Spokesman for the U.S. State Department sent ambassadors to the OSCE

U.S. President Barack Obama announced his intention to appoint a new U.S. ambassador to the OSCE Ian Kelly, Interfax, citing the press service of the White House.

The report notes that in May 2009 Kelly worked as a press secretary of the U.S. State Department and has the diplomatic rank of Minister-Counselor.

From January to May 2009 he was the Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, was responsible for Russia, Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus.

From 2007 to 2009 headed the department of Russia’s State Department. From 2004 to 2007, Kelly worked at the U.S. mission to NATO. In different years, held positions at U.S. embassies and consulates in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Ankara, Vienna, Belgrade.

Fluent in Russian, defended a doctoral thesis on Russian literature at Columbia University.

Ian Kelly’s candidacy for the post of ambassador must be approved by the U.S. Senate