Trump nominates Indian American as Peru envoy

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump has nominated Krishna R Urs, an Indian American career foreign service officer, as the next US ambassador to Peru, the White House said in a statement on Wednesday.

If confirmed, Urs will be Trump’s second Indian American envoy after Nikki Haley, who as US ambassador to the UN is the highest ranking federal official ever from the community.

Urs joins a growing list of Indian Americans appointed ambassadors, following Vinai Thummalapally (to Belize), Rich Verma (to India), Atul Keshap (to Sri Lanka), Geeta Passi (to Chad) and Haley in that order.

Urs is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, class of Minister-Counselor, and has served as an American diplomat since 1986, the Whit House statement said.

He is currently serving as charge d’ affaires (number two position, usually) in the US embassy to Spain.

Urs has specialised in economic issues and is considered an expert on the Andean region of South America. He has served at seven US embassies as well as in senior leadership positions in Washington.

He speaks fluent Spanish as well as “some” Hindi and Telegu.

And if there was a club of Indian Americans in senior positions in the Trump administration, Urs would be its newest member.