The US Senate on Wednesday overwhelmingly confirmed Condoleezza Rice as the next secretary ofstate to replace outgoing Colin Powell.

Rice, 50, was confirmed on a bipartisan 85-13 vote, with two abstentions.

Rice, the first black woman to hold the post of US secretary ofstate in the American history, has been President George W. Bush'sclose confidant and a key architect of the Iraq war as his national security adviser between 2001 and 2004.

Hours before Rice's confirmation vote, Bush described Rice at the White House "an honorable, fine public servant... She is goingto be a wonderful secretary of state."

In her marathon hearing by the Senate since last week, Rice elaborated her foreign policy goals, pledging to be committed to the mission set by President Bush to spread freedom and democracy around the world.

Following her appointment as secretary of state, Rice will facea daunting agenda, including the need to stabilize Iraq after Sunday's elections, repair strained US alliances when Bush tours Europe next month, and rein in the nuclear arms ambitions of Iran and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Source: Xinhua