Dec 13 (Reuters) - Richard Holbrooke, the veteran U.S. diplomat who negotiated the 1995 accord that ended the Balkans war and was U.S. President Barack Obama's special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, died on Monday at age 69. [ID:nN13220916]
Colleagues and friends remembered Holbrooke as a giant of American foreign policy. Here are some of their statements.
U.S. President Barack Obama:
"Tonight, there are millions of people around the world whose lives have been saved and enriched by his work. As I said earlier this evening, the United States is safer and the world is more secure because of the half century of patriotic service of Ambassador Richard Holbrooke."
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton:
"Richard Holbrooke served the country he loved for nearly half a century, representing the United States in far-flung war-zones and high-level peace talks, always with distinctive brilliance and unmatched determination. He was one of a kind -- a true statesman."
Senator John Kerry, Chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee:
"We loved his energy, we loved his resolve -- that's who Richard was, and he died giving everything he had to one last difficult mission for the country he loved. It is almost a bittersweet bookend that a career of public diplomacy that began trying to save a war gone wrong, now ends with a valiant effort to keep another war from going wrong."
Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Senior Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee:
"Richard Holbrooke has been a dynamic force in American diplomacy ... His stellar service is deeply appreciated and held in the highest esteem."
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair:
"He was a remarkable man, a remarkable public servant and someone who contributed enormously to the cause of a more peaceful and just world. He will be deeply mourned by many people in many different nations." (Reporting by JoAnne Allen; editing by Jackie Frank)
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