Ambassadors of Honor (seated from left to right): H.E. Chris Seed (Ambassador of New Zealand), H.E. David Douglas Hamadziripi (Ambassador of Zimbabwe), T.H. James Moylan (Representative of Guam), H.E. Gediminas Varvuolis (Ambassador of Lithuania), H.E. Antony Anderson (Ambassador of Jamaica), H.E. Phoukhong Sisoulath (Ambassador of Laos), and H.E. Nestor Mendez (Ambassador of Belize) posed for a group photo with Deborah Lehr (Meridian International Center) and T.H. Fred Hochberg (Meridian Board of Trustees) for the Winter Welcome to Washington reception at Meridian House on February 19, 2026. Washington, DC. Photo by Jess Latos.
Washington, DC, stands at the center of global engagement, where diplomacy, leadership, and collaboration converge. On February 19, 2026, Meridian International Center hosted its winter Welcome to Washington reception at the historic Meridian House, honoring six recently arrived Chiefs of Mission.
This signature, bi-annual gathering provided ambassadors with an opportunity to connect with a cross-section of Washington leaders from the government, business, and policy communities—fostering relationships that support effective diplomatic engagement.
Deborah Lehr, Interim CEO of Meridian International Center, underscored the importance of what she called “the spirit of Open Diplomacy: building relationships and advancing practical cooperation to strengthen democratic resilience, enhance U.S. competitiveness, and address shared global challenges that no nation can solve alone.”
Meridian welcomed His Excellency Nestor Mendez (Ambassador of Belize), His Excellency Antony Anderson (Ambassador of Jamaica), His Excellency Phoukhong Sisoulath (Ambassador of Laos), His Excellency Gediminas Varvuolis (Ambassador of Lithuania), His Excellency Chris Seed (Ambassador of New Zealand), and His Excellency David Douglas Hamadziripi (Ambassador of Zimbabwe), recognizing their appointments and formally welcoming them into Washington’s diplomatic community.
Through Welcome to Washington, Meridian continues to advance our Open Diplomacy framework by strengthening peer-to-peer relationships among diplomats and building bridges across sectors—supporting collaboration, dialogue, and global partnership. Congressman James Moylan (Guam) and Congressman Glenn Ivey (MD-4) expressed their support for the celebration, further emphasizing the importance of congressional engagement in advancing international dialogue.
About Welcome to Washington
Welcome to Washington honors newly arrived Chiefs of Mission and provides them with an opportunity to meet and engage with a cross-section of Washington leaders from the government, business and policy communities. Building peer-to-peer relationships in Washington is crucial for diplomats to exchange information and facilitate bilateral cooperation on a wide variety of global issues.
Ambassadors of Honor (seated from left to right): H.E. Chris Seed (Ambassador of New Zealand), H.E. David Douglas Hamadziripi (Ambassador of Zimbabwe), T.H. James Moylan (Representative of Guam), H.E. Gediminas Varvuolis (Ambassador of Lithuania), H.E. Antony Anderson (Ambassador of Jamaica), H.E. Phoukhong Sisoulath (Ambassador of Laos), and H.E. Nestor Mendez (Ambassador of Belize) posed for a group photo with Deborah Lehr (Meridian International Center) and T.H. Fred Hochberg (Meridian Board of Trustees) for the Winter Welcome to Washington reception at Meridian House on February 19, 2026. Washington, DC. Photo by Jess Latos.
Artist Zack Oxman (Oxman Studios) at the Winter Welcome to Washington reception at Meridian House on February 19, 2026. Washington, DC. Photo by Jess Latos.
Deborah Lehr (Meridian International Center) giving welcome remarks for the Winter Welcome to Washington reception at Meridian House on February 19, 2026. Washington, DC. Photo by Jess Latos.
From left to right, H.E. Antony Anderson (Ambassador of Jamaica), T.H. James Moylan (Representative of Guam), and H.E. David Douglas Hamadziripi (Ambassador of Zimbabwe) greeting one another at the Winter Welcome to Washington reception at Meridian House on February 19, 2026. Washington, DC. Photo by Jess Latos.
From left to right, H.E. Chris Seed (Ambassador of New Zealand) taking a selfie with H.E. Gediminas Varvuolis (Ambassador of Lithuania), H.E. Phoukhong Sisoulath (Ambassador of Laos), Deborah Lehr (Meridian International Center), and H.E. David Douglas Hamadziripi (Ambassador of Zimbabwe) at the Winter Welcome to Washington reception at Meridian House on February 19, 2026. Washington, DC. Photo by Jess Latos.
H.E. Ana Irene Delgado, Ambassador of Panama to the OAS (left), posed with Puru Trivedi, Meridian International Center (center), and Paolo Zampolli, Special Envoy for Global Partnerships (right) for a photo at the Winter Welcome to Washington reception at Meridian House on February 19, 2026. Washington, DC. Photo by Jess Latos.
John (Left) and Susan (Right) Klein in conversation with H.E. Gediminas Varvuolis (Ambassador of Lithuania) at the Winter Welcome to Washington reception at Meridian House on February 19, 2026. Washington, DC. Photo by Jess Latos.
T.H. Fred Hochberg (Meridian Board of Trustees) giving keynote remarks for the Winter Welcome to Washington reception at Meridian House on February 19, 2026. Washington, DC. Photo by Jess Latos.
Ambassador spouses Cecilia Warren (New Zealand), left, in conversation with Jessica Hamadziripi (Zimbabwe) at the Winter Welcome to Washington reception at Meridian House on February 19, 2026. Washington, DC. Photo by Jess Latos.
Project summary
Welcome to Washington – Winter 2026 | February 2026
