Events 2009
“Hope for the Best, but Plan for the Worst”
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton with His Excellency Karel Schwarzenberg, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic in the Treaty Room at the State Department State Dept Photo by Michael Gross.
February 12, 2009
In a press conference with Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton thanked the Czech Republic for its robust role in NATO’s Afghanistan mission while reaffirming the U.S. government’s commitment to the security of the U.S. and its allies.
Speaking about the proposed missile-defense system in the Czech Republic and Poland, Secretary Clinton noted that numerous considerations, predominantly technical, were part of the ongoing missile-defense dialogue.
In a reference to Iran, Secretary Clinton noted that a willingness on the Iranian government’s part to abandon its pursuit of nuclear weapons would also be factored into the equation.
While sounding a hopeful note about dialogue with Iran’s government, Secretary Clinton recognized that defensive measures were also important. “Our slogan can be ‘hope for the best, but plan for the worst,’ she concluded, “I think that's a realistic approach.”
