Samuel Nunn: “I rise to support the nomination of Strobe Talbott to be Deputy Secretary of State. I have known and respected Mr.…”

“I rise to support the nomination of Strobe Talbott to be Deputy Secretary of State. I have known and respected Mr. Talbott for a number of years, and I am particularly pleased that President Clinton appointed him to be the overall coordinator for United States policy toward Russia and other countries of the former Soviet Union at a period of time when we really needed coordination and leadership. Of course, that challenge continues. He has done, I think, a fine job in that position. This was the position that Senator Lugar and I, and others in the Senate urged, and Strobe Talbott has brought to this position energy, imagination and extensive backgrounds in foreign policy generally and in Soviet affairs specifically--now Russian affairs--and, of course, now the former Soviet Union. He has performed with distinction, and we have been fortunate to have a person of Strobe's talents and experience in this key position. Among his many accomplishments over the past year, Mr. Talbott has advanced programs to dismantle weapons of mass destruction in Russia, Byelarus, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine pursuant to legislation originating in this body in 1991.”