Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs

United States
Assistant Secretary of State
for South and Central Asian Affairs
Seal of the United States Department of State
Flag of an Assistant Secretary of State
Incumbent
Donald Lu
since September 15, 2021
Reports toUnder Secretary of State for Political Affairs
NominatorPresident of the United States
Inaugural holderEdward Djerejian
Formation1992
WebsiteOfficial Website

The assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asian affairs is the head of the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs within the United States Department of State, which handles U.S. foreign policy and relations in the following countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

The position of Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs was renamed when responsibility for policy for five countries (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan) was transferred from the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs to the Bureau of South Asian Affairs, which became the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs. Richard A. Boucher was sworn in as the first to hold the current title on February 21, 2006 after the previous Assistant Secretary, Christina B. Rocca, left the Department.