August 5, 2008

Marie L. Yovanovitch Confirmed by Senate as U.S. Ambassador To Armenia

On August 1, 2008, Marie L. Yovanovitch was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Armenia. She is expected to arrive in Armenia in September.

Prior to her appointment to Armenia, Ambassador Yovanovitch was Ambassador of the United States of America to the Kyrgyz Republic from 2005 to 2008.

Ambassador Yovanovitch is a career member of the U.S. diplomatic service, with the personal rank of minister-counselor. Prior to serving in the Kyrgyz Republic, she was the Senior Advisor to the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs from August 2004 to May 2005. From August 2001 to June 2004, she was the Deputy Chief of Mission of the U.S. Embassy Kyiv, Ukraine. From May 1998 to May 2000, she served as the Deputy Director of the Office of Russian Affairs. Her previous overseas assignments include Ottawa, Moscow, London, and Mogadishu. Ambassador Yovanovitch joined the Foreign Service in 1986.

Ambassador Yovanovitch is a graduate of Princeton University where she earned a BA in History and Russian Studies (1980). She has studied at the Pushkin Institute (1980) and received an MS from the National War College (2001).