Puneet Talwar, the New US Ambassador to Morocco
Puneet Talwar, the newly appointed US ambassador to Morocco, has expressed his willingness to strengthen the growing partnership between Rabat and Washington.
السلام عليكم! إنه لشرف كبير لي أن أكون سفير الولايات المتحدة الجديد لدى المملكة المغربية. إنني أتطلع إلى العمل كل يوم على تعزيز شراكتنا مع أحد أقدم أصدقائنا وأول دولة تعترف باستقلال الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية. pic.twitter.com/iUUFjlfExo
— USAmbMorocco (@USAmbMorocco) November 15, 2022
The US Embassy in Morocco released a video in which Talwar introduces himself and expresses his delight at being appointed as the country’s new ambassador.
تعرفوا على السفير الأمريكي المعين في المغرب، بونيت تالوار
Meet the Ambassador-designate to Morocco, Puneet Talwar#AmbTalwar#puneettalwar #usembassyrabat#usambmorocco pic.twitter.com/kFeVZwNKTd— U.S. Embassy Morocco (@USEmbMorocco) November 5, 2022
David Fischer’s position as ambassador to Morocco was terminated in January 2021; Talwar will succeed Fischer. The US’s recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over the Western Sahara was underlined by Fischer’s assignment to Morocco.
For the office of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Morocco, Joe Biden, the US president, nominated Puneet Talwar on March 18. In addition to encouraging collaboration between Washington, DC, and Rabat, the position also comprises representing the US and President Biden in Morocco.
The diplomat’s appointment was approved on September 9 by the US State Department.
According to the US State Department, the “experienced policy expert” “has held key national security and international policy posts in the State Department, White House, and the United States Senate.”
Working with Biden since the 1990s is the seasoned diplomat. Rejoining the Biden team in the US Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs from 2001 to 2008 as Chief Advisor on the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia, he is notable for having served as the then-Senator Biden’s Chief Advisor from 1995 to 1999.
On April 9, 2014, during the administrations of Barack Obama and Joe Biden, Talwar’s collaboration with the vice president was restarted. Prior to November 2015, he held the role for more than a year.
Talwar was appointed as a volunteer member of the Joe Biden presidential transition agency assessment panel five years later. He was assigned to help the US State Department’s post-election employees.
In addition to building a strong career in diplomacy, Talwar has held several posts outside the government.
In particular, he has served as a senior fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute, a visiting scholar at the University of Pennsylvania Penn Biden Center, and a counselor to the Inter Mediate conflict mediation NGO.
The US ambassador has also written a significant number of essays for reputable publications including Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, and The National Interest.