[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 4 (Tuesday, January 21, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E104]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      CONGRESSMAN BILL RICHARDSON: ON TO DIPLOMACY FOR HIS COUNTRY

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. GEORGE P. RADANOVICH

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 21, 1997

  Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, a recent event affecting this House 
leaves us with mixed emotions. We are losing one of our Members, but 
the service to which he is going is greatly important to our Nation.
  Congressman Bill Richardson has been nominated to be America's next 
Ambassador to the United Nations. In that role, he will serve in the 
President's Cabinet and be a principal in the guidance and 
implementation of our country's foreign policy.
  I salute President Clinton for his wise choice of Bill Richardson. We 
need someone with his firmness and no-nonsense approach to represent 
our interests at the United Nations.
  All of us are familiar with Bill Richardson's record as a hostage 
negotiator in troubled world areas. He showed on several occasions that 
he can identify critical issues and find the means of resolution.
  My familiarity with Bill Richardson comes not alone from being aware 
of his creative diplomatic strategies in North Korea, Iraq, and Sudan. 
I had the good fortune to serve with him on the Resources Committee and 
on its National Parks, Forests and Lands Subcommittee, where he was the 
ranking Democrat.
  Bill Richardson, as the President said, in announcing his intention 
to nominate him, also is one of our Nation's most prominent and proud 
Hispanic leaders. His example is one that reflects pride to that 
community and his heritage.
  In saluting our colleague as he embarks on a new set of challenges, I 
take pleasure in sharing with the House the following transition of an 
article that was published recently in the German newspaper, 
Handelsblatt. Written by diplomatic and political correspondent Viola 
Herms-Drath, this report makes plain the high hopes America's allies 
have for the role Bill Richardson will play.

                 [From the Handelsblatt, Dec. 17, 1996]

       Clinton's New U.N. Ambassador Seen as Unorthodox Diplomat

       With the appointment of the long-time Congressman from New 
     Mexico, Bill Richardson, as Washington's new U.N. Ambassador, 
     U.S. President Bill Clinton has achieved two successful 
     political moves. First, he has placed a politically correct 
     Hispanic on his team and, second, he has appointed a creative 
     diplomat with style and a great deal of tact. Clinton has no 
     doubts that Richardson will be able to represent U.S. 
     interests and ideals at the U.N. and in the world.
       Richardson first came to public notice through his exploits 
     in the political arena, especially because of his spontaneous 
     actions for the release of American citizens being held by 
     totalitarian countries, from North Korea to Bangladesh, Cuba 
     and Iraq. Just a week ago this son of a Mexican mother and an 
     American father was in the Sudan, negotiating an arrangement 
     for the release of two Red Cross pilots and an Australian 
     nurse. Richardson's extraordinary diplomatic mission began by 
     chance when he was participating in Pjonjang in the 
     discussion on nuclear disarmament. At the same time, a U.S. 
     helicopter was shot down over Korea. Richardson took it upon 
     himself to see to the release of the pilots.
       In 1993 this cosmopolitan liberal Democrat helped Clinton 
     with negotiations on the North American Free Trade Agreement 
     (NAFTA) and in efforts to achieve as balanced a budget as 
     possible. In opposition to the Senate Foreign Relations 
     Committee, he opposed the embargo on Havana after the Cubans 
     shot down two unarmed American planes and Clinton approved 
     the step for tactical reasons and extended it to other 
     countries, to the great irritation of his European trading 
     partners.
       This Democrat who is also popular with the Republicans now 
     has the task of explaining the U.N. operations to the Senate 
     committee which must confirm his appointment. Although the 
     U.S., as a founding member of the U.N., has always recognized 
     the principles of U.N., now Richardson must continually 
     preserve U.S. prerogatives. The Clinton Administration has 
     always, on the one hand, advocated strengthening the U.N. 
     through reform measures, but on the other hand, has certainly 
     made it clear that for its own economic and security 
     interests, it intends to rely on its own strengths and 
     alliances.
       In contrast to the rather aggressive behavior of his 
     predecessor, Madeleine Albright, who has now been elevated to 
     the position of Secretary of State, Richardson has shown 
     himself to be a flexible negotiator, a clever diplomat and a 
     reliable go-between.
     
                               ____________________