Hillary Clinton had such a busy day in Japan on Sunday that last night I collected more than 100 pictures from her various events and then had to wait for the press releases to come through. Most intriguing was a short series of pictures from an historical trilateral meeting with the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Hina Rabbani Khar, and Afghanistan, Zalmai Rassoul. As you know, Hillary’s carefully worded apology to Pakistan this week finally permitted NATO land access once again at the border between the two countries – a border that had been closed to NATO forces since November of last year. What caught me about these pictures is her obvious delight in a trilateral agreement. For our top diplomat agreement is what it is all about. This particular agreement made history. What is amazing is that huge as this was, it was just one of many events in her busy day. Here are the pictures.
Here is their statement.
Joint Statement by U.S. Secretary of State Clinton, Afghanistan Foreign Minister Rassoul, and Pakistan Foreign Minister Khar at the First Ministerial-level Core Group Trilateral Meeting
Media Note
Office of the SpokespersonWashington, DCJuly 8, 2012
Capitalizing on the opportunity afforded by the Tokyo Conference – which represents the culmination of a period of intensive engagement between Afghanistan and the international community – we convened the first ministerial-level Core Group meeting today. We reaffirmed that the purpose of the Core Group is to enhance cooperation between Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the United States to support an Afghan peace and reconciliation process, and further affirmed that:
Afghanistan should be a peaceful, secure, stable, and prosperous nation living in a peaceful, secure, stable and prosperous region supported by enduring partnerships with the international community. Great effort and sacrifice by the people of Afghanistan, Pakistan, the United States and the international community has decimated al-Qaida’s core leadership in the region, reducing the threat to international peace and security that led the international community to intervene in Afghanistan in 2001. Afghanistan should never again be a safe-haven from which al-Qaida or other terrorist groups threaten international peace and security.
As agreed at Istanbul and Bonn in 2011, and reaffirmed at Chicago and Tokyo in 2012, the surest way to lasting peace and security for Afghanistan and the broader region is through an Afghan political process of peace and reconciliation for Afghanistan. This process should be supported by Afghanistan’s neighbors and by the international community.
After 30 years of war, all Afghans should be able to live together in peace. Only Afghans can determine how they live together, how the future of their country must be shaped, and how their country should relate to the region and beyond.
We are committed to work together to support an inclusive Afghan peace process through which individuals and groups break ties with international terrorism, renounce violence, and abide by Afghanistan’s constitution, including its protections for the rights of all Afghan women and men. As the international community reaffirmed at Bonn and again at Tokyo, these are the necessary outcomes of any negotiation.
Foreign Minister Rassoul welcomed Pakistan’s and the United States’ support for Afghan peace efforts, noting especially former Prime Minister Gilani’s February 2012 statement expressing Pakistan’s support for Afghan reconciliation and calling on the Afghan Taliban and related groups to participate in an intra-Afghan process for reconciliation and peace.
To build further momentum, we reaffirmed the importance of pursuing multiple channels and contacts with the armed opposition. Pakistan and Afghanistan committed to take full advantage of upcoming bilateral exchanges, including Pakistani Prime Minister Ashraf’s forthcoming visit to Kabul and High Peace Council Chairman Rabbani’s planned visit to Islamabad. These visits should determine and implement additional concrete steps to advance Afghan reconciliation. We also welcomed and encouraged additional progress on regional confidence-building through the Istanbul Process, since enhanced cooperation between Afghanistan and its neighbors on issues such as narcotics, refugees, and regional trade will help create an environment for long-term stability and prosperity.
We welcomed the broad international support for an Afghan peace process, reaffirmed here in Tokyo, and emphasized that the upcoming opening of the 67th session of the United Nations General Assembly provides additional opportunities to support and advance Afghan peace efforts.
We reiterate our call for the armed opposition to abandon violence and enter a dialogue with the Afghan government. We call on all parties to devote their energy to realizing this vision, respond in the same spirit, and commit to support an Afghan political process that will result in lasting peace, security, stability, and prosperity for Afghanistan and the region.
Still4Hill 
How lucky this country is to have her at the State Separtment. She will by far be one of the best Sec. of States in history. Just think of what she going to do if she runs again. She is so amazing.
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I agree, she’s amazing.
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Thanks so much for posting this! One of many bits of important information regarding Hillary’s actions that I would most likely have missed, if not for you!!
Thanks again!!
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My pleasure!
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Thanks still she’s quite amazing.
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Another example of “Hillary Handling” – OK, I admit, that’s not the best catch phrase ever, but there ought to be a phrase that reflects her manner of successfully dealing with problems between countries and/or other entities. She inspires such trust throughout the world, and is not afraid to meet any situation with honesty and hard work, bringing to the task her vast knowledge, incredible reasoning ability, sincere concern, confident – but humble style, amazing verbal skills, and a host of other qualities that just seem to be a natural part of who she is. There should be a verb especially for her.
Thanks for posting this, Still
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*Sigh* We’re going to miss her when she leaves. I can’t think of anyone else who could have effected this. Even Holbrooke – I bet torn between pride that she got this done and a tinge of envy. Here’s the rub – I am not hearing or seeing this being reported. It’s a huge victory for her, but then that’s why I blog – to fill in the gaps the media leaves open. At least WE know she did this.
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just saw this. titled, “the thrill of bill and hill.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/08/opinion/sunday/the-thrill-of-bill-hill.html?hp
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OMG! I watched Primary Colors twice today. I disagree with his conclusion though. What they have cannot be learned. Either you have it or you don’t. Bill & Hill do. Mitt & Barry don’t.
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Somehow, I missed the timing on Primary Colors. I just got on the USA Network’s web site, though, so I’ll get to see it again next Sunday. Yeesh. Me and waiting are not good. I’m going to have to watch PC more than once, I’m certain. As for the article… ummm… no kidding?? I have to say, though, that if I could be a fly on the wall……… Well, there’s too much to choose from!
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I can watch that in marathon. There’s always something I never picked up before. This time it was at Thanksgiving. Lucille takes Henry aside. She’s dressed in clearly expensive but mismatched black and white print blouse and red/black/white plaid blazer and says, “We’ve got to do something about Jack’s wardrobe.” LOL!!!!
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I think it’s partly his innate ability to connect with people paired with her very intense and pragmatic focus on the task or issue at hand – neither of them would be as successful without the other and maybe that’s why they’re still together – but I also think that some of it can be learned. I think one main thing that can be perfected by looking at the Clintons is the ability to live with your flaws. Obama has a problem with that and Romney simply can’t, thus they come off as chilly at best and wooden at worst. They and their campaigns are terrified of being caught in an unscripted moment. Bill and Hillary had plenty of unscripted, off the cuff moments – some were great (Bill Clinton’s answer to a woman’s question about the personal effect of the recession in 1992) and some were bad (three words – tea and cookies), but they were always better than the moments they tried to craft for media consumption (the dancing on the beach when the Lewinsky thing was gathering on the horizon, is just one example). The image of a rather chubby President Clinton in short shorts and jogging to the nearest Micky D’s was not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but it was honest and it was relatable. Our politicians, by and large, are so micro managed that it is impossible to get one of those honest moments out of them.
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…. and then I found this!
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/red/sfl-helen-goodman-expect-obamaclinton-drama-over-health-care-reform-20120705,0,95890.story
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i thought hillary did comment on the SC ruling.
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You posted her reply on the ruling S4H… hehe. The inner workings of your mind…… ;D
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Yes, she did, and I did post it. She said she hadn’t read it and couldn’t comment.
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The little cartoon on the side is cute.
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Me too.
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Meant I like it too. Can’t comment while running late for work. It all goes poorly.
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I saw it. It was a nice article.
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