Washington, March 17 : Eric Garcetti was confirmed as the next US Ambassador to India on Wednesday, ending a logjam that had left an important American mission abroad without a regular envoy for almost two years and his fate in the balance.

"We welcome the confirmation of Eric Garcetti as the US Ambassador to India. We look forward to working with him to take forward the multifaceted bilateral relations," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said at a media briefing.

The Senate voted 52-42 to confirm the former Los Angeles mayor's nomination on Wednesday. His nomination was pending before the US Congress since July 2021 when he was nominated by President Biden.

Last week, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted 13-8 in favour of his nomination.

Kenneth Juster, the last US envoy in New Delhi, stepped down in January 2021 after Biden became President.