US new secretary of state to nominate next Afghan-Pak special envoy

WASHINGTON (PAN has been left by the Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, to her successor, a US official said Wednesday.

“I think that’s the expectation, that it will be part of the look at personnel here as a new secretary comes in,” the State Department spokesperson, Victoria Nuland, told reporters at her daily news conference.

Marc Grossman, who served as the US special envoy for almost two years in the volatile region, had announced his resignation that comes into effect mid-December and Clinton has accepted his resignation.

In the interim period, he is being replaced by the Deputy Special US Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan David D. Pearce.

In a statement, Pakistan Ambassador to the US Sherry Rehman said Grossman will be missed for his immense diplomatic contribution in promoting US-Pakistan ties.

“His professionalism, dedication, integrity, and commitment to improve US-Pakistan ties at all times will be remembered not just by us, but by both countries,” she said.

Rehman said Grossman and his colleagues worked untiringly to bolster US-Pakistan relations, especially when relations between both nations were at the lowest ebb.

“Part of the credit for putting the relationship on a positive trajectory and bringing it to the present stage, where we are in multiple conversations with each other at all strategic and diplomatic levels, goes to him,” she said.

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