Nicolau Lobato Presidential Palace, Dili, 13 August 2019
The President of the Republic, on 13 August, will formally appoint the new ambassadors of Timor-Leste to Brazil, the United States (Washington DC) and New Zealand.
Pursuant to Presidential Decree no. 36/2019, 37/2019 and 38/2019, respectively, Olimpio Branco is now the new ambassador to Brazil, thus replacing Gregório de Sousa; Isilio Coelho will be formally appointed ambassador to the United States (Washington DC), replacing Domingos Sarmento Alves, and; Lisualdo Gaspar will replace Cristiano Costa as ambassador of New Zealand.
The three new ambassadors are career diplomats of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Olimpio Branco has a degree in Agriculture from the Instituto Agrário de Chimoio, Mozambique. He got his university degree in International Relations and Diplomacy in Mozambique. Between December 2002 and September 2005 he was vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation. Between 2005 and 2010 he was ambassador of Timor-Leste to the People’s Republic of China and, between 2012 and 2016, ambassador to the Republic of Cuba.
Isilio Coelho has a degree in International Relations and Political Science from the Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal. He graduated from the University of London, UK, with a Master’s degree in International Security and Global Governance. From 2003 to 2007 he worked as counsellor at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 2011 he was appointed ambassador of Timor-Leste to Japan. Before being appointed ambassador to the USA, Isilio Coelho was working as Director General for Bilateral Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation.
Lisualdo Gaspar has a degree in animal husbandry and farming from the Universidade Nasional Timor-Lorosa’e. He graduated from the Australian National University (ANU) with a Master’s degree in Public Administration. From 2005 to 2008 he worked as deputy secretary at the Embassy of Timor-Leste in Canberra. From 2011 to 2015 he led the Timorese delegation during the talks with Indonesia on the land borders. Before being appointed ambassador, Lisualdo Gaspar was working as Director for Southeast Asia and Oceania.
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