U.S. Ambassador to Malawi Presents Credentials to President Mutharika

Lilongwe – U.S. Ambassador to Malawi Peter W. Bodde presented his credentials to President Bingu wa Mutharika on Tuesday, October 28 at the Presidential Palace.

In a brief statement delivered after the credential ceremony, Ambassador Bodde said the United States is a strong bilateral partner as Malawi advances its economic development and democratic foundation.  Ambassador Bodde commented, “We are a major donor in Malawi’s health fields, particularly in the work concerning HIV/AIDS and anti-malaria programs, and I look forward to seeing that these programs continue to be as successful as they are.”  Noting Malawi's growing reputation as a model in much of the developing world in dealing with HIV/AIDS and malaria issues, he added, “I think it’s the partnership and good work between our two governments that make this possible.”

On a personal note, Ambassador Bodde expressed gratitude to President Bush for having appointed him Ambassador to Malawi.  “My wife and I are thrilled to be here, to come to the warm heart of Africa, I have already traveled to the lake twice, and look forward to traveling down south soon,” he said.

Ambassador Bodde was sworn in as the United States Ambassador to Malawi on September 3, 2008.  Prior to this assignment, he served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan from February 2006 to August 2008.
Ambassador Bodde joined the United States Foreign Service in 1981, and has served in Georgetown, Guyana; Kathmandu, Nepal (twice, most recently as Deputy Chief of Mission); Hamburg, Germany; Sofia, Bulgaria; Copenhagen, Denmark; and New Delhi, India, where he was the Minister Counselor for Administrative Affairs.

He served as Consul General at the United States Consulate General in Frankfurt, Germany from September 2002 to February 2006. He has also served in various positions in the State Department in Washington, DC, most recently as the Director of the Office of Management Policy.
Ambassador Bodde was born in October 1954, and graduated from the University of Maryland with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1976. His first position after university was as a commodity industry analyst with the U.S. International Trade Commission.