Obama nominates Indian-American as ambassador to Sri Lanka, Maldives

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President Barack Obama has nominated an Indian-American, a former official at its Embassy in New Delhi, as the next US ambassador to Sri Lanka and Maldives. In a statement issued by the Office of the Press Secretary, President Obama yesterday announced the nomination of Atul Keshap, a career foreign service official, as the next US ambassador to Sri Lanka and Maldives. The statement said

Atul Keshap, a career member of the Foreign Service, class of Counselor, currently serves as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs at the Department of State, a position he has held since 2013. Previously, he served at the Department of State as a U.S. Senior Official for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs from 2012 to 2013.

From 2010 to 2012, he was the Director for India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, and Maldives in the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs. Prior to that, Mr. Keshap was Director for United Nations Human Rights in the Bureau of International Organization Affairs from 2008 to 2010 and Deputy Political Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, India from 2005 to 2008.

He served as Director for Near Eastern and North African Affairs in the National Security Council from 2003 to 2004 and as Special Assistant to the Under Secretary for Political Affairs from 2002 to 2003. Mr. Keshap’s earlier assignments with the Department of State included postings in Morocco and Guinea. Mr. Keshap received a B.A. and M.A. from the University of Virginia.

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