Washington, January 19, SPA -- President George W. Bush will nominate Ambassador William (Bill) Burns to succeed Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns, who announced his resignation on Friday, the White House said. “President Bush is pleased to announce his intention to nominate Ambassador William Burns, a career member of the senior Foreign Service, to serve as undersecretary of state for political affairs,” the White House said in a statement thanking Nicholas Burns for his long diplomatic career. The undersecretary of state job is the third-highest U.S. diplomatic post. William Burns served most recently as the U.S. ambassador to Russia, where he “worked actively and successfully to advance a full range of important initiatives on the U.S.-Russia agenda,” the White House wrote. “President Bush has every confidence that Ambassador Burns will approach his new duties with the same energy that he has demonstrated in Moscow and throughout his long and effective diplomatic career,” the White House said. Prior to his ambassadorship to Russia, William Burns served as assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs, U.S. ambassador to Jordan, and senior director for Near East and South Asian affairs at the White House’s National Security Council. Bush is “thankful” for Nicholas Burns’ public service, in which he “worked tirelessly to help build a more democratic, secure, and prosperous world,” the White House said. The president “has valued Undersecretary Burns’ sound advice and his strong commitment to advancing America’s interests across the globe.”--SPA www.spa.gov.sa/518923