William Joseph Burns

Infobox Person
name = William J Burns

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caption = William J. Burns
birth_name = William Joseph Burns
birth_date = Birth date and age|1956|4|4 [cite web| url=http://www.nndb.com/people/389/000120029/ | title= NNDB Article|accessdate=2008-03-01]
birth_place = Fort Bragg, NC
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nationality = American
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known_for = Diplomat
education = BA History, La Salle University (1978) M.Phil & D.Phil International Relations, Oxford University (1981, Marshall scholar)
employer = US State Department
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spouse = Lisa Carty
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children = Elizabeth Burns and Sarah Burns
parents = Major General W Burns US Army
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William J Burns (1956) was United States Ambassador to Russia in 2005-2008. He was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as Ambassador to the Russian Federation on July 29, 2005.

On January 18, 2008, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice announced that Burns will be succeeding R. Nicholas Burns (no relation) as Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs in March 2008, which is usually the highest position occupied by a career appointee in the State Department. Burns is expected to travel to Switzerland to receive an official message from Iran, the first time a U.S. official has ever done so. [cite news
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7508748.stm
title=US official to attend Iran talks
publisher=BBC
date=16 July, 2008
accessdate=2008-07-18]

Ambassador Burns served from 2001 until 2005 as Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, and was Ambassador to Jordan from 1998 until 2001. Ambassador Burns has also served in a number of other posts since entering the Foreign Service in 1982, including: Executive Secretary of the State Department and Special Assistant to the Secretary of State; Minister-Counselor for Political Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow; Acting Director and Principal Deputy Director of the State Department's Policy Planning Staff; and Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Near East and South Asian Affairs at the National Security Council staff.

Ambassador Burns earned a B.A. in History from La Salle University and M.Phil. and D.Phil. degrees in International Relations from Oxford University, where he studied as a Marshall Scholar. He is the recipient of three honorary doctoral degrees. Ambassador Burns is the author of Economic Aid and American Policy Toward Egypt, 1955-1981 (State University of New York Press, l985). He speaks Russian, Arabic, and French, and is the recipient of two Presidential Distinguished Service Awards and a number of Department of State awards, including two Distinguished Honor Awards, the 2006 Charles E. Cobb, Jr. Ambassadorial Award for Initiative and Success in Trade Development, the 2005 Robert C. Frasure Memorial Award, the James Clement Dunn Award, and five Superior Honor awards. In 1994, he was named to TIME Magazine's list of the "50 Most Promising American Leaders Under Age 40", and to TIME's list of "100 Young Global Leaders."

Ambassador Burns and his wife, Lisa Carty, have two daughters.

ource

* [http://moscow.usembassy.gov/embassy/embassy.php?record_id=ambassador United States Embassy to Moscow]

References

* [http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/biog/51665.htm United States Department of State: Biography of William J. Burns]
* [http://moscow.usembassy.gov/embassy/embassy.php?record_id=ambassador United States Embassy in Moscow: Biography of the Ambassador]
* [http://www.lasius.narod.ru/index/died/diplomatsUS2.htm USA'Ambassadors to Russia]