New Permanent Representative of Latvia Presents Credentials to the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva

Ivars Pundurs, the new Permanent Representative of Latvia to the United Nations Office at Geneva, today presented his credentials to Tatiana Valovaya, the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva.

Prior to his appointment to Geneva, Mr. Pundurs had been serving as the Director of the Human Resources Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia since 2020. He was Latvia's Ambassador to the Council of Europe from 2016 to 2020. He also served as Ambassador to Greece from 2011 to 2016, concurrently serving as non-resident Ambassador to Serbia from 2013 to 2017, and to Cyprus from 2012 to 2017. He served as Latvia's Ambassador to Turkey from 2004 to 2009. He was also posted at the Embassy of Latvia to Austria from 1994 to 1998, first as charge d'affaires and then as Counsellor and Head of Delegation at the Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe.

A career diplomat since 1991, Mr. Pundurs has held various other posts at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including as Under-Secretary of State, Administrative Director from 2009 to 2011; Under-Secretary of State, Security Policy and International Organizations Directorate from 2000 to 2004; and Director, Fourth Political Department from 1998 to 2000.

Mr. Pundurs was born in 1966 in Latvia. He studied at the Faculty of Law of the University of Latvia (1984-1991) and at the Institute of International Relations in Switzerland (1992-1993). He has received a number of rewards in Latvia.

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CR24.012E