My name is Ana Beatriz Martins, and I joined the European Union Delegation on the 1^st of September 2023, as the European Union (EU) Ambassador to the Republic of Namibia. I had the honour of presenting my Letters of Credence to His Excellency President Hage Geingob on the 19^th of October 2023.

It is indeed an honour and great pleasure to ascend to this prestigious function, in which I intend to contribute with all the wealth of experience from my various diplomatic postings and my enthusiasm for Namibia’s kind people and extraordinary nature. My career has revolved around EU foreign relations, and I am committed to strengthening the EU-Namibia Partnership and promoting cooperation in political, economic fields and our ambitious journey towards carbon neutral economies.

EU is a political and economic union made up of 27 Members States[1], with five of them present in Namibia through their Embassies. With Finland, France, Germany, Portugal, Spain, and many others represented from neighbouring countries, we work closely as Team Europe. Together with my team in the EU Delegation, I will continue our intense and fruitful cooperation with the Namibian government, civil society and the private sector to promote economic growth and create job opportunities though sustainable and inclusive green growth transition. I am in particular excited to strengthen our engagement with Namibia’s vibrant youths, including through the recently launched Youth Sounding Board. Our partnership with Namibia is based on joint interests, shared values and mutual respect. We are available here at Europe House, 2 Newton Str – Windhoek, and are ready to engage with you.

[1] EU MS are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.

Professional Journey: With an unwavering dedication to diplomacy, Ana Beatriz Martins embarked on her diplomatic career in the European External Action Service. Over the course of her illustrious career, she has held key positions in various regions of the world, including:

East Africa: Serving as Deputy Head of Division for East and Horn of Africa in the Africa Department, she contributed  to EU policies, engagement and deepening with countries in the region.

South America: Her last diplomatic posting was in Brazil as Minister Counsellor  and Deputy Head of Mission of the European Union Delegation, where her mission was  to enhance EU relations with Brazil as Strategic Partner, a on global issues of common interest, on the promotion of interregional trade, and strengthening political ties.

South and East Asia: Her assignments as the Political Counsellor at the EU Delegations  in both South Korea and Thailand had the mission to expand EU's relations and engagement in in these dynamic regions on economic, good governance and global issues of common interest

Research and Expertise: Prior to her career in the EU Institutions, Mrs Ana Beatriz Martins worked as in a a Research Fellow at the renowned European Think Tank ‘Centre for European Policy Studies’ in Brussels. Her research primarily focused on EU enlargement, EU regional policy, and constitutional reforms, informing EU practitioners, policymakers and the academic community.

Diplomatic Philosophy: Throughout her career, Ana-Beatriz Martins has been a strong advocate for diplomacy as a means to build bridges, resolve conflicts, and promote international cooperation. Her approach to diplomacy is characterized by inclusivity, open dialogue, and a commitment to understanding diverse perspectives.

Early Life and Education: Ana Beatriz Martins had an international upbringing, been raised in Japan, Italy, Great Britain and Portugal. She holds a master’s degree from the University of Freiburg / Germany in Political Science and a post-graduate degree in European Studies from the College of Europe in Bruges/Belgium. This educational journey strengthened her passion for foreign policy matters, her conviction of the European Union’s integration and peace project and her professional choice to serve for the European Institutions.