The presidents of the European Council and European Commission have formally received the credentials of 19 newly appointed ambassadors to the European Union.
António Costa and Ursula von der Leyen received the letters of credence — documents that confirm an ambassador’s appointment — during a ceremony on 22 October 2026, the European Council announced on Thursday.
Those presenting credentials included Adamou Moumouni of Niger, Pranay Verma of India, Lee Byeongdo of the Republic of Korea, and Aïcha Nanette Conté of Guinea.
Also recognised were Jonathan Wilkinson of Canada, Abhimanu Mahendra Kundasamy of Mauritius, Albana Dautllari of Albania, and Esteban Moctezuma Barragán of Mexico.
Further ambassadors included Malebo Mabitje-Thompson of South Africa, María Dolores Agüero Lara of Honduras, Marciano Edgar Armaketo of Suriname, and Andrea González Nader of Ecuador.
Jorge Carlos Tarud Daccarett of Chile, Nguyen Huong Tra of Viet Nam, Dame Caroline Wilson of the United Kingdom, and Joash Arthur Maangi of Kenya also presented their credentials.
Mariam Ali Moussa of Chad, Taras Kachka of Ukraine, and Mark Jeremy Talbot of New Zealand completed the group.
What letters of credence mean
Letters of credence are typically signed by a country’s head of state and mark the start of an ambassador’s official role with the host institution, the EU explanation said.
In the EU’s case, two original letters are prepared — one addressed to the European Council president and one to the European Commission president — and incoming heads of mission also submit a letter recalling their predecessor at the same ceremony.
