Wednesday, September 15, 2010

U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Maura Connelly Presents Credentials to President Sleiman

US Embassy Press Releases September 15, 2010.
The new U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon, Maura Connelly, presented her diplomatic credentials to Lebanese President Michel Sleiman today at ceremonies at Baabda Palace. Ambassador Connelly arrived in Lebanon on September 13, 2010, following unanimous confirmation of her appointment by the U.S. Senate on August 5.

“I was delighted today to meet President Sleiman and to present my diplomatic credentials,” Ambassador Connelly said. “It is a great honor for me to serve as the U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon. Our commitment to a sovereign, independent Lebanon, with strong and effective state institutions, remains the Embassy’s most important priority. I look forward to strengthening the deep, historical partnership between the United States and Lebanon.”

Ambassador Connelly is a member of the U.S. Senior Foreign Service with extensive experience in the region. She was most recently a Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs. Prior to that, Ambassador Connelly was the Chargé d’Affaires for the U.S. Embassy in Damascus, Syria. Ambassador Connelly previously served as the Political Minister-Counselor for the U.S. Embassy in London, U.K. and was the Deputy Principal Officer at the U.S. Consulate General in Jerusalem. She was also the Deputy Counselor for Political Affairs for the U.S. Mission to the United Nations in New York. Her other overseas postings include Jordan, Algeria and South Africa.

Ambassador Connelly received a B.S. in Foreign Service from Georgetown University and a Masters in National Security Studies from the U.S. Naval War College.