CRISANTOS OBAMA ONDO APPOINTED AMBASSADOR OF THE REPUBLIC OF EQUATORIAL GUINEA TO THE USA

Ambassador Crisantos Obama Ondo will represent his country, the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, in the USA. Early January 2023, President Obiang Nguema Mbasogo has appointed this career diplomat to that strategic position in Washington, D.C.

In the USA, Ambassador Obama will have the duty to implement the foreign policy that his country’s head of state inspired, and that has given him an appreciated role in regional and international affairs: respect of nations’ sovereignty, non-intervention in other nations’ internal affairs; solidarity, cooperation, and promotion of peace and security.

The USA and Equatorial Guinea established diplomatic relations in 1968 after the Equatorial Guinean independence. Up to today, those relations are good. Politically, both countries cooperate on a large range of issues: maritime security in the Guinean Gulf, promotion of peace, democracy, and social justice; fight against human trafficking, and protection of the environment.

Ambassador Obama will have to reinforce cooperation in each of those issues. He will also pay special attention to health and education, two critical sectors for Equatorial Guinean human development. Americans are the second largest non-African residents in Guinea Equatorial after the Spanish.

According to the Office of the United States Trade Representative (OUSTR), trade between the USA and Equatorial Guinea reached $542 million (two ways) of goods in 2019. “Goods exports totaled $214 million; goods imports totaled $328 million. The U.S. trade deficit with Equatorial Guinea was $114 million in 2019.” Those are quite important for a country whose population is 1. 64 million inhabitants and whose land area is 20,051 km2…