Biden's First Foreign Policy Appointments: Blinken as Secretary of State, Sullivan as NSC Advisor, Kerry as Climate Change Envoy

Black Diplomat Thomas-Greenfield Appointed as US Ambassador to the UN

Tony Blinken, nominee for Secretary of State (third from the right), stands alongside President-elect Joe Biden in the Oval Office of the White House in November 2013. [Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] President-elect Joe Biden announced his appointments for the foreign and security team on the 23rd (local time).

The Biden transition team announced on the 23rd (local time) that former Deputy Secretary of State Tony Blinken will be appointed as Secretary of State, and former Vice President's National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan will be appointed as National Security Advisor (NSA) at the White House National Security Council (NSC).

In addition to the Secretary of State and NSC Advisor overseeing foreign affairs, a Special Envoy for Climate Change and the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations were also announced.

Former Senator John Kerry, who served as Secretary of State during the second Obama administration, was appointed as the Special Envoy for Climate Change. Kerry, who was instrumental in the Paris Climate Agreement, will lead the U.S. efforts to rejoin the agreement.

Linda Thomas-Greenfield, a Black female diplomat, was selected as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. Alejandro Mayorkas, former Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security, was appointed as Secretary of Homeland Security.

The transition team had announced a day earlier that the first cabinet appointments would be announced on the 24th, but the announcement was made a day earlier than scheduled.

After the announcement, Jake Sullivan, the designated NSC Advisor, stated, "The President-elect has informed me of what needs to be done at the highest levels of government for national security," expressing his commitment to do his best for national security.

Former Senator John Kerry also said, "The United States will have a government that treats the climate crisis as an urgent national security threat," and pledged to cooperate with the President-elect, allies, and young climate movement leaders.