MFA Press Statement: Presentation of Credentials Ceremony, 23 November 2016

The Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey presents his credentials to President Tony Tan [Photo: MCI]

The High Commissioner of the Republic of India presents his credentials to President Tony Tan [Photo: MCI]

The Ambassador of the Republic of Estonia presents his credentials to President Tony Tan. [Photo: MCI]

The following foreign Heads of Mission presented their credentials to President Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam in separate ceremonies at the Istana today:

(a)     The Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey

His Excellency Murat Lütem

(b)     The High Commissioner of the Republic of India

His Excellency Jawed Ashraf

(c)      The Ambassador of the Republic of Estonia

His Excellency Riho Kruuv

Their bio summaries are attached.   

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MURAT LÜTEM

AMBASSADOR TO SINGAPORE

REPUBLIC OF TURKEY

Ambassador Murat Lütem was born in Ankara in 1969. He joined the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1993. He was posted at the Turkish Embassies in Bonn (1996 – 1999), Baku (1999 – 2001), Washington DC (2003 – 2007) and served as Consul General in Boston (2010 – 2013). His most recent appointment in Ankara was as Senior Advisor to the Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs (2013 – 2016).

He was seconded to the Office of the President twice on prior tours in Ankara. Ambassador Lütem was posted to Singapore in November 2016.  Ambassador Lütem is a graduate of the Department of International Relations of the Middle East Technical University in Ankara (1993) and a Fellow of the Harvard University Weatherhead Center (2010- 2011). Ambassador Lütem speaks English and German.  

He is married and has two children.

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JAWED ASHRAF

HIGH COMMISSIONER TO SINGAPORE

REPUBLIC OF INDIA

Prior to his appointment as the High Commissioner of India to the Republic of Singapore, HE Mr. Jawed Ashraf headed the Special Projects Division in the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi.

He obtained his MBA, Post Graduate Diploma in Management from Indian Institute of Management (Ahmedabad) after completing B.A. (Hons) in Economics.

Mr. Ashraf started his career in the Indian Foreign Service in 1991. His diplomatic assignments have been in Frankfurt, Berlin, Kathmandu and Washington DC. He headed Americas Division in MEA in Delhi (Sep 2010–Oct 2012) and was the Principal Staff Officer in Prime Minister’s Office (Oct 2012–Dec 2015) for Foreign Affairs, Defence, National Security Council, Space and Atomic Energy.

He recently published a coffee book ‘A Day in the Life of Kathmandu’ dedicated to the victims of the Nepal earthquake of April 2015.

He speaks English, Hindi and German.

Mr. Jawed Ashraf is married to Dr. Ghazala Shahabuddin.

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RIHO KRUUV

AMBASSADOR TO SINGAPORE

REPUBLIC OF ESTONIA

Mr Riho Kruuv is the Estonian Ambassador to India and Myanmar, and Ambassador- designate to Sri Lanka. Prior to this assignment, Ambassador Kruuv held several high ranking positions in the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in the Security Policy and Arms Control Division, Political Department and as Chair of the Estonian Export Control Authority. Prior to that he served as the Chargè d’Affairs in the Embassy of Estonia in Ottawa, Canada and as First Secretary at the Embassy of Estonia in Washington D.C, United States of America.

He has a Master of Arts Degree in International Commerce and Policy from George Mason University in USA, a Bachelor of Business Administration from University of Tartu in Estonia and is a Graduate of the Estonian School of Diplomacy.

He is married and has two children.

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