John Kerry nominated as Hillary Clinton's replacement

WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama on Friday nominated Senator John Kerry as the next Secretary of State to replace Hillary Clinton, who is due to step down from the post.

Obama said that Kerry's "entire life has prepared him for this role."

"As the son of a foreign service officer, he has a deep respect for the men and women of the State Department; the role they play in advancing our interests and values; the risks that they undertake and the sacrifices that they make along with their families."

Kerry, who chairs the Senate's Foreign Relations Committee, was credited by Obama for having played a "central role" in foreign policy debates for the past three decades.

"I'd say that one of the more exceptional things we've seen in recent decades was when John helped lead the way, along with folks like [Sen.] John McCain and others, to restore our diplomatic ties with Vietnam," he continued, "and when he returned to the country where he and so many others had fought so long ago, it sent a powerful message of progress and healing."

Hillary Clinton in a written message praised Kerry, saying "he has proven his mettle."

The US Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice withdrew her nomination for the post earlier in December over opposition from the Republican Party regarding her statements in the aftermath of the attack on the US consulate in Benghazi on September 11 this year.

Senator Kerry was born on December 11, 1943. He served in the Vietnam War but later opposed it on his return and testified in Senate on the subject. He was elected to the Senate in 1984 and is currently serving his fifth term as US Senator.

In 2004, he ran for president in the US elections but was defeated by Republican Party candidate and incumbent President George W Bush.

He currently serves at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee chair.

He also co-authored the Kerry-Lugar-Berman bill which authorises $1.5 billion US assistance to Pakistan spanned over five years.

Senator Kerry has visited Pakistan on various occasions, many a times as a mediator. He visited Pakistan during the floods of 2010 and then again in 2011 during the Raymond Davis affair - to press for the CIA contractor’s release. He is viewed as a friend to Pakistan by many and enjoys good relations with Pakistani diplomats in Washington, DC.

Senator Kerry’s nomination will have to be approved by the Senate before he can assume office.