PM Gakharia Congratulates Kelly Degnan on Her Swearing-in

Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia congratulated the newly appointed US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan on taking her oath.

"Congratulations to Kelly Degnan on her swearing-in as the US Ambassador to Georgia. We look forward to working with you to advance Georgia's European & Euro-Atlantic aspirations and bringing even greater dynamism to the strategic partnership between our two great nations," the Prime Minister wrote on social media. 

Kelly Degnan was sworn in as the new US Ambassador to Georgia at the US Department of State on January 16. The oath-taking ceremony was attended by David Hale, the United States Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs. 

The US Embassy to Georgia also congratulated Degnan on her swearing-in. 

"Congratulations to Ambassador Kelly Degnan on her swearing-in! We look forward to her arrival in Georgia," reads the official Facebook page of the Embassy.

The US President Donald Trump presented Degnan for the role in September 2019 and the Senate approved her candidacy in December. 

The new US Ambassador to Georgia has 25 years' diplomatic experience and is a recipient of the Secretary of State’s Expeditionary Service Award.

Before the nomination to the post, Degnan served as the political advisor to the Commander of United States Naval Forces Europe – the United States Naval Forces Africa. Previously, she was Deputy Chief of Mission of the United States mission to Italy, Deputy Executive Secretary of the Department of State, and  Deputy Chief of Mission of the United States Embassy in Pristina, Kosovo.

During her 25-year career, Degnan has served as political counselor at the United States mission to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in Brussels, Belgium, senior civilian representative to the Brigade Combat Team Salerno in Khost, Afghanistan, and deputy political counselor at the United States Embassy in Ankara, Turkey.

By Ana Dumbadze