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"Foreign policy is economic policy," he said. "It is urgent that we show people in the rest of the world that we can get our business done in an effective and timely way."

Mr. Kerry, a Democrat and long-standing member of the Senate from Masschusetts, also staked out a firm position on Iran, saying that he was committed to seeking a diplomatic solution over Iran's nuclear program, but alluding to the option to use military force if a negotiated solution could not be reached.

"Our policy is not containment," he said. "It is prevention, and the clock is ticking."

Mr. Kerry received a friendly reception from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, a panel he has led for the past four years.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, who on Wednesday delivered an impassioned defense of her handling of a deadly attack in September on the American mission in Benghazi, Libya, returned to the committee to introduce her likely successor.

"John is the right choice," Mrs. Clinton said. "He has been a valued partner to this administration and to me personally."

Republicans and Democrats endorsed Mr. Kerry's nomination before he even began to testify. Senator John McCain, the Arizona Republican, underscored the role Mr. Kerry had played as a senator in the normalization of relations with Vietnam.

"It was an impressive performance to say the least," Mr. McCain said.

In an episode that appeared to capture the mood, Senator Robert Menendez, the New Jersey Democrat who led the hearing, mistakenly referred to Mr. Kerry as "Mr. Secretary."

At that point, Mr. Kerry jokingly rose as if he was preparing to leave. "I thought this could be quick," he said, before sitting down to resume answering questions.

On other issues, Mr. Kerry made clear that the he thought a proposal to eliminate all nuclear weapons was a "goal" that could take centuries to achieve and that the United States had no choice but to rely on nuclear deterrence in the meantime.

Mr. Kerry defended his effort to engage the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, during the early months of the Obama administration, asserting that Syria's burgeoning population gave it a reason to seek better ties with the United States.

"He wanted to be able to find some way to reach out to the West," Mr. Kerry said. "History caught up with us."

Mr. Kerry said that he thought Mr. Assad would not survive as Syria's leader much longer.

Mr. Kerry would be the first member of the committee to directly ascend to the Secretary of State post since John Sherman served beginning in 1897 under President William McKinley.