Senate approves Kelly Degnan as the US ambassador to Georgia
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The US Senate has approved Kelly Degnan as the new ambassador of the US to Georgia, the diplomat who has 25 years of diplomatic experience and is a recipient of the Secretary of State’s Expeditionary Service Award.
The US President Donald Trump presented Californian Degnan for the role in September 2019.
The post has been vacant since March 2018.
Before the nomination to the post Degnan served as the political advisor to the Commander of United States Naval Forces Europe – United States Naval Forces Africa.
Previously, she was deputy chief of mission of the United States mission to Italy, deputy executive secretary of the Department of State, and Deputy Chief of mission of the United States Embassy in Pristina, Kosovo.
During her 25-year career, she has served as political counselor at the United States mission to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in Brussels, Belgium, senior civilian representative to Brigade Combat Team Salerno in Khost, Afghanistan, and deputy political counselor at the United States Embassy in Ankara, Turkey.
Trump’s administration says that she also served as a special assistant to the Secretary of State and to the Undersecretary for Political Affairs at the Department of State.
She speaks Italian, French, Turkish and Urdu.
Previous Ambassador Ian Kelly announced his retirement once his mission in Georgia concluded at the end of March 2018, bringing an end to his 33-year career.
The US Congress has approved its defense spending bill for 2020 to the amount of $738 billion, which includes significant cooperation with Georgia.
The United States President Donald Trump’s nominee for Ambassador to Georgia Kelly C. Degnan said if confirmed, she would “build on the productive partnership” that US and Georgia have developed so far.
The US President Donald Trump has presented Californian Kelly C. Degnan for the role of the new US ambassador to Georgia. Degnan has 25 years of diplomatic experience and is a recipient of the Secretary of State’s Expeditionary Service Award.
Acting US Ambassador to Georgia Elizabeth Rood says that Georgia is a safe country and Russia should remove the ban on direct flights to Georgia, which came into force on July 8.
The bill, which was introduced to Senate on June 11, says that Russia's violations of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia and Ukraine and its ongoing destabilising and aggressive behaviour have undermined peace, security and stability in Europe and beyond.
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia has met with acting US Ambassador to Georgia Elisabeth Rood earlier today.
New US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan, who has 25 years of diplomatic experience, has been sworn in, the US Embassy to Georgia has reported earlier today, stating that ‘we are looking forward to [her] arrival in Georgia.” The swearing-in ceremony was attended by the US Under Secretary of State David Hale.
New US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan said in her recent swearing-in remarks at the US Department of State “there is no doubt that Georgia is an important and strategic partner for the United States”.
The Georgian Embassy to the US has sent kind wishes to new Ambassador of the US to Georgia Kelly Degnan, stating that they are looking forward to a new stage of strengthening partnership between the US and Georgia under her tenure.Degnan, who has 25 years of diplomatic experience, was sworn in at the US Department of State on January 17 which was attended by the Ambassador of Georgia to the US David Bakradze.
“Gamarjoba! I am delighted to be here finally”, new United States Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan said upon arriving in the country earlier today. "It is an honor to serve as the US Ambassador to Georgia. I look forward to continuing the strong partnership America and Georgia have had”, Kelly Degnan said.
United States President Joe Biden on Monday submitted the candidacy of Robin Dunnigan for the position of the country’s new Ambassador to Georgia to the Senate.