President Yitzhak Herzog today (Monday) received the letters of credence of the new ambassadors of Moldova, Ghana, Zimbabwe, New Zealand, Mongolia, and for the first time Palau upon the commencement of their duties as ambassadors of their countries in Israel, in a series of official ceremonies at the President’s residence.
Upon the arrival of the ambassadors, the national anthem of their country was played by the IDF band and then the ambassadors reviewed the IDF honor guard in the ceremony square. After submitting the Articles of Agreement to the President, the President held a meeting with each ambassador, after which each signed the Guest Book of the President’s House. At the end of each ceremony, “Hatikva” was played.
The first to submit his charter to the President of the country was the Ambassador of Moldova, Alexander Ruitman. The president congratulated the ambassador on his promotion from his position as the head of the Moldovan embassy in Israel and noted that Israel and Moldova are marking 30 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations. The ambassador conveyed the congratulations of the President of Moldova, Maya Sandu, as well as an invitation to visit his country.
The president then received the letter of credence from the Ghanaian ambassador, Lydia Opusua Amartei, former deputy ambassador of Ghana to Egypt. The ambassador conveyed the warm greetings of the President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo, who met with the President in the company of Queen Elizabeth in London. The President and the Ambassador discussed the great potential for tourism and the visit of Ghanaian citizens to Israel.
The third ambassador who submitted his letter of credence to the president was Zimbabwe’s non-resident ambassador, Air Marshal (retired), Sheba Shumbawanda, who has been serving as Zimbabwe’s ambassador to Egypt since 2019. The president expressed hope for expanding the network of contacts in a variety of fields.
The President then received the letter of credence from New Zealand’s non-resident ambassador, Zoe Coulson-Sinclair, who serves concurrently as New Zealand’s ambassador to Turkey, Azbargen, and Jordan. The two talked about the culture and history of the Maori, and the president added and noted that his late father, the sixth president, the late Haim Herzog, made the first state visit of an Israeli president to New Zealand. The two also discussed the importance of strengthening ties between Israel and New Zealand in a variety of areas, including the fight against the climate crisis and environmental conservation.
The fifth ambassador to present his letter of credence to the president was the non-resident ambassador of Mongolia, Monkabair Gumbusoren, former mayor of the Mongolian capital Ulan Bator, and minister of construction and urban development in the Mongolian government, who also serves as the Mongolian ambassador to Turkey and Azerbaijan. In their meeting, the two discussed the possibilities for cooperation between the countries in environmental fields, including in the forestry process.
At the end, Palau’s ambassador, Ilana Said, Palau’s ambassador to the United Nations, presented the letter of credence to the president. At the beginning of their meeting, the president congratulated the ambassador for making history as the first ambassador of Palau to the State of Israel. The ambassador proudly told the president about her Jewish roots, as the granddaughter of a Jew from California who fought in the Canadian Air Force in World War II in continental Europe. The president thanked Palau for its support of Israel in the international arena, and the two discussed ways in which Israel can help Palau, mainly in the field of agriculture, technology and water desalination. At the end of their meeting, the president expressed concern about the consequences of the climate crisis on Palau, including the rise in water levels.
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