Marie T. Huhtala U.S. Ambassador to Malaysia Marie T.
Huhtala was sworn in as the American Ambassador to Malaysia on September 13,
2001, and arrived in Kuala Lumpur to take up her post on September 30.
A native of California, Ms. Huhtala joined the Foreign Service in
November 1972. Her previous assignments overseas were in Paris, France
(1973-75), Chiang Mai, Thailand (1976-79), Taipei, Taiwan (1984-85), Hong Kong
(1985-87) and Quebec, Canada (1992-95). Just prior to her nomination as
Ambassador, she served as Deputy Chief of Mission in the U.S. Embassy in
Bangkok, Thailand (1998-2001).
Ms. Huhtala has also spent many years working in the State Department
in Washington. Her assignments there have included stints as a staff officer
in the Secretariat, as a Congressional Relations Officer, and as Chief of the
Foreign Service's East Asia Assignments Division. She served as Deputy
Director of the Office of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodian Affairs (1990-92) during
the last stages of the Paris Peace Accords for Cambodia and the initiation of
the normalization of diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Vietnam. Four
years later she returned to that Office, which had expanded to include
Thailand and Burma, as Director (1996-98), where she coordinated the U.S.
response to issues ranging from the outbreak of fighting in Cambodia and the
struggle for democracy in Burma to negotiations on a bilateral trade agreement
with Vietnam and the economic crisis in Thailand.
Ms. Huhtala received an undergraduate degree in French (summa cum
laude) from Santa Clara University and a Master's Degree in political science
from Laval University. She attended the National War College at Fort McNair,
graduating with the Class of 1988, and was a Member of the 38th Session of the
Senior Seminar, an interagency executive development program organized by the
Department of State. A career member of the U.S. Senior Foreign Service, she
is the recipient of the Department of State's Superior Honor Award and
Meritorious Honor Award. She speaks fluent French and Thai, and has retained a
little Chinese.
Recent Speeches by Ambassador Marie T. Huhtala
04/13/04 Measures to Combat Trafficking in Persons
01/27/04 "Creating Global Citizens: International Education and Academic Freedom" -- January 27, 2004
07/19/03 "The Threat Of Hiv/Aids: What Businesses Can Do" -- July 19
07/14/03 "Thinking Globally, Acting Locally" -- July 14
05/23/03 "Let's Move Forward," Speech on U.S.-Malaysia Relations to ASLI Strategic Issues Forum, May 23
04/14/03 Speech at Malaysian Armed Forces Defense College, April 14
03/25/03 Remarks on "National Service and Multi-Culturalism", March 25
02/22/03 Speech at Rotary International Dinner Forum on Feb. 22
02/07/03 Transcript of Malaysiakini Interview with Amb. Huhtala on Feb. 7
01/14/03 Remarks at Humphrey Fellows Alumni Association Annual Dinner on January 14, 2003
11/19/02 Transcript of CNN Interview with Amb. Huhtala on Nov. 19
10/ 2002 Towards a Tariff-Free World by US Ambassador Marie T. Huhtala
08/29/02 Speech on US
Foreign Policy Since 9-11 at Institute of Diplomacy and Foreign Relations,
August 29
08/20/02 Remarks at
MAAS International Conference on Religious Pluralism in Democratic
Societies, August 20
07/12/02 Speech on Good
Corporate and Public Sector Governance at INTAN Conference, July 12
06/26/02 Remarks on Trade and the US
Economy to the FMM, June 26, 2002
06/24/02
US-ASEAN Business Council
Interviews Ambassador Huhtala on Investing in Malaysia (RealTime streaming
video/audio fed only)
04/17/02
Speech to the Malaysian
Armed Forces Defense College: U.S. Foreign and
Defense Policy, Political,
and Economic Trends. April 17, 2002
03/04/02
Remarks for Opening Ceremony
at National Drugs Agency. March 4, 2002.
02/28/02
Speech to the
Malaysian-American Society. February 28, 2002 at Equatorial Hotel, KL.
02/23/02
Remarks for the Rotary Club
of Ipoh "Peace Forum" February 23, 2002
