New ambassadors of Switzerland

(Last modification 02.10.2014)

Bern, 19.09.2014 - A number of staff changes have been announced for several Swiss representations abroad and at the head office of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. The changes will take place in 2015 as part of the usual transfer rotation and on the basis of appointments made by the Federal Council. The appointment of heads of mission becomes effective following approval by the respective host state. The Federal Council thanks those ambassadors entering retirement for their services.

Christine Schraner Burgener, currently head of mission in Bangkok, will become the new ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to the Federal Republic of Germany, succeeding Ambassador Tim Guldimann, who will retire.

Michael Winzap, currently head of mission in Amman, will become the new ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to Malaysia, succeeding Ambassador Rolf Lenz, who will retire.

Hans-Peter Lenz, currently head of the Asia and the Americas Division and deputy of the delegate for humanitarian aid in the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation in Bern, will become the new ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the Republic of Iraq, based in Amman.

Hans-Rudolf Hodel, currently head of mission in Abuja, will become the new ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to the Hellenic Republic.

Etienne Thévoz, currently head of mission in Kuwait, will become the new ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to the State of Qatar.

Lukas Beglinger, currently head of mission in Warsaw, will become the new ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to Georgia.

Andrej Motyl, currently head of mission in Hanoi, will become the new ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to the Republic of Poland and the Republic of Belarus, based in Warsaw.

Benedikt Wechsler, currently diplomatic adviser in the United Nations and International Organisations Division in the Directorate of Political Affairs in Bern, will become the new ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to the Kingdom of Denmark, succeeding Ambassador Denis Feldmeyer, who will retire.

Andrea Reichlin, currently head of mission in Abu Dhabi, will become the new ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to the Republic of the Philippines, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of Palau, based in Manila.

Ralf Heckner, currently ambassador and head of the Crisis Management Centre in the State Secretariat of the FDFA in Bern, will become the new ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to the Republic of Kenya, the Republic of Burundi, the Republic of Uganda, the Republic of Rwanda and permanent representative to the United Nations Environment Programme, based in Nairobi.

Paul Seger, currently ambassador and head of the Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the United Nations in New York, will become the new ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, in Yangon.

Jürg Lauber, currently ambassador and head of the United Nations and International Organisations Division in the Directorate of Political Affairs in Bern, will become the new ambassador and head of the Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the United Nations in New York.

Christian Meuwly, currently head of mission in Pretoria, will become the new ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to the Kingdom of Belgium and head of the Mission of Switzerland to NATO, based in Brussels.

Helene Budliger Artieda, currently ambassador and director-general of the Directorate for Resources in Bern, will become the new ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to the Republic of South Africa, the Republic of Botswana, the Kingdom of Lesotho, the Republic of Mauritius, the Republic of Namibia and the Kingdom of Swaziland, based in Pretoria.

Nicolas Brühl, currently head of mission in Tashkent, has been appointed head of the Europe, Central Asia, Council of Europe and OSCE Division in the Directorate of Political Affairs in Bern. In order to carry out his new function, the Federal Council has conferred on him the title of ambassador.

Mirjana Spoljaric Egger, currently deputy head of the United Nations and International Organisations Division in the Directorate of Political Affairs in Bern, has been appointed head of the same division. In order to carry out her new function, the Federal Council has conferred on her the title of ambassador.

Heidi Grau, currently ambassador and head of the OSCE Chairmanship Task Force in the General Secretariat of the FDFA in Bern, has been appointed head of the Human Security Division in the Directorate of Political Affairs in Bern. In order to carry out her new function, the Federal Council has conferred on her the title of ambassador.

Eric Mayoraz, currently head of mission in Antananarivo, will also be accredited to the Republic of Seychelles, in addition to his existing accreditations to the Republic of Madagascar and the Union of the Comoros.


Address for enquiries

FDFA Information
+41 58 462 31 53
info@eda.admin.ch


Publisher

The Federal Council
https://www.admin.ch/gov/en/start.html

Federal Department of Foreign Affairs
https://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home.html

https://www.admin.ch/content/gov/en/start/dokumentation/medienmitteilungen.msg-id-54550.html