US Mission appoints Mariana Neisuler as Consul General in Chennai

According to a release, the US Mission said that Neisuler took charge of the United States Consulate General Chennai on Monday.

Upon her arrival, Neisuler said she was honoured to represent the United States in southern India at a significant moment in bilateral ties.

"I'm honoured to represent the United States in southern India during this pivotal moment in our bilateral relationship. Under Donald Trump, Marco Rubio, and Eric Garcetti's leadership, we are focused on strengthening partnerships that deliver real results for both Americans and Indians," she said.

She added that she looks forward to expanding trade ties, supporting American businesses, and strengthening people-to-people connections between the two countries.

Prior to arriving in Chennai, Neisuler served as the Counsellor for Political and Economic Affairs at the United States Embassy in Tashkent.

In her role, she is responsible for promoting American interests and strengthening US-India relations across Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, and the Union Territories of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, and Puducherry.

Before assuming her post in Chennai, Neisuler served as Political and Economic Counsellor at the US Embassy in Tashkent and as Deputy Economic Counsellor at the US Embassies in Jerusalem and Amman.

In Washington, she has held the positions of Senior South Asia Officer, focusing on India and Sri Lanka in the Bureau of Energy Resources, and Chief of Staff to the Department of State's first Chief Economist.

She has also worked on South Asia-related matters in the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs and has held overseas assignments in Dubai, Skopje, and Moscow.

Prior to joining the Foreign Service, Neisuler worked in expatriate compensation and in worker safety and health consulting in Washington, D.C., and Dubai. She also spent six years as a Senior Researcher in Bosnia, Bulgaria, Greece, and Kosovo and authored the book Hate Speech in the Balkans, published in 1998 by the International Helsinki Federation in Vienna.

Neisuler is a Distinguished Graduate with a Master of Science in National Security Strategy from the National War College and also holds a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School at Tufts University and an MA in English and American Studies from Sofia University.

A native Bulgarian speaker, she is fluent in Russian, Arabic, and Macedonian. She received the American Foreign Service Association's Mathilda W Sinclaire Language Award for Arabic in 2017. (ANI)