DUSHANBE, August 4, 2011, Asia-Plus -- The British Embassy in Dushanbe has announced the appointment of Mr. Robin Jeremy Ord-Smith as British Ambassador to Tajikistan in succession to Mr. Trevor Charles Moore who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment.

Mr. Ord-Smith joined the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1989 and has served in a number of diplomatic roles at home and overseas, including Japan, Malaysia, Romania and Algeria.

Mr. Ord-Smith has also spent time seconded to the private sector as Marketing Manager Japan for BAE SYSTEMS, to the German Foreign Ministry and more recently to Buckingham Palace as Assistant Private Secretary to His Royal Highness, the Duke of York. He is currently Director of UK Trade and Investment in Iraq.

He is married to Tania Ord-Smith, nee Vallis. They have two sons.

Upon this announcement Mr. Ord-Smith said: “I am both honored and delighted to be appointed to represent Her Majesty the Queen and Britain in Tajikistan.  I look forward to building on the achievements of Trevor Moore to continue to strengthen our bilateral relationship and to promote UK development, security and our wider political interests in a mutually beneficial way.  I am also keen to see how I can support the expansion of trade and investment flows between our two countries.”

Mr. Ord-Smith is due to arrive in Tajikistan in March 2012.