List of ambassadors of the United States to Latvia

Last updated

Ambassador of the United States to Latvia
US Department of State official seal.svg
Seal of the United States Department of State
Christopher Robinson, U.S. Ambassador.jpg
since February 21, 2023
NominatorThe President of the United States
AppointerThe President
with Senate advice and consent
Inaugural holder Frederick W.B. Coleman
as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
FormationSeptember 20, 1922
Website U.S. Embassy - Riga

The United States first established diplomatic relations with the Baltic states (Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia) in 1922. One ambassador, resident in Riga, Latvia, was appointed to all three nations. Relations with the three nations were broken after the Soviet invasion of the republics in 1940 at the beginning of World War II. The United States never recognized the legitimacy of the Soviet occupation of the Baltic states, nor the legitimacy of the governments of those states under Soviet occupation. Hence, full diplomatic relations were not resumed until 1992 after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Contents

The U.S. Embassy in Latvia is located in Riga.

Ambassadors

NameTitleAppointed Presented credentials Terminated missionNotes
Frederick W. B. Coleman [1] – Political appointeeEnvoy Extraordinary and Minister PlenipotentiarySeptember 20, 1922November 13, 1922October 20, 1931
Robert Peet Skinner [1] [2] – Career FSOSeptember 23, 1931January 28, 1932April 29, 1933
John Van Antwerp MacMurray [1] [3] – Career FSOAugust 28, 1933December 13, 1933February 12, 1936
Arthur Bliss Lane [1] – Career FSOJanuary 24, 1936July 2, 1936September 16, 1937
John C. Wiley [4] [5] – Career FSOJuly 18, 1938October 6, 1938June 17, 1940
Soviet forces occupied Riga on June 17, 1940, which effectively ended the U.S. diplomatic presence in those nations. Ambassador Wiley departed Riga on July 25, 1940. [6] Earl L. Packer was serving as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim when all U.S. diplomatic officials were withdrawn and the legation in Riga was officially closed on September 5, 1940. Semi-official diplomatic relations continue until 1992 through the Latvian Diplomatic Service.
The United States announced its readiness to reestablish full relations with Latvia on September 2, 1991. [7] Embassy Riga was reestablished October 2, 1991 with Ints M. Siliņš as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim pending his appointment as ambassador.
Ints Siliņš – Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryMarch 23, 1992April 10, 1992July 14, 1995
Larry C. Napper – Career FSOJune 27, 1995August 1, 1995October 1, 1998
James Howard Holmes – Career FSOAugust 4, 1998August 27, 1998September 15, 2001
Brian E. Carlson – Career FSONovember 5, 2001December 4, 2001December 6, 2004
Catherine Todd Bailey – Political appointeeNovember 29, 2004 [8] February 4, 2005February 4, 2008
Charles W. Larson, Jr. – Political appointeeJanuary 7, 2008February 12, 2008January 20, 2009 [9]
Judith G. Garber – Career FSOAugust 14, 2009August 25, 2009July 9, 2012
Mark Pekala – Career FSOJuly 10, 2012September 4, 2012August 7, 2014
Nancy Pettit – Career FSOJuly 29, 2015September 8, 2015July 14, 2019
John Carwile – Career FSOSeptember 30, 2019November 5, 2019January 27, 2023 [10]
Christopher T. Robinson - Career FSODecember 13, 2022February 21, 2023Incumbent

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 The ambassador was simultaneously accredited to Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia, while resident in Riga, Latvia.
  2. ↑ Skinner was commissioned during a recess of the Senate and recommissioned after confirmation on December 17, 1931.
  3. ↑ MacMurray was commissioned during a recess of the Senate and recommissioned after confirmation on January 15, 1934.
  4. ↑ The ambassador was simultaneously accredited to Estonia and Latvia, while resident in Riga.
  5. ↑ Wiley was commissioned during a recess of the Senate and recommissioned after confirmation on Jan 20, 1939.
  6. ↑ "U.S. Diplomatic Representatives to Estonia, 1919-1940" (PDF). U.S. Embassy in Estonia.
  7. ↑ "History of the U.S. and Estonia". U.S. Embassy in Estonia. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  8. ↑ An earlier nomination of September 8, 2004 was not acted upon by the Senate.
  9. ↑ "Charles W. Larson Jr. - People - Department History - Office of the Historian".
  10. ↑ "U.S. Ambassador Carwile bids a fond farewell to Latvia".

See also

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References

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