OPR- Thursday, 16th September - Valletta

H.E. Dr. Edward Fenech Adami, President of Malta, was presented with the letters of credence by H.E. Thomas Baekelandt, Ambassador of Belgium and H.E. Jubran D. Taweel, Ambassador of Palestine.

The ceremony took place in the Ambassador’s Room at The Palace, Valletta. This afternoon, the President and Mrs. Fenech Adami will host the newly accredited Ambassadors to an official luncheon at San Anton.

The Curriculum vitae of H.E. Thomas Baekelandt and H.E. Mr. Carlos Jubran D. Taweel follow.

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H.E. Thomas Baekelandt was born in February 1955 in Kortijk, Belgium. He studied at the Katholieke University in Leuven from where he graduated in Business Administration, Diplomatic and Consular Sciences.

The President presented with letters of credence from the Ambassador of Belgium

His diplomatic career started as a Trainee in 1982. He served as an attaché at the Belgian Embassy in Jakarta in Indonesia and also as Secretary at the Belgian Embassy in Morocco.  Other High ranking positions followed including that of First Secretary at the Belgian Permanent Representation to NATO in Brussels (1990 – 1993), Deputy Head of Mission of the European Community Monitoring Mission (ECMM) in former Yugoslavia in 1993, Counsellor at the Belgian Permanent Representation in the UN in New York and also as Counsellor at the European Security Directorate of the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Brussels.  Since year 2000 he has been serving as Minister-Counsellor of the Belgian Embassy in Rome.

The Ambassador is married and has three children.

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H.E. Jubran D. Taweel, was born in Nablus in July 1960. He graduated with a BSC degree in Business Administration and Management in Southeastern University, Washington D.C., United States of America.

The President presented with letters of credence from the Ambassador of Palestine

In 1986 he co-founded and established a private news agency, “The Jerusalem Press” in Washington D.C., USA. He was also the Editor and General Director of the “Return Magazine”, which was targeted for readership member of the US congress and the Arab American community.  In the period, 2000 – 2004 he served as a Commercial counselor at the PLO mission in Washington D. C.

The Ambassador was responsible for the running of different businesses and worked in real estate development in the USA and the Middle East.

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