US Under Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, who oversaw relations with China and previously managed negotiations with Iran and North Korea, said on Friday she would step down, exactly 30 years after her first appointment to the department. of state.
Sherman, 73, said she would retire at the end of June. It is not yet known who will become his successor, whose candidacy must be approved by the Senate.
“As Under Secretary of State, I am incredibly proud of the work we have done to resolve a myriad of issues, including Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Indo-Pacific and the Covid-19 pandemic, while bringing allies and partners together to advance our shared vision for a better future,” she tweeted.
Secretary of State Anthony Blinken thanked Sherman for his work on U.S. relations with Asia and his efforts to unite allies in favor of Ukraine.
“She led our efforts to strengthen the Department’s ability to manage our relationship with the People’s Republic of China and to build a closer rapprochement with our allies and partners,” Blinken said in a statement.
Sherman visited China after President Joe Biden took office in 2021 after intense negotiations over a far-reaching rivalry between the world’s two biggest economic powers.
An experienced negotiator, Sherman brokered nuclear deals with North Korea under Bill Clinton and with Iran under Barack Obama. Both agreements have been terminated under subsequent Republican presidents.
Sherman, in her memoirs, recounted the negotiations with the Iranians in Vienna, recalling how her opponents raised a contentious new issue at the last minute, almost bringing her to tears.
She wrote that her reaction stunned the Iranians and silenced them, and they dropped their objections.
“That’s when everything fell into place for me. When you bring the values of authenticity, perseverance and commitment to the negotiating table, both at work and in your personal life, you have tremendous power,” she wrote.
Born Jewish in Baltimore, Sherman began her career as a social worker and became active in the Democratic Party. Prior to her career as a diplomat, she led the non-governmental organization Emily’s List, which works to elect women who support abortion rights to political office.
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