Joe Biden to pick Antony Blinken as Secretary of State: Reports

Joe Biden intends to pick his trusted foreign policy visor and Antony Blinken as US Secretary of State and Jake Sullivan as National Security visor, media reports said on Monday, as President-elect is poised to make his first round of Cabinet anuncements on Tuesday.

Blinken, 58, has served as Deputy Secretary of State in second term of Obama ministration and National Security visor to Biden when he was vice president. A strong India-hand, Blinken was top foreign policy visor to Biden campaign.

"President-elect Joe Biden intends to minate Antony Blinken to serve as secretary of State, turning to a trusted diplomat and foreign-policy viser to oversee his work to rebuild US relationships around globe, according to people familiar with decision," Wall Street Journal reported.

"President-elect Joe Biden is planning to anunce that he has selected Antony Blinken, one of his closest and longest-serving foreign policy visers, as secretary of state," Washington Post said.

"Jake Sullivan, ar top Biden visers, is expected to be named as national security viser, according to two people familiar with anuncement," daily said. Last week, Biden said he h decided on his name for Treasury Secretary.

" anuncement of Blinken’s selection is expected by Tuesday at latest, people familiar with selection said," Journal reported. Blinken also spoke during virtual celebration of India's Independence Day organised by Biden Campaign and dressed by Biden himself and his running mate Kamala Harris, who is w Vice President-elect.

" Vice President (Biden) has long been a champion of stronger ties with India. I saw this firsthand, I started working for him in 2002 on Senate Foreign Relations Committee. n, of course, Obama-Biden ministration and his years as Vice President.

"But if you go back 15 years, Joe Biden h a vision for future of US-India relations. In 2006, he said, my dream is that in 2020, two closest nations in world will be India and United States," Blinken said on August 15 this year during virtual event.

"Well, we're t quite re, but it's a terrific vision, and one that I kw, he will act, to realise, as president of United States. … He was driving force of lifting of nuclear sanctions on India, and n pass of this landmark India civil nuclear deal. And this is something I got to see up close and personal with him in , in Senate,” he said.

According to Washington Post, Biden also plans to anunce Linda Thomas-Greenfield as his minee for ambassor to United Nations. 

(Im Credits: AP)