September 9, 2021 - 10:51 AMT
U.S. State Dept: Erika Olson to oversee South Caucasus policy

Erika Olson will oversee policy toward the South Caucasus at the United States Department of State, RFE/RL reports, citing a government spokesperson.

Olson takes over South Caucasus duties from Deputy Assistant Secretary George Kent, who served as chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv from 2015 to 2018 before returning to Washington to oversee policy toward Eastern Europe and the South Caucasus.

Kent will hand over policy for Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia to Olson, the former director for Northern European, Baltic, and Arctic security affairs at the State Department.

Olson will also oversee South Europe, including Turkey, Greece, and Cyprus, the State Department spokesperson said.