Noy welcomes 4 new ambassadors

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino welcomed four new ambassadors who presented their credentials at Malacañang yesterday.

The President, together with Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario, met Aruni Ranaraja of Sri Lanka, European Union head of delegation to the Philippines Franz Jessen, Thierry Mathou of France and Andrea Reichlin of Switzerland in separate courtesy calls at the Palace’s Music Room.

Ranaraja has a master’s degree in International Relations from the State University of Kiev in Ukraine. She was formerly a director of the United Nations’ multilateral affairs, human rights and conferences division.

Jessen was former EU head of delegation to Vietnam and former head of division for China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and Mongolia of the European External Action Service (Brussels). He was also former deputy head of delegation of the European Commission in Beijing. He has a Doctor of Philosophy in Economics degree from Virginia Tech in the United States.

Mathou earned his doctorate degrees in political science and Asian studies from the Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris in France and University of California in Berkeley. He served as ambassador to Myanmar and was former consul general at the French embassy in China.

Aside from the Philippines, Reichlin also has jurisdiction over Palau, Marshall Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia. She was former ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, Jordan and Sudan and former head of economic, financial and European affairs at the Swiss embassy in Paris, France.

Assistant Secretary Minda Calaguian-Cruz of the Department of Foreign Affairs’ Office of Asia and Pacific Affairs; acting Assistant Secretary Adrian Bernie Candolada of the DFA’s Office of European Affairs and foreign embassy officials were also present during the courtesy calls.