New ambassadors from Turkey, Portugal, Timor-Leste, Iraq and Peru to present credentials

New ambassadors from Turkey, Portugal, Timor-Leste, Iraq and Peru will present their credentials to the Governor-General of New Zealand, Sir Anand Satyanand, at the recently re-opened Government House Wellington tomorrow (Thursday, 31 March 2011).

The ceremony begins (at 11am) with the Royal New Zealand Air Force providing the wero, or traditional Māori challenge and the Guard of Honour. Presenting their letters of credence to His Excellency (HE), The Rt Hon, Sir Anand Satyanand GNZM, QSO, will be:

The new Ambassador of Turkey, HE Mr Ali Yakıtal, is a career diplomat. After entering Turkey’s foreign service in 1973, he has served in a number of senior positions in Ankara and offshore postings – most recently as Ambassador of Turkey in Rome, and before that as Foreign Policy Advisor to the Prime Minister of Turkey. Mr Yakıtal will reside in Wellington.

HE Mr Rui Quartin Santos, the new Ambassador of the Portuguese Republic, will reside in Canberra. Mr Santos has served in a range of diplomatic positions and as a senior public servant – Secretary General of Foreign Affairs – in Lisbon. He comes to Australia and New Zealand after a term as Portugal’s Ambassador in Beijing.

Also in Canberra will be HE Mr Abel Guterres, the new Ambassador of Timor-Leste. Ambassador Guterres trained as a diplomat at the Universities of Melbourne and Oxford, and joined Timor-Leste’s foreign ministry in 2001 - heading the Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Desk. From 2003-09, Mr Guterres was Timor-Leste’s first Consul-General in Australia.

With an electronic engineering and project management background, including working for Motorola, HE Mr Mouayed Saleh is the new Ambassador of Iraq. He will be accredited to New Zealand from Canberra. Mr Saleh served as a senior foreign policy advisor and Director-General to the Prime Ministry of Iraq from 2007-2009, before taking up his assignment to Australia.

The new Ambassador of Peru, HE Mr Luis Quesada, is a career diplomat who joined his country’s foreign service in 1977. Ambassador Quesada has previously served as Deputy Head of Mission in Tokyo and Washington, and as Commissioner-General for Peru at the World Expo in Shanghai and APEC Senior Official in Lima. He will also reside in Canberra.

ENDS

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