F.P Report
MOSCOW: Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Thursday has commenting on the candidate for the position of director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) William Burns.
Peskov stated that Burns nominated by US President Joe Biden has always understood the importance of a dialogue between Moscow and Washington and is well aware of Russian specifics,
According to the official press release, the Kremlin spokesperson commented that “He has always been a very ‘balanced’ American who protected his country’s interests yet at the same time understood the importance of a dialogue between Moscow and Washington.”
Burns, 64, is a retired career diplomat. He dedicated 33 years to diplomatic service. In 2001-2005, he was assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern Affairs. In 2005-2008, he was an ambassador to Russia.
In 2011-2014, he was deputy secretary of state and in recent years has served as president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. He speaks Russian, Arabic and French. If the US Senate approves his nomination, he will become the first former career diplomat to lead the CIA.
At the same time he noted that Burns has never been “a dumb hawk” and reiterated that during his tenure as an ambassador to Russia he proved to be a skilled diplomat, the diplomat commented.
While commenting on a statement by Burns that most of his gray hair came from his years of service in Russia, the Kremlin spokesman underscored that “gerontology is not my strong suit,” “So I will refrain from any comments regarding gray hair,” he said.
