NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Bill Clinton says he's thankful that Barack Obama has chosen his wife, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, to be his secretary of state.

In a statement Monday, the former president said his wife is "the right person for the job." He says she'll work to restore America's image abroad, end the war in Iraq, advance peace and increase the nation's security.

Bill Clinton says his wife has already earned the respect of foreign leaders and diplomats. And he says she's shown through her work in the Senate that she'll put the nation's security, its values and the interests of its people first.

To clear the way for his wife's nomination, Clinton had to agree to limits on the funding and management of his foundation, and to submit his own speaking schedule for approval.