WASHINGTON: Special envoy of the United States for Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard G. Olson retired after three decades of service, announced a press release issued by the US Department of State on Tuesday.
The US Secretary of State, John Kerry, on behalf of the State Department, appreciated Ambassador Olson on his retirement after three decades of service to the US.
“Rick (Ambassador Olson) is quite simply one of our most distinguished diplomats, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service who has been on the forefront of our work in the Middle East, Africa, and most recently in Afghanistan and Pakistan,” said Kerry.
According to Kerry, Olson brought extraordinary experience and leadership to the job of Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan. He played an invaluable role in consolidating the progress Afghanistan made over the past 15 years, including the pursuit of an Afghan-led reconciliation process.
His commitment to fostering a strong and productive relationship with Pakistan has been a testament to his unwavering diplomatic service, Kerry added.
“We need to look no further than his broad range of assignments to understand Ambassador Olson’s lasting impact on US diplomacy. In over 34 years of distinguished service, he has served as US Ambassador to both the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates, Coordinating Director for Development and Economic Affairs at US Embassy Kabul, and has held positions in Mexico, Uganda, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia, Iraq, NATO, as well as a number of leadership positions here in Washington,” the statement said.
Kerry on behalf of the American people and Department of State also thanked Ambassador Olson for his exemplary service to the US, and I wished him the best in his future endeavours as he departs the State Department.
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