For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
January 26, 2001
Remarks by the President and Secretary of State Colin Powell at Swearing-In Ceremony
The Oval Office
10:53 A.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all for coming. It is a great
privilege for
all of us to be here for the swearing-in of our new Secretary of
State.
It's also a great privilege to be here with Alma, the true strength of
the
Powell family.
As I said in my inaugural address, America remains involved in the
world, by history and by choice, shaping a balance of power that favors
freedom. To achieve this goal, we need a foreign policy that
serves
America's vital interests and speaks for our highest ideals; a foreign
policy that is clear and consistent and confident, true to our values,
and
true to our friends.
To lead this effort at this unique moment in history, I picked a
unique leader. Many times over the past four decades, America has
called
on Colin Powell, and each time he has answered the call. When his
country
called him to serve as a foot soldier, Colin Powell answered the call.
When his country needed him to help defeat a tyrant brutalizing his
neighbors and destabilizing a vital region of the world, he answered
the
call. When America needed him to serve the high purpose of
building the
character of our young and to promote volunteerism, he answered the
call.
Today, America calls on Colin Powell again. He is a leader who
understands that America must work closely with our friends in times of
calm if we want to be able to call upon them in times of crisis.
He
understands that our nation is at its best when we project our strength
and
purpose with humility. He understands that if we do not set our
own
agenda, it will be set by others, by adversaries abroad, or by the
crisis
of the day.
I know of no better person to be the face and voice of America
diplomacy than Colin Powell. His dignity and integrity will add
to the
strength and authority of America around the world.
Congratulations, Mr. Secretary.
SECRETARY POWELL: Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you very
much.
Mr. President and Mr. Vice President, I once again thank you for the
honor of my service once again to the nation, in this case as the 65th
Secretary of State of the United States of America. I'm deeply
touched by
the confidence you have placed in me, and I promise that I will do my
very
best to carry your message of freedom throughout the world, to commit
the
men and women of the State Department to that message so that we can
show
by our value system, by what we believe in, what the world can be for
all
those in the world who still suffer from oppression, who are still
suffering from totalitarian regimes.
I think we have enormous opportunities ahead of us. There will
also
be challenges and there will also be dangers. But I look forward
to
playing my part, Mr. President, as you structure the foreign policy of
the
American people and take that foreign policy to the world -- a world
that I
think is on a new road to democracy, to freedom, and to allowing every
man
and woman in the world to pursue their individual destinies, if given
the
chance at freedom and democracy.
And, Mr. President, Mr. Vice President, I promise that I will give you
everything I have in this new job I assume. Thank you, sir.
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, sir.
Q Mr. President, Secretary Powell, how soon do you see
beginning a
dialogue with Russian President Vladimir Putin?
SECRETARY POWELL: In due time.
END 10:58 A.M. EST
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