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WASHINGTON, Oct 11 (KUNA) -- The United States announced on Thursday that
the new U.S. Charge d'Affairs to Libya has arrived to Tripoli to take over the
mission one month after the killing of the U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens.
"Laurence Pope has arrived in Tripoli as U.S. Charge d'Affairs to Libya.
Mr. Pope's selection as Charge d'Affairs emphasizes the commitment of the
United States to the relationship between our two countries and to the people
of Libya as they move forward in their transition to a democratic government",
said State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland in a statement.
"We will continue to assist as Libya builds democratic institutions and
broad respect for the rule of law - the goals that Ambassador Stevens worked
hard to achieve", she added.
Nuland noted that "Pope looks forward to working with the Libyan government
and the Libyan people during this historic and challenging time, as we build
strong economic, social, political, and educational bridges between our two
people".
Pope served as a Foreign Service Officer from 1969-2000, retiring at the
rank of Minister Counselor after having held a number of senior posts in the
Department of State. In 2000, former President Bill Clinton nominated him as
Ambassador to Kuwait and he retired from the U.S. Foreign Service on October
2, 2000 after 31 years of service.
A graduate of Bowdoin College, Pope also had advanced studies at Princeton
University and is a Senior Fellow at the Armed Forces Staff College. He speaks
Arabic and French. (end)
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KUNA 111930 Oct 12NNNN
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