Polish, Russian, Cambodian, Slovak Republic and Romania envoys present credentials

The new Ambassadors of Poland, the Russian Federation, Cambodia, the Slovak Republic and Romania will present their credentials to Governor-General Dame Silvia Cartwright at Government House on Wednesday 8 December at 11.00am.

Mr Lech Mastalerz is Poland’s new Ambassador to New Zealand. However, he has been the Charge d’Affaires at Poland’s Embassy in Wellington since 2002. Prior to that he worked in a number of mostly legal roles in the Polish Foreign Ministry in Warsaw. He has also been posted previously as Poland’s Consul General in Chicago and Toronto.

Career diplomat, Mr Mikhail Nikolaevich Lysenko is the Russian Federation’s new Ambassador. He has had postings in the United States and Canada. Prior to his posting to New Zealand, Mr Lysenko was Director of the Security and Disarmament Department of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Moscow.

Career diplomat, Mr Meas Kim Heng is Cambodia’s new Ambassador to New Zealand. Since joining the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he has worked mostly in the press and information areas, and has had a posting in the United States. Prior to his posting to New Zealand, Mr Meas was Director-General of the ASEAN Directorate of the Cambodian Foreign Ministry.

The Slovak Republic’s new Ambassador is Dr Peter Prochácka. Prior to joining the Slovak Foreign Ministry, Dr Prochácka worked as a researcher and adviser in industry. Before his appointment to New Zealand, Dr Prochácka was posted in Geneva and then became Director of the Human Rights Department in the Slovak Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bratislava.

Ms Anca Roxana Visan is Romania’s Ambassador to New Zealand. Her background in the Foreign Ministry has mostly been in disarmament work and has included a posting to Brussels in the Romanian Mission to NATO. Prior to her posting to New Zealand, Ms Visan was working as Director-General for Security Policies in the Romanian Foreign Ministry.

Mr Mastalerz and Mr Lysenko are resident in Wellington while Mr Meas Kim Heng, Dr Prochácka and Ms Visan are cross-accredited from Canberra.

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

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