The Final State of the Union
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Summary:
On the passing of former Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger, President Obama and Vice President Biden release statements.
On the passing of former Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger, President Obama and Vice President Biden released the following statements:
Statement by the President:
With the passing of former Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger, our nation has lost a distinguished diplomat and public servant. Through more than four decades of service, first in the Army and then as a dedicated foreign service officer and statesman, Lawrence Eagleburger devoted his life to the security of our nation and to strengthening our ties with allies and partners. As Deputy Secretary and then Secretary of State under President George H. W. Bush, he helped our nation navigate the pivotal days during the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War. Our nation is grateful for Secretary Eagleburger’s lifetime of service, and our thoughts and prayers are with his family, especially his three sons.
And a statement by the Vice President:
Jill and I were sorry to learn of the passing of Larry Eagleburger. I worked with Larry for over three decades, and considered him to be one of the finest Foreign Service Officers of his generation. I always appreciated his candor and straightforward manner. He served loyally under Secretaries from both parties, and ultimately rose to be Secretary himself, the first Foreign Service Officer ever to do so. His service as Deputy Secretary under James Baker came during a historic period in American diplomacy – the collapse of the Soviet Empire and the beginning of transitions to democracy across central Europe, the Gulf War, significant breakthroughs in arms control with the USSR and then with Russia, and the reunification of Germany. Through it all, Larry had a clear-eyed sense of the strategic moment and gave wise counsel to Secretary Baker and to Congress. The post-Cold War world, particularly Europe and Eurasia, is more stable and secure because of the dedicated service of Larry Eagleburger.
