UNIS/BIO/643
20 June 2002

NEW PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF INDONESIA
PRESENTS CREDENTIALS

VIENNA, 20 June (UN Information Service) -- The new Permanent Representative of Indonesia to the United Nations (Vienna), Thomas Aquino Samodra Sriwidjaja, presented his credentials on Thursday to Antonio Maria Costa, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV).

Prior to his current appointment, Mr. Sriwidjaja was Deputy Chief of Mission to the Indonesian Embassy in Washington DC with the rank of Ambassador. Between 1997 and 2000, he was Head of Directorate of America at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and between 1994 and 1997, he was Counselor to the Indonesian Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York. From 1992 to 1994 he served as Head of Sub-Directorate on Decolonization, Directorate of International Organizations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Before that Mr. Sriwidjaja was Second Secretary to the Indonesian Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York, and between 1984 and 1986, he was Head of Sub-directorate of Consular Services, Directorate of Consular Services at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Mr. Sriwidjaja joined Indonesia’s Foreign Service in 1975. In 1977 he became Head of Section on Southeast Asia, Directorate of Asia-Pacific. Later he served as Attaché and then Third Secretary to the Indonesian Embassy in Canberra, Australia, and Vice-Consul to the Indonesian Consulate in Darwin, Australia.

Mr. Sriwidjaja holds a degree in international relations from University of Gadjah Mada, Jakarta. He also completed several diplomatic courses in Foreign Service.

He is married.

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