WASHINGTON – The swearing-in ceremony of Marie L. Yovanovitch as ambassador of the United States of America to Ukraine was held on August 12, in the William J. Burns Auditorium at the George Marshall Center, U.S. Department of State.
Ambassador Yovanovitch will arrive in Ukraine in time for the 25th anniversary celebration of the independence of Ukraine on August 24. She replaces Geoffrey Pyatt, who will serve as the new U.S. ambassador to Greece.
The U.S.-Ukraine Business Council (USUBC) was represented at Ambassador Yovanovitch’s swearing-in by President Morgan Williams. He noted that the U.S.-Ukraine Business Council (USUBC) congratulates Ambassador Yovanovitch on her appointment and that the council’s 200 members look forward to working with her in Kyiv. Over 45 representatives of USUBC member-organization met with Ambassador Yovanovitch in Washington.
Ambassador Yovanovitch, who hails from Connecticut, is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service. Since September 2012 she was principal deputy assistant secretary in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs. Previously, she served as the bureau’s deputy assistant secretary responsible for bilateral relations with Nordic, Baltic and Central European countries. She served as ambassador to the Republic of Armenia (2008-2011) and the Kyrgyz Republic (2005-2008).
In her last Washington assignment, she was the senior advisor to the undersecretary of state for political affairs. Prior to that, she was the deputy chief of mission of the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv. Within the Department of State, Ambassador Yovanovitch has worked on the Russia desk, the Office of European Security Affairs and the Operations Center.