A conversation with Eric Carlson, U.S. Senior Arctic Official – 16 November 2023

On Thursday 16 November 2023, U.S. Senior Arctic Official Eric Carlson met 150 SIOI students.
The discussion, introduced by Ambassador Giuseppe Morabito, focused on the state of Arctic governance, with a particular emphasis on the Arctic Council, its unique role fostering circumpolar cooperation, and U.S. priorities for Arctic governance in the region. Minister Plenipotentiary Carmine Robustelli, Special Envoy for the Arctic at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, also attended the event.

Eric Carlson became the Senior Arctic Official in August 2023 after tours as a Political-Economic Inspector in Office of the Inspector General and as the Director of the Office of International Health and Biodefense at the Department of State. Previous to that, Eric was a Senior Advisor for Bosnia in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, the Political-Economic Affairs Counselor and Acting Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Oslo, Norway and the Political-Military Affairs Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Rome, Italy. A career member of the Senior Foreign Service, he has also served in El Salvador, Uruguay, Jordan, Oman, and Iraq.