MOSCOW, July 30 (RIA Novosti) - The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee held an unscheduled session on Tuesday night and voted unanimously to approve John Tefft’s candidacy as the US Ambassador in Russia.
The committee approved Tefft unanimously and his candidacy can be finalized by the Senate by August 1.
Tefft’s appointment was backed by both Republicans and Democrats. "In my view we cannot afford to wait to send an ambassador to Russia," said Democratic Senator Robert Menendez, the committee's chairman.
Tefft said at the hearing he realized this would be a difficult job. “Our relations with Russia today are in serious trouble and their future is uncertain,” he stated.
Such unanimous decisions are rare at the Senate, sometimes it takes months to confirm a candidacy due to interparty fighting.
On July 11, the White House announced that US President Barack Obama nominated John Tefft as the ambassador to Russia.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said that the Kremlin gave its approval for the candidacy of John Tefft as the possible new US ambassador to Russia.
Tefft is a career diplomat, he previously served as a US Ambassador in Lithuania, Georgia and Ukraine. The post has been vacant since the previous US ambassador to Russia, Michael McFaul, announced his return to the United States on February 4.
