Meet the New Ambassadors of Portugal, Lesotho, Brunei and Cambodia to Austria

PeopleDiplomats ♦ Published: July 7, 2022; 11:53 ♦ (Vindobona)

The new Ambassadors of the Portuguese Republic (H.E. Mr Miguel Maria Simones Coelho de Almeida e Sousa), the Kingdom of Lesotho (H.E. Mrs. Senate Barbara Masupha), Brunei Darussalam (H.E. Mrs. Pengiran Hajah Krtini Pengiran Haji Tahir) and the Kingdom of Cambodia (H.E. Mr Nong Sakal) to Austria presented their credentials to President Van der Bellen. Learn more about these new ambassadors.

President of Austria and Ambassador of the Kingdom of Lesotho to Austria, H.E. Senator Barbara Masupha. / Picture: © www.bundespraesident.at / HBF

The new Ambassadors of Portugal, Lesotho, Brunei and Cambodia to Austria presented their credentials to Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen in Vienna, officially accrediting them as ambassadors to the Central European country.

Ambassador of the Portuguese Republic to Austria H.E. Mr Miguel Maria Simones Coelho de Almeida e Sousa

The ambassador of Portugal is a supporter of Europe, during his mandate in Ireland, he once emphasized, "For me the European Union is a synonym of Peace, brotherhood among its peoples, a common project that ensures progress and development for all Europeans, giving to every one of us the opportunity and the means to defend and promote collectively our shared values and interests in a very challenging world stage."

You can find out more about H.E. Mr Miguel Maria Simones Coelho de Almeida e Sousa on Vindobona.org.

Ambassador of the Kingdom of Lesotho to Austria, H.E. Mrs. Senate Barbara Masupha

Her Excellency Senate Barbara Masupha has is Lesotho’s Ambassador to Austria. She is ambassador to France, Russia, Poland, Holy See, Monaco and Germany as well.

Mrs. Masupha joined her country's diplomatic service in 2007 as political and economic relations advisor. She worked at the Embassy of Lesotho in Rome, where she most recently held the post of Chargé d'affaires at the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations.

Previously, she held senior positions in South Africa. Masupha was a senior researcher at the University of Natal, where she worked on policy, research and international relations issues. In Johannesburg, she was a senior planner in a government department and deputy director of research and policy. At conferences on topics such as international law, women's rights and diplomacy, she participated as a panelist and moderator.

Masupha speaks Sotho, French and Italian.

Ambassador of Brunei Darussalam, H.E. Mrs. Pengiran Hajah Krtini Pengiran Haji Tahir

Ambassador H.E. Mrs. Pengiran Hajah Krtini Pengiran Haji Tahir was educated at the Arab College and holds a Bachelor's Degree in Economics from the University of Brunei Darussalam. In 1989, she became an official in the Political Affairs Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brunei Darussalam, and in 1998 she moved to the Multilateral Economic Relations Department.

With the rank of First Secretary, Tahir went to London in 1998 to the Brunei Darussalam High Commission to the United Kingdom. She returned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2002 as Deputy Director of Policy 1 and, since 2004, Policy 2.

In the same rank, she moved to the Department of Multilateral Economic Relations in 2005. From 2006 to 2007, she was First Secretary of the Technical Cooperation Division there.

Ambassador of the Kingdom of Cambodia, H.E. Mr Nong Sakal

H.E. Mr. Sakal Nong works as Ambassador of Cambodia to Belgium, with accreditations to Austria. On 28 April 2022, he presented his credentials to charles Michel, President of the European Council.

Presidential Chancellery of Austria