U.S. President Barack Obama nominated Robert Cekuta as the new ambassador to the Republic of Azerbaijan on July 8. Cekuta is currently the Assistant Secretary of State of the Energy Resources Bureau. Previously, he has also worked in a diplomatic capacity in Afghanistan, Tokyo, and Berlin, dealing with economic issues. In 2002, he served as a Special Envoy for biotechnology issues in the State Department’s Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs.
His nomination will be considered by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, after which he must be approved by the Senate during session.
Current U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan Richard Morningstar’s term is set to expire in August of this year. He has headed the U.S. diplomatic mission in Baku, Azerbaijan since 2012.
