Amb. (ret.) Lawrence Silverman: From Kuwait to Hilton Head: A Former U.S. Ambassador's Insights on Current Issues in the Middle East

Former Amb. Lawrence Silverman

Distinguished Professor of the Practice at the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs at Georgia Tech

Ambassador (ret.) Lawrence R. Silverman is a distinguished diplomat and Middle East expert. Ambassador Silverman has 30 years of experience in the U.S. Foreign Service, working 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.  

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.

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