Interview with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

Below is the transcript of the interview:

Q: You met the PM (Abhisit Vejjajiva) yesterday?

A: I did.

Q: How did his British accent strike you?

A: Well, we had a very good discussion. It was broad-ranging and quite constructive. I started it of course by thanking Thailand which has been such a strong and very positive ally of us going back to 176 years. And then we talked about both what we are doing together-fighting HIV/AIDS, our military relationship, our fight against human trafficking- something I care deeply about; and then the regional work, particularly in light of the ASEAN meeting.

Q: When you mention Thailand in Washington these days, what is the image of Thailand? Is it a positive or a negative image?

A: I think that our relationship and our close partnership over the years give us a broad understanding of Thailand. So it is both a land of smiles and a place of vibrant democracy that perhaps sometimes its politics is as spicy as its food. We know that this would be an issue that people of Thailand have to work out by themselves. But we have great confidence in the vibrancy of your democracy and stability of your country.

Q: Is there a specific reason why you picked green (suit)?

A: Actually I consider this turquoise. Is that wrong? Well, it's funny because I know there are certain colors that I should not wear.

Q: You have been told that?

A: I have been told that. But that's alright because some of the colors don't look very good on me anyway. So I'm safe.

Q: For your trip to Asia and ASEAN, what's your key message to ASEAN because your predecessor Condoleeza Rice never gave much importance to this region?

A: The key message is that President Obama and I are giving great importance to this region. We not only have long-time friends and allies like Thailand, but we believe that the entire region holds such promise and potential. And that's one of the reasons why I came to Asia for my very first trip and why I'm back within six months to come to Thailand and to go to ASEAN in Phuket because we want a closer relationship not only country-to-country but regionally. There are a lot issues that US and Thailand can solve on their own. We have to deal with everything from pandemic disease to piracy and we've got to have a really good alliance of people who are willing to cooperate. I believe strongly that the United States has to be involved in this region. We have to work together to solve problems. We have to demonstrate our commitment and leadership. And that's the message that I want to send.

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