Ambassador of the United States to Armenia
Միացյալ Նահանգների դեսպանը Հայաստանում
Seal of the United States Department of State
Incumbent
Kristina Kvien
since February 21, 2023
ResidenceYerevan
NominatorThe President of the United States
AppointerThe President
with Senate advice and consent
Inaugural holderHarry J. Gilmore
as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
FormationMay 12, 1993
WebsiteNo URL found. Please specify a URL here or add one to Wikidata. Edit this at Wikidata

Armenia declared its independence from the Soviet Union on August 23, 1990,[1] having previously been the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic, one of the constituent republics of the USSR since 1936, and part of the Transcaucasian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic since 1920. In the wake of the August 1991 Coup, a referendum was held on the question of secession. Following an overwhelming vote in favor, full independence was declared on September 21, 1991. However, widespread recognition did not occur until the formal dissolution of the Soviet Union on December 25, 1991. The United States recognized Armenia on December 25, 1991.[2]

The embassy in Yerevan was opened February 3, 1992, with Steven Mann as Chargé d'affaires ad interim.

Ambassadors

U.S. diplomatic terms

Career FSO
After 1915, The United States Department of State began classifying ambassadors as career Foreign Service Officers (FSOs) for those who have served in the Foreign Service for a specified amount of time.

Political appointee
A person who is not a career foreign service officer, but is appointed by the president (often as a reward to political friends).

Appointed
The date that the ambassador took the oath of office; also known as "commissioning". It follows confirmation of a presidential appointment by the Senate, or a Congressional recess appointment by the president. In the case of a recess appointment, the ambassador requires subsequent confirmation by the Senate to remain in office.

Presented credentials
The date that the ambassador presented his letter of credence to the head of state or appropriate authority of the receiving nation. At this time the ambassador officially becomes the representative of his country. This would normally occur a short time after the ambassador's arrival on station. The host nation may reject the ambassador by not receiving the ambassador's letter, but this occurs only rarely.

Terminated mission
Usually the date that the ambassador left the country. In some cases a letter of recall is presented, ending the ambassador's commission, either as a means of diplomatic protest or because the diplomat is being reassigned elsewhere and replaced by another envoy.

Chargé d'affaires
The person in charge of the business of the embassy when there is no ambassador commissioned to the host country.

Ad interim
Latin phrase meaning "for the time being", "in the meantime".
Image Name Appointed Presented credentials Terminated mission Notes
Harry J. Gilmore[3] – Career FSO May 12, 1993 May 31, 1993 Left post, July 11, 1995
Peter Tomsen – Career FSO June 27, 1995 September 6, 1995 September 6, 1998
Michael C. Lemmon – Career FSO June 29, 1998 September 21, 1998 October 1, 2001
John Malcolm Ordway – Career FSO November 5, 2001 November 23, 2001 July 31, 2004
John Marshall Evans – Career FSO June 30, 2004 September 4, 2004 Left post, September 10, 2006[4] Recalled by the Bush administration over remarks about the Armenian genocide.[4]
Rudolf V. Perina[5] September 10, 2006 August 1, 2008 Chargé d'affaires a.i.
Marie Yovanovitch[6] – Career FSO August 4, 2008 September 22, 2008 June 9, 2011
Bruce Donahue – Career FSO June 9, 2011 October 6, 2011 Chargé d'affaires a.i.
John A. Heffern[7] – Career FSO September 29, 2011 October 17, 2011[8] December 22, 2014
Richard M. Mills Jr. – Career FSO January 2, 2015 February 15, 2015 October 17, 2018[9]
Rafik Mansour – Career FSO October 17, 2018 March 1, 2019 Chargé d'affaires a.i.
Lynne M. Tracy – Career FSO[10] February 19, 2019[11] March 1, 2019[12] December 20, 2022
Chip Laitinen - Career FSO January 5, 2023 February 21, 2023 Chargé d'affaires a.i.
Kristina Kvien – Career FSO December 13, 2022 February 21, 2023

The U.S. Ambassador to Armenia holds the title Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Armenia Independence". The Government of Armenia. Retrieved October 22, 2012.
  2. ^ "U.S. Department of State Office of the Historian". U. Retrieved October 22, 2012.
  3. ^ Gilmore was nominated for the second time by President Clinton on April 2, 1993. An earlier nomination of August 10, 1992 was not acted upon by the Senate.
  4. ^ a b Emil Danielyan (May 24, 2006). "U.S. Envoy to Armenia Recalled". ArmeniaLiberty.org. Retrieved August 3, 2007.
  5. ^ United States Embassy in Yerevan. "Embassy Leadership". United States Department of State: U.S. Embassy in Yerevan. Archived from the original on November 3, 2007. Retrieved August 3, 2007.
  6. ^ "United States Embassy in Yerevan: The Ambassador". Archived from the original on March 22, 2009. Retrieved August 4, 2007.
  7. ^ "United States Embassy in Yerevan: The Ambassador". Archived from the original on April 21, 2012. Retrieved November 20, 2011.
  8. ^ Ambassador Heffern Presents Copies of Credentials to Foreign Minister Nalbandian
  9. ^ Mills, Richard M. (October 9, 2018). "Farewell Speech As Prepared Ambassador Richard M. Mills". am.usembassy.gov. Archived from the original on December 11, 2018. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
  10. ^ "U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Lynne Tracy". November 7, 2021. Archived from the original on November 7, 2021. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
  11. ^ "U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Lynne Tracy". am.usembassy.gov. Retrieved April 6, 2019.
  12. ^ "Foreign Minister of Armenia Zohrab Mnatsakanyan met with Lynne M. Tracy, newly appointed Ambassador of the United States". www.mfa.am. Retrieved April 6, 2019.

External links

Ambassadors of the United States
Categories