The Senate Foreign Relations Committee held a hearing Tuesday to consider the nomination of James Cunningham as U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan and Richard Olson as U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan.
Both veteran diplomats have served in the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan. Their nominations come at a time of transition in Afghanistan and recent diplomatic tensions between the U.S. and Pakistan.
Senate lawmakers aksed the nominees to address the challenges posed by violence in the region. The witnesses were also be pressed about their plans on governance and development for each country.
In May, the current Afghanistan Ambassador Ryan Crocker announced that he would be stepping down at the end of July for health reasons. The Ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter will leave his post this summer, after holding the position for two years.
The nominees need to be confirmed by the Senate before they can be sworn in.