Cekuta, Robert Francis, 1954-

<p>Robert Francis Cekuta (born 1954) is a career Foreign Service Officer, and served as U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan from February 2015 through March 2018.</p>

<p>Cekuta attended Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, graduating in 1976 with a B.S. He then went to the Thunderbird School of Global Management, earning a master’s degree in international marketing in 1978. He later earned another master's degree in national security strategies from the National War College.</p>

<p>Cekuta joined the U.S. Foreign Service in 1978 and his early assignments included Vienna, Austria; Baghdad, Iraq; Johannesburg, South Africa; and Sana’a, Yemen. He also directed a task force in Kosovo during the conflict there and served in the Bureau of Near East and South Asian Affairs. From 1996 to 1999, he was deputy chief of mission in the U.S. Embassy in Tirana, Albania.</p>

<p>Much of Cekuta’s career has focused on business and trade issues. In 1999, he was senior advisor to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and in 2000 he was named director of Economic Policy Analysis and Public Diplomacy in the State Department. Cekuta in 2002 was named director of the Iraq Economic Group in the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs. In 2002, he was also the bureau's special negotiator for biotechnology. Beginning in 2003, Cekuta was economic minister-counselor at the embassy in Berlin and in 2007 he was sent to Tokyo as the minister-counselor for economic affairs.</p>

<p>Cekuta came home in 2010, first as senior advisor for food security in the State Department and later that year as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Energy, Sanctions and Commodities. One of his more prominent roles involved working with the jewelry industry on compliance with regulations on conflict diamonds and gold.</p>

<p>In 2011, Cekuta became the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of Energy Resources. In this capacity, he acted as a point man for the State Department’s views on the proposed Keystone XL pipeline.</p>

<p>Cekuta was nominated by President Barack Obama on July 8, 2014 to be U.S. ambassador to Azerbaijan. Cekuta testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on September 17, 2014, and was confirmed on December 16.</p>

Cekuta presented his credentials to President Ilham Aliyev on February 19, 2015, and served in the position until March 2018.</p>

<p>Ambassador to the Republic of Azerbaijan Bob Cekuta arrived in Baku February 2015. His last assignment in the U.S. Foreign Service was to serve as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Energy Resources of the Department of State. There he played a critical senior management role in establishing the new Energy Bureau, developing programs advancing global energy security while overseeing initiatives to fight corruption and build good governance and accountability in global oil and gas production.</p>

<p>Previously, Amb. Cekuta served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy, Sanctions, and Commodities, Bureau of Economic, Energy, and Business Affairs (2010-2011), Senior Advisor for Food Security, Bureau of Economic, Energy, and Business Affairs (2010-2010), Senior Deputy Coordinating Director for Economic and Development Affairs, Embassy Kabul (2009-2010), Minister-Counselor for Economic Affairs, Embassy Tokyo (2007-2009), Minister-Counselor for Economic Affairs, Embassy Berlin (2003-2007), Director, Iraq Economic Group, Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs (2002-2003), Special Negotiator for Biotechnology, Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs (2002), Director, Economic Policy Analysis and Public Diplomacy, Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs (2000-2002), Senior Advisor, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (1999-2000), and Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy Tirana, (1996-1999). In addition, he directed a Kosovo task force and served earlier in his career in the Bureau of Near East and South Asian Affairs. Overseas, he also served in Vienna, Baghdad, Johannesburg, and Sana’a.</p>

<p>Amb. Cekuta earned a B.S.FS from Georgetown University, a Master’s Degree at Thunderbird School of Global Management, and a Master’s Degree at the National Defense University, Washington, D.C. He is the recipient of numerous awards from the Department of State, including eight Senior Performance Awards, four Superior Honor Awards and five Meritorious Honor Awards. He speaks German, Albanian and Arabic.</p>

<p>On September 17, 2014, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee held a hearing into the nomination of Robert F. Cekuta, a career Foreign Service officer, to be the next U.S. ambassador to Azerbaijan. If confirmed, it will be the first ambassadorial post for Cekuta.</p>

<p>Cekuta, who’s from New York, attended Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, graduating in 1976 with a B.S. He then went to the Thunderbird School of Global Management, earning a Master’s in International Marketing in 1978. He later earned another Master’s degree, in national security strategies, from the National War College.</p>

<p>He joined the Foreign Service in 1978 and his early postings included Vienna, Austria; Baghdad, Iraq; Johannesburg, South Africa; and Sana’a, Yemen. He also directed a task force in Kosovo during the conflict there and served in the Bureau of Near East and South Asian Affairs. From 1996 to 1999, he was deputy chief of mission in the U.S. Embassy in Tirana, Albania.</p>

<p>Much of Cekuta’s career has focused on business and trade issues. In 1999, he was senior advisor to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and in 2000 he was named director of Economic Policy Analysis and Public Diplomacy in the State Department. Cekuta in 2002 was named director of the Iraq Economic Group in the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs. In 2002, he was also a special negotiator for biotechnology in the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs. Beginning in 2003, Cekuta was economic minister-counselor at the embassy in Berlin and in 2007 he was sent to Tokyo as the minister-counselor for economic affairs.</p>

<p>Cekuta came home in 2010, first as senior advisor for Food Security in the State Department and later that year as deputy assistant secretary of state for Energy, Sanctions and Commodities. One of his more prominent roles involved working with the jewelry industry on compliance with regulations on conflict diamonds and gold.</p>

<p>Since 2011, Cekuta has been deputy assistant secretary of state in the Energy Resources Bureau. As such, he has acted as a point man for the State Department’s views on the proposed Keystone XL pipeline, which would bring tar sands oil from Canada into the United States. That experience will come in handy in Azerbaijan, a major oil producer.</p>

<p>Cekuta and his wife, Anne, have three children. He speaks German, Arabic and Albanian.</p>