Presentation of Credentials Ceremony 30 July 2024

The following foreign Heads of Mission presented their credentials to President Tharman Shanmugaratnam in

separate ceremonies at the Istana today:

a. The High Commissioner of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan

Her Excellency Rabia Shafiq

b. The Ambassador of the Republic of Chile

Her Excellency Tamara Villanueva

c. The High Commissioner of the Republic of Maldives

His Excellency Mohamed Luveiz

d. The High Commissioner of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

His Excellency Nikesh Ashvinkumar Mehta

Their bio summaries are attached.

. . . . .

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

SINGAPORE

30 JULY 2024

HER EXCELLENCY RABIA SHAFIQ
HIGH COMMISSIONER TO SINGAPORE
ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF PAKISTAN

High Commissioner Rabia Shafiq has served as Director-General (Europe II) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan since October 2020. Prior to this, she was the Deputy Consul-General at the Consulate-General of Pakistan in Chicago, United States of America, from 2017 to 2020. She joined the Pakistani Foreign Service in 2001 and has held various roles in Political Divisions (Europe, Iran & Turkey, East Asia Pacific), the Administration Division and the Foreign Service Academy. She has also served in Pakistan’s embassies in Paris and Ankara.

High Commissioner Shafiq holds Master’s degrees in Business Administration and Public Administration, as well as a Graduate Diploma in Diplomacy from the University of Oxford. She speaks Urdu, French and English.

High Commissioner Shafiq is married.

Photo Credit: Ministry of Digital Development and Information, Singapore

HER EXCELLENCY TAMARA VILLANUEVA
AMBASSADOR TO SINGAPORE
REPUBLIC OF CHILE

Ambassador Tamara Villanueva is a career diplomat with over 25 years of experience in several areas, such as food security, biodiversity, oceans and Antarctic affairs. During her diplomatic career, the Ambassador had served in the Embassy of Chile in Sweden, in Malaysia, and in Italy, with her last position abroad as Deputy Representative of Chile to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Chile, Ambassador Villanueva had served as Deputy Director for the Antarctic Division and Deputy Director of the Environment, Climate Change and Oceans Division, among other positions.

Ambassador Villanueva has a degree in Sociology from the Universidad de Chile.

Ambassador Villanueva is married to Mr Fernando Salas, who is also a career diplomat with the Chilean Foreign Service, and has three children: Camila (17), Catalina (14), and Joaquin (14).

Photo Credit: Ministry of Digital Development and Information, Singapore

HIS EXCELLENCY MOHAMED LUVEIZ
HIGH COMMISSIONER TO SINGAPORE
REPUBLIC OF MALDIVES

High Commissioner Mohamed Luveiz has served in the public and private sectors. Prior to his current appointment as High Commissioner of Maldives to Singapore, he was Managing Director of Zebra Cross Pte. Ltd. He began his career in the Ministry of Trade in 1995 and headed Invest Maldives. He was also Minister of State for Economic Relations from 2014 to 2018. High Commissioner Luveiz has held directorships at the Bank of Maldives and served as the Councillor of the Maldivian National University.

High Commissioner Luveiz holds a Master of Business Administration from the Victoria University of Technology, a Graduate Diploma in Education from the University of Adelaide, and a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of South Australia.

He is married with two children.

Photo Credit: Ministry of Digital Development and Information, Singapore

HIS EXCELLENCY NIKESH ASHVINKUMAR MEHTA
HIGH COMMISSIONER TO SINGAPORE
UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND

High Commissioner Nikesh Mehta is a career diplomat with over two decades of experience. Prior to his arrival in Singapore, High Commissioner Mehta was the Director for Policy and Requirements in the UK’s National Security Community. He was also the UK’s Deputy Head of Mission in its Embassy in Seoul, Republic of Korea from 2018 to 2022. From 2015 to 2018, High Commissioner Mehta was a Deputy Director at the Government Communications Headquarters. He has also served in various capacities in Iraq, Uganda, and Malaysia.

High Commissioner Mehta was awarded an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) by Her Late Majesty The Queen in 2014 for his contribution to British foreign policy and diversity.

High Commissioner Mehta has an MSci in Chemistry from University College London. He is married with two children.

Photo Credit: Ministry of Digital Development and Information, Singapore