Envoys for former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Belarus, and Bulgaria will present their credentials to the Governor-General, Lt Gen Rt Hon Sir Jerry Mateparae, at Government House in Auckland on Wednesday (Wednesday 15 April, 2015).
The ceremony, which will include a Māori ceremonial challenge and a military guard of honour provided by the Royal New Zealand Navy, begins at 11am.
The Ambassador of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, His Excellency Mr Vele Trpevski holds a Masters degree in International Economic Relations from the Economic Institute-UC&M in Skopje, Macedonia. Prior to his appointment as Ambassador to Australia and New Zealand, he was the Ambassador to the Republic of Albania. Mr Trpevski is based in Canberra.
The Ambassador of the Republic of Belarus, His Excellency Mr Viktar Shykh is a graduate of the Minsk State Foreign Languages Institute and the Russian Academy of Foerign Trade. He is a former Ambassador to France and Romania. Mr Shykh is based in Canberra.
The Ambassador of the Republic of Bulgaria, Her Excellency Ms Emilia Iordanova Stefanova-Veleva has a Masters degree in International Relations and a Masters degree in Spanish Philology and Psychology. She began her career as a Professor in Spanish before joining the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and has held posts in Cuba and Canada. Ms Stefanova-Veleva is based in Canberra.