On Monday 11 February 2008, Ambassador Nick Burns (US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs) led a discussion meeting on the topic of "Global Challenges and Opportunities in US Foreign Policy".
Ambassador R. Nicholas Burns’s remarks had a special focus on the Middle East and South Asia and described how the US and Europe need to transform their relationship to tackle these issues together.
Ambassador Burns is the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, the Department of State’s third ranking official. Appointed by President Bush, he was confirmed by the US Senate on 17 March 2005 and was sworn into office by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. As Under Secretary, he oversees US policy in each region of the world and serves in the senior career Foreign Service position at the Department.
Prior to his current assignment, Ambassador Burns was the United States Permanent Representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. As Ambassador to NATO, he headed the combined State-Defense Department US Mission to NATO at a time when the Alliance committed to new missions in Iraq, Afghanistan and the global war against terrorism, and accepted seven new members.
Mr Burns began his Foreign Service career in Africa and the Middle East. He was an intern at the US Embassy in Nouakchott, Mauritania, Vice Consul and Staff Assistant to the Ambassador in Cairo, Egypt between 1983-1985, and then Political Officer at the American Consulate General in Jerusalem from 1985 to 1987. In this position, he coordinated US economic assistance to the Palestinian population in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
A live stream of the presentation and Q&A session is available.
