Christopher Hill (U.S. diplomat)

Christopher R. Hill, a career Foreign Service Officer, became the U.S. Ambassador to Iraq on April 24, 2009, to begin serving as America’s Ambassador to Iraqm, following Ryan Crocker. He came to Iraq from the position of Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, in which capacity he also was the lead U.S. negotiator at the Six-Party Talks on the North Korea nuclear issue.

Prior to becoming an Assistant Secretary, U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea (2004-2005), Poland] (2000-2004), and the Republic of Macedonia (1996-1999). He also served as Special Envoy to Kosovo (1998-1999) and as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Southeast European Affairs on the National Security Council staff. Earlier in his Foreign Service career, Ambassador Hill served in Belgrade, Warsaw, Seoul, and Tirana, and on the Department of State's Policy Planning staff and in the Department's Operation Center.

He received the State Department's highest performance award twice, first for his work as the deputy of the U.S. negotiating team in the Bosnia peace settlement (1996) and the second for his leadership as Assistant Secretary and as lead U.S. negotiator for the Six-Party Talks (2009). He received the Robert S. Frasure Award for Peace Negotiations for his work on the Kosovo crisis (1999).

He joined the U.S. Foreign Service in 1977. Ambassador Hill graduated from Bowdoin College i with a B.A. in Economics, and joined the Peace Corps in 1974. He received a Master's degree from the Naval War College.