SECRETARY BLINKEN: Morning, everyone. Good to see you all.
QUESTION: Hi.
QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, can you comment on President Biden's decision not to seek a second term? And do you see Vice President Harris as an able replacement for the President?
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Well, first let me say it has been and it remains the honor and privilege of my lifetime to work with President Biden. I've been working for him now for more than 22 years. And to step back for a second and think about what he inherited when he took office - maybe the worst health crisis in at least a hundred years in this country, the worst economic crisis going back to the Great Recession, the worst democratic crisis in as long as I can think. And we had countries around the world looking at all of this and circling like sharks to see if they could take advantage of the perceived weakness of the United States. And what he did, what he's done, what he continues to do over these three and a half years and going forward for the remainder of his term, has been to turn all of that around in a powerful way.
The investments that we've made here at home in our future, in our competitiveness - whether it's through the infrastructure bill, whether it's through the CHIPS and Science Act, whether it's through the Inflation Reduction Act - countries around the world see that we're serious about investing in ourselves and competing strongly. Adversaries who thought that we couldn't get our act together at home - he's demonstrated exactly the contrary to that.
And then, of course, the rebound that we've had under his leadership - from COVID, from the economic crisis - has been extraordinary. When you look at how our economy is performing compared to other major economies, other major democratic economies, we're leading the way, whether it's in getting inflation down, making sure that employment is up. We have the lowest unemployment in 60 years in this country. One of the great measures I see is we've had historic years now of foreign direct investment in the United States. That is one of the greatest gauges of credibility for our country that - which you can find.
And then from my perspective on the instructions the President gave me from day one - rebuilding, re-energizing, re-imagining all of our alliances and partnerships - our standing around the world is infinitely stronger than it was when he took office.
In speaking with him the other day after he made his decision about not seeking re-election, what he's intensely focused on is the work that remains over these next six months to continue the efforts, the work that we've been doing, particularly trying to bring peace to the Middle East, ending the war in Gaza, putting that region on a better trajectory; continuing to deal as effectively as he has been with the ongoing aggression by Russia against Ukraine and making sure we continue to do everything we can to strengthen Ukraine; our engagement throughout the Indo-Pacific, where we have been building relationships and partnerships that are stronger than they've ever been, whether it's with our allies - Japan, Korea, Australia, or New Zealand - whether it's with countries like the Philippines and India, or whether it's with emerging countries like Vietnam or Indonesia - in so many ways across the board, we are now stronger around the world than we've been.
So he's determined to continue that work, and I'm determined to continue it with him.
QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, what do —
QUESTION: Now —
SECRETARY BLINKEN: I'm sorry, you asked about the Vice President.
QUESTION: Vice President Harris.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Look, I don't - as you all know, I don't engage in politics. What I can tell you is this: I've known the Vice President for more than a decade. These last three and a half years, I've been able to observe her very closely in the Situation Room, in the Oval Office, around the world as a leading voice for American foreign policy and for our diplomacy. We've been together at the Munich Security Conference for the last three years. I've seen her command the room full of world leaders from not only across Europe but across the world. I think she's made four trips to the Indo-Pacific, helping to lead our diplomacy there; deeply engaged in the Middle East, in trying to find a peaceful path forward; helping to drive investment in countries in our own hemisphere so that people have opportunity in the countries that they come from so that they don't have to make a hazardous journey to the United States seeking a better life, because they can get in their own country - in each and every one of these areas, she's been a leading voice in our administration.
And what I've observed is someone who asks time and again penetrating questions, who cuts to the chase and is intensely focused on the interests of the American people and making sure that our foreign policy is doing everything it can to advance those interests. And I've - it's really been a privilege for me to see that up close these last three and a half years.
QUESTION: Mr. Secretary - foreign policy is not Vice President Harris's forte, so has she been sort of learning on the job, basically? You described her approach. Tell us a little more about that (inaudible).
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Oh, I would say in my experience it very much is her forte, because, as I said, I've seen her not only around the world but I've seen her on the most critical foreign policy questions of our time in the Situation Room at the White House, in the Oval Office with the President, and my observation is she's very strong, very effected - effective and deeply respected voice for our country around the world. When she speaks, she speaks on behalf of the United States, and what I've observed in meetings that we've had with world leaders - I mentioned, again, Munich Security Forum, where she really commands the room these past three years. Just a couple months ago, she of course represented the United States at the Ukraine Peace Conference that was being held in Switzerland.
So time and again I've seen her leadership in every - really every corner of the world - Africa, where she's led major investment initiatives to strengthen our relationships and partnerships. So no, what I've seen is someone who is already deeply experienced and very, very effective around the world.
Okay, thanks, everyone. Thank you.
