press releases

Carmen Martinez is New U.S. Ambassador to Zambia

Lusaka
December 12, 2005

Ambassador Carmen Martinez Presenting Credentials to President Mwanawasa at State House.

Carmen M. Martinez is new Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Zambia. She presented her credentials to President Levy Patrick Mwanawasa, on December 12, 2005. Ambassador Martinez said during the ceremony that the United States values its growing partnership with the government and people of Zambia, reflected by the growth in bilateral programs between the U.S. and Zambia and by new initiatives that include the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) program, African Contingency Operations Training Assistance, and the White House’s initiative for Women’s Justice and Empowerment. She said that as a result of these and other initiatives, overall assistance from the United States to Zambia had grown from about $40 million in 2001 to more than $200 million in 2005.

And President Mwanawasa thanked U.S. President George Bush for PEPFAR, saying the initiative was helping Zambia to rapidly strengthen and scale up existing HIV/AIDS treatment, prevention and care. He appealed to the U.S. government to help Zambia meet the Millennium Challenge Account criteria.

A career member of the Senior Foreign Service, class of Minister-Counselor, Ambassador Martinez served previously as Chief of Mission in Rangoon, Burma (2002-2005), Principal Officer at the U.S. Consulate General in Sao Paulo, Brazil (1999-2002), Deputy Chief of Mission in Maputo, Mozambique (1997-1999), Principal Officer at the U .S. Consulate in Barranquilla, Colombia (1993-1994), Chief of the Consular Section in Quito, Ecuador (1989-1993), and as a Consular Officer in Bangkok, Thailand (1986-1989), and Caracas, Venezuela (1983-1985).