January 2023

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    Political Officer Alex Gould provides cultural and historical context about American wines, Oct. 12, 2022. Photo by Danielle Neighbour

    ‘Wine diplomacy’ bears fruitful discussion

    By Alex Gould The U.S. Embassy in Peru knows that twenty-first century diplomacy is not limited to the conference room. Seeking innovative ways to convene diplomatic counterparts in the post-pandemic era, the embassy’s political section,...
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    ​​Director General of the National Institute of Medical Research Said Aboud (center, right) receives IT equipment meant to enhance the Tanzanian government’s AfyaMsafiri disease detection system during a handover event in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Oct. 29. Photo courtesy of Management and Development for Health

    CDC boosts disease surveillance at Tanzania border

    By Sophia Nur and Gloria Macha Tanzania has more than 60 formal border crossings and numerous informal ones that span eight neighboring countries and an extensive maritime border. This high-volume movement of populations significantly increases...
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    Guests at the Meridian International Center event, which celebrated the bicentennial of the Tangier Old Legation, inspect a replica of the Legation building built by the Lego group, Sept. 22, 2022. The replica contains approximately 45,000 Lego bricks and took 195 hours to construct. Photo by Stephen Bobb

    Gala celebrates bicentennial of Tangier Old Legation

    By Glyn T. Davies The Tangier Old Legation—the United States’ oldest public property abroad and the only National Historic Landmark outside of the country—celebrated its 200th anniversary in 2021. Bicentennial celebrations included a traveling exhibit...
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    Embassy Podgorica staff members (from left) Siddha Page, Jason Smith, and Sarah Schumacher stand next to a new playhouse in front of the refurbished playground that was sponsored by the embassy, Oct. 28, 2022.

    Embassy Podgorica officers refurbish shelter playground

    By Eliot Elzinga, Siddha Page, Suzanne Schaefer, Sarah Schumacher, and Jason Smith  A nondescript building on a quiet street in Niksic, Montenegro, serves as a haven for women and children affected by domestic violence. Run...
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    U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield addresses the Overseas Security Advisory Council’s Annual Briefing, Nov. 15-17, 2022. Photo courtesy of the Overseas Security Advisory Council

    OSAC hosts Annual Briefing

    By Elizabeth Winter The Department of State’s Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) hosted its hallmark event of the year with the OSAC Annual Briefing, Nov. 15-17, 2022. The event titled,  “Resilience as the New Normal”, focused on...
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    Retirements

    Retirements | January 2023

    Civil Service Burruss, Dante M.El-Bishlawy, Amina A.Foy, James J.Goodwine, Lisa C.Jackson, Jeffrey L.Lamothe, Marie Y.Lantos, AttilaLindquist, Robert A.McAleer, Elizabeth G.McClannan, H.Nash, Darryl L.Washburn, Robin L. Foreign Service Aardappel, John A.Abamonte, Gerard J.Alava, Eduardo J.Allen, Glen R.Amirthanayagam, Aruna...
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    Embassy Baghdad’s Regional Security Office presented Nir Khadge (left) with a flag flown over the embassy to mark his 40th year with the Department of State, July 27. Khadge—who as a personal services contractor financial advisor with the regional security office, manages post’s $1 billion budget for Diplomatic Security (DS)—began his career with the Department in 1982 in Kathmandu as a locally employed staff senior financial specialist/alternate certifying officer. Khadge, pictured with former U.S. Mission Iraq Deputy Chief of Mission Greg LoGerfo, has supported financial operations throughout his career at high-threat posts including Tripoli, Sana’a, and Juba. From 2006-2015, he helped establish the Global Financial Center in Charleston. In his current role in Baghdad, Khadge manages the daily financial operations of the largest DS operation in the world, with nearly 60 agents, a dozen security engineers, and more than 2,500 security personnel across three sites in Iraq. Photo by Saher Altwal

    Embassy Baghdad celebrates personal services contractor’s 40 years of service

    Embassy Baghdad’s regional security office presented Nir Khadge (left) with a flag flown over the embassy to mark his 40th year with the Department of State, July 27. Khadge—who as a personal services contractor...
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    U.S. Ambassador to Thailand Robert F. Godec (left) and local students helped Thai-Indonesian American artist Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya (right) paint the embassy’s new mural on the street-side of the consular section. The mural depicts a group of bold women and non-binary people looking toward the horizon, forging new paths and working towards a shared future. The mural was inspired by the artist’s conversations with Thai women and nonbinary youth, and depicts a vision for Thai society that can be celebrated and championed by all. This mural is a visible public-private partnership between the U.S. Mission and Organon, a U.S.-based healthcare company. Photo courtesy of U.S. Embassy Bangkok

    Embassy Bangkok unveils women’s empowerment mural

    U.S. Ambassador to Thailand Robert F. Godec (left) and local students helped Thai-Indonesian American artist Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya (right) paint the embassy’s new mural on the street-side of the consular section. The mural depicts a...
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    U.S. Ambassador to Albania Yuri Kim met with Brig. Gen. Arben Kingji, in his new capacity as chief of defense of Albania, to strengthen U.S.-Albania defense relations during the 100-year anniversary of relations between both nations. They agreed to increase cooperation following the historic Defender Europe 2021 exercise, and in preparation for the upcoming Defender Europe 2023 exercises. They noted the positive impact of the new U.S. Special Operations Command forward-based headquarters in Albania and the recent presence of the U.S. Army Security Force Assistance Brigade. The leaders also discussed the response to recent flooding that devastated northern Albania, with Kingji expressing appreciation for American contributions of training, equipment, and supplies. Photo credit to Antonio Cakshiri.

    Embassy Tirana meeting highlights defense cooperation in Albania

    On Nov. 21, U.S. Ambassador to Albania Yuri Kim (second from right) met with Brig. Gen. Arben Kingji (second from left), in his new capacity as chief of defense of Albania, to strengthen U.S.-Albania...
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    GPA uses creative storytelling to spotlight diplomat hometowns

    In honor of the 20th anniversary of the Hometown Diplomats program, the Bureau of Global Public Affairs (GPA) launched a creative new storytelling program called the Welcome to Diplomats’ Hometown, Dec. 20, 2022. Currently,...
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