Diplomats from Turkey, South Africa, France and the United States of Mexico have presented their credentials as new accredited extraordinary plenipotentiary ambassadors to the Republic of Equatorial Guinea. The credential presentation ceremony took place on Thursday 20th October, at the People’s Palace in Malabo.
Four Extraordinary Plenipotentiary Ambassadors from the Republic of Turkey, the Republic of South Africa, the French Republic and the United States of Mexico, with residence in Abuja, were presented to the Head of State, led by the State Ceremonial and Protocol Services, overseen by Teodoro Biyogo Nsue Okomo, Ambassador Adviser Head of State Protocol.
Regarding the Turkish ambassador, Adnan Kececi was born in Tirebolu in 1959; he speaks French and English. He was Deputy Consul at the Consulate of Athens Pireneus, and in the following years served as third and second secretary at the Embassy in Amman and then as second secretary at the Department of Islamic Gulf States. Consul in Geneva from 1995 to 1999, he was also First Secretary at the Embassy in Bucharest during the 2001-2005 period.
In addition, Adnan Kececi was Head of the Information Department at the Turkish Ministry for Foreign Affairs between 2007 and 2009, Consul General of Aleppo and Ambassador to Algeria during the 2013-2015 period. He is currently working as Ambassador at the Gaziantep Representation of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.
Diplomatic relations between the Republic of Equatorial Guinea and Turkey were established on 15th September 1980. This cooperation took place at embassy level until 2014. The two countries have signed agreements in various diplomatic areas.
The Pretoria administration has just appointed Marilyn Nolufefe Dwabayo as Ambassador to the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, and on Thursday she also presented her credentials to the nation’s leader.
Born on 17th August 1965, she is a diplomat specialising in Communication; she is also a specialist in Conflict Transformation, Management and Resolution; she is a Peace and Security Technocrat. Singapore and Ethiopia were her previous postings, and she held positions as First Political Secretary; Director of the National Peace Missions Coordination Office, Deputy Head of Missions and Plenipotentiary Minister to Ethiopia and the African Union. She has also been Director for West Africa. She speaks, reads and writes perfect English.
In terms of bilateral relations, the Republic of Equatorial Guinea and South Africa have also signed several agreements.
Following the conclusion of Olivier Brochenin’s diplomatic term, Lauren Polonceaux is from Thursday the new French Republic’s Extraordinary Plenipotentiary Ambassador in Malabo.
Born in December 1962, he holds a degree in Public Administration and speaks French and English. He held the post of Consul General in Lagos and Antananarivo. In 2009 the Ministry of the Interior entrusted him with the post of sub-prefect, which he held until 2011. He has also worked in the French Human Resources department at the French Embassy in Canada.
At the bilateral level, the Republic of Equatorial Guinea maintains excellent relations of friendship and cooperation with France, in addition to respect for territorial integrity, the principles of national sovereignty and non-interference in the internal affairs of the State of the French Republic. These relations date back to 1968, when Equatorial Guinea became an independent, sovereign country. Malabo and Paris cooperate on defence, trade, culture, education and the political sector. They also maintain multilateral relations and have signed various agreements.
Although Juan Alfredo Miranda Ortiz is based in Abuja, he is also concurrent Ambassador to the Republic of Equatorial Guinea and also presented his credentials.
He was born on 12th January 1959 in Mexico City and is married. He holds a degree in International Relations from the Autonomous University of Mexico and speaks Spanish. He has worked in the directorates general for treaties for Latin America, the Caribbean and American regional organisations and mechanisms. He was also the first cooperation attaché in Costa Rica, from 1991 to 1996. He was acting representative of the permanent mission to the Organisation of American States in Washington DC. He has been national coordinator of the Rio Group, the European Union, Latin America and Caribbean Summit, the Group of Three, the Summit of the Americas and Mexico’s alternate representative before the Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Miranda Ortiz was head of chancellery at the Mexican Embassy in Beijing, in the 2008-2012 period. From 2012 to 2016, she served as Mexican Ambassador to Ethiopia and concurrent Ambassador to Djibouti, in addition to a permanent observer before the African Union. From February 2017 to July 2019, she was Mexican Ambassador to Saudi Arabia and concurrent Ambassador to Bahrain, Oman and Yemen.
She was also head of the chancellery of the Mexican Embassy in the United States of America, from July 2019 to April 2021.
Although the two countries have not officially signed agreements, the Republic of Equatorial Guinea has submitted three documents for the consideration of the Mexican authorities to promote these relations, whose response is also expected through diplomatic channels.
The four ambassadors expressed their thoughts in the Golden Book at the People’s Palace in Malabo, from where they were dismissed to the strains of the national anthem of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea.
Source: Official Web Page of the Government