Negroponte Speaks (But what is he saying?)

In a 2/21/07 NYT article, Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte gives advice to new diplomats. He suggests thay they find challenging posts. But there is this curious quote:

“The impact of our presence at some of those remote places, pound for pound, is really much higher than if you are in Western Europe or somewhere where you kind of blend into the scenery,” Mr. Negroponte said.

This, out of the several quotes in the article, stuck out. What exactly is he saying here? Is this code for some obscure (or not so obscure) message? Or is he merely providing support for existing strategies? Coming from a longtime insider, one can only wonder.