US: Biden to nominate Antony Blinken as state secretary

By Ovunc Kutlu

ANKARA (AA) - US President-elect Joe Biden is expected to nominate Antony Blinken as secretary of state in his Cabinet, according to reports.

Biden's White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain said the president-elect will start revealing more members in his Cabinet on Tuesday with Blinken, 58, as one of the first names to come out, CNN said in a report.

While Biden was the vice-president under Barack Obama, Blinken served as the deputy secretary of state in 2015-2017, and deputy national security advisor in 2013-2015.

Born to Jewish parents, career diplomat Blinken also served as the national security adviser to Biden in 2009-2013.

During his tenure, Blinken was active in the Obama administration's foreign policy, including the issues of Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea, the raid to kill al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden in 2011, and fight against Daesh/ISIS.

Biden hopes Blinken would repair the US' relations with foreign countries, which took a hit under President Donald Trump's "America First" motto.

President-elect is also expected to announce long-time diplomat Linda Thomas-Greenfield as the US ambassador to the UN, according to CBS News.

Thomas-Greenfield, 67, served as a foreign service officer in many US administrations dating back to former President Ronald Reagan. She was an ambassador to Liberia in 2008-2012, and the assistant secretary of state for African Affairs in 2013-2017.

As for other potential names for Biden's Cabinet, Senator Elizabeth Warren is considered a top choice for the position of treasury secretary, while Senator Bernie Sanders confirmed his interest in becoming the labor secretary if he is offered the position.