Her Excellency Elizabeth Koegler has formally presented her Letters of Credence to the Head of State of Samoa, Afioga Tuimaleali’ifano Va’aletoa Sualauvi II.
The credentials ceremony was held on Tuesday morning at the Official Residence of the Head of State at Vailele. The ceremony accredited Her Excellency as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Austria to the Independent State of Samoa.
Ambassador Koegler will serve Samoa from Canberra, Australia, where she is based as Austria’s Ambassador to Australia and the Pacific Island countries.
Samoa and Austria established formal diplomatic relations in 1992. The relationship between the two countries has mainly developed through cooperation in regional and international platforms, including the United Nations and the EU-OACPS Partnership.
During the ceremony, Ambassador Koegler spoke about the Pacific region’s position on key issues and confirmed Austria’s continued support for Samoa and the wider region. This includes support for green projects, climate financing through the Pacific Resilience Facility, diplomatic training, and support for candidatures at the United Nations and its specialised agencies.
The Head of State welcomed Ambassador Koegler and acknowledged Austria’s contribution to the Pacific, especially in the area of climate change. He said diplomatic training and capacity building can benefit Samoa and support development across key sectors.
Afioga Tuimaleali’ifano also expressed confidence that Ambassador Koegler’s appointment would strengthen relations and create further opportunities for cooperation between Samoa and Austria.
Ambassador Koegler is a senior Austrian diplomat with extensive experience in multilateral and bilateral affairs. She joined Austria’s Foreign Service in 1993 and has held senior roles in EU coordination, security policy, cyber diplomacy, and diplomatic postings in London, New York, New Delhi and Tirana.
This article is based on a media release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Government of Samoa.
