Biographical Note

NEW PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF ERITREA PRESENTS CREDENTIALS

(Based on information provided by the Protocol and Liaison Service)

The new Permanent Representative of Eritrea to the United Nations, Girma Asmerom Tesfay, today presented his credentials to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

From 2011 until his latest appointment, Mr. Tesfay was his country’s Ambassador to the African Union.  He served in Brussels as Ambassador to the European Union between 2007 and 2011, with concurrent accreditation to Belgium.

Mr Tesfay was Director General of the Americas and International Organizations at Eritrea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Asmara from 2006 to 2007.  He served as Ambassador to the United States and Canada between 2001 and 2006, and as Ambassador to South Africa from 1999 to 2001, with non-resident accreditation to Angola, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Zambia and Madagascar.  Between 1997 and 1999, he was Ambassador to Ethiopia, the Organization of African Unity and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.

He also held several positions within the Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Information and Culture between 1991 and 1996.

Mr. Tesfay holds a Master of Arts in international relations from the American University School of International Service, and a Bachelor of Arts in government from Bowdoin College, both in the United States.

Born in Eritrea on December 10 1949, Mr. Tesfay is married.

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For information media • not an official record