This is a list of United States ambassadors to Tajikistan.
Until 1991, Tajikistan had been a constituent republic of the Soviet Union as the Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic. On December 25, 1991, following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Tajikistan declared its independence and became the Republic of Tajikistan. The United States government recognized Tajikistan on the same day. Diplomatic relations were established on February 19, 1992 in an announcement by President Bush. A temporary embassy was opened by Chargé d'Affaires ad interim Edmund McWilliams on March 13, 1992 in the Avesto Hotel, pending the appointment of an ambassador. The first ranking ambassador was Stanley Tuemler Escudero, who presented his credentials on October 19, 1992.
On October 25, 1992, six days after Ambassador Escudero's arrival, Embassy Dushanbe was closed and all U.S. personnel were withdrawn because of the civil war in Tajikistan. The embassy was reopened on March 11, 1993.
In 1998, after the embassy bombings in Africa, Embassy Dushanbe American personnel were temporarily relocated to Almaty, Kazakhstan, due to heightened Embassy security standards. American Embassy Dushanbe has since returned to full operations and in July 2006 moved into a purpose-built embassy compound.
Ambassadors
Representative Position Title From To Appointed by Edmund McWilliams Chargé d'Affaires March 13, 1992 October 19, 1992 George H. W. Bush Stanley Tuemler Escudero Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary October 19, 1992 June 1, 1995 George H. W. Bush The embassy was closed October 25, 1992 – March 11, 1993. Escudero continued as the nonresident ambassador in the interim. R. Grant Smith Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary July 31, 1995 August 21, 1998 Bill Clinton Robert Finn Ambassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiarY November 11, 1998 July 13, 2001 Bill Clinton Franklin Pierce Huddle, Jr. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary October 26, 2001 October 9, 2003 George W. Bush Richard E. Hoagland Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary November 24, 2003 August 3, 2006 George W. Bush Tracey Ann Jacobson Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary September 4, 2006 July 27, 2009 George W. Bush Kenneth E. Gross, Jr. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary October 2, 2009 July 12, 2012 Barack Obama Susan M. Elliott Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary October 19, 2012 October 5, 2015 Barack Obama Elisabeth I. MillardMillard Elisabeth I. - Republic of Tajikistan - July 2015 U.S. Department of State, July 7, 2015 Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary March 11, 2016 August 31, 2017 Barack Obama Kevin CovertChargé d’Affaires Kevin Covert Chargé d'Affaires August 31, 2017 March 15, 2019 Donald Trump John Pommersheim Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary March 15, 2019 December 2, 2022 Donald Trump Manuel P. Micaller Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary March 9, 2023 January 20, 2026 Joe Biden Carson Relitz Rocker Chargé d'Affaires January 20, 2026 Present Donald Trump
See also Tajikistan – United States relations Foreign relations of Tajikistan Ambassadors of the United States
References
United States Department of State: Background notes on Tajikistan
External links United States Department of State: Chiefs of Mission for Tajikistan United States Department of State: Tajikistan United States Embassy in Dushanbe