Bill Burns appointed Under Secretary for Political Affairs
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William J. Burns, who completed his MPhil and DPhil in the Department of Politics and International Relations as a Marshall Scholar until 1981, has been appointed Under Secretary for Political Affairs, the highest career position in the US State Department.
Bill Burns, who also holds the highest rank in the US Foreign Service, Career Ambassador, served from 2005 until 2008 as Ambassador to Russia. He was Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs from 2001 until 2005, and Ambassador to Jordan from 1998 until 2001. Ambassador Burns has also served in a number of other posts since entering the Foreign Service in 1982, including: Executive Secretary of the State Department and Special Assistant to Secretaries Christopher and Albright; Minister-Counselor for Political Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow; Acting Director and Principal Deputy Director of the State Department`s Policy Planning Staff; and Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Near East and South Asian Affairs at the National Security Council staff.
