Video: Hillary Clinton Greets New Foreign Secretary of Mexico Jose Antonio Meade

For four years we have watched her in bilaterals, ministerials, summits, and conferences with her former Mexican counterpart Patricia Espinosa.  Here they were on Mme. Secretary's first trip to Mexico as Secretary of State in March 2009.



Today, on her penultimate day at the State Department, she welcomed Patricia's successor.  As of Friday, the ladies will both have turned the reins of State and the secretariat over to the gents.  Here she was today with Mexico's new Foreign Secretary,  Jose Antonio Meade.

Remarks With Mexican Foreign Secretary Jose Antonio Meade Before Their Meeting

Remarks

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State

The Treaty Room

Washington, DC

January 30, 2013

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SECRETARY CLINTON: It is such a treat for me to welcome the new Foreign Secretary of Mexico. Secretary Meade is no stranger to Washington having served previously as finance minister and been very active on many issues that are of mutual concern to our two countries. But this is my last official bilateral meeting, and I cannot even imagine a better opportunity than to meet with you and to have a chance to discuss some of the issues that will be worked on and carried on by my successor and by you.
FOREIGN SECRETARY MEADES: Thank you. It’s a great pleasure for me to meet you here. Basically we’re wanting in this meeting to convey all the gratitude that we have for all the good things that Secretary Clinton has constructed for Mexico for the relationship. It’s a good time to take stock, it’s a good time to look where we are and what we can construct with her successor. But we basically wanted to thank her for what she has done for Mexico. She is very important and well loved, and I am sure that that will continue to be the case with her successor.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you so much, Secretary Meade. Thank you all. Thank you.