WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 11th May, 2021) US Ambassador to Libya Richard Norland has been tapped to simultaneously serve as special envoy for the war-torn country and will lead the United States' efforts to end the civil conflict through diplomatic means, the State Department said on Monday.
"US Ambassador to Libya Richard Norland will now also serve in the capacity of US Special Envoy for Libya in addition to Chief of Mission for Libya.� In his role as US Special Envoy, Ambassador Norland will lead US diplomatic efforts to promote international support for a Libyan-led, inclusive, and negotiated political solution to the conflict, facilitated through the United Nations," the State Department said in a statement.
Norland, a career diplomat, who has also served as ambassador to Georgia and Uzbekistan, will now be part of an interagency effort to find a diplomatic solution to the decade-long civil conflict that began after the assassination of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, the State Department said.
Norland will also serve as a liaison with the United States Congress, the statement said.
Norland will have an "elevated profile" in his new role that will see him engage with other countries on behalf of the United States and work with a variety of partners, State Department spokesperson Ned price said speaking to reporters on Monday.
