Outgoing U.S. Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, bid
farewell to officials of State Department on Friday and urged them not to lose
sight of their personal integrity.
Tillerson, whose sack was announced on March 13 by
President Donald Trump, few hours after ending a five-nation tour of Africa,
would step down and handover to his successor, Mike Pompeo on March 31.
He said “I truly appreciate the opportunity to bid you
a proper farewell. First, I must thank each and every one of you for the role
you played in enabling the State Department to lead our foreign policy efforts
and conduct steady diplomacy.”
Taking a swipe at Washington, Tillerson said “this can
be a very mean-spirited town. But you don’t have to choose to participate in
that.
“Each of us get to choose the person we want to be and
the way we want to be treated and the way we will treat others.”
He said the U.S. faced many challenges in some
instances, perplexing foreign affairs relationships and in other instances
serious national security threats.
“In these times, your continued diligence and devotion
to State Department’s mission has never been more necessary.
“As you go about your duties, each of you carrying out
your individual responsibilities and
collective duties, it is my hope that you will be
guided by and test your actions each day against the values that we have spoken
about over this past year.
“First, to value the safety and security of
yourselves, your loved ones, and your colleagues; second, to maintain
commitment to accountability by first holding yourselves accountable.
“This is so that you’re able to hold others
accountable, and that the positive environment of accountability is underpinned
by honesty and integrity in all that you do. “Never lose sight of your most
valuable asset, the most valuable asset you possess: your personal integrity.
You were born with it.
“It belongs to you, and always has and will belong to
you and you alone. Only you can relinquish it or allow it to be compromised.
“Once you’ve done so, it is very, very hard to regain
it. So guard it as the most precious thing you possess.”
Deputy Secretary John Sullivan, earlier at an event on
U.S. humanitarian assistance, stressed that Tillerson would “remain as
Secretary of State through the end of the month, but he’s departing the
building today.”
He said Tillerson’s work for the U.S., leading the
department, his voice for peace, and for humanitarian assistance had been an
inspiration.
Tillerson bids farewell to U.S. State Department
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Friday, March 23, 2018
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