The following foreign Heads of Mission presented their credentials to President S R Nathan in separate ceremonies at the Istana today:
(a) The High Commissioner of Jamaica,
His Excellency Wayne St John McCook
(b) The High Commissioner of the Republic of Malawi,
His Excellency Roosevelt Laston Gondwe; and
(c) The High Commissioner of the Republic of Seychelles,
His Excellency Dick Esparon
The curricula vitae of His Excellency Wayne St John McCook, His Excellency Roosevelt Laston Gondwe, and His Excellency Dick Esparon are attached.
. . . . .
MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
SINGAPORE
26 JUNE 2008
WAYNE ST JOHN McCOOK
HIGH COMMISSIONER TO SINGAPORE
JAMAICA
BORN: 9 March 1961, Westmoreland, Jamaica
AGE: 47
MARITAL STATUS: Single
EDUCATION: Bachelor of Arts (Honours), University of the West Indies, Jamaica, 1980-1983
Bachelor of Law, Georgetown University Law Centre, USA, 1989-1993
Certificate in Legal Education, Norman Manley Law School, University of the West Indies, Jamaica, 1995
Master of Arts (International Relations), Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, USA,
2000-2001
CAREER: 1984-1985 Administrative Officer, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade
1985-1987 Information Attaché, Jamaican High Commission, Ottawa, Canada
1987-1993 Information Attaché, Embassy of Jamaica, Washington, D.C.
CAREER:
(cont'd)
1994-1995
Director, Information Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade
1995-1996 Executive Director (Acting), Broadcasting Commission of Jamaica (on secondment from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade)
1996-1998 Deputy Permanent Representative and Minister, Permanent Mission of Jamaica to the United Nations, New York
1998-2001 Deputy Chief of Mission and Minister, Embassy of Jamaica, Washington, D.C.
2001-2002 Director, Caribbean and Americas Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade
2002-2005 Senior Director, Foreign Trade Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade
2005- to date
Aug 2007
26 June 2008 Ambassador of Jamaica to the People's Republic of China, resident in Beijing
High Commissioner-designate of Jamaica to Singapore, with residence in Beijing
High Commissioner of Jamaica to Singapore, with residence in Beijing
PROFESSIONAL
ACCREDITATION: 1985 Admitted to the Jamaican Bar
1993 Admitted to the Bar of the State of Pennsylvania, USA
INTERESTS: Chess, Racquetball and Reading
. . . . .
June 2008
ROOSEVELT LASTON GONDWE
HIGH COMMISSIONER TO SINGAPORE
REPUBLIC OF MALAWI
BORN: 7 October 1955
AGE: 52
MARITAL
STATUS: Married to Mrs Ebba Gondwe
Has three sons and one daughter
EDUCATION: Bachelor of Law, University of Malawi, 1978
Master of Law (Public), University of London, 1993
CAREER: 1978-1982 Legal Aid Advocate, Ministry of Justice
1982-1983 Principal State Advocate, Ministry of Justice
1983-1987 Clerk Assistant, National Assembly
1987-1993
1994 - to date Clerk of Parliament
1987-1994;
1999 & 2004 Chief Elections Officer
May 1994 - May 1995 Secretary, Constitutional Committee under the New Provisional Constitution
CAREER:
(cont'd)
1994-2004
Secretary, Legal Affairs Committee
Feb 1995 Secretary, National Constitutional Conference, New State House, Lilongwe
1999-2005 Secretary, Parliamentary Service Commission
Jan 2006 -
to date
Jan 2006
26 June 2008
Ambassador of the Republic of Malawi to Japan, resident in Tokyo
High Commissioner-designate of the Republic of Malawi to Singapore, with residence in Tokyo
High Commissioner of the Republic of Malawi to Singapore, with residence in Tokyo
PARLIAMENTARYATTACHMENTS: House of Representatives, Wellington, New Zealand, 1985
House of Representatives, Ottawa, Canada, May 1995
Commonwealth of Australia Parliament in Canberra and Parliament of Western Australia, Perth, Nov 1995
Congress in Washington and House of Delegates, Maryland, United States of America, Jun 1997
OTHER ACTIVITIES: Trustee, Konrad Foundation, Malawi
HOBBIES: Walking and reading poetry
. . . . .
June 2008
DICK ESPARON
HIGH COMMISSIONER TO SINGAPORE
REPUBLIC OF SEYCHELLES
BORN: 19 March 1965, Anse Royale, Mahé, Seychelles
AGE: 43
MARITAL STATUS: Married to Ms Vivianne Germaine
EDUCATION: Degree in Social Sciences, Havana, Cuba
CAREER: 1990-1998 Coordinator, Seychelles People Progressive Front
1998-2000 Director-General for Youth, Ministry of Youth and Culture
2000-2001 Director-General for Culture, Ministry of Culture and Information
2002-2006 Director-General for Youth, Ministry of Education and Youth
2006 -
Jul 2007 Director-General, Ministry of Community Development and Youth
Jul 2007 Appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
CAREER
(cont'd)
2007 -
to date
Aug 2007
26 June 2008
High Commissioner of Seychelles to India, resident in New Delhi
High Commissioner-designate to Singapore, with residence in New Delhi
High Commissioner to Singapore, with residence in New Delhi
OTHER APPOINTMENTS: First elected to Parliament, 1993
Re-elected for a second term, 1998
Re-elected for a third term mandate, 2002
Elected Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, 2006
Member of the Parliamentary Standing Orders Committee, 1993-2006
Chairman of the Seychelles Tourism Parliamentary Committee, 2004-2006
CONFERENCE
PARTICIPATION: Study Tour, Young African Leaders Program, USA, Jun-Jul 1998
Commonwealth Youth Ministers Meetings, 1998-2006
Commission Jeunesse et Sports de l'Ocean Indien (CJOSI) as Youth Expert, 1998-2007
Leaders in Development - Harvard University: Managing Economic and Political Reform, Jun 2001
HOBBIES: Football, weightlifting, reading, farming, watching films
LANGUAGES: English, French, Spanish and Creole.
. . . . .
June 2008