SPOKANE, Wash. — “China, Russia, and the United States: Challenges and Opportunities, ” will be the topic of a Feb. 25 presentation by Thomas R. Pickering, former ambassador to six countries and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. Pickering will speak at 7 p.m. at the WestCoast Grand Hotel at the Park, 303 W. North River Dr., Spokane.
With seven ambassadorships in his career spanning over five decades, Pickering has a profound understanding of the world. His talk will cover current world affairs and U.S relations with China and Russia.
Pickering served under both Democratic and Republican presidents. While ambassador to the United Nations from 1989 to 1992, he was U.S. representative on the Security Council during the 1991 Persian Gulf War.
Recently, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell honored Pickering with the rarely presented American Foreign Service Association “Lifetime Achievement in Diplomacy Award” and Pickering also last year received the “Public Diplomacy Award” for “outstanding service in increasing public appreciation (nationally and globally) of the foreign policy of the United States and international issues facing this country”.
The event is presented by the Thomas S. Foley Institute for Public Policy and Public Service at Washington State University in cooperation with WSU Spokane. The lecture is free and open to the public. Seating is limited. To reserve a seat, call (509) 358-7540, or e-mail communications@wsu.edu by (Monday) Feb. 24.
Media availability will be from 4:30 to 5 p.m. at The Davenport Hotel and from 7 to 7:15 p.m. at the WestCoast Grand Hotel.
Contact Kaarin Appel at 358-7528 or 981-9134 (cell) to schedule an interview.
