US President Barack Obama has nominated Senator John Kerry as his next secretary of state, elevating the longtime lawmaker and foreign policy expert to the top diplomatic job he had coveted.

 

　　Obama says Kerry has all the credentials for the job.

 

　　"... I think it's fair to say few individuals know as many Presidents and Prime Ministers or grasps our foreign policy as firmly as John Kerry. And this makes him a perfect choice to guide American diplomacy in the years ahead."

 

　　The nomination came after U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice withdrew from the consideration last week.

 

　　If confirmed by the Senate, Kerry would replace Hillary Clinton, who plans to leave Obama's second-term Cabinet early next year.

 

　　The 69-year-old Democrat is expected to be easily confirmed by his Senate colleagues.

 

　　He would be the first of what are expected to be several new faces on Obama's national security team, including a new defence secretary and director of the Central Intelligence Agency.

 

　　The son of a diplomat, Kerry has served as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and was the 2004 Democratic presidential candidate.