Colorado-based Indian American businessman Vinai Thummalapally, who raised funds for President Barack Obama's presidential campaign, on Wednesday said he was proud to be nominated as the first Indian American to serve as United States' envoy to Belize.
Appearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for the confirmation hearing, Obama's nominee to the Central American state said he would work to strengthen US interests in Belize, if confirmed.
"Like President Obama and Secretary (Hillary) Clinton, I am proud to be part of the 'new face' of America. I moved to the US from Hyderabad at the age of 19. After completing my engineering degree, I decided to live and work in the US. Most recently, for the last 13 years, I've been running a compact disc and DVD firm based in Colorado," he said.
"I believe my international background and my leadership role in the business community will make me an effective advocate and interlocutor of our interests in Belize and facilitate interactions with the Belizeans," he said.
"If confirmed, I look forward to working with you and your colleagues in the Congress to serve the interests of the United States," said Thummalapally.
He noted that recently, Belize played a constructive role at the Organisation of American States, in addressing the political crisis in Honduras.
He noted that the US is Belize's principal trading partner, a major source of investment funds and its largest provider of economic and military assistance. Approximately 5,000 American citizens live in Belize and the US is home to the largest Belizean community living outside Belize, he pointed out.
"We have a strong foundation, but there is still work to be done. It will be one of my top priorities to work with the Belizean government and people to fight the growing threats of crime and narcotics trafficking. If confirmed, I look forward to ways to increase the effectiveness of programmes that aim to strengthen Belize's domestic law enforcement and judicial institutions and capacity to better conduct regional operations with partner countries throughout the Caribbean Basin," he told the committee chaired by Senator Robert Menendez (Democrat, New Jersey).
"Often the best and most sustainable investment is one in people. Providing the tools --from working with local schools to collaborating with non-governmental organisations and encouraging international exchanges -- is an excellent way to strengthen long-term relations. If confirmed, I'll use my professional background and interest in microfinance to facilitate partnerships with underserved populations," he said.
