Originally nominated in October 2014, the US Embassy in Riga tweeted Thursday that career diplomat Pettit was definitely on her way to Riga following the acceptance of her nomination by the US Senate.
A summary of her career to date is available here, citing her "broad experience working in post-Soviet countries and a clear understanding of the challenges they face."
With the Baltic states currently regarded as on the front line of the diplomatic disagreements between Russia and the West, the position of US ambassador in Riga is a key one, an Pettit's command of the Russian language and Moscow experience should prove extremely valuable.
No start date for the new ambassador has yet been confirmed.
