The U.S. Senate has approved the candidacy of Jonathan Henick for the position of the U.S. Ambassador to Uzbekistan. The relevant decision was published on the website of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.
As head of the diplomatic mission, he will replace Daniel Rosenblum, who has been working in Uzbekistan since 2019 and has now been approved as the US ambassador to Kazakhstan.
In his statement he said: ”This nomination is the culmination of my lifelong interest in this region. At university, I majored in Soviet Area Studies with a focus on Central Asia. I spent a semester abroad and traveled to Uzbekistan before its independence. When I joined the Foreign Service, I jumped at the opportunity to do my very first overseas assignment at our newly established Embassy in Tashkent. I have also spent much of my career working in and with this region. I am beyond excited at the possibility to go back, if confirmed, in this new capacity.”
He added that he would will also prioritize the expansion of the U.S. security partnership. Uzbekistan has long been an important partner in supporting Afghanistan’s stability. “If confirmed, I look forward to strengthening bilateral and regional security cooperation, including on law enforcement matters, border security, and counterterrorism. Finally, I would endeavor to foster an inclusive work environment at Embassy Tashkent, consistent with the Administration’s and this committee’s vision of a State Department workforce that values collegiality, teamwork, and respect.”
Jonathan Henick is a senior member of the US Foreign Service with the rank of Minister Counselor. Since last year, he has been working at the College of Information and Cyberspace at the National Defense University as a department chair at the US Department of State.
Previously, he served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, where he was responsible for the countries of Central Asia, as well as public diplomacy and media relations in South and Central Asia.
