Washington, Nov 11 — President Donald Trump has nominated career diplomat Natalie Baker as the next US ambassador to Pakistan, moving to fill a diplomatic post that has remained without a Senate-confirmed ambassador for nearly two years.
Baker, who has headed the American Embassy in Islamabad as charge d'affaires since January 2025, was among several diplomatic nominees whose names the White House sent to the Senate on Monday.
The White House identified Baker, of Texas, as "a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor" and nominated her to serve as ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to Pakistan.
Her nomination has been referred to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. She will need Senate confirmation before formally assuming the ambassadorial position.
Baker arrived in Islamabad in August 2024 as deputy chief of mission. She assumed charge of the embassy in January 2025 following the departure of Ambassador Donald Blome, who had served in Pakistan since 2022.
Blome left the post 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 US Embassy in Doha, Qatar, from August 2021 to July 2024.
Before that assignment, she headed the State Department's Office of North African Affairs in its Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs.
She has also served as deputy chief of mission and charge d'affaires at the US Mission to Libya, deputy director of the Iran Regional Presence Office at the American Consulate in Dubai and economic counsellor at the US Embassy in Kuwait.
During her posting in Kuwait, she worked with the US Defence Department to support the withdrawal of American forces from Iraq.
From 2009 to 2011, Baker served as political and economic counsellor in Libya as Washington and Tripoli sought to normalise relations following nearly three decades of strained ties.
She remained in Libya until the uprising against Muammar Gaddafi forced the American Embassy to evacuate in February 2011.
Her earlier assignments included a previous posting in Islamabad as a consular officer, a cultural affairs position in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, and service as a special assistant in the State Department's Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs.
As charge d'affaires in Pakistan, Baker has emphasised commercial diplomacy and cooperation in emerging technologies.
During an August 11-12 visit to Lahore, she met Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif and provincial adviser Ali Dar to discuss opportunities in artificial intelligence, higher education, innovation and investment.
A graduate of Princeton University, Baker holds a master's degree in public policy from Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government. She was a distinguished graduate of the National War College in 2017 and speaks Arabic, Spanish, Farsi and Russian.
The White House also nominated Jeffrey Colyer of Kansas as ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, Cynthia Kierscht to Senegal and Guinea-Bissau, and Ian McCary to Mali, among other diplomatic appointments.