Hillary Clinton Sets Travel Record, Visits 100 Countries As Secretary Of State
When she lost the Presidential election to Barack Obama in 2008 Hillary Clinton told her staffers that “not in a million years” would she consider the Secretary of State job, now three-and-a-half years later she has become the most traveled Secretary of State in US history.
Clinton this week visited Latvia, her 100th nation while serving in her international role. Clinton has now visited 4 more countries than her husbands former secretary of state Madeleine Albright who from 1997 to 2001 traveled to 96 countries.
In comparison Condoleezza Rice visited 85 countries in four years while working for former President George W. Bush.
Clinton embraced her new role very early on, visiting Asia less than a month after President Obama because the POTUS. During her first year as the Secretary of State Hillary Clinton managed to visit 42 countries.
In some cases Clinton traveled to various countries to receive rewards or give a speech, however she always plans time to meet with world leaders to ensure the trips are as productive as possible. Clinton also meets with political opposition, members of U.S. embassy’s and local journalists.
With at least six months left on the job it is likely that Hilary Clinton will visit at least a few more new countries before returning to the United States and hitting the campaign trail in support of President Obama’s re-election campaign.
It is fitting that Hillary Clinton’s record-breaking 100th International trip occurred in Latvia, a country that has not been visited by a U.S. Secretary of State in more than 20 years.
