Meet the New U.S. Ambassador to Libya

Photo: U.S. Embassy Libya

U.S. Embassy Libya
August 22, 2019

Today, U.S. Ambassador to Libya Richard Norland presented a copy of his credentials to Libyan Foreign Minister Mohamed Taher Siala at the Libyan Embassy in Tunisia. In their meeting, Ambassador Norland reiterated his commitment to intensify diplomatic engagement with all parties with the goal of bringing an early end to the conflict in Libya. He also expressed continued U.S. support of UN-led efforts to achieve a lasting ceasefire and negotiated political solution that promotes prosperity, security and stability for all Libyans.

About Richard Norland (from Wikipedia)

Ambassador Richard Norland previously served as the Foreign Policy Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Joseph Dunford. Prior to that he served as U.S. Ambassador to Georgia (2012-2015), Deputy Commandant/International Affairs Advisor at the National War College (2010-2012), U.S. Ambassador to Uzbekistan (2007-2010), and Deputy Chief of Mission at the American Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan (2005-2007) and Riga, Latvia (2003-2005).^[2]

From October 2002 through January 2003, Richard Norland served in Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan as a diplomat with the U.S. Army Civil Affairs team promoting political and economic reconstruction.^[2]

Richard Norland was Director for European Affairs at the National Security Council for two years during the Clinton and Bush administrations, focusing in particular on the Northern Ireland peace process, as well as on the Baltic States, OSCE, and a number of key European partners. He served as Political Counselor at the American Embassy in Dublin, Ireland from 1995 through the negotiation of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.^[3]

Richard Norland served from 1988-1990 as Political Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, USSR during President Gorbachev’s tenure and the period of glasnost and perestroika. He was subsequently detailed to the Pentagon’s Office of the Secretary of Defense, where he worked on policy issues following the break-up of the Soviet Union. He served in 1993 as the U.S. representative and acting mission head on the CSCE Mission to Georgia, addressing conflicts in South Ossetia and Abkhazia, and later visited Chechnya in a similar capacity.^[3]

Earlier in his career, Richard Norland served in the United States’ northernmost diplomatic office, 250 miles north of the Arctic Circle, as Chief of the U.S. Information Office in Tromsø, Norway. He later served as Senior Arctic Official coordinating the U.S. chairmanship of the Arctic Council. He was also a Special Assistant (for African affairs) to the Under Secretary for Political Affairs. He served as Norway-Denmark desk officer, and as assistant desk officer for South Africa. His first tour was in Manama, Bahrain.^[3]