Robert Cekuta has been confirmed by the US Senate as the next ambassador to Azerbaijan, according to the Twitter page of the US co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, James Warlick.
"We are pleased to announce that on December 16, the US Senate confirmed the nomination of Robert F. Cekuta as the next US Ambassador to Azerbaijan," read the message.
"We eagerly await his arrival and look forward to joining with the Azerbaijani government and people in welcoming him to Azerbaijan," the embassy noted in its message.
It was also noted in the message that the date of the ambassador-designate Cekuta's arrival has not been finalized yet, but the embassy will provide more information as it becomes available.
Previously, the OSCE Minsk Group's US Co-chair James Warlick said on his Twitter page that the US confirmed its ambassador to Azerbaijan.
In his tweet Warlick also congratulated the new ambassador to Azerbaijan.
Earlier, the US President Barack Obama nominated the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Energy Resources of the Department of State, Robert Francis Cekuta for the post of ambassador to Azerbaijan, and afterwards his candidacy was approved by the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.
Cekuta's recent overseas assignments include Tokyo (2007-2009) and Berlin (2003-2007), where he led the US government's participation in the full range of economic issues.
Cekuta's activity as Minister-Counselor for Economic Affairs at the US embassy in Germany covered counter-terrorism activities and efforts to combat international crime.
He also served as the Senior Advisor for Food Security in the Bureau of Economic, Energy, and Business Affairs and as the Senior Deputy Coordinating Director for Economic and Development Affairs at the US embassy in Kabul.
Moreover, Cekuta served as a Senior Advisor in the Office of the US Trade Representative from 1999 to 2000. He was also a Special Negotiator for Biotechnology in the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs in 2002.
Cekuta received a BS from Georgetown University, an MA from the Thunderbird School of Global Management, and an MA from the National Defense University.