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Hillary Clinton bids farewell as secretary of state
Hillary Clinton formally stepped down as US secretary of state on Friday with a letter to President Barack Obama and an emotional farewell address to the department she has run for four years.
Hillary Clinton formally stepped down as US secretary of state on Friday with a letter to President Barack Obama and an emotional farewell address to the department she has run for four years.
"I leave thinking of the nearly 70,000 people that I was honored to serve and lead as part of a huge extended family. And I hope that you will continue to make yourselves, make me, and make our country proud," the 65-year-old former first lady said.
A day after resigning from the Senate, John Kerry was sworn-in as Clinton's successor in a private ceremony late Friday.
"So it's been quite a challenging week saying goodbye to so many people and knowing that I will not have the opportunity to continue being part of this amazing team," Clinton told state department staff.
Her tenure ended on a turbulent note, as two people died in a suicide bombing outside the US Embassy in Turkey.
Clinton has said that she plans to write a memoir and remain active in efforts to expand the role of women in politics.
