U.S. Department of State faces reshuffle

U.S. Department of State faces reshuffle

PanARMENIAN.Net - U.S. President Barack Obama on Wednesday, May 11, formally nominated seasoned diplomat William Burns to serve as Hillary Clinton's deputy at the State Department, according to AFP.

Burns will become deputy secretary of state if confirmed by the Senate, a step up from his current position as the department's number three official and most senior foreign service official. He will take over from Jim Steinberg who is leaving the department for academia. Secretary of State Clinton first previewed the appointment back in March.

Burns served as Washington's ambassador to Jordan from 1998 to 2001, assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs from 2001 to 2005, and then as ambassador to Russia, from 2005 to 2008. He speaks Russian, Arabic and French.

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