US ambassador to PH set to arrive this July: envoy

Carlson succeeds former US ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim, who ended his tour of duty in October 2020. (File Photo By United States Department of States (DOS). Archived from the original on 2020-06-15., Public Domain)

MANILA – United States Ambassador-Designate to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson is set to finally arrive in Manila before the end of July, the embassy said Friday.

“We are very excited to welcome very soon our new ambassador. She’ll be here in the Philippines by the end of the month,” US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Heather Variava said on the sidelines of a reception for the 246th anniversary of US Independence.

Variava said Carlson is in Washington DC to prepare for her tour of duty.

“She’s now in Washington having meetings, preparing to come here to the Philippines. Stay tuned, there’s a lot more to come with the new ambassador,” she added.

Carlson succeeds former US ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim, who ended his tour of duty in October 2020.

For more than a year, the embassy was headed by a chargé d’affaires until Carlson was finally nominated and confirmed this year.

Former chargé d’affaires John Law led the embassy before Variava, who will serve as Carlson’s deputy once she arrives in Manila.

Variava said there is “a lot to look forward to” in the two nations’ partnership, particularly on security and its Indo-Pacific Economic Framework.

“We here at the embassy, as well as our partners in the United States, look forward to working closely with President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. and his team to secure a prosperous, healthy, and safe future for the peoples of both our nations,” she said.

“We wish the new President good health and a safe recovery,” she added after Malacanang’s announcement that Marcos had tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019.