United States of America has officially appointed Alaina Teplitz as the new US Ambassador to the Maldives and Sri Lanka.

Teplitz is a career diplomat and also the current US Ambassador to Nepal.

Teplitz is replacing the former envoy to Sri Lanka and Maldives, Atul Keshap, who held the position from 2015 to July this year.

Keshap is regarded as being a vocal diplomat, having voiced his concerns regarding human rights issues and government policies in the Maldives on several occasions.

Teplitz is a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor. She had previously worked for the US State Department in several roles overseeing Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Central Asia.