Secretary Clinton is in Kosovo today, and many people there love the Clintons. In the capital, Pristina, Clinton visited an 11-foot statue of her husband Bill, who as U.S. president backed the 1999 NATO air campaign that stopped a crackdown by Serbian forces on Kosovo's ethnically Albanian majority. When he attended the unveiling of the statue last year, he was greeted with a giant cake bearing his portrait. And, both Hillary and Bill have been lauded on billboards in Pristina.

Update, 5:09 p.m.: At a "townterview" today, Clinton said the statue's bronze hair reminds her of how Bill Clinton looked when she first met him, back in the 1970s:

I have to say it's quite a statue. And my husband -- it still looks like he has bronze-colored hair, which I like. Because when I met him -- you know we've been married as of Monday 35 years -- so when I met him when we were in law school, he had very brownish, reddish hair. And the statue reminds me of that, so of course I like the statue. Nobody should paint it white. Don't paint it white. Keep it that color.

Secretary Clinton flew into Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, yesterday, and today she has a many meetings in both that city and in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. In the photo below, she meets with Serbian President Boris Tadic to discuss the beginning of EU-sponsored talks between Serbia and Kosovo, which broke away from Serbia in 2008. (And for a bit more on what's been happening in Serbia lately, read the recent FP article "Battle in Belgrade," about this past Sunday's anti-gay rioting in the capital.)

The overall purpose of Clinton's visit to the Balkans, according to an Oct. 8 briefing by Assistant Secretary to State Philip Gordan, is to "underscore the continued commitment of the United States to supporting all the Balkan states as they build prosperous, peaceful, and democratic societies and move to take their rightful places as full members of the European and Euro-Atlantic community."

Tomorrow, Clinton will be in Kosovo, which based on the welcome billboard above, eagerly awaits America's top diplomat. (Kosovo also loves Bill Clinton, who as U.S. president backed the NATO air campaign that drove Serbian forces out of Kosovo in 1999. When he visited the Kosovar capital, Pristina, for the unveiling of a larger-than-life statue of himself last year, he was welcomed with a giant cake. And, he's already had his own billboard in Pristina.)

In Kosovo, Secretary Clinton will meet with the acting president, the prime minister, and the foreign minister. She'll also visit Gracanica, a Serb-majority municipality, and meet with community leaders there. Once she returns to Pristina, she will meet with leaders of women's groups as well as other civil society leaders.

Finally, on Thursday the 14th, Clinton will leave the Balkans and head to Brussels, where she'll meet with various EU officials and join U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates for a NATO ministerial meeting between the foreign and defense ministers of the various NATO countries. At the meeting, the ministers will discuss progress in the war in Afghanistan. On the evening of the 14th, Clinton will fly out of Europe and head back over the Atlantic to Washington.

In honor of the 19th anniversary of Ukraine's independence from the Soviet Union on Aug. 24, 1991, Secretary Clinton offers the following message to the people of Ukraine:

Congratulations, and happy Independence Day to all Ukrainians. This August 24th, you celebrate 19 years of independence for Ukraine, and you honor the democratic values that not only Ukrainians, but also Americans, share.

I had the privilege of visiting Ukraine in July. I met with your President, Foreign Minister, university students, so many others eager to share their ideas and talents with your country. It is a testament to the determination, persistence, and spirit of the Ukrainian people that your country has made such remarkable progress in a short time. The United States is proud to be your partner. We know you will continue working with the same energy and diligence to protect and strengthen your democratic institutions, advance civil society, promote transparent markets to lay the basis for a future of stability and prosperity.

In the coming year, our Strategic Partnership will enhance cooperation between our countries across a broad range of issues were we are already working -- trade, investment, economic growth, energy cooperation, political dialogue, the rule of law, regional security, and territorial integrity. We will also explore ways to expand our people-to-people exchanges.

The United States has stood by Ukraine and the people of Ukraine since Independence, and we will continue to support you as you work to achieve the full benefits of democracy and all of the blessings that go with it. 

Here's the video of Clinton's message:

In the photo above, people yesterday carry a 75-meter-long Ukrainian flag during a National Flag Day celebration in Kiev.

Secretary Clinton flies to Ukraine this morning, after paying her respects to the family of late Sen. Robert Byrd. While in the former Soviet republic, she'll work to reassure the country's leaders regarding their concerns over the "reset" in U.S.-Russia relations.

At least, that's how Agence France-Presse put it today. On the other hand, Assistant Secretary of State Philip Gordon said otherwise at June 29's special briefing on Clinton's travel:

I wouldn't see it [reassurance] as the purpose of the trip. We don't think … that anybody should have any concerns about the new and better relationship with Russia.… But to the extent that anyone has concerns about our Russia policy, we're happy to discuss them and … it will be a good opportunity for the secretary to explain how we're thinking about the reset, how we're thinking about European security, regional security.  

Maybe reassurance isn't the purpose of the trip and maybe nobody should be concerned about warmer U.S.-Russia ties (which don't seem to have taken much of a hit from the spy-ring case), but the reality is that many people are indeed concerned and thus Clinton will probably be doing a lot of reassuring.

What else will Clinton be doing in Ukraine? Gordon said at the briefing that Clinton will be focusing on the U.S.-Ukraine "strategic partnership" and that she'll be:

following up on President Obama's meeting with President [Viktor] Yanukovych at the Nuclear Security Summit, where Ukraine took the historic decision to get rid of all of its highly enriched uranium.… [T]hat decision is being implemented as we speak, and the secretary will have a chance to follow up on how that is proceeding.

Among other things, Clinton will also meet with Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and hold a town-hall meeting at Kyiv Polytechnic Institute.

(In the photo above, Clinton shakes hands with Ukraine's then-Foreign Minister Petro Poroshenko on Dec. 9, 2009, in Washington. Kostyantyn Gryshchenko is now the current foreign minister.)

In her June 24 remarks to the U.S.-Russia "Civil Society to Civil Society" (C2C) summit, which focused on collaboration between U.S. and Russian NGOs, Secretary Clinton had this to say about Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov:

In one of my early discussions with Minister Lavrov, he said, 'Well, you know, we don't like it when you have so many NGOs coming to Russia.' And I said, 'Well, send Russian NGOs to the United States. We'll be happy to have them.' And I really mean that. I think the more exchange and the more cross-fertilization the better.

Clinton also highlighted the risks that Russian activists and journalist face:

[T]he United States remains deeply concerned about the safety of journalists and human rights activists in Russia. Among others, we remember the murdered American journalist Paul Klebnikov; the Russian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, who died in pretrial detention last year. We continue to urge that justice be delivered in these cases. We're committed to working with you to find ways to reduce threats and protect the lives of activists.

It has been a sad time in Poland with the death of the Polish president and much of the country's leadership in Saturday's plane crash. That day, Secretary Clinton offered condolences for the people of Poland, and among her remarks she said:

The Polish people have endured more than their share of sorrow, but they have always shown resilience and resolve in the face of adversity -- and I know they will pull together in solidarity to grieve this loss.

Above, Clinton signs the condolence book at the Polish Embassy in Washington yesterday as Polish Ambassador Robert Kupiecki looks on.

The Polish delegation that died in the crash had been on its way to Russia to mark the 70th anniversary of the Katyn massacre, in which members of the Soviet secret police killed more than 20,000 captured Polish military officers. On Wednesday of last week, Clinton's remarks about the 70th anniversary included the following:

This meeting of the current generation of Polish and Russian leaders is a sign of a much better present and of the hope for an increasingly bright and peaceful future. We welcome the strengthening of the Russian-Polish relationship this mutual tribute symbolizes, and hope that it promises the continued growth of cooperation in Europe .

It's so sad that Saturday's meeting never happened.

Update, April 12, 2010, 12:10 p.m.: Clinton's remarks at the signing of the condolence book include:

So Mr. Ambassador, we Americans stand with you now and forever. Not only the many proud Polish Americans who grieve with you today, but every American who admires what Poland has built, admires what Poland stands for, admires the Polish people. 

During a speech yesterday at the NATO Strategic Concept Seminar, Secretary Clinton said she wants "a cooperative NATO-Russia relationship that … draws NATO and Russia closer together."

Russia is worried that NATO is creeping eastward and that the former Soviet republics of Ukraine and Georgia might join. Thus, Russian leaders probably weren't too happy when Clinton said, "We were glad to see the Alliance welcome Albania and Croatia last year. And there can be no question that NATO will continue to keep its doors open to new members."

Clinton also said that Russia has nothing to worry about. She declared: "Let me state this clearly and unambiguously: While Russia faces challenges to its security, NATO is not among them."

She also said:

And we intend to use the NATO-Russia Council as a forum for frank discussions about areas where we disagree.… We will use it to challenge the assertion put forward in Russia's new military doctrine that NATO's enlargement and its global actions constitute a military danger to Russia."

On a more humorous note, when asked whether she could imagine Russia ever being a NATO member, she generated laughter from the audience when she replied, "Well, I can imagine it. I'm not sure the Russians can imagine it."

Below, former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright greets Clinton as she steps to the stage to give her speech.

It looks cold and rainy in Berlin right now, but Clinton is there in full force:

Clinton delivers a speech in front of the Brandenburg Gate during celebrations marking the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown (left), French President Nicolas Sarkozy, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, German President Horst Köhler, Berlin's Mayor Klaus Wowereit, and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton attend celebrations near the Brandenburg Gate for the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Approximately 1,000 giant foam dominoes, painted by children and artists from around the world, are meant to symbolically represent the fall of communism across Eastern Europe and are the highlight of the celebrations.

Woman power: Earlier in the day, Merkel (the most powerful woman in the world) greeted Clinton (the 36th most powerful, according to Forbes) prior to bilateral talks. 

Photos, top to bottom: WOLFGANG RATTAY/AFP/Getty Images, Hennig Schacht-Pool/Getty Images, MICHAEL KAPPELER/AFP/Getty Images

Secretary Clinton unveiled a statue of 19th-century American poet Walt Whitman at Moscow State University today. The statue -- from the D.C. mayor -- reciprocated a statue of Russian poet Alexander Pushkin that was presented to the U.S. capital from the Moscow mayor in 2000. The Pushkin statue stands on the campus of George Washington University, at 22nd and H streets NW.

Many people think Whitman was gay, and Russian gay-rights activists had called on Clinton to denounce anti-gay attitudes. Clinton did not mention gay rights in her brief remarks at the unveiling, but she has definitely done much to promote human rights and openness during her visit to Russia.

Photo: Valeriy Yevseyev, U.S. State Department

I just returned from the Brookings Institution, where I heard Secretary Clinton deliver a speech previewing the United States' priorities during next week's U.N. General Assembly session.

Before diving into her speech though, Clinton remarked on President Obama's announcement yesterday of changes in the U.S. missile defense program. She said the new system stemmed from a "lengthy and in-depth assessment" of the threats posed by Iran and is based on the United States' "best understanding of Iran's capability."

The new system will "deploy sooner," be "more comprehensive," and have a "better capacity to protect." Clinton said it will "deploy technology that's actually proven" to work and "does what missile defense is actually supposed to do." She added that criticisms of the new system are "not connected to the facts."

Then Clinton delved into her official remarks. Nonproliferation of nuclear weapons will be the main topic that the United States will address next week. Clinton will lead the U.S. delegation to a conference on the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, the first time that a U.S. secretary of state has attended such a conference.

Another key topic for the United States next week will be Iran. The issue isn't Iran's right to develop nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, she said. Rather, she firmly stressed, the problem is that for years Iran has not lived up to its responsibilities to demonstrate that its program is "exclusively for peaceful purposes."

Clinton said that the United States' past refusal to engage Iran had yielded no progress and added, "We remain ready to engage." (Whether Iran is ready to engage on talking nukes, however, is an entirely different story.)

Some other tidbits:

•Clinton said the United States and Iraq have entered a new, "more mature partnership."

•Clinton will be chairing a session on women, peace, and security at the U.N. General Assembly session. She said, "If women are free from violence and afforded their rights," they can be "change agents."

•On corruption, Clinton said it was a "security problem," not just a "good government concern."

•Finally, at the end, Brookings Institution President Strobe Talbott asked Clinton about U.S. health-care reform. Clinton said, "We're going to be successful," but went on to say it "won't be pretty."

Photo: MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images

As mentioned yesterday, Secretary Clinton is leading the U.S. delegation at a donors conference on Haiti today. She also has a couple of other meetings later in the day as well, including one with the Georgian foreign minister, whom FP interviewed in January.

Her official schedule:

7:45 a.m. Breakfast with Vice President Biden

9:00 a.m. Attend Haiti Donors Conference at the Inter-American Development Bank, Enrique V. Iglesias Conference Center, 1330 New York Avenue, NW, Washington, DC.

3:45 p.m. Bilateral with His Excellency Grigol Vashadze, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia.
 
4:15 p.m. Meeting with State Councilor Liu Yandong [another woman, by the way] of the People’s Republic of China.

I couldn't find any Getty photos of Clinton in Haiti, but here's the most recent one I could find of her in the Caribbean. It was during the presidential primaries last year, when she campaigned in Puerto Rico.

Democratic presidential hopeful U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) waves to supporters from a truck as she drives through the streets May 31, 2008, in Cataño, Puerto Rico. Clinton is campaigning in Puerto Rico ahead of the caucus to be held on Sunday [June 1].

And while I was searching Getty Images for Hillary-in-the-Caribbean photos, I came upon this old romantic one from the archives:

U.S. President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary Clinton dance on the beach of Magens Bay, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, on Jan. 4, 1998, shortly after taking a swim. The president and his family concluded their vacation on the tropical island and are returning to Washington.

Photos, top to bottom: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images, PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images