MFA Press Statement: Presentation of Credentials

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