Newly-appointed U.S.envoy forwards accreditation letters to Moldovan president

Chisinau, 30 January /MOLDPRES/ - U.S. Ambassador James D. Pettit handed over to President Nicolae Timofti the accreditation letters during an official ceremony early in the morning.  

“I want to assure you that I will do my best to strengthen the bilateral ties between our countries and support Moldova on its democratic and European path,” Pettit said.

According to a press release by the U.S. Embassy, Pettit served as Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Consular Affairs at the Department of State starting from November 2010.  

Pettit acted as Deputy Chief of Mission, U.S. Embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine (2007 – 2010), Consul General, Embassy Moscow, Russia (2003 – 2007), Consul General, U.S. Embassy Vienna, Austria (1999 – 2003). In Washington, he worked in the Consular Services Department, Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration, Office of Taiwan Coordination and Office of Cuban Affairs. Pettit served as ambassador in another two missions in Moscow, worked at the American Institute in Taiwan and Consulate General in Guadalajara, Mexico. 

The envoy graduated from the Iowa State University with B.A. in international studies and the Russian language and earned and M.A. in national strategic studies, National War College. Pettit speaks Russian, Spanish, German, and Mandarin Chinese. He has learned Romanian for a few months before coming to Moldova. The diplomat is married and has two daughters.