CPC - Caspian Policy Center
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Ambassador (Ret.) Allan Mustard
This individual is not a direct affiliate of the Caspian Policy Center. They have contributed to one or more of our events, publications, or projects. Please contact the individual at their home institution
Ambassador (ret.) Allan Mustard is a senior fellow and board member of the Caspian Policy Center. Mr. Mustard, class of Career Minister, was sworn in as U.S. Ambassador to Turkmenistan on November 25, 2014. He previously served as Agricultural Minister-Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, India. A widely recognized authority on agricultural and food aid policy, he has broad experience in guiding economic reform assistance throughout Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union.
Previously, Mr. Mustard served as Agricultural Minister-Counselor, Embassy Mexico City, Mexico (2008-2011); Agricultural Minister-Counselor, Embassy Moscow, Russia (2003-2008); Fellow, Senior Seminar in Foreign Relations, Department of State (2002-2003); Assistant Deputy Administrator, Foreign Agricultural Affairs, Foreign Agricultural Service (2000-2002); Agricultural Counselor, Embassy Vienna, Austria (1996-2000); Deputy Director, Emerging Democracies Office, Foreign Agricultural Service (1992-1996); Deputy Coordinator, Eastern Europe and Soviet Secretariat, Foreign Agricultural Service (1990-1992); Agricultural Trade
Officer, Consulate General Istanbul, Turkey (1988-1990); Assistant Agricultural Attaché, Embassy Moscow, USSR (1986-1988); Agricultural Economist, Foreign Agricultural Service (1982-1986). Prior to this, Mr. Mustard worked as a social worker in Seattle resettling Soviet emigres (1979-1980)and as a guide-interpreter on the U.S. International Communication Agency’s exhibit “Agriculture-USA” in Kishinev, Moscow, and Rostov-na-Donu, USSR (1978-1979).
Mr. Mustard earned an A.S. at Grays Harbor College, Aberdeen, Washington in 1975; B.A.s in Political Science and in Slavic Languages and Literature from the University of Washington, Seattle, Washington in 1978; and a M.S. in Agricultural Economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois in 1982. Mr. Mustard studied Russian at Leningrad State University in Summer 1978 under the auspices of the Council for International Educational Exchange. He is the recipient of five Presidential Rank Awards; USDA’s highest award, the Distinguished Service Honor Award; USDA’s second-highest award, the Superior Honor Award, twice; the Grand Golden Medal of Merit of the Republic of Austria, the highest award Austria can award to a foreigner; and numerous other Department of State and USDA performance awards. Mr. Mustard speaks Russian, German and basic Spanish.
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