Presentation of Credentials, 28 September 2021

The following foreign Heads of Mission presented their credentials to President Halimah Yacob in separate ceremonies at the Istana today:

(a)  The Ambassador of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic

       His Excellency Sengkeo Pouangpadith

(b)  The Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium

       Her Excellency Colette Taquet

(c)  The Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

     His Excellency Abdullah Mohammed AlMadhi

Their bio summaries are below. 

.    .    .    .     .

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

SINGAPORE 

28 SEPTEMBER 2021

SENGKEO POUANGPADITH

AMBASSADOR TO SINGAPORE

LAO PEOPLE’S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC

Mr Sengkeo Pouangpadith, Ambassador of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic to the Republic of Singapore, prior to his appointment, had served as the Director-General of Protocol Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic.

Ambassador Sengkeo Pouangpadith joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1993. He has accumulated experiences in his diplomatic career in bilateral and multilateral diplomacy over the last 28 years. Throughout the course of his career, he was affiliated with Europe and Americas Department, Economy Affairs Department, International Organisations Department and Protocol Department. He had served as the Attaché and Third Secretary at the Embassy of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic in Warsaw, Republic of Poland, from 1998 to 2004, and as the Counsellor at the Embassy of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic in Manila, the Republic of the Philippines, from 2009 to 2010.

Ambassador Sengkeo Pouangpadith holds a Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree in the International Law from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, class of 1992. He speaks English and Russian, and is married with two sons and one daughter.

.    .    .    .    .

COLETTE TAQUET

AMBASSADOR TO SINGAPORE

KINGDOM OF BELGIUM

Prior to her accreditation to Singapore, Ambassador Colette Taquet was Director in the General Directorate of European Affairs in the Belgian Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs (FPSFA). She had worked on issues such as the reform of legislation on migration and asylum legislation, COVID-19 crisis management, matters related to the security and free movement of people in the European Union, as well as legislation on the fight against online terrorist content, the protection of whistle blowers and recognition of e-evidence.

Ambassador Taquet has held several positions at the Belgian FPSFA, including as Belgium’s Ambassador to Cyprus, Lebanon, as well as Poland and Lithuania.

Ambassador Taquet has a degree in Political Science and a specialisation in International Law from Université Libre de Bruxelles (Free University of Brussels).

She holds the Medal of the Commander of Leopold’s Order (Kingdom of Belgium) and the Medal of Commander of the Order of Merit (Republic of Poland).

.    .    .    .    .

ABDULLAH MOHAMMED ALMADHI

AMBASSADOR TO SINGAPORE

KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA

Born on 18 November 1963 in Abha, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Ambassador Abdullah AlMadhi graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Geography in 1986 from King Saud University in Riyadh. In 1992, he obtained a Diploma in Diplomatic Studies from Prince Saud Al Faisal Institute of Diplomatic Studies in Riyadh.

Ambassador Abdullah AlMadhi, 57, is a career diplomat. Prior to his accreditation to Singapore, he was Assistant General Director and later General Director at the General Directorate of African Affairs, and Ambassador, General Director at the General Directorate of Inspection and Follow-up and concurrently, Ambassador and General Supervisor of the Internal Audit Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Riyadh from 2017 to March 2021.

Ambassador Abdullah AlMadhi joined the Saudi Foreign Service in 1987 as an Attaché and was posted to several countries in Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Europe such as Second Secretary and Deputy Head of Consular at the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Manila from 1993 to1997, and Second Secretary and Head of Consular Affairs Department at the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Doha. He was appointed as First Secretary at the General Directorate of Bilateral Economic Affairs and First Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Representative to General Investment Authority from 1999 to 2002. He held the post of First Secretary and Deputy Chief of Mission at the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Prague from 2002 to 2004 and First Secretary and Head of Consular at the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Damascus from 2004 to 2008. He held the post of Counsellor at the General Directorate of Bilateral Economic Affairs at the Ministry and concurrently held the post of Counsellor at the HRH Foreign Minister’s Office at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 2008 to 2013. He was the Saudi Ambassador in Pretoria from 2013 to 2017.

[Credit for all photos: Ministry of Communications and Information, Singapore]