Events 2007

Secretary Rice speaks to the Council on Foreign Relations at the Organization of American States, Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2007, in Washington. [© AP Images]

Secretary Rice at the Organization of American States

October 10, 2007

"We in the United States have always thought of ourselves as one part of a larger Pan-American Community. Here, in the seat of our hemispheric unity, the statue of our own George Washington stands proudly beside those of fellow liberators of the Americas -- Juarez, Marti, Bolivar and many others. The United States has always believed that our success is linked to the success of our neighbors, and at our best we have supported Latin American independence, the Good Neighbor Policy, the Alliance for Progress and we have worked to build a thriving Pan-American Community …

… In a way, the situation in our region today recalls that of Western Europe in the last century, a time when old ideological conflicts had given way to growing agreement in support of political and economic liberty, a time when democracies were struggling to fight poverty and create lasting development. And most importantly, a time when we in the United States expanded our security, diplomatic, and development assistance, opened our markets and made a strategic, bipartisan, and sustained commitment to the success of our allies.”

To read the complete speech, please click here.