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Clinton Offers Foreign Policy Suggestions to Successor
President Bill Clinton on Friday offered his some ideas on U.S. foreign policy to his successor before leaving his post six week later, saying the United States should remain actively engaged with the rest of the world.
In a speech to a crowd of about 6,000 people at the University of Nebraska, Kearney, Nebraska, Clinton said he came to the heartland of America to "persuade hard-working citizens ... that you should be concerned about what goes on beyond our nation's borders."
"There is no longer a clear, bright line dividing America's domestic concerns and America's foreign policy concerns," he said.
The Republican-controlled Nebraska was the last of U.S. 50 states that Clinton has visited, and his speech is one in a series that Clinton plans to make before he steps down on January 20 in an effort to burnish his legacy before handing over to the new president.
Clinton laid out five foreign policy suggestions to the incoming president:
-- Continue efforts to stabilize Europe and Asia;
-- Build positive relations with Russia and China;
-- Fight global terrorism and take on new challenges;
-- Expand trade with other nations and;
-- Prevent local conflicts before it escalates into an international problem.
The White House billed the speech as a precursor to Clinton's three-day visit to Ireland, Northern Ireland and England, starting on Monday.
After his speech, Clinton made a 10-minute phone call to Russian President Vladimir Putin to urge the release of American businessman Edmond Pope, who was convicted of espionage this week and will be jailed for 20 years.
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