Trump Nominates Career Diplomat Natalie Baker as U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan
WASHINGTON–President Donald Trump has nominated veteran diplomat Natalie Baker to serve as the next U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan, seeking to fill a key diplomatic position that has been without a Senate-confirmed ambassador since January 2025.
Baker, who has served as Chargé d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad since January 2025, was among several diplomatic nominees whose names were submitted to the Senate on Monday.
The White House identified Baker, a Texas native, as a career member of the Senior Foreign Service with the rank of Minister-Counselor. Her nomination has been referred to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and she must receive Senate confirmation before formally assuming the ambassadorial post.
Baker arrived in Islamabad in August 2024 as Deputy Chief of Mission. She took over leadership of the embassy in January 2025 following the departure of Ambassador Donald Blome, who had served in Pakistan since 2022 and left his position on January 10, 2025.
A career diplomat with extensive experience in the Middle East and North Africa, Baker previously served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Doha, Qatar, from August 2021 to July 2024.
Before her assignment in Qatar, she directed the State Department’s Office of North African Affairs within the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs.
Her diplomatic career has also included serving as Deputy Chief of Mission and Chargé d’Affaires at the U.S. Mission to Libya, Deputy Director of the Iran Regional Presence Office at the U.S. Consulate in Dubai, and Economic Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait.
During her posting in Kuwait, Baker worked with the U.S. Department of Defense on efforts supporting the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq.
From 2009 to 2011, she served as Political and Economic Counselor in Libya during a period when Washington and Tripoli were working to restore diplomatic relations after nearly three decades of tensions.
She remained in Libya until February 2011, when the uprising against longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi prompted the evacuation of the American Embassy.
Baker’s earlier assignments included a previous posting in Islamabad as a Consular Officer, service as a Cultural Affairs Officer in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, and a position as Special Assistant in the State Department’s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs.
During her tenure as Chargé d’Affaires in Pakistan, Baker has focused on expanding economic cooperation, commercial diplomacy and partnerships in emerging technologies.
During a visit to Lahore on August 11-12, she met with Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif and provincial adviser Ali Dar to explore opportunities for collaboration in artificial intelligence, higher education, innovation and investment.
Baker graduated from Princeton University and earned a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. She was also recognized as a distinguished graduate of the National War College in 2017.
She speaks Arabic, Spanish, Farsi and Russian.
In addition to Baker’s nomination, the White House submitted several other diplomatic appointments to the Senate, including Jeffrey Colyer of Kansas as Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, Cynthia Kierscht as Ambassador to Senegal and Guinea-Bissau, and Ian McCary as Ambassador to Mali.
If confirmed, Baker would assume leadership of the U.S. diplomatic mission in Pakistan at a time when Washington continues to pursue cooperation with Islamabad on regional security, trade, investment and emerging technologies. (Source: IANS)
