 The United States immediately recognized the new nation and moved to establish diplomatic relations.An embassy in the capital Maputo (then named Lourenço Marques) was opened November 8, 1975, with Johnnie Carson as chargé d’affaires "ad interim".On February 4, 1976, Ambassador Willard Ames De Pree was appointed as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Mozambique.