New U.S. envoy eyes improved ties
‘I thank Heather for her remarkable leadership and for the outstanding work she has done to promote our close partnership with the Philippines,’ Ambassador Carlson said.
United States (US) Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Loss Carlson on Friday said that she is looking forward with the Marcos administration to upgrade and modernize the alliance between the two countries.
“I look forward to working with the new government and our partners to upgrade and modernize our alliance to face new challenges, expand bilateral trade and investment, and promote democratic freedoms and good governance,” Carlson said.
Ambassador Carlson arrived last night in the Philippines, following consultations in Washington, D.C. She said that she was honored to represent the US, saying the two countries had a long history of shared sacrifice and close people-to-people ties.
“I am thrilled to be in the Philippines and honored to represent the United States in this important relationship. With the Philippines, our oldest treaty ally in Asia, we have a long history of shared sacrifice and incredibly close people-to-people ties,” Ambassador Carlson said.
Heather Variava, who has been acting as Chargé d’ Affaires pro tempore since September 2021, will remain as Deputy Chief of Mission in Manila.
“I thank Heather for her remarkable leadership and for the outstanding work she has done to promote our close partnership with the Philippines,” Ambassador Carlson said.
“I look forward to working closely with her, and with the team at the US Embassy, to further strengthen our ties with the Philippines as enduring friends, partners and allies,” she added.
Ambassador Carlson succeeded US Ambassador Sung Kim, who served as envoy from 2016 to 2020. Ambassador Carlson served as the US Embassy’s deputy chief of mission and charge d’affaires in Buenos Aires, Argentina before moving to Manila. She has also held positions as Principal Deputy Executive Secretary on the office of the Secretary of State in Washington, D.C., as well as Deputy Chief of Mission and Chargé d’Affaires in New Delhi, India.
Since 1985, Carlson has worked as a foreign service officer in US diplomatic missions in China, Ukraine, Hong Kong, Kenya, Mozambique, and Dominican Republic. She graduated from Memphis, Tennessee’s Rhodes College with a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and International Studies, and from Georgetown University and the National War College, with Master’s degrees in International Relations and National Security Studies, respectively. She is fluent in Chinese and Spanish.
She is married to retired Foreign Service officer Aubrey Carlson, and they have two daughters.