Daniel Smith, ex-Ambassador to Greece, is Acting Secretary of State

Daniel Bennett Smith, a former Ambassador to Greece from 2010 to 2013, has been appointed as Acting US Secretary of State.

Smith, 64, was appointed by President Joe Biden to serve in this position until nominee Antony Blinken is confirmed by the Senate.

The announcement comes a day after the confirmation hearing of Blinken, 58, a veteran foreign policy hand and close Biden confidant. There has been no indication that Blinken would face difficulty being confirmed.

Smith was appointed director of the Foreign Service Institute, which trains American diplomats, in 2018 and holds the State Department’s highest diplomatic rank of Career Ambassador.

[Reuters/Kathimerini]