SECRETARY OF STATE KERRY'S REMARKS AT THE 1MET EVENT

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 
Remarks at the 1MET Event
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
October 11, 2013

Thank you very, very much. It’s wonderful to be here in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (Cheers.) Very exciting, very exciting to be with 5,000 future entrepreneurs who are going to change the world. Thank you. (Cheers.)

I want you to know that I’m blessed to come from the great state of Massachusetts, and in Massachusetts we have an extraordinary tradition of entrepreneurship. We have been on the forefront of all of the cutting edge of the creation of the computer, creation of the internet. In fact, the internet was created in Massachusetts at one of our companies, and it was created really for defense purposes, but now, obviously, it is revolutionizing the world.

I want you to think: In 1995, nobody connected on the internet the way we do today. Within about 15 years, we have changed the way the entire world is connected, and as a result, there is a new kind of energy, a new kind of possibility everywhere. Young people understand that they are connected not just to the people in their home or in their street or in their school, but we are connected to everybody in the world, and we have the ability to change the world as a result.

So I’m very happy to welcome you here to this conference. President Obama is committed to beginning new centers of entrepreneurial activity, and we are going to be working with Malaysia, with Prime Minister Najib, his government, with ASEAN, in order to give much more opportunity to all of you to be able to touch your dreams and do what you need to do entrepreneurially.

So we’re happy to be here with you. Congratulations for having the wisdom to be here – (cheers) – (inaudible) good luck, and we look forward to working with you. Thank you very, very much. (Cheers.)