New US envoy to RP confirmed

The new US ambassador to the Philippines has been confirmed by the US Senate and is expected to arrive in Manila next month.

Kristie Anne Kenney, who was nominated by President George W. Bush as the next US envoy to Manila, is the first American woman ambassador to the Philippines.

US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Paul Jones earlier said that Kenney had her hearing before the Senate foreign relations committee on Jan. 31. She was confirmed last Feb. 17.

Kenney is a career diplomat. Prior to serving as ambassador to Ecuador, she held senior positions at the State Department and National Security Council in Washington as well as overseas positions in Geneva, Argentina, and Jamaica.

As the new US envoy succeeding Francis Ricciardone, who departed Manila last May after he was confirmed as ambassador to Egypt, Kenney emphasized in a statement she delivered before the Senate foreign relations committee the strength, breadth, and importance of the relationship between the US and the Philippines.

She pointed out that the Philippines is a longstanding treaty ally of the US and became a "major non-NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) ally" in 2003, a formal status reserved for a handful of countries worldwide, giving them priority access to American military aid and hardware.

According to Jones, Kenney also underscored that Washington and Manila share common goals designed to make the world more secure and more prosperous.

"She particularly emphasized how our two nations work together to fight terrorism and enhance security. As I’m sure all of you know, the United States provides training to assure that the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) acquire the skills necessary to combat terrorism," Jones said.

He added that Manila and Washington are engaged in transformational programs for the AFP and Philippine National Police (PNP) that will help make them more effective and transparent institutions.