SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL VISITS NEPAL

October 3, 2006

Steven R. Mann, the U.S. Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs, arrived in Kathmandu today to begin a four-day visit to Nepal.

Ambassador Mann, who is making his first visit to Nepal since assuming his current post in May, will review developments here with particular emphasis on the peace process and U.S. support in this regard.  He will meet with Government of Nepal officials, and representatives of political parties, non-governmental organizations, civil society, and others.

 

Biographic notes:

Ambassador Steven R. Mann joined the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs in May 2006 following his service as Senior Adviser for Eurasia.  He is responsible for the full range of foreign policy issues in the region, including management of U.S. relations with India and region-wide energy issues.

From 2001 to 2005, he was the senior U.S. official responsible for Caspian energy issues and was heavily involved in realizing the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline and the successful launch of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium line, among a wide range of other Eurasian energy issues.  He also played an active role in mediating Eurasian conflicts, notably the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Ambassador Mann, who joined the Foreign Service in 1976, has served in a number of foreign and domestic assignments.  He opened the first U.S. embassies in Armenia, Micronesia, and Mongolia.  From 1992 to 1994 he served as Deputy Chief of Mission in Colombo, Sri Lanka.  From 1995 to 1998 he was the State Department’s Country Director for India, Nepal and Sri Lanka. From 1998 to 2001, he served as U.S. Ambassador to Turkmenistan.