Joe Biden to announce first lineup of ambassador nominees

US President Joe Biden is set to travel to the United Kingdom this month in his first official engagement overseas as president. As Biden prepares for the upcoming travel, White House officials have said that the first lineup of his nominees for ambassador posts is set to be announced.

White House officials have also confirmed that they have already begun informing countries of who Biden would pick as his ambassador to said countries. Biden’s extensive vetting of possible choices along with his hope of having a diverse set of nominees has been the cause of many delays. However, officials said that the announcement may come next week.

Last week, a White House official said that the administration is looking to make an announcement before Biden leaves next week for his first overseas trip as president. However, they did not guarantee that an announcement would definitely be made by that time. It remains to be seen whether the White House would really announce the first lineup next week.

The countries expected to be included in the first lineup are China, Japan, Israel, India, and a few other European countries. The list would include some big donors, former senators, and their spouses, according to people familiar with the process.

The position of ambassador to the Court of St. James in the United Kingdom is among the big questions in Biden’s selection of nominees. However, Biden administration officials told CNN that it is uncertain whether Biden has already settled on a nominee or made his final decision before he leaves next week. Another person familiar with the process revealed that several candidates have had to turn the nomination down.

Biden is set to travel to the UK for the G7 Summit where he is also expected to reaffirm the US’ relationship with the country when he meets with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson at the summit. Biden also plans to discuss matters surrounding the situation in Northern Ireland while also re-engaging the US with its allies and partners while rallying together the democracies in the world.

Biden is also expected to speak with Johnson over concerns on the Brexit deal while reiterating his support for the Northern Ireland protocol.