press releases
New U.S. Ambassador to Zambia
November 28, 2005Carmen 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).