Britain’s Karen Pierce swaps DC embassy for the Balkans

LONDON — Britain’s former Ambassador to the U.S. Karen Pierce has a new gig: she’s becoming the U.K.’s special envoy to the Western Balkans.

Pierce — highly-regarded on the Washington D.C. scene after representing the U.K. under both Donald Trump and Joe Biden’s presidencies — will manage the U.K.’s strategic objectives in the sensitive region, which includes Albania, Serbia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

That includes hosting a major summit of Western Balkan leaders in Britain this fall to tackle illegal migration and support regional security, the British government announced Friday.

Her latest role follows a five years spell in Washington representing the U.K. She has just been replaced by former Labour Cabinet minister Peter Mandelson, the first non-career diplomat to take up the post in more than half a century.

Announcing the move, Foreign Secretary David Lammy said: “The Western Balkans is of long-standing importance to the U.K., and our partnerships in the region are central to our efforts to tackle irregular migration and bear down on the evil trade in human lives.”

He added: “With her experience and expertise, Dame Karen Pierce is the ideal person to drive this important work forward.” Pierce previously worked as the U.K.’s permanent representative to the U.N. and Britain’s ambassador to Afghanistan.

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has made the Balkans a key focus as his government tries to look tough on illegal migration. Last November, the U.K. signed agreements with Serbia, North Macedonia and Kosovo to tackle organized immigration crime.