Appointment of Robert Dean Blackwill as United States Representative to the Mutual and Balanced Force Reduction Negotiations, and Nomination for the Rank of Ambassador

The President today announced his intention to appoint Robert Dean Blackwill, of Maryland, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be the Representative of the United States of America for Mutual and Balanced Force Reductions Negotiations and his intention to nominate Mr. Blackwill for the rank of Ambassador while so serving. He would succeed Maynard W. Glitman.

Mr. Blackwill began his Foreign Service career as a Peace Corps volunteer in Malawi, Africa, 1964-1966. He was appointed a Foreign Service officer in 1967 and served as a training officer in the Bureau of Personnel in 1968-1969. He was an associate watch officer in the Department's Operations Center in 1969-1970 and at the end of 1970 took Swahili language training at the Foreign Service Institute. Mr. Blackwill was a political officer in Nairobi, Kenya, in 1970-1972. He then served as a staff officer in the Executive Secretariat of the Department in 1972-1973. In 1974 he became special assistant to the Counselor of the Department. In 1975-1978 he was political military officer in London, England. From there he served as political counselor in Tel Aviv, Israel, in 1978-1979. In 1979 he became Director, Western European Affairs, on the National Security Council staff at the White House and from there served as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Political-Military Affairs in the Department in 1981. In 1982-1983 he was Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for European Affairs. From 1983 to the present, he has been on sabbatical as associate dean at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Mr. Blackwill was born August 8, 1939, in Kellogg, ID. He graduated from Wichita State University (B.A., 1962). His foreign languages are French and Swahili.