Meet William Burns, veteran diplomat nominated by Joe Biden as CIA chief

US President-elect Joe Biden has nominated career diplomat William Burns as head of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

Joe Biden in a statement said, Burns is an exemplary diplomat with decades of experience on the world stage keeping our people and our country safe and secure. He will lead the CIA with independence and integrity, always honouring our nation’s intelligence professionals.

Burns is the president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, an international affairs think tank and has previously served as the US deputy secretary of state.

He also led the delegation that held secret talks with Iran about the nuclear deal, which culminated in 2015 and is officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)

In his 33-year-long diplomatic career, he has served five US Presidents, both Democrats and Republicans.