Silverman, Lawrence Robert

<p>Lawrence R. Silverman was confirmed July 14, 2016, as the United States’ Ambassador to Kuwait. It’s the first such job for the career member of the Foreign Service.</p>

<p>Silverman attended Brandeis University, earning a B.A. in 1977 and went on to earn an M.A. in political science from Duke in 1980.</p>

<p>Silverman’s early assignments abroad included South Africa, Syria and Jordan. Beginning in 2000, he was a political counselor at the embassy in Ankara, Turkey. He returned to Washington the following year as special assistant to the Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs. In 2002, Silverman was made deputy director of the Office of Southern European Affairs, responsible for Turkey, Greece and Cyprus.</p>

<p>Silverman was made Deputy Chief of Mission in the embassy in Bratislava, Slovakia, in 2005. He was back in the State Department in 2008, this time as Director of the Office of Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus Affairs. He also served during this period as deputy coordinator of U.S. assistance to Europe and Eurasia.</p>

<p>In 2011, he was made special assistant for Europe and Russia to Vice President Joe Biden. The following year, Silverman became a Deputy Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs, responsible for Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Israel and the Palestinians. He was a point man for the State Department in relations with those countries and helped coordinate aid for Syrian refugees in Lebanon. Silverman turned down a chance to become Ambassador to Lebanon in 2015 because of health reasons, and remained a Deputy Assistant Secretary until accepting the Kuwait post.</p>

<p>Silverman’s wife, Vicki, is a former Foreign Service Officer. They have two children, Lina and David.</p>

<p>Silverman speaks Arabic, Turkish and Slovak.</p>

<p>Ambassador (ret.) Lawrence R. Silverman is a Senior Advisor with ASG’s Middle East and North Africa practice. A distinguished diplomat, regional expert, and effective commercial advocate, he works with clients to develop entry and growth strategies in Kuwait and throughout the region.</p>

<p>Ambassador Silverman brings 30 years of experience in the U.S. Foreign Service to ASG, in the Middle East, Central and Eastern Europe, and Turkey. In his most recent official role as the U.S. Ambassador to Kuwait from 2016 to 2019, he advanced the interests of U.S. companies, promoted healthcare linkages, won greater protection for intellectual property, negotiated bilateral agreements, and worked to increase U.S-Kuwaiti security and cyber security cooperation. Previously, Ambassador Silverman was Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, where he was responsible for Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, and Israel and Palestinian issues. Ambassador Silverman also served as the State Department’s Director of Israel and Palestinian Affairs, as the Deputy Director of Media and Public Engagement for the Middle East, as Vice President Biden’s Special Advisor for Europe and Russia, as Deputy Coordinator of U.S. Assistance to Central/Eastern Europe and Central Asia, and as Deputy Director of Turkey, Greece, and Cyprus affairs.</p>

<p>Ambassador Silverman holds an M.A. in Political Science and International Relations from Duke University and a B.A. in Political Science from Brandeis University. He speaks Arabic and has a working knowledge of Turkish and Slovak.</p>

<p>He is based in Washington, D.C.</p>