BASSETERRE, St Kitts, March 24, 2022 — Former St Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister the Right Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas has paid tribute to former United States Secretary of State Madeleine Albright who passed away on Wednesday at the age of 84. “I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Madeleine Albright. She was a pioneering leader in the USA public service. As the first woman to ever become Secretary of State under President Bill Clinton, she also received the 2012 Presidential Medal of Freedom for her outstanding exploits as a renowned diplomat,” said Dr Douglas, who met with Albright on many occasions.
Dr. Douglas, who served as Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of St Kitts and Nevis, was among Caribbean leaders who met with US President Bill Clinton and Secretary Albright at the CARICOM-US Summit in Barbados in May 1998, at which the “Partnership for Prosperity and Security in the Caribbean” was signed. “Madam Secretary yielded a powerful influence across several decades. She helped to shape US Foreign Policy using soft power and military force. She will be forever remembered for the distinguished role she played as a formidable defender of human rights. She promoted democracy, pushed post-Cold War alliances in support of nuclear disarmament, and peered through a pragmatic multicultural lens to engage the global community,” Dr Douglas said. “Madeleine will be greatly missed by her friends and families, and all those public servants whose lives she touched and whom she mentored. May her soul rest in peace and rise in celestial glory.”