DUSHANBE, May 24, Asia-Plus -- The U.S. President George W. Bush has nominated Richard E. Hoagland to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Armenia, according to from the U.S. Embassy in Dushanbe.

 Ambassador Hoagland, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, currently serves as United States Ambassador to Tajikistan.  Prior to this, he served as Director of the Office of Caucasus and Central Asian Affairs at the Department of State.  Earlier in his career, he served as Director of the Office of Public Diplomacy in the Bureau of South Asian Affairs.  Ambassador Hoagland received his bachelor''s degree from Taylor University and two master''s degrees from the University of Virginia.