John Kerry Flubs Country’s Name, Creates ‘Kyrzakhstan’

John Kerry made his first flub as US Secretary of State when he created the new Middle Eastern nation of “Kyrzakhstan.”

Kerry meant to say Kyrgystan, a nation of 5.5 million people, but instead appeared to merge the key US ally with Kazakhstan.

Kerry’s first flub as Secretary of State took place last week when he gave a speech at the University of Virginia, reports MSN News.

The former vice president delivered his first major public address, which focused on investing in a strong foreign policy. He praised by the State Department and the US Agency for International Development for their work in the “most dangerous places on Earth.”

While the official transcript by the State Department claims Kerry said “Kyrgystan,” audio from the night’s event says otherwise.

The Washington Times notes that Kerry is not the first high-ranking US official to flub a country’s name and the Secretary of State’s gaffe will probably be short-lived.

Kerry intended to praise diplomats for their work in the country. He stated:

“They fight corruption in Nigeria. They support the rule of law in Burma. They support democratic institutions in Kyrzakhstan and Georgia, mindful from our own experience that it takes a long time to get democracy right and that it rarely happens right away.”

Kyrgystan has helped the US in the fight against terrorism. The small nation is not as wealth as its northern neighbor, Kazakhstan, which has a population of 16.5 million.

Along with his first flub as Secretary of State, John Kerry has also created a new Major League Baseball icon (Manny Ortiz) and gave the Green Bay Packers a new home (Lambert Field).

While it will not be the last time a high-ranking US official accidentally makes a gaffe, John Kerry’s first flub will likely put a small damper on his first weeks in office.

[Image via Wikimedia Commons]