Michael Kozak

Michael G. Kozak (born September 18, 1946) is an American diplomat in the United States Department of State. He served as Acting Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs from 2019 to 2021. Kozak has extensive experience in diplomatic roles, including serving as U.S. Ambassador to Belarus from 2000 to 2003 and chief of mission at the United States Interests Section in Havana from 1996 to 1999. In 1991, he was a nominee for U.S. Ambassador to El Salvador. Kozak gained prominence in the 1980s for his negotiations with Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega. He is known for his practical problem-solving approach and is described as an outgoing and pugnacious individual.