US ambassador to Georgia announces retirement after 33 years of diplomatic service

US Ambassador to Georgia Robin Dunnigan has announced her retirement, describing it as a “personal decision” after a distinguished 33-year career in diplomacy.

“After 33 years representing the United States as a diplomat, I have made the personal decision to retire,” Dunnigan stated on June 5, Caliber.Az reports via Georgian media.

“This is a fully personal decision. I have not been asked to return by my government,” she added.

Appointed in 2023, Dunnigan succeeded Kelly C. Degnan as the US Ambassador to Georgia. Prior to her posting in Tbilisi, she served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Central and Eastern Europe in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, and as Chargé d’Affaires and Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy in Austria from 2018 to 2021.

Reflecting on her tenure in Georgia, Dunnigan remarked, “Serving as the US Ambassador to Georgia has been the greatest honor and privilege of my entire career, and I will forever be proud of the work the tremendous US government team, in Washington and here at the US Embassy in Tbilisi, has done to advance the partnership between our peoples and our countries.”

She also expressed gratitude towards the Georgian people for their “incredible generosity and warmth,” noting that she and her family were embraced with “unparalleled Georgian hospitality.”

“I am more certain today than ever that the core values that bind Americans and Georgians will ensure that our special partnership and friendship endures,” Dunnigan added.

Until her departure, she pledged to continue working diligently to strengthen bilateral ties.

By Vafa Guliyeva