US President George W. Bush on Friday announced US Trade Representative Robert Zoellick as his nominee to become the No. 2 official at the State Department under Secretary of State-designate Condoleezza Rice.

"Condoleezza Rice and Bob Zoellick will form a really great, capable foreign policy team," Bush said in a statement, flanked by Rice and Zoellick.

The No. 2 post at the State Department has been held by RichardArmitage who submitted his resignation days after Bush successfully won his re-election.

The nominations of both Rice as secretary of state and Zoellickas her deputy have to be confirmed by the US Senate.

Zoellick, who served at the State Department as undersecretary for economic affairs and as counselor for then-Secretary of State James A. Baker III, has steered US trade policy around the world over the past four years.

Known as an experienced international strategist, Zoellick has worked closely with Rice during the current and former Bush administration, according to a report by the Washington Post on Friday.

US President George W. Bush on Nov. 16 nominated Rice to replace Colin Powell who announced to resign after Bush won his second term. If Rice's nomination is confirmed by the Senate laterthis month, Rice will become the first black female secretary of state in American history.

Source: Xinhua