Ambassador of the United States to Kiribati | |
---|---|
Nominator | President of the United States |
Inaugural holder | William Bodde as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary |
Formation | September 26, 1980 |
Website | U.S. Embassy - Suva |
The United States ambassador to Kiribati is the official representative of the government of the United States to the government of Kiribati. The ambassador is concurrently the ambassador to Fiji, Nauru, Tonga, and Tuvalu, while residing in Suva, Fiji.
Name | Title | Appointed | Presented credentials | Terminated mission | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
William Bodde – Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | September 26, 1980 | January 20, 1981 | August 15, 1981 | |
Fred J. Eckert – Political appointee | February 11, 1982 | May 31, 1982 | May 7, 1984 | ||
Carl Edward Dillery – Career FSO | September 27, 1984 | January 29, 1985 | July 15, 1987 | ||
Leonard Rochwarger – Political appointee | September 28, 1987 | May 9, 1988 | August 31, 1989 | ||
Evelyn Irene Hoopes Teegan – Political appointee | October 10, 1989 | January 18, 1990 | March 5, 1993 | ||
Joan M. Plaisted – Career FSO | December 19, 1995 | April 9, 1996 | July 28, 2000 | ||
Michael James Senko – Career FSO | December 28, 2000 | April 10, 2001 | August 2, 2003 | ||
David L. Lyon – Career FSO | October 7, 2003 | November 18, 2003 | July 23, 2005 | ||
Larry Miles Dinger – Career FSO | June 27, 2005 | September 1, 2005 | July 5, 2008 | ||
C. Steven McGann – Career FSO | October 6, 2008 | November 24, 2008 | July 13, 2011 | ||
Frankie A. Reed – Career FSO | August 4, 2011 | April 30, 2012 | January 18, 2015 | ||
Judith Beth Cefkin – Career FSO | December 11, 2014 | February 23, 2015 | February 25, 2018 | ||
Michael B. Goldman – Career FSO | Chargé d'Affaires ad interim | February 25, 2018 | November 25, 2019 | ||
Joseph Cella | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | Confirmed: September 17, 2019 | December 23, 2021 [1] | January 20, 2021 | |
Tony Greubel | Chargé d'Affaires ad interim | January 20, 2021 | N/A | November 23, 2022 | |
Marie C. Damour | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | August 4, 2022 | November 30, 2022 | Incumbent |
Fiji has experienced many coups recently, in 1987, 2000, and 2006. Fiji has been suspended various times from the Commonwealth of Nations, a grouping of mostly former British colonies. It was readmitted to the Commonwealth in December 2001, following the parliamentary election held to restore democracy in September that year, and has been suspended again because of the 2006 coup, but has been readmitted a second time after the 2014 election. Other Pacific Island governments have generally been sympathetic to Fiji's internal political problems and have declined to take public positions.
Ambassadors of the United States are persons nominated by the president to serve as the United States' diplomatic representatives to foreign nations, international organizations, and as ambassadors-at-large. Under Article II, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution, their appointment must be confirmed by the United States Senate; while an ambassador may be appointed during a recess, they can serve only until the end of the next session of Congress, unless subsequently confirmed.
Oceania is, to the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China, a stage for continuous diplomatic competition. The PRC dictates that no state can have diplomatic relations with both the PRC and the ROC. As of 2024, eleven states in Oceania have diplomatic relations with the PRC, and three have diplomatic relations with the ROC. These numbers fluctuate as Pacific Island nations re-evaluate their foreign policies, and occasionally shift diplomatic recognition between Beijing and Taipei. The issue of which "Chinese" government to recognize has become a central theme in the elections of numerous Pacific island nations, and has led to several votes of no-confidence.
The bilateral relations between the Fiji and the United States have improved significantly since Fiji's elections in September 2014, which restored a democratically elected government to Fiji for the first time since 2006. The United States had opposed Fiji's unelected government, which came to power through a military coup in December 2006.
Kiribati and the United States have diplomatic relations. Geographically, Kiribati is the closest neighboring country to the state of Hawaii.
Tuvalu – United States relations are bilateral relations between Tuvalu and the United States.
Fiji and South Korea established official diplomatic relations in January 1971, Korea having recognised Fiji's accession to independence the previous year. There is a South Korean embassy in Suva and a Fijian embassy in Seoul. Fiji opened its embassy in Seoul in July 2012 to "foster trade and investment" and to "promote people-to-people exchanges".
Clarence Steven McGann was an American diplomat who served as the United States Ambassador to Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Tonga, and Tuvalu from 2008 to 2011. He was nominated by President George W. Bush, and assumed his duties at post in October 2008.
Frankie Annette Reed is an American diplomat. She is currently the United States Consul-General in Melbourne. From 2011 to 2015 she was the United States Ambassador to Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Tonga, and Tuvalu. She has a BA in journalism from Howard University and a doctorate in law from the University of California, Berkeley.
Judith Beth Cefkin is an American diplomat and former ambassador to five nations in Oceania. She served concurrently as the ambassador to Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Tonga, and Tuvalu, while in residence in Suva, Fiji.
India and Kiribati established diplomatic relations in 1985. The High Commission of India in Suva, Fiji is concurrently accredited to Kiribati. Kiribati maintains an Honorary Consulate in New Delhi.
Joseph James Cella is an American diplomat and political advisor, who served concurrently as the United States Ambassador to Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Tonga, and Tuvalu from 2019 to 2021. A prominent Roman Catholic, Cella co-founded the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast and Catholic Vote.
Nauru-United States relations are the bilateral relations of Nauru and the United States The U.S. has no consular or diplomatic offices in Nauru. Officers of the American Embassy in Suva, Fiji, are concurrently accredited to Nauru and make periodic visits.
Marie C. Damour is an American diplomat who is the current Ambassador to Fiji, serving concurrently as the ambassador to Kiribati, Nauru, Tonga, and Tuvalu. She previously served as Consul General of the U.S. Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.