OREANDA-NEWS. President-elect of the United States Joe Biden has nominated former US Ambassador to Russia William Burns as head of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). This was reported by the television channel CNN on January 11.

“The American people will sleep soundly with him as our next CIA director,” the TV channel quotes Biden’s statement. The head of state called Burns a perfect diplomat with many years of experience in the world arena who ensures the security of the USA and its citizens. He shares conviction that intelligence should be apolitical and that dedicated intelligence professionals serving the country deserve gratitude and respect, the president-elect added.

Burns was the US Ambassador to the Russian Federation from 2005 to 2008. In 2011–2014, he served as the first deputy secretary of state of the USA. In recent years, he held the position of the president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.