Marie C. Damour

Last updated

Marie C. Damour
Marie Damour, U.S. Ambassador.jpg
United States Ambassador to Fiji
Assumed office
November 24, 2022

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. [1]

Contents

Early life and education

Damour earned her B.A. from the College of William and Mary. [2]

Career

Damour is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, with the rank of Minister-Counselor. Her positions within the Department of State include the Director of the Office of Maritime Southeast Asian Affairs in the State Department's Bureau of East Asia and Pacific Affairs; Director of the Office of Policy Coordination and Public Affairs in the State Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs; and the Deputy Chief of Mission, as well as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim at the U.S. Embassy in Wellington, New Zealand. [2] She also served as Minister Counselor for Consular Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Brasilia, Brazil; the Chief of Non-Immigrant Visa Services, and then Chief of Visa Services at the U.S. Embassy in London, England; the Consular Chief at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, and the U.S. Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Ambassador to Fiji

On May 25, 2022, President Joe Biden nominated Damour to be the United States Ambassador to Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Tonga and Tuvalu. [2] Hearings on her nomination were held before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on July 13, 2022. The committee favorably reported her nomination on July 19, 2022. On August 4, 2022, her nomination was confirmed by the full United States Senate via voice vote. [3] Damour presented her credentials to President of Fiji Ratu Wiliame Katonivere on November 24, 2022, [4] President of Kiribati Taneti Maamau on November 30, 2022, [5] King of Tonga Tupou VI on December 6, 2022, [6] President of Nauru Russ Kun on February 8, 2023, [7] and Governor-General of Tuvalu Tofiga Vaevalu Falani on February 15, 2023. [8]

Personal life

Damour speaks French, Vietnamese, and Portuguese. [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fiji–United States relations</span> Bilateral relations

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kiribati–United States relations</span> Bilateral relations

Kiribati and the United States have diplomatic relations. Geographically, Kiribati is the closest neighboring country to the state of Hawaii.

Cuban-Pacific relations are diplomatic, economic, cultural, and other relations between the Cuba and countries situated in Oceania. In the 2000s, Cuba has been strengthening its relations with Pacific nations, which have, for the most part, responded favorably to Cuban medical aid in particular. The first Cuba-Pacific Islands ministerial meeting was held in September 2008 in Havana, with government members from ten Pacific countries—Kiribati, Tuvalu, Nauru, Solomon Islands, Fiji, Tonga, Vanuatu, Samoa, the Federated States of Micronesia and Papua New Guinea—attending. The meeting was a consolidation rather than a starting point of Cuban-Pacific relations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">C. Steven McGann</span> American diplomat

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frankie A. Reed</span> American diplomat (born 1954)

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judith Beth Cefkin</span> American diplomat (born 1953)

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nineta Barbulescu</span> Romanian diplomat (born 1968)

Nineta Bărbulescu is a Romanian career diplomat, and current Ambassador of Romania to Malaysia and (non-resident) Brunei. She served as the Romanian Ambassador to Australia from August 2013 until December 2020. During these 7 years she also was accredited non-resident Ambassador to New Zealand (2015–2020), Fiji (2018–2020), Independent State of Samoa (2018–2020), Solomon Islands (2018–2020), Vanuatu (2018–2020), Kiribati (2018–2020), Tuvalu (2019–2020), and Nauru (2019–2020).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joseph Cella</span> American diplomat and political advisor (born 1969)

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nauru–United States relations</span> Bilateral relations

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael B. Goldman</span> American diplomat

Michael B. Goldman is an American diplomat who has served as the chargé d'affaires ad interim to Turkey since September 1, 2024. He had served as the chargé d'affaires ad interim to Australia between January 20, 2021, and July 25, 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">51st Pacific Islands Forum</span> International relations conference

The 51st Pacific Islands Forum was a meeting of the heads of state and heads of government of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), which was held in Suva, Fiji from 11 to 14 July 2022. The meeting was chaired by the Prime Minister of Fiji, Frank Banimarama.

The Korea–Pacific Islands Summit was a meeting hosted by President of South Korea Yoon Suk-yeol with leaders of Pacific Islands Forum members held during May 29–30, 2023 in Seoul, South Korea. the summit was brought forth after 5 meetings of the participants the last of in 2022 when the involved parties agreed to elevate relations to summit status.

References

  1. "Consul General Marie C. Damour". U.S. Embassy & Consulate in Vietnam. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "President Biden Announces Key Nominees". The White House. May 25, 2022. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
  3. "PN2203 — Marie C. Damour — Department of State 117th Congress (2021-2022)". US Congress. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
  4. "U.S. Ambassador to Fiji Marie Damour Presents Her Credentials". United States Department of State. November 24, 2022. Retrieved November 24, 2022.
  5. U.S. Embassy Suva [@USEmbassySuva] (November 30, 2022). "Ambassador Marie Damour is in Kiribati this week to present her credentials to His Excellency President Taneti Maamau" (Tweet). Retrieved November 29, 2022 via Twitter.
  6. "U.S. Ambassador to Tonga Marie Damour Presents Her Credentials". United States Department of State. December 6, 2022. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
  7. Damour, Marie C. [@USAmbSuva] (February 8, 2023). "Today, I presented my credentials to His Excellency President Russ Joseph Kun" (Tweet). Retrieved February 14, 2023 via Twitter.
  8. Damour, Marie C. [@USAmbSuva] (February 15, 2023). "Pleased to meet Governor-General Rev Tofiga Vaevalu Falani to present my credentials as U.S. Ambassador to Tuvalu" (Tweet). Retrieved February 16, 2023 via Twitter.
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by United States Ambassador to Fiji
2022–present
Incumbent
United States Ambassador to Kiribati
2022–present
United States Ambassador to Tonga
2022–present
United States Ambassador to Nauru
2023–present
United States Ambassador to Tuvalu
2023–present