Donald Lu has completed his tenure as the Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, officially ending his term on 17 January 2025.
A brief statement on the State Department’s official website noted, “Mr. Lu’s term ended on 17 January 2025.”
The announcement clarified that Lu’s departure was due to the conclusion of his term, not a dismissal.
Donald Lu was appointed as Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs on 15 September 2021, during President Joe Biden’s administration. Biden, who assumed office on 20 January 2021, appointed Lu approximately eight months into his presidency.
Lu’s tenure concluded just three days before Donald Trump took office as the new US President on 20 January 2025, following Biden's term.
With over 30 years of experience in the US government, Lu has held several significant positions throughout his career. Before serving as assistant secretary, he was the US Ambassador to the Kyrgyz Republic from 2018 to 2021 and Ambassador to Albania from 2015 to 2018.
