New York, March 8 : US State Department spokesperson Ned Price will step down from his duties this month, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced on Wednesday. Price, whose replacement is yet to be announced, will continue to serve at the State Department, working directly for Blinken. "Throughout the more than 200 briefings he has since held, he's treated journalists - as well as colleagues and everyone else he interacts with - with respect," Blinken said in a statement. Within days of taking on the role of a spokesperson in January 2021, "Ned restored the Department's daily press briefings, giving journalists the chance to regularly ask tough questions of our policy". Stating that Price's contributions will benefit the Department long after his service, Blinken said that he has helped the US government defend and promote press freedom around the globe and modelled the transparency and openness that the US advocates for in other countries. Thanking Price for his "remarkable service", Blinken said that his firm grasp of the policies underlying our messaging made him that much more effective in his role. Earlier, Price served in the CIA and was spokesperson of the National Security Council during Obama's administration. /IANS