Joe Biden will give his first major foreign policy speech

Biden confronts Putin in his first phone call 0:57

(CNN) -

US President Joe Biden plans to deliver his most substantive foreign policy speech since taking office on Monday, according to a senior administration official.

This represents his first attempt to move away from his predecessor's "America First" approach to the world.

Biden's speech will focus on the theme of "restoring America's place in the world," one of his central campaign promises, and will coincide with his first trip to a Cabinet agency.

The president plans to visit the State Department to meet with newly installed Secretary Antony Blinken, press secretary Jen Psaki said Friday.

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Making his first stop there, rather than the Pentagon or the CIA, is intended to underscore Biden's renewed focus on repairing American alliances and using diplomacy as a tool abroad, an official said.

Joe Biden and his foreign policy

While his speech is not expected to describe in detail the details of a new strategy on China, Iran, North Korea, Russia, or other US adversaries, he will seek to frame his foreign policy around propping up alliances and returning to multilateralism. after the Trump administration, which was marked by unilateral actions and disdain for traditional diplomacy.

Joe Biden has spoken by phone with about half a dozen foreign leaders since he took office, but, in public, he has focused primarily on the coronavirus pandemic and nationwide presidential decrees.

The Biden administration rejoined the Paris climate accord and the World Health Organization, signaling its intention to renew American commitments abroad.

A preliminary schedule of the administration's opening days obtained by CNN identifies "Restoring America's Place in the World" as the theme for February.

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Renew alliances

Biden campaigned on the promise to renew America's alliances that had been affected during the administration of former President Donald Trump.

His phone calls last week to the leaders of Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Japan sought to reinforce his commitment to strengthening ties with America's traditional allies.

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He spoke with an adversary, President Vladimir Putin of Russia, in a call that officials described as formal but direct.

The White House said Biden addressed a variety of issues, including cybersecurity and the poisoning of opposition leader Alexey Navalny.

Blinken, who was sworn in last week, spoke out on Sunday against the "tough tactics" used against pro-Navalny protests in Russia.

"We renew our call to Russia to release those detained for exercising their human rights," he wrote.

State Department with low morale

The State Department suffered a sharp drop in morale during the Trump administration, who liked to refer to the agency as the "Deep State Department" and constantly viewed his career professionals with skepticism.

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Last week, Blinken addressed the mood in its first comments to employees, saying this was the beginning of a new era.

"I know that the State Department that I am writing to today is not the same one I left four years ago," referring to his time as undersecretary of state.

«Much has changed.

The world has changed.

The Department has changed.

Joe Biden is expected to thank the State Department employees when he visits the building on Monday.

Department of State