President's nominee Eric George Nelson is the new US Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Senate confirmed on Tuesday by voice vote.

Prior to this appointment, the new ambassador served as a high-ranking official in the State Department and in numerous diplomatic missions including Germany.

Expanding prosperity and improving security will be among his top priorities, Nelson said in a hearing before the US Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs held in October last year.

He also said he would promote “effective government and rule of law” and that “targeted sanctions can be an effective response” if peace and stability are threatened.

Nelson will replace Ambassador Maureen Cormack who served in Sarajevo office for the past four years.