HONOLULU (Oct. 4, 2012) – Former East-West Center Diplomat-in-Residence Sharon (“Shari”) Villarosa has been confirmed as the new U.S. Ambassador to the Indian Ocean island nations of Mauritius and the Seychelles. Villarosa was nominated to the post by President Obama last fall and confirmed by the Senate on Sept. 22.
Villarosa said at her confirmation hearing that she would work “to increase U.S. exports to (Mauritius’) healthy, thriving market economy,” and to “encourage Seychelles' continued progress in implementing sound political and economic reforms and protecting human rights. … I hope that we can continue to support the efforts of Seychelles to counter piracy and promote better security in East Africa and the Indian Ocean.”
Villarosa formerly served as Chargé d’Affairs of the U.S. embassy in Burma and helped establish an embassy in the new nation of Timor Leste. She was posted as Diplomat-in-Residence at the East-West Center in 2000 and is among some 185 EWC alumni and program participants from more than a dozen countries who hold ambassador status.
