| Ambassador of the United States to Slovakia | |
|---|---|
 Seal of the United States Department of State | |
| Nominator | The President of the United States |
| Inaugural holder | Theodore E. Russell as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary |
| Formation | November 22, 1993 |
| Website | U.S. Embassy - Bratislava |
Until 1992 the Slovak Republic had been united with the Czech Republic as the nation of Czechoslovakia. Following World War II, a U.S. consulate was established in Bratislava, but the consulate was closed on May 27, 1950, on the order of the Czechoslovak government, at the height of the Cold War. In 1990 the consulate was reestablished in Bratislava. The Consulate was upgraded to the status of Consulate General on October 21, 1991. In June 1992, the Slovak parliament voted to declare sovereignty and the Czech-Slovak federation dissolved peacefully on January 1, 1993. The United States recognized the Slovak Republic as an independent state and established diplomatic relations with it on January 1, 1993. The embassy in Bratislava was established January 4, 1993, with Paul Hacker as Chargé d’Affaires ad interim. He was replaced by Eleanor Sutter on July 7, 1993. The first ambassador, Theodore E. Russell was commissioned to Slovakia on November 22, 1993. The United States has maintained diplomatic relations with Slovakia since 1993.
Ambassadors
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U.S. diplomatic terms |
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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". |
| Name | Title | Appointed | Presented credentials | Terminated mission | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Theodore E. Russell – Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | November 22, 1993 | December 16, 1993 | March 29, 1996 | |
| Ralph R. Johnson – Career FSO | January 18, 1996 | April 4, 1996 | May 21, 1999 | ||
| Carl Spielvogel – Political appointee[1] | August 3, 2000 | September 7, 2000 | April 15, 2001 | ||
| Ronald Weiser – Political appointee | November 26, 2001 | January 5, 2002 | December 19, 2004 | ||
| Rodolphe M. "Skip" Vallee – Political appointee | June 21, 2005 | August 23, 2005 | December 5, 2007 | ||
| Vincent Obsitnik – Political appointee | November 9, 2007 | December 6, 2007 | January 20, 2009 | ||
| Theodore Sedgwick – Political appointee | July 4, 2010 | August 18, 2010 | July 2, 2015 | ||
| Liam Wasley | Chargé d'Affaires | September 20, 2015[2] | N/A | August 2016 | |
| Adam H. Sterling – Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | May 25, 2016 | September 6, 2016 | August 7, 2019 | |
| Bridget Brink – Career FSO | May 29, 2019 | August 20, 2019[3] | May 18, 2022 | ||
| Nicholas Namba | Chargé d'Affaires | May 19, 2022 | N/A | September 14, 2022 | |
| Gautam Rana | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | August 4, 2022 | September 28, 2022 | Incumbent |
Notes
- ^ Spielvogel was commissioned during a recess of the Senate. A later nomination of September 28, 2000, was not acted upon by the Senate.
- ^ "I'm glad to return to Slovakia". October 21, 2015.
- ^ "Ambassador Bridget Brink Presents Credentials to President Zuzana Čaputová". U.S. Embassy Bratislava. August 20, 2019. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
See also
References
- United States Department of State: Background notes on Slovakia
This article incorporates public domain material from U.S. Bilateral Relations Fact Sheets. United States Department of State.
External links
- United States Department of State: Chiefs of Mission for Slovakia
- United States Department of State: Slovakia
- United States Embassy in Bratislava
This page was last edited on 13 April 2024, at 01:26