Liberian Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the United States, Ambassador M. Nathaniel Barnes, on Wednesday, September 17, 2008 presented his Letters of Credence to the President of the United States of America, His Excellency President George W. Bush as Liberian new Ambassador accredited to the United States.

Hon. Barnes replaces Ambassador Charles A. Minor who served as Liberian Ambassador to the United States for four years.

Hon. Barnes is President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf's first accredited Ambassador to the United States of America.

Ambassador Barnes is the first Liberian diplomat in recent memories to service concomitantly as Liberia's Permanent representative to the United Nations and at the same time as Ambassador accredited to Washington, D.C.

Ambassador Barnes was born on April 6, 1954; the second of four children of Roland T. and Eudora N. Barnes, in Monrovia, Liberia. Nat Barnes spent his formative years in Harper, Maryland County and Monrovia, Liberia.

He attended the University of Liberia for one semester and worked at a bank for a year, before eventually going to the United States for college. Nat entered Rider University (then Rider College) in Lawrenceville, New Jersey in 1975 where in majored in Finance.

Upon acquiring a B.Sc. degree from Rider in 1978, Nat matriculated to Pace University in New York City where he obtained an MBA with concentration in Finance and Banking in 1979.

In September of 1999, Nat was appointed to the position of Minister of Finance, Republic of Liberia, a release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs concluded.