WASHINGTON, August 1 (RIA Novosti) — The US Senate late Thursday evening voted for John Tefft to become the country’s new ambassador to Russia.
Republican Senator Mike Enzi tried to block Tefft’s appointment but his objections were surmounted during the voting.
On July 11, the White House announced that US President Barack Obama nominated Tefft to the position of the ambassador after Kremlin gave its approval for the candidacy.
The US Senate foreign relations committee voted unanimously to approve Tefft’s candidacy as the US ambassador in Russia during a session on July 29. His appointment found support from both Republicans and Democrats.
Tefft, a career diplomat, previously served as a US ambassador to Ukraine from 2009 to 2013, after holding the same position in Georgia from 2005 to 2009, and Lithuania from 2000 to 2003.
From 1996 to 1999 Tefft worked as deputy ambassador in Moscow. Prior to that, between 1989 and 1992, he was deputy head of the department for the Soviet Union, later Russia and the CIS, in the US State Department.
The post of ambassador to Russia has been vacant since the previous US ambassador, Michael McFaul, announced his return to the United States on February 4.
