Washington
United States Deputy Assistant Secretary Thomas L Vajda will take over charge of South Asian affairs at the US State Department after Alice Wells, the current top diplomat for South Asia, retires on May 22, the department confirmed on Monday.
“I will miss Alice’s wise counsel and dedicated efforts to build relationships and address challenges across South and Central Asia,” US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a tweet on Sunday afternoon, announcing the change in the state department.
“I personally came to admire Ambassador Wells’ dedication to our team’s mission and her dogged pursuit of American excellence. We commend her service and wish her the best,” he added in his departing message for Wells on the social networking platform. After 31 years of dedicated service, Ambassador Alice Wells will retire from StateDept this month. I will miss Alice’s wise counsel and dedicated efforts to build relationships and address challenges across South and Central Asia. — Agencies
