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List of ambassadors of the United States to Slovakia

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For ambassadors to Czechoslovakia before the establishment of the Slovak Republic, see United States Ambassador to Czechoslovakia.

Ambassador of the United States to Slovakia
Seal of the United States Department of State
since September 28, 2022
NominatorThe President of the United States
Inaugural holderTheodore E. Russell
as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
FormationNovember 22, 1993
WebsiteU.S. Embassy - Bratislava

Until 1992 the Slovak Republic had been united with the Czech Republic as the nation of Czechoslovakia. Following World War II, a U.S. consulate was established in Bratislava, but the consulate was closed on May 27, 1950, on the order of the Czechoslovak government, at the height of the Cold War. In 1990 the consulate was reestablished in Bratislava. The Consulate was upgraded to the status of Consulate General on October 21, 1991. In June 1992, the Slovak parliament voted to declare sovereignty and the Czech-Slovak federation dissolved peacefully on January 1, 1993. The United States recognized the Slovak Republic as an independent state and established diplomatic relations with it on January 1, 1993. The embassy in Bratislava was established January 4, 1993, with Paul Hacker as Chargé d’Affaires ad interim. He was replaced by Eleanor Sutter on July 7, 1993. The first ambassador, Theodore E. Russell was commissioned to Slovakia on November 22, 1993. The United States has maintained diplomatic relations with Slovakia since 1993.

Ambassadors

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U.S. diplomatic terms

Career FSO
After 1915, The United States Department of State began classifying ambassadors as career Foreign Service Officers (FSOs) for those who have served in the Foreign Service for a specified amount of time.

Political appointee
A person who is not a career foreign service officer, but is appointed by the president (often as a reward to political friends).

Appointed
The date that the ambassador took the oath of office; also known as "commissioning". It follows confirmation of a presidential appointment by the Senate, or a Congressional recess appointment by the president. In the case of a recess appointment, the ambassador requires subsequent confirmation by the Senate to remain in office.

Presented credentials
The date that the ambassador presented his letter of credence to the head of state or appropriate authority of the receiving nation. At this time the ambassador officially becomes the representative of his country. This would normally occur a short time after the ambassador's arrival on station. The host nation may reject the ambassador by not receiving the ambassador's letter, but this occurs only rarely.

Terminated mission
Usually the date that the ambassador left the country. In some cases a letter of recall is presented, ending the ambassador's commission, either as a means of diplomatic protest or because the diplomat is being reassigned elsewhere and replaced by another envoy.

Chargé d'affaires
The person in charge of the business of the embassy when there is no ambassador commissioned to the host country.

Ad interim
Latin phrase meaning "for the time being", "in the meantime".
Name Title Appointed Presented credentials Terminated mission Notes
Theodore E. Russell – Career FSO Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary November 22, 1993 December 16, 1993 March 29, 1996
Ralph R. Johnson – Career FSO January 18, 1996 April 4, 1996 May 21, 1999
Carl Spielvogel – Political appointee[1] August 3, 2000 September 7, 2000 April 15, 2001
Ronald Weiser – Political appointee November 26, 2001 January 5, 2002 December 19, 2004
Rodolphe M. "Skip" Vallee – Political appointee June 21, 2005 August 23, 2005 December 5, 2007
Vincent Obsitnik – Political appointee November 9, 2007 December 6, 2007 January 20, 2009
Theodore Sedgwick – Political appointee July 4, 2010 August 18, 2010 July 2, 2015
Liam Wasley Chargé d'Affaires September 20, 2015[2] N/A August 2016
Adam H. Sterling – Career FSO Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary May 25, 2016 September 6, 2016 August 7, 2019
Bridget Brink – Career FSO May 29, 2019 August 20, 2019[3] May 18, 2022
Nicholas Namba Chargé d'Affaires May 19, 2022 N/A September 14, 2022
Gautam Rana Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary August 4, 2022 September 28, 2022 Incumbent

Notes

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  1. ^ Spielvogel was commissioned during a recess of the Senate. A later nomination of September 28, 2000, was not acted upon by the Senate.
  2. ^ "I'm glad to return to Slovakia". October 21, 2015.
  3. ^ "Ambassador Bridget Brink Presents Credentials to President Zuzana Čaputová". U.S. Embassy Bratislava. August 20, 2019. Retrieved August 21, 2019.

See also

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References

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