Atul Keshap confirmed US Ambassador to Sri Lanka

Washington: United States President Barack Obama’s nominee Atul Keshap has been confirmed as the US Ambassador to Sri Lanka and Maldives by the US Senate on Wednesday.

Mr. Keshap (44), a career member of the Foreign Service, class of Counselor, currently serves as the deputy to Nisha Desai Biswal, Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs at the Department of State.

The new envoy, who traces his origin to Punjab, was a former official at the US Embassy in India. He was the deputy political counsellor at the US Embassy in New Delhi from 2005 to 2008.

As his current role, Keshap had worked closely with Assistant Secretary Biswal to coordinate US policy toward India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives, and Bhutan. This is his first ambassadorial posting.

During his nomination hearing at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in June, Keshap said Sri Lanka, a regional leader in fighting international crime, will be a critical partner for the United States in advancing its interests across the Indo-Pacific.

“As we look to advance our interests across the Indo-Pacific, Sri Lanka will be a critical partner,” he said.

He said the primary interest of the US is to help the people of Sri Lanka succeed as a “prosperous, unified, reconciled, peaceful, and democratic nation.”

The new envoy is expected to be in the island before the upcoming parliamentary election on 17 August.