Listen: Ambassador Nicholas Burns on diplomacy, presidents and American power

In this episode of The Director’s Chair, Michael Fullilove speaks with Ambassador Nicholas Burns, Professor at Harvard University, Executive Director of the Aspen Strategy Group, and one of the leading American diplomats of his generation. Nick served in the US government for nearly three decades, holding senior positions under Presidents George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. He was a member of Secretary of State John Kerry’s Foreign Affairs Policy Board and a foreign policy adviser to Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign in 2016. He is also a foreign policy adviser to Vice President Joe Biden, the 2020 Democratic presidential nominee.

Michael and Nick discuss Nick’s career as an American diplomat serving in Nouakchott, Cairo, Jerusalem, Athens, Brussels and Washington, DC. They talk about ‘the unipolar moment’ after the end of the Cold War, America’s relations with Russia and China, and the Australia-US alliance. Nick also makes some observations about the working styles of George H.W. Bush, Brent Scowcroft, Bill Clinton, Condoleezza Rice and George W. Bush.

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Lowy Institute Audio · The Director’s Chair: Ambassador Nicholas Burns on diplomacy, presidents and American power