MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS PRESS STATEMENT
PRESENTATION OF CREDENTIALS
The following new foreign Heads of Mission presented their diplomatic credentials to President S R Nathan in separate ceremonies at the Istana today:
(a) The High Commissioner of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, Mr Winithkumar Shehan Ratnavale, who has succeeded Mr Ajit Jayaratne;
(b) The High Commissioner of the Independent State of Samoa, Leiataua Dr Kilifoti Sisilia Eteuati, who is the first High Commissioner from the Independent State of Samoa to be accredited to Singapore; and
(c) The Ambassador of the State of Qatar, Mr Yousif Khalifa Abdullah Al-Sada, who has succeeded Mr Abdullah Mohammed Talib Al-Marri.
The curricula vitae of Mr Winithkumar Shehan Ratnavale, Leiataua Dr Kilifoti Sisilia Eteuati and Mr Yousif Khalifa Abdullah Al-Sada are attached.
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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
SINGAPORE
29 APRIL 2005
WINITHKUMAR SHEHAN RATNAVALE
HIGH COMMISSIONER
DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF SRI LANKA
BORN: 25 September 1961
AGE: 43
MARITAL STATUS: Married
Has two children
EDUCATION: St. Thomas Preparatory School Colombo, Sri Lanka
St. Wilfrids Preparatory School, Seaford Sussex, England
Harrow School, Harrow-on-the-Hill, Middlesex, England
LL.B (Hons) Degree in Law, University of Leicester, 1985
Post Graduate Diploma in Business and Financial Administration, Business School of the Institute of Chartered Accountants Sri Lanka, 1995
Post Graduate Executive Diploma in Bank Management, Institute of Bankers of Sri Lanka, 2001
CAREER: 1986-1987 Executive, Maharaja Organisation
Jul 1987 -
Apr 1989 Management Trainee (based in Hong Kong), Hong Kong & Shanghai Banking Corporation
CAREER:
(cont'd) Manager, Customer Accounts Department, Hong Kong Bank, Colombo
Sep 1989 -
1990 Employed at Wheels Dispatch Ltd and Saffron Plc (based in UK)
Dec 1990 Executive, Market Reports Division Marketing, Soviet Marketing (Export Marketing Company) (based in UK)
Apr 1991 - Nov 1994 Departmental/Account Manager, ANZ Grindlays Bank, Sri Lanka
Jan 1995 - Oct 1996 Manager Research, John Keells Stock Brokers, Sri Lanka
Mar 1996 Moved to Keells T & R (Money Broking Company)
Jul 1997 - Mar 1998 Sales Manager, Regency Automobiles (Pvt) Ltd, Sri Lanka
Nov 1998 -
Feb 2005 Assistant Manager, Business Planning & Corporate Marketing, Recoveries Division, Pan Asia Bank
29 Apr 2005 -
to date High Commissioner to Singapore
. . . . .
29 April 2005
LEIATAUA DR KILIFOTI SISILIA ETEUATI
HIGH COMMISSIONER TO SINGAPORE
INDEPENDENT STATE OF SAMOA
BORN: 7 April 1946
AGE: 59
MARITAL STATUS: Married to Lynne-Marie Dillon
Has 4 Children
RELIGION: Methodist
EDUCATION: 1972 BA, Majors in Political Science and Philosophy, University of Auckland, New Zealand
1974 MA, Honours in Political Science
1978 - 91 PhD, Australian National University
CAREER: 1975 - 76 External Affairs Officer, Department of the Prime Minister & Cabinet (which, at the time, incorporated Foreign Affairs)
1976 - 78 Head, Legal & Political Division, Department of the Prime Minister & Cabinet
Senior Labour Officer/Assistant Commissioner of Labour, Labour Department
CAREER:
(cont'd) 1978 - 81 PhD, Australian National University
1982 - 83 Head, Legal Division, Department of the Prime Minister & Cabinet/Ministry of Foreign Affairs
1983 - 85 Deputy Secretary to the Government, Department of the Prime Minister & Cabinet
1986 - 88 Founding Director, Ocean Resources Management Programme for the Pacific region (Law of the Sea), Suva, Fiji
Fellow, University of the South Pacific, Fiji
1989 - 97 Secretary to the Government, Department of the Prime Minister & Cabinet
1997
to date High Commissioner for Samoa to Australia
1998
to date Visiting Fellow, Australian National University
29 Apr 2005 -
to date Concurrently accredited as the High Commissioner to Singapore
. . . . .
29 April 2005
YOUSIF KHALIFA ABDULLAH AL-SADA
AMBASSADOR
STATE OF QATAR
BORN: 1954
AGE: 51
MARITAL STATUS: Married
Has six children
EDUCATION: Bachelor of International Relations, USA, 1980
CAREER: 26 Aug 1980 Appointed at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs General Dewan as Third Secretary
Mar 1981 -
Feb 1982 Worked at the Permanent Delegation of the State of Qatar in Geneva
Mar 1982 -
Sep 1984 Appointed as Assistant to the Director of the State Minister of Foreign Affairs
Oct 1984 -
Mar 1986 Worked at the Embassy of the State of Qatar in Cairo
Jul 1990 -
Aug 1992 Worked at the Embassy of the State of Qatar in Tunisia
Aug 1992 -
Aug 1993 Worked at the Embassy of the State of Qatar in Abu Dhabi
1993 -
Mar 1996 Worked at the Office of the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs
CAREER:
(cont'd) Apr 1994 -
Aug 2000 Worked as the General Secretary of Gulf Cooperation Council
Aug 2000 -
Sep 2001 Worked as Assistant Director in Alternation Office
Sep 2001
Appointed as Ambassador of the State of Qatar to Senegal
Mar 2005 -
to date Appointed as Ambassador of the State of Qatar to Indonesia
29 Apr 2005 -
to date Concurrently accredited as the Ambassador to Singapore
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29 April 2005