OPR - Thursday, 13th October, 2005

The President of Malta, H.E. Dr. Edward Fenech Adami, was presented with the letters of commission by H.E. Mr. Zulkifli Bin Yaacob, High Commissioner of Malaysia and with the letters of credence by H.E. Mr. Mohamed Mezgheani, Ambassador of the Republic of Tunisia.

The ceremony took place in the Ambassadors’ Room at The Palace, Valletta.

The curriculum vitae of H.E. Mr. Zulkifli Bin Yaacov and H.E. Mr. Mohamed Mezgheni follows.

- - - - - - -

H.E. Mr. Zulkifli Bin Yaacob, was born in May 1956 at Selangor, Malaysia.

Mr. Bin Yaacob holds a B. Sc. Hons from the University of Malaya. His diplomatic career started in 1983 when he was appointed to the Administrative and Diplomatic Service of Malaysia and served as Assistant Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Three years later he was appointed second secretary at the High Commission of Malaysia in Dhaka, Bangladesch.

President Fenech Adami being presented with letters of credence by Ambassador Bin Yaacob

He held various high-ranking positions which include that of Charge d’Affaires at the Embassy of Malaysia, Muscat, Oman (1992), Consul, Consulate of Malaysia in Pekan Baru, Indonesia (1996) and Principal Assistant Secretary (Consular), Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 2002 he was appointed Consul General at the consulate General of Malaysia, Jeddah.

The High Commissioner is married to Jamilah Hj. Mohamad Yusof and has four children.

- - - - - -

H.E. Mr. Mohamed Mezghani  was born in November 1959 in Gafsa, Tunisia.

In 1987 he obtained a Degree of High Studies at the National Institute of Administration with the rank of Counsellor of Public Services.  A year later he obtained a certificate from the Institute of European Studies at Brussels on “the New Regional Zones of Interest for the European Union External Relations: The Mediterranean Policy”.

President Fenech Adami being presented with letters of credence by Ambassador Mezghani

His professional carer started in 1983 as government administrator in charge of Investment and Industrial Cooperation at the General Directorate of Industry at the Ministry of National Economy.   In 1988 he served as Deputy Director in charge of Financial Questions and Cooperation to the Services of the Economic Counsellor of the Prime Minister at the Office of the Prime Minister.  He then joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1990 as General Secretary of the National commission for the Relations with the European Union. Other high-ranking positions within the Ministry amongst others include that of Deputy Head of Mission to the European Union at the Embassy of Tunisia in Brussels in 1993.

During the period 2001 – 2004 he served as Official Representative to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Director of Relations with the European Union and the Mediterranean and Member of the Committees of High Officials of the 5 +5 Dialogue of the Barcelona Process and the Mediterranean Forum. During the present year he was official representative to the Cabinet of the Minister of Foreign Affairs in charge of Economic issues.

The Ambassador is married and is a father of two children.