AKIPRESS.COM - Alan Meltzer, a career Foreign Service Officer, took up duties as Deputy Chief of Mission in the U.S. Embassy in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan in July 2015, the U.S. Embassy reported.
He most recently served as Counselor for Political-Economic Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Tbilisi, Georgia. Prior to this, he served as Deputy Director of Nordic and Baltic Affairs in the Department of State’s Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs. From August 2007-08, Mr. Meltzer served as Special Assistant to the Under-Secretary of State for Political Affairs, advising the Under-Secretary on Western Hemisphere and global issues, including human rights and trafficking in persons. He previously served as Deputy Political Counselor in Mexico City, leading the embassy’s reporting efforts in the aftermath of the contested 2006 presidential election. From 2003-05, Mr. Meltzer served in Moscow, as Special Assistant to Ambassador Alexander Vershbow and as a political officer focusing on domestic politics and religious freedom.
In earlier assignments, Mr. Meltzer served as a Watch Officer in the State Department’s 24 hour Operations Center, as Vice Consul and Political-Economic Officer in Montevideo, and as Vice Consul and Human Rights Officer in Guatemala City. He has received multiple State Department Superior and Meritorious Honor awards.
Prior to joining the Foreign Service, Mr. Meltzer was an Attorney-Adviser in the State Department’s Office of the Legal Adviser and practiced corporate and international trade law in the New York office of Coudert Brothers.
A native of New York State, Mr. Meltzer received a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Virginia School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Haverford College. In 2014, he received a Master of Arts in Strategic Security Studies with distinction from the National Defense University’s College of International Security Affairs. He speaks Spanish and Russian. He is married and has a 20 year-old step-daughter. In his free time, he enjoys biking, skiing, jogging, reading, and travel.