US President Joe Biden has announced the nomination of diplomat Michael J. Murphy as the new ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina, the White House said on Friday.

Murphy's nomination is one of seven nominations for the postings that President Biden announced as key roles.

He currently serves as a Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs and oversees European security including NATO, the OSCE, conventional arms control, and Arctic security policy, as well as bilateral relations with the Northern European and Baltic countries.

Among other overseas postings, Murphy also served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy in Pristina and for three years as Political Counselor at the US Embassy in Sarajevo.

According to the White House, Murphy speaks local languages in this region.

If appointed, he will replace ambassador Eric Nelson who took office in February 2019.