MFA Press Statement: Presentation of Credentials, 27 September 2018

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 Republic of Peru
   His Excellency Carlos Raul Vàsquez Corrales

 
(b)              The Ambassador of the Kingdom of Sweden
   His Excellency Niclas Kvarnström

         
(c)              The Ambassador of the Republic of Latvia
   His Excellency Normans Penke

Their bio summaries are attached.     

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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
SINGAPORE 
27 SEPTEMBER 2018

CARLOS VÁSQUEZ CORRALES

AMBASSADOR TO SINGAPORE

REPUBLIC OF PERU

Ambassador Carlos Raul Vasquez Corrales was born in Lima, Peru, on 9th November 1961. Prior to his appointment as Ambassador to Singapore, Mr Vasquez Corrales was Diplomatic Advisor of the Congress of Peru, having been worked in the offices of both the President of the Congress and the President of the Foreign Affairs Commission.

Mr Vasquez Corrales is a career diplomat with thirty years of experience. He served overseas in Peru’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations, in the Consulate General of Peru in New York, in the Permanent Delegation of Peru to UNESCO, in the Consulate General of Peru in Sydney (Consul General) and in the Embassy of Peru in Malaysia (Deputy Head of Mission).

In Peru’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr Vasquez Corrales was posted in the Subsecretariat of Economic Affairs, the Technical Office of Investment Promotion, the Subsecretariat of Multilateral Affairs, the Cultural Heritage Directorate (Director) and the Directorate of Asia and Oceania (Director). He was also Director of the Department for International Cooperation and Secretary General of the National Commission for UNESCO at the Ministry of Education.

He has a Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations & Diplomacy and a Diploma in International Cooperation, both from the Diplomatic Academy of Peru. Mr Vasquez Corrales also holds a Master’s Degree in Political Science from the New School for Social Research, New York, a Master’s Degree International Relations & Trade from the Government Institute of San Martin de Porres University, Peru, and a Master’s Degree in International Relations from the Diplomatic Academy of Peru.

  Mr Vasquez Corrales speaks Spanish, English and French.

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NICLAS KVARNSTRÖM

AMBASSADOR TO SINGAPORE

KINGDOM OF SWEDEN

Prior to his appointment as Ambassador of Sweden to Singapore, Ambassador Niclas Kvarnström was Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia at the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

  Kvarnström was previously the Campaign Manager for Sweden’s successful candidature to the UN Security Council for the period 2017-18, as well as Advisor to the Wallenberg family, a premier Nordic industrial and financial group. In the diplomatic service, Kvarnström had served at Sweden’s Permanent Mission to New York and Embassy in Beijing. Kvarnström also worked three years in investment banking with Goldman Sachs, in London and New York.

  Kvarnström graduated from the Oxford University with an MA and BA in Chinese with a Special Subject in Economics. He also studied at the Taiwan National Normal University in Taipei.

He is married, with four children.

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NORMANS PENKE

AMBASSADOR TO SINGAPORE

REPUBLIC OF LATVIA

Ambassador Normans Penke is a career diplomat. He is the Inspector General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, as well as the non-resident Ambassador to Indonesia.

  Prior to his current appointments, Penke was Ambassador to Japan the Republic of Korea (non-resident), Russia, the United Kingdom and Ireland (non-resident). He also served as the Permanent Representative of Latvia to the United Nations in New York.

  Penke graduated from the University of Latvia, Faculty of Law in 1989, and completed the Foreign Service Programme at the Oxford University in 1994. 

  Penke has been awarded with the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana, Estonia (2015), Grand Officer of the Order of Leopold, Belgium (2015) and Cross of Recognition, 2nd Class, Latvia (2007).

  Penke is married with two daughters.

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(Photo Credit: MCI)

(Photo Credit: MCI)

(Photo Credit: MCI)