The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC) this week approved Richard M. Mills, Jras President Obama's nominee to serve as ambassador to Armenia. 

If confirmed by the full Senate, Mills will replace outgoing U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John Heffern. 

The Committee also approved Robert F. Cekuta, Obama’s nominee as the next U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan. 

 A career diplomat, Richard M. Mills, Jr., has held numerous diplomatic positions. Currently, he is the Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon. 

He also has diplomatic experience with Armenia. Early in his career, following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, he was the desk officer at the State Department for the newly independent Armenia and Azerbaijan.  

Robert F. Cekuta is currently the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State of the Energy Resources Bureau. Prior to this, he was the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy, Sanctions, and Commodities in the State Department's Bureau for Energy and Business Affairs. Previous overseas assignments have included stints in Tokyo and Berlin. 

Their nominations move to the Senate floor for a vote, which is expected next week.