List of ambassadors of the United States to Belarus
The United States ambassador to Belarus is the official representative of the president of the United States to the head of state of Belarus.
| Ambassador of the United States to Belarus | |
|---|---|
| Пасол Злучаных Штатаў у Беларусі | |
 Seal of the United States Department of State | |
since June 26, 2023 | |
| Nominator | The President of the United States |
| Appointer | The President with Senate advice and consent |
| Inaugural holder | David Heywood Swartz as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary |
| Formation | August 11, 1992 |
| Website | by |
Until 1991, the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic had been a constituent republic of the Soviet Union. During the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Supreme Soviet of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic declared independence on August 25, 1991, and renamed itself the Republic of Belarus on September 19, 1991. The United States recognized Belarus on December 26, 1991. An embassy was established in the capital, Minsk, on January 31, 1992, with John Ford as Chargé d’Affaires ad interim. Relations between the United States and Belarus have been continuous since that time.
The U.S. Embassy in Belarus is located in Minsk. Since March 12, 2008, when Ambassador Karen Stewart was formally recalled for consultations, there has been no accredited U.S. Ambassador in Minsk. All but five U.S. diplomats were declared persona non grata on April 30, 2008.
Ambassadors
edit| Name | Title | Appointed | Presented credentials | Terminated mission | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Heywood Swartz – Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | August 11, 1992 | September 9, 1992 | January 21, 1994 | |
| Kenneth Spencer Yalowitz – Career FSO | September 29, 1994 | November 7, 1994 | July 8, 1997 | ||
| Daniel V. Speckhard – Career FSO[1] | August 1, 1997 | September 18, 1997 | August 5, 2000 | ||
| Michael G. Kozak – Career Civil Service (non-FSO) | September 15, 2000 | February 22, 2001 | August 8, 2003 | ||
| George A. Krol – Career FSO | July 1, 2003 | October 22, 2003 | July 24, 2006 | ||
| Karen B. Stewart – Career FSO | August 14, 2006 | October 24, 2006 | March 12, 2008[2][3][4] | ||
| Jonathan M. Moore – Career FSO | Chargé d'Affaires ad interim | March 12, 2008 | —[5] | July 7, 2009 | |
| Michael Scanlan – Career FSO | July 7, 2009 | — | June 2013 | ||
| Ethan A. Goldrich – Career FSO | June 2013 | — | June 30, 2014 | ||
| Scott Rauland[6] | June 30, 2014 | — | July 8, 2016[7] | ||
| Robert J. Riley | August 22, 2016[7] | — | July 17, 2018[8] | ||
| Jenifer H. Moore | August 17, 2018[9] | — | July 27, 2020 | ||
| Jeffrey Giauque[10] | July 27, 2020 | — | December 22, 2020 | ||
| Julie D. Fisher – Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | December 15, 2020[11] | December 23, 2020 | June 9, 2022 | |
| Ruben Harutunian | Chargé d'Affaires ad interim | June 9, 2022 | June 25, 2023[12] | ||
| Peter Kaufmann | Chargé d'Affaires ad interim | June 26, 2023 | Present |
Notes
edit- ^ During his tenure, Ambassador Speckhard was recalled for one year because of a dispute between the government and Western embassies over the confiscation of diplomatic residences. "Background Belarus". United States Department of State. Retrieved 2011-08-06.
- ^ "Belarus". U. S. Department of State. Retrieved 2011-05-21.
- ^ Ambassador Stewart was "recalled for consultations" at the request of the government of Belarus on March 12, 2008. Sources: The New York Times: "U.S. Cuts Embassy Staff ", Moscow Times: "U.S. Ambassador Leaving Belarus"
- ^ "Background Belarus". United States Department of State. Retrieved 2011-08-06.
- ^ "US Ambassador Visits Belarus Opposition Leader on Eve of Putin-Lukashenko Meeting". 21 April 2021.
- ^ Chief of Mission |Minsk, Belarus - Embassy of the United States
- ^ a b "New Head Of US Embassy Arrives in Minsk". Retrieved 2019-03-21.
- ^ "Farewell Address of Chargé D'affaires Robert Riley". 17 July 2018. Retrieved 2019-03-21.
- ^ "New U.S. charge d'affaires arrives in Belarus". Retrieved 2019-03-21.
- ^ "Chargé d'affaires Jeffrey Giauque". US Embassy in Belarus. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
- ^ "2020-12-31 - Ambassador Assignments Overseas Report" (PDF). Office of Presidential Appointments.
- ^ @USEmbBy (June 25, 2023). "Today we bid a fond farewell to US Embassy Minsk Charge d'Affaires Ruben Harutunian, a true friend of the Belarusian people, as he moves on to his next diplomatic assignment" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
