Morris heads for Marshall Islands

Morris heads for Marshall Islands

JAKARTA: Greta N. Morris, counselor for public affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta, has been named by President George W. Bush as the new ambassador for the Marshall Islands.

Morris made a strong impression locally, appearing on local TV stations to explain U.S. government policies in near flawless Bahasa Indonesia, as relations between the two countries went through one of its most difficult periods these past year or so.

Her new appointment was announced by the White House Monday.

The announcement comes as her term in Jakarta is coming to an end. The new job peaks her career in the diplomatic service.

Prior to Jakarta, she served as deputy director for public diplomacy in the State Department's Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, as public affairs officer in Kampala after the end of the civil war in Uganda, and as information center director and assistant cultural affairs officer in Nairobi, the White House said in a statement.

Morris is a graduate of the University of Redlands and received a master's degree from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Ambassadorial nominations require U.S. Senate approval. -- Agencies