UK appoints diplomat Karen Pierce as new ambassador to Washington
2 min read
Dame Karen Pierce has been appointed the UK's new ambassador to America, the Government has announced.
The highly-experienced diplomat, who is currently the UK’s permanent representative to the United Nations in New York, will become the first woman to hold the post.
She succeeds Sir Kim Darroch, who was forced to resign as US ambassador last July following a row over leaked cables in which he criticised Donald Trump.
Dame Karen, who said she was “honoured” to have been offered the role, will assume her duties once the US has formally agreed to her appointment.
A spokesman for the Prime Minister said: "Dame Karen is an outstanding and accomplished diplomat and he is delighted that she will be representing us in Washington."
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said he was “delighted” that Dame Karen would be taking over the role at “a time of huge opportunity for the friendship between the UK and US”.
“We’re proud to be sending to Washington such an outstanding diplomat, and I warmly congratulate her on her appointment,” he added.
Dame Karen brings a wealth of experience to the role, having held positions for the Foreign Office in Tokyo, Ukraine, Belarus and Washington.
She was also the UK’s ambassador to Afghanistan between 2015 and 2016.
Asked in September if she wanted the job, Dame Karen told the Sunday Times: “Of course I’d absolutely love to do it. It’s a wonderful, challenging job. But it’s up to the PM, up to the Foreign Secretary and there’ll be a queue around the block.”
Her promotion comes at an interesting time in relations between the UK and the US, with Donald Trump having an “apoplectic” rant at the PM over his Huawei decision.
The UK is also hoping to negotiate a generous trade deal with the US, with International Trade Secretary Liz Truss planning to slash tariffs on US goods post-Brexit.
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