WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Joe Biden introduced Monday he has chosen veteran diplomat William Burns to be his CIA director.

A former ambassador to Russia and Jordan, Burns, 64, had a 33-year profession on the State Division beneath each Republican and Democratic presidents. He rose by way of the ranks of the diplomatic corps to turn into deputy secretary of state earlier than retiring in 2014 to run the Carnegie Endowment of Worldwide Peace.

Amid tumult within the State Division after Donald Trump took workplace in 2017, Burns held his tongue till final yr when he started writing extremely essential items of the Trump administration’s insurance policies in Overseas Affairs and different publications.

“Invoice Burns is an exemplary diplomat with many years of expertise on the world stage conserving our folks and our nation protected and safe,” Biden stated. “He shares my profound perception that intelligence have to be apolitical and that the devoted intelligence professionals serving our nation deserve our gratitude and respect. Ambassador Burns will deliver the data, judgment, and perspective we have to stop and confront threats earlier than they will attain our shores. The American folks will sleep soundly with him as our subsequent CIA Director.”

Burns was stated to have been a candidate to be Biden’s secretary of state. Biden selected Anthony Blinken as an alternative.

Burns has acquired three Presidential Distinguished Service Awards and the best civilian honors from the Pentagon and the U.S. intelligence neighborhood.

He has doctoral levels in worldwide relations from Oxford College, the place he studied as a Marshall Scholar.