Eric Rubin, who most recently was deputy chief of mission at the U.S. embassy in Moscow, has been appointed as Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs to oversee relations with countries in the Caucasus, as well as with Greece, Turkey and Cyprus.

Rubin, a career foreign service officer, has replaced Tina Kaidanow, who has been promoted as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs earlier this month.

In his new capacity Rubin participated on July 18 in a meeting of the U.S.-Georgia defense and security working group in frames of the strategic partnership charter between the two countries. Assistant Secretary of Defense Alexander Vershbow was also representing the U.S. at the meeting in Washington.

The Georgian Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday, that Georgia's participation in the Afghan operation and its transit potential, as well as bilateral defense cooperation, Georgia's NATO integration and situation in the conflict areas were discussed during the meeting.