US President may nominate Career Diplomat Kelly Degnan as new US Ambassador to Georgia

12:08, 04.09.2019

U.S. President Donald Trump has announced his intention to nominate career diplomat Kelly Degnan as the new U.S. ambassador to Georgia, a post that has been vacant for nearly a year and a half.

Degnan currently serves as a political adviser to the commander of the U.S. Naval Forces Europe-U.S. Naval Forces Africa, according to a September 3 White House statement, as reported by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

A native of California, Degnan’s career has spanned 25 years and has included senior diplomatic postings to Italy, Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Turkey. Degnan also served as the deputy executive secretary of the State Department, political counselor at the U.S. mission to NATO, and special assistant to the secretary of state. Degnan speaks Italian, French, Turkish, and Urdu.

Elizabeth Rudd has served as acting ambassador to Georgia since Ambassador Ian Kelly departed in March 2018.

Diplomatic relations with Georgia were officially established in 1992 after the country’s gaining independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

Politics

Kelly Degnan

US Ambassador to Georgia