Washington, Jan 07: US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton on Wednesday praised Raj Shah, the highest ranking Indian-American in any presidential administration, who heads a US agency for international development described as a tool of "smart diplomacy" by Obama administration.
As head of the United States Agency for International Development, Shah would be responsible for US` civilian foreign assistance, which the Obama administration has identified as a key tool of its "smart diplomacy" and enhance its image to the outside world.
"He brings vision and passion, commitment and experience to this critical position. He will be, as he has been, at the table as we make decisions about development, and I look forward to a very close working partnership," Hillary said.
Shah was confirmed by the US Senate last month and is scheduled to be sworn in by Hillary in his new position at the Foggy Bottom headquarters of the State Department today.
"It has been a long wait to find the right person, but Raj was worth the months that we spent thinking about how best to build and strengthen USAID," Hillary said addressing a
Washington-based think tank.
Earlier in a teleconference with reporters, Shah said development and diplomacy in particular can be force multipliers when done in a more strategically coherent way.
As he leads Obama administration’s civilian foreign assistance programme to a new level, Shah said: "Our challenge will be, in countries and in places where we work, really focusing on scale and trans formative impact, and recognising that if we try to do everything everywhere."
“We`ll likely be unable to have the kind of lasting impact that you can have when you focus our resources and focus our strategic thinking and approach a smaller set of challenges but in a more comprehensive and strategically significant way."
PTI
