List of ambassadors of the United States to Armenia

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 Coup (1991), 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]

Ambassador of the United States to Armenia
Միացյալ Նահանգների դեսպանը Հայաստանում
Seal of the United States Department of State
Incumbent
Lynne M. Tracy
since March 1, 2019
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
WebsiteU.S. Embassy - Yerevan

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

The U.S. ambassadorial post to Armenia became vacant on May 24, 2006, when the then-current ambassador, John Marshall Evans, was recalled by the Bush administration, purportedly over remarks by Evans concerning the Armenian genocide.[3] On May 23, 2006, and again on January 9, 2007, President Bush nominated Richard E. Hoagland to be the new ambassador, but the nomination was delayed due to a dispute with respect to the Armenian genocide.[4][5] Rudolf V. Perina, the chargé d'affaires ad interim,[6] served as the chief of the mission until August 1, 2008, when Marie L. Yovanovitch held the ambassadorship.[7] From June to October 2011, Bruce Donahue served as chargé d’affaires. After Mr. Donahue, John A. Heffern was the ambassador from October 2011 to December 2014.[8] Thereafter, Richard M. Mills, Jr. held the ambassadorship from February 2015 to October 2018,[9] and from October 2018 to March 2019, Rafik Mansour served as chargé d’affaires. The ambassador is currently Lynne M. Tracy.[10]

Ambassadors
  • Harry J. Gilmore[11] – Career FSO
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointed: May 12, 1993
    • Presented credentials: May 31, 1993
    • Terminated mission: Left post, July 11, 1995
  • Peter Tomsen – Career FSO
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointed: June 27, 1995
    • Presented credentials: September 6, 1995
    • Terminated mission: Left post September 6, 1998
  • Michael Craig Lemmon – Career FSO
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointed: June 29, 1998
    • Presented credentials: September 21, 1998
    • Terminated mission: Left post October 1, 2001
  • John Malcolm Ordway – Career FSO
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointed: November 5, 2001
    • Presented credentials: November 23, 2001
    • Terminated mission: Left post July 31, 2004
  • John Marshall Evans – Career FSO
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointed: June 30, 2004
    • Presented credentials: September 4, 2004
    • Terminated mission: Left post, September 10, 2006[3]
  • Post vacant September 10, 2006 – August 1, 2008
  • Marie L. Yovanovitch[7] – Career FSO
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointed: August 4, 2008
    • Presented credentials: September 22, 2008
    • Terminated mission: June 9, 2011
  • Bruce Donahue – Career FSO
    • Chargé d'Affaires June 9, 2011 - October 6, 2011
  • John A. Heffern[12] – Career FSO
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointed: September 29, 2011
    • Presented credentials: October 17, 2011[13]
    • Terminated mission: December 22, 2014
  • Richard M. Mills, Jr. – Career FSO
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointed: January 2, 2015
    • Presented credentials: February 15, 2015
    • Terminated mission: October 17, 2018[9]
  • Rafik Mansour – Career FSO
    • Chargé d'Affaires October 17, 2018 - March 1, 2019
  • Lynne M. Tracy – Career FSO
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointed: February 19, 2019[10]
    • Presented credentials: March 1, 2019[14]
    • Terminated mission: Incumbent

See also

Notes
  1. "Armenia Independence". The Government of Armenia. Retrieved 22 October 2012.
  2. "U.S. Department of State Office of the Historian". U. Retrieved 22 October 2012.
  3. Emil Danielyan (May 24, 2006). "U.S. Envoy to Armenia Recalled". ArmeniaLiberty.org. Retrieved 2007-08-03.
  4. Yvonne Abraham, Globe Staff (August 30, 2006). "Armenians try to stall appointment of US envoy". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2007-08-03.
  5. "Genocide Issue Blocks Naming Of U.S. Ambassador To Armenia". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. September 13, 2006. Retrieved 2007-08-03.
  6. United States Embassy in Yerevan. "Embassy Leadership". United States Department of State: U.S. Embassy in Yerevan. Archived from the original on 2007-11-03. Retrieved 2007-08-03.
  7. "United States Embassy in Yerevan: The Ambassador". Archived from the original on 2009-03-22. Retrieved 2007-08-04.
  8. "United States Embassy in Yerevan: The Ambassador". Archived from the original on 2012-04-21. Retrieved 2011-11-20.
  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". am.usembassy.gov. Retrieved April 6, 2019.
  11. 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.
  12. "United States Embassy in Yerevan: The Ambassador". Archived from the original on 2012-04-21. Retrieved 2011-11-20.
  13. Ambassador Heffern Presents Copies of Credentials to Foreign Minister Nalbandian
  14. "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.

References
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