Nomination of Townsend B. Friedman, Jr., To Be United States Ambassador to Mozambique

The President today announced his intention to nominate Townsend B. Friedman, Jr., of Illinois, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the People's Republic of Mozambique. He would succeed Melissa Foelsch Wells.

Since 1987 Mr. Friedman has served as Director of the Office of Southern European Affairs at the Department of State. Prior to this, he served as Deputy Director of the Office of Southern European Affairs, 1986 - 1987; Political Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Athens, Greece, 1983 - 1986; student at the National War College, 1982 - 1983; political officer at the U.S. Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1979 - 1982; labor-political officer at the U.S. Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1978 - 1979; and political officer at the U.S. Embassy in Athens, Greece, 1975 - 1978. In addition, he has served as a Special Assistant for Policy Planning, 1973 - 1974; Special Assistant to the Counselor, 1973; information officer at the Department of State, 1972; political officer at the U.S. Embassy in Santiago, Chile, 1968 - 1972; staff aide at the U.S. Embassy in Santiago, Chile, 1967 - 1968; analyst for the Bureau of Intelligence and Research at the Department of State, 1965 - 1967; vice consul in Porto Alegre, Brazil, 1964 - 1965; and a junior officer at the U.S. Embassy in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 1962 - 1964. Mr. Friedman joined the Foreign Service in 1962.

Mr. Friedman graduated from Cornell University (B.A., 1962). He was born January 4, 1940, in Chicago, IL. Mr. Friedman is married, has two children, and resides in Potomac, MD.