MFA Press Statement: Appointment of Singapore’s Ambassador to the Republic of Cuba

The Government has appointed Mrs Mary Seet-Cheng as Singapore's first Ambassador to the Republic of Cuba. She will be resident in Singapore.

Mrs Seet-Cheng is currently Singapore's Ambassador to the Republic of Panama. She has also been appointed as a Senior Specialist Adviser in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs since October 2006. Before that, during her diplomatic career in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 1973 to 1997, she had served in various senior positions in the Ministry and as Singapore's Ambassador in Brussels from 1993 to 1996, she was concurrently accredited to the three Benelux countries (Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg), the European Commission and the Holy See. Mrs Seet-Cheng joined the Maritime and Port Authority in 1997 and served as its Director, Policy Division till her retirement in 2006.

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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
SINGAPORE
1 NOVEMBER 2007

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BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY

Ambassador Mary Seet-Cheng is currently Singapore's Ambassador to the Republic of Panama, resident in Singapore. She is also a Senior Specialist Adviser in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

She was a diplomat in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Singapore from 1973 to 1997. She served in the Singapore missions in Canberra, London and Brussels. From January 1993 to June 1996, as the Ambassador in Brussels, she was concurrently accredited to the three Benelux countries (Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg), the European Commission and the Holy See. She had also held several senior appointments in the Ministry, covering a wide range of portfolios, including Europe, North America, Southeast Asia, ASEAN and International Economics. She also headed the Management and Personnel Directorate.

In November 1997, Ambassador Cheng joined the Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) of Singapore as Director, Policy. As Director (Policy) until May 2006, she oversaw policy and strategic planning, port industry development and regulation, economic research and international affairs. During this period, she regularly represented Singapore at the International Maritime Organisation meetings in London.

Ambassador Cheng graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration (Hons) Degree from the University of Singapore in 1973. In 1986, she was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to pursue a Master of Arts Degree in International Relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, Massachusetts.

Ambassador Cheng is married to Leonard Cheng Tye Loke. They have two grown sons, Wayne and Winston.

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