State Dept: Narrative that US leaving MENA 'wholly incorrect'
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The US State Department says the US is not leaving the Middle East and North Africa region.
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Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Yael Lempert
Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Yael Lempert said on Tuesday that the narrative that the US is leaving the MENA region as an engaged party is entirely untrue.
"Unfortunately, as we’ve pursued [US] goals, a narrative has emerged in some corners that the United States is leaving the Middle East and North Africa," Lempert said during an event hosted by the Atlantic Council.
"That narrative is wholly incorrect, as becomes abundantly clear upon reviewing the breadth of American engagement throughout the region."
Lempert further declared that the US will continue to focus on "human rights" as a central issue in its engagements with countries in the region.
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The diplomat also discussed the growing influence of China and Russia in the MENA region, including through economic investments and security assistance.
