Officially In: Richard Morningstar, Special Envoy for Eurasian Energy

Secretary Clinton has appointed Ambassador Richard L. Morningstar as Special Envoy for Eurasian Energy (S/EEE).

The Statement from the Office of the Spokesman states that “Ambassador Morningstar and his staff will support the United States’ energy goals in the Eurasian region. He will work on key energy issues relating to Europe, Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, Central Asia and the Caucasus. He will provide the Secretary with strategic advice on policy issues relating to development, transit, and distribution of energy resources in Eurasia.”

Ambassador Richard L. Morningstar was previously U.S. Ambassador to the European Union under Bill Clinton (1999-2001). Excerpt from his bio from USEU:

In 1998, Ambassador Morningstar had been Special Advisor to the President and the Secretary of State for Caspian Basin Energy Diplomacy. He was responsible for assuring maximum coordination within the Executive Branch of U.S. policy and programs relating to the development of oil and gas resources in the Caspian Basin. Development of the Caspian and open commercial access to its energy resources are key priorities of the Administration.

In April 1995, Ambassador Morningstar was appointed as Special Advisor to the President and Secretary of State on Assistance to the New Independent States of the former Soviet Union, and on June 11, 1996, the Senate confirmed him with the rank of Ambassador. He oversaw all bilateral assistance and the trade and investment activities of the 16 U.S. government agencies engaged in technical assistance, trade and investment, exchange, weapons dismantlement, and other programs in the NIS.

Ambassador Morningstar graduated from Harvard College with high honors and received a law degree from Stanford Law School.

After his stint at USEU, he became Senior Director at Stonebridge International LLC, and Senior Counsel at Nixon Peabody since 2004. He was a Visiting Scholar and Diplomat in Residence, Stanford Institute of International Studies (2002), the Herman Phleger Visiting Professor of Law at Stanford Law School, 2002 and has been an Adjunct Lecturer at the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government (2003—Present).