Secretary Clinton focuses on U.S.-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue

On Wednesday, March 24th, Secretary Clinton had a full day of events focusing on Strategic Dialogue between the U.S. and Pakistan.

At 8:00 a.m. Secretary Clinton hosted the Opening Session of the U.S.-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue, followed by a bilateral Meeting with Pakistani Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi, at the Department of State.

The State Department sent out a release confirming the United States and Pakistan goal to broaden and deepen their comprehensive cooperation and to further fortify the friendship between the two peoples.

They announced that a Policy Steering Group was established to intensify and expand the sectoral dialogue process in the fields of: economy and trade; energy; defense; security, strategic stability and non-proliferation; law enforcement and counter-terrorism; science and technology; education; agriculture; water; health; and communications and public diplomacy. Sectoral meetings will be held in Islamabad soon.

Both sides exchanged views on the status of bilateral cooperation and decided to continually provide strategic guidance for strengthening U.S.-Pakistan partnership in the 21st Century for realizing the aspirations of their people. And they reiterated that the core foundations of this partnership are shared democratic values, mutual trust and mutual respect.

Watch the video of the opening session of the U.S.-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue below:

After the bilateral meeting, during their press briefing, Qureshi expressed his joy with the process so far, saying he was a "satified man."

Madam Secretary, thank you. Today, I am a happy man and a satisfied man. I’m satisfied because you’ve finally agreed to many of the things that we’ve been sharing over our discussions in the last two years.

I suggested to Madam Secretary that if you want this relationship to become a partnership, you’ve got to think differently, you’ve got to act differently, and you’ve got to upgrade the level of our engagement. And she agreed, and thank you for that. I suggested to her a new format of our engagement when she was in Islamabad and Ambassador Holbrooke was there – a three-tiered structure of engagement, ministerial level, policy steering group to meet biannually to follow through, and then to expand the sectoral track.

The two also got a little giggly during the briefing. See gigglefest photos below:

Read their full remarks her or watch below: Later in the afternoon, Secretary Clinton attended a reception for the U.S.-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue. View the video of that below:

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Hillary Clinton Congratulates President Obama on Healthcare with a Hug

This is an official photo from the White House Flickr Photostream. I love it! You can clearly see the joy in Hill's face. This shot was snapped yesterday during their meeting at the White House.

Last week, President Bill Clinton said after a meeting with Senate Democrats on Tuesday that after health care passes "Maybe Hillary will be the happiest person in America. I'll be the second happiest person. Even more than President Obama, even more than Rahm, even more than all the people that have been laboring over this forever."

And while we are on the topic.... Here is a video of President Bill Clinton talking about healthcare reform while in Haiti:

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Hillary and David Hit it Off in Brussels

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived at NATO headquarters ahead of a NATO foreign ministers meeting in Brussels on Friday, December 4th. The goal of this meeting is for the U.S. and its allies to prevail in their bid to stabilize Afghanistan.

Some two dozen countries will send an estimated 7,000 more troops to Afghanistan next year, the chief of NATO said Friday as Secretary Clinton told her allied counterparts that an infusion of forces is crucial to turning the tide in the long war.

After the NATO meeting, Secretary Clinton spoke to reporters on NATO troop deployment at NATO Headquarters.Read her full remarks here or watch below:

But for some of us, what has been grabbing headlines is the flirt fest between Hillary and David Miliband. Now, we al remember from Hillary's interview in Vogue Magazine, when she confessed her love for David. Don't remember? Okay, okay, I may be exagerating... she did profess a little crush. Here's the clip from Vogue:

... When I mentioned to [Hillary] over lunch that I had spoken with [David], she lit up. "Oh, my God!" I joked that I got a crush over the phone in about five seconds partly because of his accent, and she said, "Well, if you saw him it would be a big crush. I mean, he is so vibrant, vital, attractive, smart. He's really a good guy. And he's so young!"

Miliband had nice things to say about her, too: "She applies intellect but also psychology to the dossiers that she's studying. She uses her experience in a very impressive way. She brings it to bear in a way that enriches a conversation but doesn't swamp it. She learns from history without being trapped by it. I think it's also important to say that she's delightful to deal with one on one. She's someone who laughs and can tease, and she's got perspective as well."

Well, over at the NATO meeting this Friday it was easy to see how special their transatlantic relationship really is. Reports have been just gushing over the two of them saying they "looked like a couple of overexcited teenagers... There was shoulder rubbing, lots of eye contact and laughing, and at one stage Mrs Clinton seemed to be reaching down to give her neighbour a back massage."

Ohhh la la... I'll just let the photos speak for themselves.

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BREAKING: Candid photo of BIll and Hillary in Bermuda!

How cute is this?

They may not have stayed long in Bermuda, due to Hurricane Bill, but at least they got one day of relaxation! We can all thank the paparazzi for this lovely pic. Read entire post

Video: Hillary Clinton busts a move in Kenya

After a long day of meeting and events, Secretary Clinton got a little frisky at the AGOA Gala Dinner in Nairobi, Kenya. The dinner party was at the Carnivore restaurant in Nairobi that was graced by trade ministers from Africa attending the AGOA meeting. This video below shows the "lighter side" of Hillary's Africa trip, INCLUDING VIDEO OF HER DANCING, as well as an African man that is obsessed with Chelsea Clinton. Interesting stuff.

During the party, Hillary was also given an African "khanga", printed with pictures of U.S. President Barack Obama. Hmmm... wonder if she is gonna snuggle up with that at night!

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BREAKING PHOTOS: Hillary Clinton in her cast!

These photos were on the White House flickr photo stream, of hillary Clinton meeting with President Obama on June 22. Let the comments about the glasses, cast and awesome blue coat flow... Read entire post

Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton hold meeting at White House Swing Set

Ok maybe they weren't swinging but they were hanging in the playground and sat down at the kids picnic table for a little impromptu meeting. How AWESOME is this?!

Reports are saying that it was such a gorgeous spring day in the nation's capital, with blue skies, plenty of sunshine and 60-degree temperatures, that President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton decided to move their weekly Thursday meetings in the Oval Office to the outdoors.

Members of the press corps returning from an event on the South grounds of the White House unexpectedly surprised President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during a "private" walk.

They emerged from the Oval Office and strolled down the path to the Obama's swing set and picnic table on the lawn just outside.

Obama and Clinton were chatting alone, trailed only by the White House photographer, when the president spotted approximately 20 journalists who had stopped in their tracks about 30 yards away.

The president smiled and waved. But the smile went away when the journalists took out cameras and started shooting. As the president waved off them off, nervous press staff tried to round up the media as quickly as possible.

However, the press stayed long enough to witness what looked like a "picnic table" strategy session of sorts between Obama and Clinton.

It took about ten minutes for the Secret Service and press office staff to figure out how to get the journalists off the grounds without again interrupting the president. Obama and Clinton were still sitting at the picnic table, deep in conversation, when the reporters finally left the scene. Read entire post