News item | 09-01-2026 | 2:05 PM
At the proposal of Minister Van Weel of Foreign Affairs, the Council of Ministers has approved 17 ambassadorial appointments. These are only final once the host countries have given their approval. The Council of Ministers also approved the appointment of three permanent representatives to international organizations. The appointments will take effect from next summer.
The Council of Ministers agreed to the appointment of ambassadors to the following posts:
- Albania, based in Tirana: Marleen Monster, now head of the North Africa and Middle East Peace Process at the Middle East and North Africa Directorate;
- China, based in Beijing: Joep Wijnands, now ambassador in Ankara;
- Denmark, based in Copenhagen: Pauline Diepenbroek, now deputy chief of post in Rome;
- France, based in Paris: Thijs van der Plas, now Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO);
- Philippines, based in Manila: Roderick Wols, now flexible ambassador in the TZ Flexpool;
- Ghana, based in Accra: Hans Akerboom, now Deputy Director of the Protocol and Host Country Affairs Directorate;
- Iraq, based in Baghdad: Rochus Pronk, now head of human rights at the Multilateral Organizations and Human Rights Directorate;
- Lithuania, based in Vilnius: Caecilia Wijgers, now head of the Gaza Medical Evacuation Task Force;
- Malta, based in Valletta: Anke ter Hoeve-van Heek, now coordinating policy officer at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Vienna;
- Moldova, based in Chisinau: Esselien van Eerten, deputy chief of post in Kyiv until summer 2025;
- New Zealand, based in Wellington: Jacquelien Nienhuis, now director of the Communications Directorate;
- Uganda, based in Kampala: Angèle Samura, now ambassador in Kinshasa;
- Ukraine, based in Kyiv: Anne van Leeuwen, now inspector at the Inspection, Signaling and Guidance Directorate;
- Portugal, based in Lisbon: Roland Martin, now special advisor to the International Business Directorate;
- Tunisia, based in Tunis: Dewi van de Weerd, now head of the International Cultural Unit and also ambassador for Cultural Cooperation;
- Vatican City/Holy See, based in Rome: Paul Bekkers, now special envoy for Religion and Belief;
- Vietnam, based in Hanoi: Remco van Wijngaarden, now ambassador in Bangkok.
The Council of Ministers agreed to the appointment of 3 permanent representatives to international organizations:
- Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), based in Brussels: Marcel de Vink, now Director General of Political Affairs.
- Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), based in Paris: Guido Landheer, now Director of European, International, Agro-economic Policy at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature (LVVN).
- Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), based in Paris: Sander Cohen, now Ambassador to Panama.