Global Challenges and Opportunities in U.S. Foreign Policy with Ambassador R. Nicholas Burns's.
Ambassador R. Nicholas Burns's remarks will have a special focus on the Middle East and South Asia and also describe how the US and Europe need to transform their relationship to tackle these issues together. This meeting is chaired by Mark Fitzpatrick- International Institute for Strategic Studies
Bio
Ambassador R. Nicholas Burns
Ambassador R. Nicholas 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 U.S. Senate on March 17, 2005 and was sworn into office by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. As Under Secretary, he oversees U.S. 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 Organization. As Ambassador to NATO, he headed the combined State-Defense Department U.S. 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.
From 1997 to 2001, Ambassador Burns was U.S. Ambassador to Greece. During his tenure as Ambassador, the U.S. expanded its military and law enforcement cooperation with Greece, strengthened our partnership in the Balkans, increased trade and investment and people-to-people programs.
Mark Fitzpatrick
Fitzpatrick comes to IISS from a distinguished 26-year career in the US Department of State, where for the last ten years he focused on non-proliferation issues. In his last posting, he served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Non-proliferation, responsible for policies to address the proliferation problems posed by Iran, North Korea, Libya, Iraq, South Asia and other regions of concern.
Among his duties, he also oversaw implementation of the Proliferation Security Initiative, advanced conventional arms and technology controls, proliferation sanctions, and export control cooperation programs.