New U.S. ambassador in Serbia in mid-January

The New U.S. ambassador in Serbia is expected in mid-January, that country’s embassy press attaché Brian Stimmler said on Tuesday.

Mary Warlick’s appointment must first be approved by the U.S. Senate, which has not yet voted on the issue.

U.S. President Barack Obama announced his intent to appoint Warlick to the position. The White House said this was “a very important post”.

“If confirmed, I will work proactively with the democratic government and the people of Serbia as they seek to overcome the challenges of their recent history, assume a constructive and responsible leadership role in the region, and complete Serbia’s integration into Europe and the Euro-Atlantic community of nations”, Warlick told the U.S. Senate Foreign Policy Committee at the time.

“Vice President Biden’s visit to Belgrade in May offered a new opening for U.S.–Serbia relations and provided important momentum toward the goal of establishing a stronger and more cooperative relationship”‘ she said.

“The vice president made clear that we want to move beyond the past and look to the future, with a prosperous and fully European-integrated Serbia as our partner in the region,” Warlick said.

America’s previous top representative in Serbia, Cameron Munter, left before the end of his mandate to take on a new diplomatic post in Iraq.