General News, Press Release
Newly US Ambassador Pays Courtesy Call on Speaker of the 55th Legislature
The newly United States Ambassador to Liberia, Mark Toner, paid a courtesy call on Speaker Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa of the 55th Legislature of the Republic of Liberia on Thursday, 8 August, at his Capitol Building office on Capitol Hill, Monrovia.
Ambassador Toner’s courtesy call was made after he presented his Letter of Credence to President Joseph N. Boakai on Wednesday, 7 August, during a brief presentation ceremony held at the Executive Mansion.
Amb. Toner and Speaker Koffa
Ambassador Toner, a seasoned diplomat and career member of the Senior Foreign Service, arrived in Monrovia on Friday, August 2, 2024, to assume his role as the new U.S. Ambassador to Liberia.
Bringing with him a wealth of experience from various high-profile positions within the U.S. Department of State, many observers believe that Toner’s appointment is set to further strengthen U.S.-Liberia relations.
Most recently, He served as the Acting Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Global Public Affairs, where he played a key role in shaping the communication strategies of U.S. foreign policy.
Prior to this, he held the position of Minister Counselor for Public Diplomacy at the U.S. Embassy in Paris, France, where he enhanced U.S. cultural and public diplomacy efforts in one of America’s principal allied nations.
In Washington, D.C., Ambassador Toner was the Senior Advisor for the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe. He has also served as the State Department’s Deputy Spokesperson and Acting Spokesperson under three successive Secretaries of State, as well as Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs.
His extensive portfolio also includes his role as Spokesperson for the U.S. Mission to NATO and as Senior Watch Officer in the State Department’s Emergency Operations Center. As a Pearson Fellow, he worked on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, gaining invaluable legislative experience.
The new U. S. Ambassador has a special connection to Liberia, having spent three years as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the country, specifically in Grand Bassa County, early in his career. This unique experience provides him with a deep understanding of Liberia’s culture and challenges, which will be invaluable in his new role.
