a challenge to move into such beautiful
surroundings in the winter. (Laughter.) But I assume that we’ll get the
insulation brought up to date. The Ambassador’s office, I understand,
was pretty cold. But I appreciate everything you’re doing because this
new Embassy compound is a real testament to the importance we place on
our relationship. And so many of you are working in the security area,
improving strategic cooperation with Latvia as our NATO ally. You’re
working on trade and investment, and you’re working to strengthen those
bonds between our people. Cultural and educational exchanges are
increasing; outreach to Latvian schools is helping young people in this
country learn more about our own country. And I don’t know how many
American ambassadors have presented the equivalent of a Grammy award in
their host country – (laughter) – but that certainly earns a place in
the annals of people-to-people diplomacy.
Now, a strong embassy
community makes all of that possible. And I know today marks a somber
anniversary of the passing of DCM Bruce Rogers. I know how much he
contributed to this Embassy family. And the way that you all supported
each other, recovered from that terrible tragedy, and moved forward in
his memory was very impressive.
I want to also thank not only
those who serve here at the Embassy, but every one of you who supports
those who serve. So I’m particularly pleased to see family members and
young people here as well. And let me especially thank our locally
employed staff, the Latvians, who keep this Embassy going year after
year. Because as you know, ambassadors come and go, Secretaries come and
go, but the Latvian staff are really the continuity. You are the brain
center, or the memory center, of everything that we are doing. And I
want you to know that back in Washington, President Obama and I and
everybody in the foreign relations team appreciates greatly what you’re
doing.
This is a critical relationship. This country has been
totally free and independent for a relatively short period of time. It’s
made an enormous amount of progress. It has integrated into the
Euro-Atlantic community. It has just gone through a terrible economic
crisis and all the adjustments and tough decisions that were required to
not only survive it, but get back on their feet and keep moving
forward. So we want to continually make clear how much we value Latvia,
value our relationship, and we want to broaden and deepen it at every
turn.
So I can come and make that message in a very public way, as
I’ve tried to do today, but the day-to-day work is really up to each
and every one of you. And I greatly appreciate all you are doing. And I
look forward to hearing about the continuing good work that will come
out of this great Embassy. Thank you all very much. (Applause.)
