Secretary of State Colin Powell spoke at the Kennan Institute's 2004 Annual Benefit Dinner on March 25th. The event commemorated Ambassador George F. Kennan's 100th birthday, the 70th anniversary of the resumption of diplomatic relations with Moscow, and the 30th anniversary of the founding of the Kennan Institute at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

In his keynote address, Secretary Powell noted that George F. Kennan "remains an inspiration to all of us at the State Department." Powell's remarks on "Three Principles of Diplomacy" focused on the relationship between diplomacy and coercive power, the importance of building coalitions, and the necessity of balancing costs and benefits. The full text of Secretary Powell's speech is available below.