Washington: The US President-elect Joe Biden on Monday (November 23, 2020) announced key members of his foreign policy and national security team, ahead of officially entering the White House on January 20, 2021. 


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The Joe Biden-led team includes Antony Blinken, Secretary of State; Alejandro Mayorkas, Secretary of Homeland Security; Avril Haines, Director of National Intelligence;  Linda Thomas-Greenfield, US Ambassador to the United Nations; Jake Sullivan, National Security Advisor; and John Kerry, Special Presidential Envoy for Climate. 


The historic nominees include the first Latino and immigrant as DHS Secretary, the first woman to lead the intelligence community, one of the youngest National Security Advisors in decades and the first Special Presidential Envoy for Climate to sit on the National Security Council.



President-elect Joe Biden said, "We have no time to lose when it comes to our national security and foreign policy. I need a team ready on Day One to help me reclaim America's seat at the head of the table, rally the world to meet the biggest challenges we face, and advance our security, prosperity, and values." 


He added, "This is the crux of that team. These individuals are equally as experienced and crisis-tested as they are innovative and imaginative. Their accomplishments in diplomacy are unmatched, but they also reflect the idea that we cannot meet the profound challenges of this new moment with old thinking and unchanged habits — or without diversity of background and perspective. It's why I've selected them."


US Vice President-elect Kamala Harris expressed, "President-elect Biden and I know that the moment we walk into the White House, we will inherit a series of unprecedented challenges. These crisis-tested national security and foreign policy leaders have the knowledge and expertise to keep our country safe and restore and advance America's leadership around the world." 


She also said, "They represent the best of America. They come from different places and reflect different life experiences. But they all share an unwavering belief in America's ideals and an unshakeable commitment to democracy and the rule of law. And they are the leaders America needs to help meet the challenges of this moment — and those that lie ahead."