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United States Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs
Seal of the United States Department of State
Flag of an Assistant Secretary of State
Incumbent James C. O'Brien since October 5, 2023
Reports to	Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs
Nominator	President of the United States
Inaugural holder	George Walbridge Perkins Jr.
Formation	August 1949
Website	Official website

The Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs is a position within the United States Department of State that leads the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs charged with implementing American foreign policy in Europe and Eurasia, and with advising the Under Secretary for Political Affairs on matters relating to diplomatic missions within that area.

Originally, the Department of State first established a Division of Western European Affairs in 1909, which handled European states primarily bordering on the Atlantic Ocean and their colonies. The Division of Near Eastern Affairs handled relations with most Central, Eastern, and Southern European countries until after World War I. During the interwar period, responsibility for much of Central and Eastern Europe shifted to the Division of European Affairs, although Greece, Turkey, and Cyprus were handled as part of the Near East until April 18, 1974. Following World War II, the department completed the transfer of responsibility for the former colonies of European nations, except Canada, to the Bureaus of Near Eastern, South Asian, African Affairs, and Far Eastern Affairs.

The Department of State later established the Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs in 1949. This came after the Commission on Organization of the Executive Branch of Government, also known as the Hoover Commission, recommended that certain offices be upgraded to bureau level after Congress had increased the number of Assistant Secretaries of State from six to ten. On September 14, 1983, an administrative action changed the title of the incumbent to Assistant Secretary of State for European and Canadian Affairs. On January 12, 1999, the title was changed back to Assistant Secretary for European Affairs.

Officeholders

References

1. Appointed on October 15, 1956; declined appointment.
2. Initially commissioned during Senate recess; after confirmation by Senate, re-commissioned on January 29, 1959.
3. Appointed August 26, 1959, but never took oath of office.
4. Initially commissioned during Senate recess; after confirmation by Senate, re-commissioned on January 27, 1960.
5. He was first nominated on May 10, 1982, but the Senate did not act on this first nomination.
6. The State Department's website gives the date as June 30, 1985, but given the context, this appears to be a typo for 1989.
7. He had previously been nominated on September 26, 2000, but the Senate did not act on that nomination.
8. Department Of State. The Office of Electronic Information, Bureau of Public Affairs. "Dobbins, James". 2001-2009.state.gov. Retrieved 2019-11-12.
9. "Technical Difficulties".
10. "Philip T. Reeker". United States Department of State. Retrieved 2021-09-28.
11. "Maureen E. Cormack". United States Department of State. Retrieved 2021-10-05.
12. "Technical Difficulties".

External links

• Official website

v t e United States assistant secretaries of state (and equivalent ranks)
Reporting to the Under Secretary for Political Affairs	African Affairs East Asian and Pacific Affairs European and Eurasian Affairs International Organization Affairs Near Eastern Affairs South and Central Asian Affairs Western Hemisphere Affairs
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Reporting directly to the Secretary	Intelligence and Research Legislative Affairs Special Assistant to the Secretary and Executive Secretary of the Department Inspector General Legal Adviser Director, Policy Planning Staff Director, Office of Foreign Assistance Director, Office of Civil Rights and Chief Diversity Officer Chief of Protocol of the United States, with the rank of Ambassador Global Women's Issues (Ambassador-at-Large) Coordinator of United States Government Activities to Combat HIV/AIDS Globally (Ambassador-at-Large)

• United States Assistant Secretaries of State
• United States–European relations