At a memorial service in the US capital, Washington, senior and former government officials bid farewell to former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. At the ceremony at the National Cathedral on Wednesday, US President Joe Biden acknowledged Albright as a “force of nature” who has always stood up for freedom and the people. “Her her name is still synonymous with America as a force for good in the world,” he said.
The Democrat died in late March, aged 84. She was the first woman in US history to serve as Secretary of State in Washington.
Biden said Albright has been a role model for women and a mentor to generations of foreign policy experts. “Madeleine never minced her words and wasted no time when she saw that something needed fixing or someone needed help,” he said. “No matter where she was, she understood people.” She took care of others. Biden also emphasized, “She never forgot where she came from and who she was.”
Albright succumbed to cancer in March surrounded by family and friends. She had a steep political career behind her. In 1993, under then US President Bill Clinton, Albright became US Ambassador to the United Nations in New York. Later, in 1997, she became the first woman to head the State Department in Washington. The Democrat, originally from Eastern Europe, whose family had previously immigrated to the United States as refugees, became a leading voice in US foreign policy in the 20th century.
Hundreds of high-ranking guests gathered for the funeral in Washington. In addition to Biden, they included several members of his cabinet and administration, as well as former U.S. Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and other former federal ministers, members of Congress, and officials. of the government abroad.