R. Nicholas Burns (b. Jan. 28, 1956, Buffalo, N.Y.) was appointed by Secretary of State Christopher as Spokesman of the Department of State and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs in January 1995. A career Senior Foreign Service Officer, had served for the previous five years on the National Security Council staff at the White House. From 1993 to 1995 he was Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia Affairs. He had lead responsibility in the White House for advising the President and the National Security Advisor on all aspects of U.S. relations with the fifteen countries of the former Soviet Union. He was director for Soviet (and then Russian) Affairs from April 1990 until July 1993 when he was appointed to his position as Senior Director. During that time, he attended all U.S.-Soviet summits and numerous other international meetings and specialized on economic assistance issues, U.S. ties with Russia and Ukraine and relations with the Baltic countries. Prior to his service on the NSC staff, Mr. Burns worked in a series of positions at the Department of State from 1982 until 1990. He was Special Assistant to the Counselor of the Department in 1989-90, responsible for Soviet and Eastern European Affairs. He was a member of the Department's Transition Team in 1988, and served as a Staff Officer in the Department's Operations Center and Secretariat in 1987 and 1988. Burns began his Foreign Service career in the Middle East, where he was Vice Consul and Staff Assistant to the Ambassador in Cairo, Egypt between 1983 and 1985, and then Political Officer at the American Consulate General in Jerusalem from 1985 to 1987. In this position, he coordinated U.S. economic assistance to the Palestinian population in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Before entering the Foreign Service, Burns served as an intern at the U.S. Embassy in Nouakchott, Mauritania, and worked as a Program Officer for A.T. International, a non-profit organization specializing in economic assistance for Third World countries.
From the description of Burns, R. Nicholas, 1956- (U.S. National Archives and Records Administration). naId: 10610032
