Hillary Clinton With Staff and Families of the U.S. Embassy in Prague
Meeting With Staff and Families of the U.S. Embassy in Prague
Remarks
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
U.S. Embassy
Prague, Czech Republic
December 3, 2012
Oh,
thank you all. It is wonderful to be back in Prague, one of my favorite
cities, and to have a chance to not only say thank you to each and
every one of you for the work you do every single day, but also Happy
Holidays, so it’s an especially appropriate time. As you may recall, I
was here with my husband about a year ago this time of year for
President Havel’s memorial service, and it’s wonderful to be back.
I
want to thank Ambassador Eisen for his leadership. And under it, you
have really carried the torch forward, especially on our three pillars
of security, economics, and shared values, which I know are kind of a
mantra, a famous mantra here. I also want to thank your DCM Joe
Pennington. You’ve kind of pioneered a new brand of diplomacy, rock star
diplomacy, not just because of that Bruce Springsteen photo hanging in
your office, but because of the rock stars you have here at this
Embassy.
Many of you have been working very hard on the new
civil-nuclear center. This will unlock new opportunities for research
and trade and bring us even more closely allied with our Czech partners.
We’re working together in Afghanistan. The Czech Republic is protecting
our interests in Syria. We’re working to support the fight against
corruption, promoting human rights both here and around the globe. And
thank you for providing the first-rate services to all the Americans
visiting the Czech Republic. This is not easy at any time, but
particularly, I know managing an embassy that is made up of
interconnected wings of a castle that is centuries old is even more
challenging. But it is very much appreciated in Washington.
I also
want to thank you for bringing your children here because they are
beautiful and I love seeing them, but it’s also a reminder of why we do
this work. And let me ask all of our Czech employees, our local staff,
to raise your hands so that we can show you our appreciation.
(Applause.) I often say ambassadors come and go, and certainly
secretaries do as well, but our locally-employed staff provide the
memory bank and the nerve center for every one of us, and we are very
grateful.
And to all the Americans, thank you for your service,
thank you for your commitment to this absolutely critical bilateral
relationship. It was no accident that President Obama came here so soon
in his first term to speak about our nonproliferation agenda, and that
our partnership is one that we are deeply committed to and we hope will
only continue to grow in strength and breadth.
What I want to do
now is come down and thank you personally for your dedication and for
all that you have accomplished, and to really express, on my behalf and
behalf of the State Department and the Administration, our gratitude.
Thank you all. (Applause.)
