Recent hearsay about current US ambassador to Bulgaria John Beyrle being transfered mid-term to Russia was one step further confirmed on February 21 when the White House press office announced the intended nomination of Nancy E McEldowney to the Bulgarian ambassadorship.

At the moment, McEldowney, a career member of the senior foreign service, is serving as deputy chief of mission at the United States embassy in Turkey. Before this, she was deputy chief of mission at the US embassy in Azerbaijan.

Beyrle, a career officer in the senior foreign service at the rank of minister-counsellor, has been ambassador in Sofia since September 8 2005. Given his two-time experience in Moscow, where he was most recently deputy chief of mission, prior diplomacy positions in the former USSR and specialised knowledge in related issues, he had been mentioned in January as a replacement to current US ambassador to Russia William Burns, who had been proposed as the new under secretary for political affairs after the retirement of Nicholas Burns (no relation).

Michigan-native Beyrle also served in Bulgaria in 1985/87. McEldowney, of Florida, has also served as the director of European affairs at the National Security Council.