New US head for PNG, SI and Vanuatu

AMERICAN President Barack Obama has nominated a new ambassador to Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.He is Walter North, the current USAID mission director in Egypt.North was one of three new ambassadors named by Obama, the other two being for Poland and Lithuania.He replaces Teddy Taylor, who in his time in PNG, had increased the public imag­e of the United States’ presence in the country through travels and his regular engagement with the public.North is a member of the senior foreign service class of career-minister who previously served as USAID mission director in Indonesia (2007-2011), India (2000-2004) and Zambia (1996-2000). He was deputy mission director in Ethiopia from 1992 to 1996.  Before joining USAID in 1980, North was a project manager for the non-profit humanitarian organisation CARE in India and Bangladesh, and a peace corp volunteer in Ethiopia.