Obama to deliver farewell address in Chicago

US President Barack Obama will deliver a farewell address to the nation on January 10 from his home city of Chicago, he announced in a statement on Monday.

According to a CNN report, Obama wrote, "In 1796, as George Washington set the precedent for a peaceful, democratic transfer of power, he also set a precedent by penning a farewell address to the American people. And over the 220 years since, many American presidents have followed his lead."

George W. Bush also delivered a farewell address in 2009 from the White House.

"I'm thinking about (the remarks) as a chance to say thank you for this amazing journey, to celebrate the ways we've changed this country for the better these past eight years, and to offer some thoughts on where we all go from here," Obama wrote.

"Since 2009, we've faced our fair share of challenges, and come through them stronger," Obama said.

"That's because we have never let go of a belief that has guided us ever since our founding -- our conviction that, together, we can change this country for the better," he added.

Obama further said that he won't weigh in on every issue once he is out of the White House and would only consider speaking up about issues that go to "core questions" about American values and ideals.

--IANS

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