US Secretary of State said that major gains have been made on democracy in Sri Lanka and highlighted US involvement in several countries.
Speaking at an event in Washington, where he received Foreign Policy magazine's Diplomat of the Year Award, Mr Kerry said,
"I believe that nations obviously – and I’m sure you do – are driven above all by their interests. I think we try to make certain that we’re driven by interests and values simultaneously, and sometimes the interest just overwhelms the value and sometimes the value is foremost and the interests may not be as great,
"I also believe that although the United States often draws criticism, that goes with the territory, folks. It is precisely because of who we are and because of what we do stand for that so much is expected of our country. The truth is – and I think ambassadors here would agree, and I don’t say this as a matter of arrogance at all; I say it as a matter of honor and of reality – our leadership is still both necessary and welcome. And that is because the United States is a country with both the – blessed, I would say, with both the power and the will to be able to lead in directions that I believe most people do want to go,"
Listing several instances of positive progress made around the world, the secretary said,
"Democracy has made major gains in Nigeria and Sri Lanka, and we hope to see further progress in Burma as well. And we are making progress against Boko Haram in Nigeria, where we had a peaceful transfer of power and an election that we were helpful in trying to nurse along and keep peaceful. And we are making progress against al-Shabaab in Somalia,"
"None of these results or initiatives were the result of American leadership alone. Let me be absolutely clear about that. A lot of countries stood up. Yet none, I think, of these initiatives I just talked about would have necessarily taken place or gotten where they got to without American participation and support,"
See his full address here.