U.S. Ambassador James D. Pettit presented his credentials to President Nicolae Timofti this morning in an official ceremony. During his introduction with President Timofti, Ambassador Pettit expressed his pleasure to be in Moldova and said, “I would like to assure you that I will make every effort to strengthen the bilateral relationship between our countries and to support Moldova on its democratic and European path.”
Ambassador Pettit has previously served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Overseas Citizens Services within the Consular Affairs Bureau of the U.S. Department of State since November 2010. The Overseas Citizens Services Directorate includes the Office of American Citizens Services and Crisis Management, the Office of Children’s Issues, and the Office of Policy Review and Interagency Liaison.
Most recently, he was the Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine (2007-2010), Consul General at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, Russia (2003-2007), and Consul General at the U.S. Embassy in Vienna, Austria (1999-2003). In Washington, he previously served within the Visa Services Directorate, the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, the Taiwan Coordination Office, and the Office of Cuban Affairs. He served two previous tours at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, as well as at the American Institute in Taiwan and the U.S. Consulate General in Guadalajara, Mexico.
He received a B.A. in International Studies and Russian from Iowa State University, and a M.A. in National Strategic Studies from the National War College. He speaks Russian, Spanish, German, Mandarin Chinese, and recently studied Romanian for several months prior to his arrival in Moldova. He is married and has two daughters.
