MOSCOW, November 8 (RIA Novosti) – US President Barack Obama has nominated his advisor Antony Blinken for the post of Deputy Secretary of State, the White House has announced.
"…if he is confirmed by the Senate, I know he will share his remarkable talents with the State Department, continue to play a leading role in representing the United States abroad, and shape our foreign policy to meet the challenges and seize the opportunities we face today," National Security Advisor Susan Rice said in a statement released by the White House Friday.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State John Kerry said in a statement Friday that he was "pleased that if confirmed he [Blinken] will return to the State Department, where he began his career in government", adding that "diplomatic service is in Tony's blood" and that Blinken has "a tremendous breadth and depth of experience" in the US government's foreign policy institutions.
"His experience working on Iran nuclear negotiations, focusing on Iraq and Syria, partnering on Ukraine, planning our new relationship with Afghanistan, and helping build the rebalance to Asia will all be vital to his role as Deputy Secretary right by my side," Kerry concluded.
Antony Blinken is Assistant to the US President and Deputy National Security Advisor, a position he has held since 2013. From 2009 to 2013, Blinken was Deputy Assistant to the President and National Security Advisor in the Office of the Vice President. Previously, he served as Staff Director for the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee from 2002 to 2008.
In the Clinton Administration, Blinken served on the National Security Council staff as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for European Affairs and as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Strategic Planning and Speechwriting. He also served as Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs at the Department of State.
Antony Blinken has a B.A. from Harvard College and a J.D. from Columbia Law School.
