New US Ambassador arrives in Kazakhstan

    By Dinara Urazova
    Newly-appointed Ambassador of the United States of America to the Republic of Kazakhstan George Krol arrived in Astana on February 3, Tengrinews reports, citing the US Embassy in Kazakhstan.
    "Ambassador George A. Krol arrived in Astana today. Ambassador Krol was sworn in as United States Ambassador to Kazakhstan on January 8^th, and he looks forward to presenting his credentials to President Nazarbayev," the related press release said.
    Krol was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1956, and raised in Manchester Township, New Jersey. Receiving Bachelor’s degree in History at Harvard University, he went on to receive Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from Oxford University. He is now a career member of the Senior Foreign Service.
    Krol joined the US Foreign Service in 1982. He worked in Embassies in Poland, New Delhi, Moscow, Kiev and Minsk.
    In 1999, Krol was named minister-counselor for Political Affairs at the US Embassy in Moscow. He held this position until 2002. The following year he was appointed US ambassador to Belarus. He taught at the National War College and was a member of the State Department’s Senior Seminar.
    Krol was appointed deputy assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs, which allowed him to directly engage with Uzbek government officials.
    In 2011 he assumed the post as the US Ambassador to Uzbekistan for three and a half years. At this time Uzbekistan was a vital part of the US supply train to American forces in Afghanistan.
    Ambassador Krol was awarded several top honors from the US State Department for outstanding service, according to Tengrinews.