Washington: The appointment of CIA Director William Burns as a member of US President Joe Biden's cabinet highlights the official's significant influence in the White House and his crucial function in US foreign policy.
Burns has provided the United States with a "critical strategic advantage" and helped to address "our nation's top national security challenges," including dealings with Russia and China, according to the president, who made the announcement on Friday.
"Bill has always given me clear, straightforward analysis that prioritizes the safety and security of the American people, reflecting the integral role the CIA plays in our national security decision-making at this critical time," Biden continued.
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Burns' promotion to the cabinet is largely symbolic and does not give him any additional power, but it does mean that he will now participate in high-level meetings with the secretaries of state and defense, the director of national intelligence, Avril Haines, and other executive department heads.
In a statement released afterward, Burns acknowledged Biden's choice, saying the president "recognizes the essential contributions to national security the Central Intelligence Agency makes every day, and reflects his confidence in our work."
Burns, a seasoned diplomat before being selected to head the CIA, has been tasked with handling a long list of important foreign policy matters. He visited Moscow frequently before and after the conflict in Ukraine began and has met with officials in China and Afghanistan..
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Burns held senior positions in the State Department during the Barack Obama administration after serving as the US ambassador to Russia during the George W. Bush presidency. In these positions, he frequently dealt with Russia policy. He wrote a memo to his superiors in 2008 cautioning them that Ukraine's joining NATO would spark "serious concerns about the consequences of stability in the region" and possibly ignite a "civil war" there. The official claimed that Ukraine was the biggest "destabilizing factor in US-Russian relations," citing a number of national security experts, and predicted a significant response from Moscow.
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Prior to the creation of the director of national intelligence role in 2005, which followed the terrorist attacks of September 11, the position of CIA director was a cabinet-level position. Since that time, the DNI has held the CIA director's place in the cabinet.