The new US ambassador to the Philippines, MaryKay Carlson, vowed on Friday that the United States would continue its partnership with the Philippines as she presented her credentials to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at the Palace.
“We are fellow democracies, bound by a rich shared history. We share the powerful, positive ties of family, embodied in the 4 million Filipino-Americans in the United States and the 350,000 US citizens in the Philippines,” Carlson said.
“Our alliance is a bedrock of our bond, and our Mutual Defense Treaty and other agreements are at the heart of our commitment to help defend the Philippines’ sovereignty and independence,” she added.
“I arrived in Manila inspired by the bond between our great nations and devoted to making it even stronger. I feel especially fortunate to arrive in the early days of your administration,” Carlson said in her remarks during her visit to Marcos.
“The United States is committed to partnering with you and your team as you move ahead. As you act to ensure the security, prosperity, and freedoms of the Philippine people, we are here to help, and invested in your success,” she added.
Carlson said she looked forward to the Philippines and the US working together to develop new trade and investment ties, partner on clean energy solutions, protect marine and terrestrial resources, and help tackle the climate crisis.
The envoy said that she looks forward to working with the Marcos administration “to upgrade and modernize our alliance to face new challenges, expand bilateral trade and investment, and promote democratic freedoms and good governance.”
Carlson, who was appointed by US President Joe Biden, replaces Ambassador Sung Kim, who ended his tour of duty in 2020.
Before arriving in Manila, Carlson was deputy chief of mission and chargé d’affaires at the US Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She also previously served as deputy chief of mission and chargé d’Affaires in New Delhi, India, and as principal deputy executive secretary on the staff of the Secretary of State in Washington, D.C.
A foreign service officer since 1985, she has also been posted to US diplomatic missions in China, Ukraine, Hong Kong, Mozambique, Kenya, and the Dominican Republic.
Carlson obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Spanish and International Studies from Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee, and her Master’s degrees in International Relations from Georgetown University and in National Security Studies from the National War College. She speaks Spanish and Chinese.
Heather Variava, who has been serving as chargé d’affaires ad interim since September 2021, will remain in Manila as deputy chief of mission.
Ambassador Carlson arrived with her husband, Aubrey Carlson, a retired US diplomat.