PR-1950
October 5, 2019
AIT to Co-Host Pacific Island Dialogue on Monday
On October 7, 2019, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will launch an inaugural Pacific Islands Dialogue. This important new forum will serve as a mechanism for the United States, Taiwan, and our likeminded partners in the Pacific to explore ways to increase our cooperation to meet the development needs of Taiwan’s diplomatic partners in the Pacific.
Sandra Oudkirk, the U.S. Senior Official for APEC and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands, will be in Taiwan to participate and co-host the event along with Foreign Minister Joseph Wu.
Taiwan is a democratic success story, a reliable partner, and a force for good in the Pacific, and in the world. That is why we firmly support Taiwan’s relationships with Pacific Island nations. We want to explore how we can cooperate in advancing this vision for a Pacific Island community that is prosperous, open, and free.
Sandra Oudkirk
U.S. SENIOR OFFICIAL FOR APEC AND DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND, AND THE PACIFIC ISLANDS,
BUREAU OF EAST ASIAN AND PACIFIC AFFAIRS
JULY 6, 2019 – PRESENT
Sandra Oudkirk, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, joined the Department of State in 1991 and joined the Bureau of East Asian & Pacific Affairs as U.S. Senior Official for APEC and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands in May 2019. Immediately prior, she served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Diplomacy in the Energy Bureau. From 2017-2018 she served as the Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Threat Finance and Sanctions in the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs.
Her previous overseas assignments include consular assignments at AIT/Taipei and Embassy Dublin as well as two assignments in Turkey (trade officer in Ankara 1999-2001 and Deputy Principal Officer in Istanbul 2006-2009), a tour as Narcotics Affairs Section Chief in Kingston, Jamaica and an assignment as the economic counselor in Beijing. She has also served as the East Asian & Pacific Bureau staff assistant, the Burma/Laos desk officer, as a Senior Watch Officer in the Operations Center, and as the Director for the Middle East and Asia in the Energy Bureau.
Ms. Oudkirk was born and raised in Tampa, Florida and is a graduate of Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. She speaks Mandarin Chinese and Turkish.
