Secretary of State John Kerry John Forbes KerryThe Memo: Warning signs flash for Trump on debates Divided country, divided church TV ads favored Biden 2-1 in past month MORE in an op-ed published Thursday touted the accomplishments of the Obama administration and issued a message apparently directed at President-elect Donald Trump Donald John TrumpHR McMaster says president's policy to withdraw troops from Afghanistan is 'unwise' Cast of 'Parks and Rec' reunite for virtual town hall to address Wisconsin voters Biden says Trump should step down over coronavirus response MORE.

Kerry wrote in The New York Times that he is leaving office "convinced that most global trends remain in our favor and that America's leadership and engagement are as essential and effective today as ever."

"A major reason is that President Obama has restored assertive diplomacy as our foreign policy tool of first resort and deployed it time and again to advance our security and prosperity," he wrote.

Kerry went on to talk about the way the Obama administration has run its campaign to defeat the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria and the way it has dealt with Iran's nuclear program.

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He also praised the Obama administration for its decision to impose sanctions on Russia after it invaded Ukraine in 2014.

He admitted, however, the administration hasn't solved every problem, pointing to the "chronically combustible Middle East." But he said the U.S. was "absolutely justified in stressing the need for a two-state solution between Israelis and Palestinians."

Kerry then looked ahead, saying he hopes the "turbulence still evident in the world does not obscure the extraordinary gains that diplomacy has made on President Obama’s watch or lead to the abandonment of approaches that have served our nation well."

"Diplomacy requires creativity, patience and commitment to a steady grind, often away from the spotlight. Results are rarely immediate or reducible to 140-character bites," Kerry said in an apparent reference to Trump, who is a prolific Twitter user.

"But it has helped build a world our ancestors would envy — a world in which children in most places are more likely than ever before to be born healthy, to receive an education and to live free from extreme poverty."

Kerry wrote in the op-ed that the incoming administration will face many challenges.

"But it will take office this week armed with enormous advantages in addressing them," he wrote.

"America’s economy and military are the strongest in the world, and diplomacy has helped put the wind at our back, our adversaries on notice about our resolve and our friends by our side."