ISLAMABAD: Newly appointed US ambassador to Pakistan David Hale arrived here on Wednesday to assume his duties.

Announcing the arrival of the envoy, the US Embassy said that Mr Hale would work with “his Pakistani counterparts and the Pakistani people to strengthen American-Pakistani relations, increase trade between the two countries, further enhance our security partnership, and advance the broad agenda laid out by President Obama and Prime Minister Sharif when they met in Washington on Oct 22, 2015”.

Mr Hale replaces Richard Olson, who has recently been named as US Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The new ambassador is a career foreign service officer and has mostly served in the Middle East. He also speaks Arabic.

In his previous posting, Mr Hale was the ambassador to Lebanon. He also remained Special Envoy for Middle East Peace (2011-2013), Deputy Special Envoy for Middle East Peace (2009-11), and American Ambassador to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (2005-08). He has also served in Tunisia, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and at the US Mission to the United Nations.

Published in Dawn, November 19th, 2015