The U.S. Department of State awarded outgoing U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine John Tefft its Diplomacy for Human Rights Award for the year 2012, according to a June 13 statement released on the department’s website.
In particular, “the award recognizes a U.S. Chief of Mission who
has demonstrated extraordinary commitment to defending human rights and
advancing democratic principles in his or her host country,” the U.S. State
Department said.
The statement continued: “Ambassador Tefft has led
collaborative, effective, and sustained efforts to strengthen and promote
democracy, human rights, and the rule of law in Ukraine. Under his direction,
Embassy Kyiv has positively influenced a number of reforms, including to the criminal
justice system.”
Tefft was appointed
as U.S. ambassador to Ukraine on Nov. 20, 2009. Before that, Tefft served as U.S. ambassador to Georgia and
Lithuania.
President Barack Obama
appointed diplomat Geoffrey Pyatt to replace Tefft beginning in the summer
of 2013.
Kyiv Post intern Jesse Fleck can be reached at [email protected].
