Ambassador of the United States to Tonga | |
---|---|
Nominator | The President of the United States |
Inaugural holder | Kenneth Franzheim II as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary |
Formation | October 4, 1972 |
Website | U.S. Embassy - Suva |
The United States ambassador to Tonga is the official representative of the government of the United States to the government of Tonga. The ambassador is concurrently the ambassador to Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, and Tuvalu, while residing in Suva, Fiji.
Name | Title | Appointed | Presented credentials | Terminated mission | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Robert Woltz Skiff – Career FSO | Chargé d'Affaires ad interim | November 1, 1971 | N/A | November 6, 1972 | |
Kenneth Franzheim II – Political appointee | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | February 15, 1972 | May 22, 1972 | November 6, 1972 | |
Armistead Inge Selden – Political appointee | March 1, 1974 | April 17, 1974 | April 10, 1978 | ||
John Peter Condon – Career FSO | March 2, 1978 | April 11, 1978 | July 27, 1980 | ||
William Bodde – Political appointee | June 30, 1980 | August 12, 1980 | August 15, 1981 | ||
Fred J. Eckert – Political appointee | February 11, 1982 | February 25, 1982 | May 7, 1984 | ||
Carl Edward Dillery – Career FSO | September 27, 1984 | November 1, 1984 | July 15, 1987 | ||
Leonard Rochwarger – Political appointee | September 28, 1987 | March 11, 1988 | August 31, 1989 | ||
Evelyn Irene Hoopes Teegan – Political appointee | October 10, 1989 | November 21, 1989 | March 5, 1993 | ||
Robert Woltz Skiff – Career FSO | Chargé d'Affaires ad interim | June 1995 | N/A | December 19, 1995 | |
Don Lee Gevirtz – Political appointee | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | December 19, 1995 | February 2, 1996 | September 28, 1997 | |
M. Osman Siddique – Political appointee | August 9, 1999 | September 13, 1999 | June 30, 2001 | ||
Ronald Keith McMullen – Career FSO | Chargé d'Affaires ad interim | June 30, 2001 | N/A | June 2002 | |
Hugh M. Neighbor – Career FSO | June 2002 | N/A | January 9, 2003 | ||
David L. Lyon – Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | November 15, 2002 | January 9, 2003 | July 23, 2005 | |
Larry Miles Dinger – Career FSO | June 27, 2005 | August 23, 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 | November 14, 2011 | January 18, 2015 | ||
Judith Beth Cefkin – Career FSO | December 11, 2014 | April 22, 2015 | February 25, 2018 | ||
Michael B. Goldman – Career FSO | Chargé d'Affaires ad interim | February 25, 2018 | N/A | December 23, 2019 | |
Joseph Cella | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | September 26, 2019 | December 23, 2019 | 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 | December 6, 2022 [1] | Incumbent |
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.
Fred James Eckert is an American politician and diplomat who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from New York's 30th congressional district for one term. A friend and political ally of Ronald Reagan, Eckert had previously served as the U.S. ambassador to Fiji, Tonga, Kiribati, and Tuvalu.
M. Osman Siddique is an American politician, former ambassador, and author. He served as the United States Ambassador to the Republic of Fiji and to the Republic of Nauru, to the Kingdom of Tonga and to Tuvalu from 1999 to 2001. He was the US Ambassador during the 2000 Fijian coup d'état. Siddique is the first American Muslim to be appointed as an Ambassador from the United States.
The United States and Vanuatu established diplomatic relations on September 30, 1986 – three months to the day after Vanuatu had established diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union. Relations were often tense in the 1980s, under the prime ministership of Father Walter Lini in Vanuatu, but eased after that. At present, bilateral relations consist primarily in US aid to Vanuatu, and are cordial.
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.
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.
This is a summary history of diplomatic relations of the United States listed by country. The history of diplomatic relations of the United States began with the appointment of Benjamin Franklin as U.S. Minister to France in 1778, even before the U.S. had won its independence from Great Britain in 1783.
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–Tonga relations are the international relations that exist between India and Tonga. The High Commission of India in Suva, Fiji is concurrently accredited to Tonga.
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.