The president’s comments also came up during comments by Madeline Albright and was explicit in her praise of Obama, who talked in Tallinn, Estonia, where he visited in Wales before the NATO summit.
“I was quite proud to listen to President Obama now in Estonia actually say how we needed to defend our allies, as well as our values, ,” she said.
Gen. Colin Powell spoke about the need to preserve relationships with nations even if they aren’t perfect allies, comments that could be pertinent to the United States’ present ties with Russia.
“We speak to friends and foes. Perfect allies work with opponents to ensure they don’t become foes. This is the work that is essential. This is the work that’s in the very best interest of the country,” Powell, who served under President George W. Bush, said.
Hillary Clinton, the latest forerunner to present Secretary John Kerry, spoke about diplomacy being “at the center of America’s direction,” but touched on her very own achievements at the State Department, including fostering Foggy Bottom’s social media IQ.
“By 2013 more than 2.6 million Twitter users followed 301 official preys in 11 languages. And our diplomats, especially our ambassadors but up and down the standings, were developing their very own Facebook pages as well as their particular Twitter reports,” Hillary said.
Despite HillaryClinton clear but understated an attempt to emphasize a private success at State, Clinton’s presidential aspirations went nearly entirely unremarked-upon, except for a sly reference by Kissinger.
Speaking about the exclusive club of former secretaries he belongs to, Kissinger said, “we will never do anything more ambitious in our lives” than serve in that function.
“I’d say all of us… except one,” he added.
