Michael J. Murphy (diplomat)
Michael J. Murphy | |
|---|---|
 | |
| United States Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina | |
| Assumed office February 23, 2022 | |
| President | Joe Biden Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Eric Nelson |
| Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs | |
| In office June 18, 2018 – September 24, 2021 | |
| President | Donald Trump Joe Biden |
| Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs | |
Acting | |
| In office February 18, 2019 – September 1, 2019 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Rochester, New York, U.S. |
| Education | Hamilton College (BA) |
Michael John Murphy is an American diplomat who has served as the United States ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina since February 2022.
Early life and education
[edit]Michael John Murphy was born in Rochester, New York to John Murphy and Barbara (Schafer) Murphy. He is the eldest of three sons. The family lived in Chili, New York until 1973 when they moved to East Greenbush, New York. Murphy attended Columbia High School, graduating in 1983.[citation needed] Murphy earned a Bachelor of Arts from Hamilton College in 1987 where he was also involved with Phi Beta Kappa. Murphy and his wife, Kimberly Haroz, met in their diplomatic training class in 1991, and the two married in Lagos, Nigeria in 1992. They have no children.[1]
Career
[edit]Murphy is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service with the rank of Minister-Counselor where he has served for 30 years.[2] From 2017 to 2018, served as director of the office for European security & political-military affairs in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs. From 2015 to 2017, he served as the associate dean of the leadership and management school at the National Foreign Affairs Training Center. From 2012 to 2015, Murphy was the deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Gaborone, Botswana and also as Chargé d’Affaires, a.i., in Botswana from February 2014 to January 2015. From 2009 to 2012, he was deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Pristina, Kosovo[3] and served for three years as political counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Other overseas postings include London; Yaoundé, Cameroon; and Lagos, Nigeria. In Washington, D.C., he served as chief of staff to both the Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs and the Director General of the Foreign Service.[1] He also served as desk officer for Bulgaria and for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.[4] From June 18, 2018, until September 24, 2021, he had served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs.[3]
United States ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina
[edit]On July 16, 2021, President Joe Biden nominated Murphy to be the next United States ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina. On October 5, 2021, a hearing on his nomination was held before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.[5] On October 19, 2021, his nomination was reported favorably out of committee.[6] The United States Senate confirmed him on December 18, 2021 by voice vote.[7] He presented his credentials on February 23, 2022.[8] In April 2022, he supported UDIK's idea about monument at Kazani.[9][10]
Accusations of Interference in Government Formation:
[edit]Michael Murphy has been accused of interfering in the formation of the Bosnian government, specifically by actions perceived to undermine the electoral will of the Bosniak (Muslim) population through the suspension of the constitution[11] through the OHR. These accusations have been levied by both opposition[12] and ruling[13][14] political stakeholders within Bosnia and Herzegovina and have not been publicly rebuffed.
Bosnian Gas Dispute
[edit]Murphy also faced criticism for his role in advocating for a law that would grant control of a natural gas pipeline project to BH Gas, a company predominantly controlled by Bosniaks.
The Heritage Foundation, a conservative US think tank, accused Murphy of prioritizing Bosniak interests[15] over those of Croats and Serbs, potentially undermining US foreign policy goals and benefiting Russia.[16] The Heritage Foundation's letter, which was widely circulated, claimed that Murphy was acting at the behest of the Biden administration and that his actions would benefit Russia and Iran, while harming US-Croatian relations. The letter also pointed to potential conflicts of interest involving Murphy and members of the Biden administration, citing connections to the Albright Stonebridge Group.[17]
Personal life
[edit]Murphy speaks Serbo-Croatian and French.[1]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c "President Biden Announces Seven Key Nominations" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: The White House. 16 July 2021. Archived from the original on 28 October 2021. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ Hernandez, Michael Gabriel (17 July 2021). "Biden picks Michael Murphy to be US envoy to Bosnia and Herzegovina". www.aa.com.tr. Archived from the original on 20 July 2021. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
- ^ a b "Michael J. Murphy". United States Department of State. Archived from the original on 28 June 2023. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
- ^ "Murphy, Michael - Bosnia and Herzegovina - July 2021". United States Department of State. Archived from the original on 25 December 2021. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
- ^ "PN911 - Nomination of Michael J. Murphy for Department of State, 117th Congress (2021-2022)". www.congress.gov. 19 October 2021. Archived from the original on 10 November 2021. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
- ^ "SFRC APPROVES 33 CRITICAL FOREIGN POLICY NOMINATIONS" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. 19 October 2021. Archived from the original on 10 December 2021. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
- ^ "PN911 - Nomination of Michael J. Murphy for Department of State, 117th Congress (2021-2022)". www.congress.gov. 18 December 2021. Archived from the original on 10 November 2021. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
- ^ "Ambassador Michael J. Murphy". United States Department of State. Archived from the original on 23 February 2022. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
- ^ "Ambasador Murphy oduševljen radom Edvina Ćudića i UDIK-a: Njihova inicijativa za izgradnju spomen-obilježja na Kazanima zaslužuje podršku". Oslobođenje. 8 December 2020. Archived from the original on 19 March 2023. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
- ^ "Murphy obišao Kazane: Spomenik je nepotpun bez imena žrtava i nalogodavca zločina Cace". Klix. 8 December 2020. Archived from the original on 19 March 2023. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
- ^ Service, RFE/RL's Balkan. "International Envoy Imposes Amendments To Bosnian Constitution To Spur Formation Of Government, Strengthen Elections". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. Retrieved 31 January 2025.
- ^ "Ambasada SAD o izjavi Komšića za "Avaz": Ni prethodne vlade nisu provele reforme". Dnevni avaz (in Bashkir). 11 September 2024. Retrieved 31 January 2025.
- ^ "Čović indirektno prozvao američkog ambasadora: "Neko izvana da mig i propadne ono što smo mjesecima gradili"". Dnevni avaz (in Bashkir). 16 December 2024. Retrieved 31 January 2025.
- ^ "Čović je najvažniju političku pobjedu ostvario uz podršku Amerikanaca, čini se da je to zaboravio". Klix.ba (in Croatian). Retrieved 31 January 2025.
- ^ "HDZ-ova politika o Južnoj interkonekciji kroz američke lobiste: "Muslimani žele da se kršćani u BiH povinuju novom zakonu"". Klix.ba (in Croatian). Retrieved 31 January 2025.
- ^ "Heritage foundation: Murphy zbog Južne interkonekcije ugrožava američke interese u BiH". www.dnevnik.ba (in Bosnian). 11 December 2024. Retrieved 31 January 2025.
- ^ Redakcija (10 December 2024). "HDZ preko američkog think tanka Heritage Foundation pokušava spriječiti usvajanja Zakon o južnoj interkonekciji: Murphy prisiljava kršćane da se povinuju muslimanima". VOX (in Bosnian). Retrieved 31 January 2025.
External links
[edit]
Media related to Michael J. Murphy at Wikimedia Commons
