Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton Taped Video Remarks for the 25th Anniversary of CBYX

I am delighted to send greetings to each of you on the 25th anniversary of the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange program. This program is a testament to our relationship with Germany, and our mutual commitment to public diplomacy. I especially am pleased to thank my good friend and long-time Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange patron, Senator Richard Lugar. Senator Lugar has done so much for our country and for the world, and his support of, and commitment to this program deserves appreciation on both sides of the Atlantic.

This youth exchange program was established, in part, to recognize three hundred years of German settlement in the United States, and to celebrate that special bond between Germans and Americans. Through renewed funding each year, this program has provided full scholarships for an academic year experience in the host country. And, for 25 years, nearly 20,000 Germans and Americans have had the chance to experience the first-hand benefits of this cultural and educational exchange. The CBYX has been so successful that we chose it as a model for other youth exchange programs.

We believe exchanges are an important tool of U.S. diplomacy. Few other experiences can substitute for seeing another country first-hand, learning more about its culture, meeting people face-to-face. During your time overseas, you will be an ambassador for your country, and you will return home with a unique perspective on our world. I hope the new horizons you experience will enlighten and enrich your lives, enhance your capacity to serve as global citizens in the future, and advance the already strong bond between our countries.

Good luck to all of you during your exchange and thank you for the leadership and commitment you have shown to improving our world now and for generations to come.

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