President Tharman Shanmugaratnam received the credentials of the newly appointed Ambassadors of the Republic of Chad and the Republic of Serbia during separate ceremonies at the Istana on 30 June 2026.
SINGAPORE, 30 June 2026 – President Tharman Shanmugaratnam received the credentials of the newly accredited Ambassadors of the Republic of Chad and the Republic of Serbia during separate ceremonies held at the Istana on 30 June 2026. The Presentation of Credentials formally marked the commencement of their diplomatic appointments to Singapore and reaffirmed the country’s commitment to strengthening bilateral relations with both nations.
The Presentation of Credentials is a longstanding diplomatic tradition through which newly appointed Heads of Mission are formally accredited by the Head of State before assuming their official duties in the receiving country. The ceremonies underscored Singapore’s continued engagement with the international diplomatic community and its commitment to fostering constructive partnerships with countries across Africa and Europe.
His Excellency Abakar Saleh Chahaimi presented his credentials as Ambassador of the Republic of Chad to Singapore. Ambassador Chahaimi also serves concurrently as Ambassador to Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, the People’s Republic of China, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, Timor-Leste, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Prior to his appointment to Singapore, Ambassador Chahaimi served as Chad’s Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Nigeria from 2020 to 2024. Earlier in his diplomatic career, he spent more than two decades serving the late Marshal of Chad and former President of the Republic, first as Official Interpreter before being appointed as a Roving Ambassador. He pursued higher education at Syracuse University, the Institute of Education of the University of London, and Marien Ngouabi University in the Republic of the Congo. Ambassador Chahaimi is fluent in English, French, and Arabic, and is married with seven children.
President Tharman also received the credentials of Her Excellency Ivana Golubović-Duboka, Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia to Singapore. In addition to her appointment in Singapore, Ambassador Golubović-Duboka serves concurrently as Serbia’s Ambassador to eight Southeast Asian countries, including Indonesia, as well as to ASEAN.
Before assuming her current role, Ambassador Golubović-Duboka served as Minister Counsellor at the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Tokyo, Japan. During her diplomatic career spanning more than three decades, she held postings in Cyprus and Croatia and served in several senior advisory positions within Serbia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, focusing on international legal affairs, human rights, and diplomatic protocol.
Ambassador Golubović-Duboka graduated from the Faculty of Law at the University of Belgrade, later commenced her Master’s studies at the same institution, passed the Serbian Bar Examination in 1996, and graduated from the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1998. She is fluent in English, French, and Russian, and is married with one child.
The accreditation of the Ambassadors reflected the continued development of diplomatic relations between Singapore, Chad, and Serbia. Their appointments are expected to further enhance bilateral cooperation and promote dialogue in areas of mutual interest as they begin their respective diplomatic missions in Singapore.
Source: MFA Singapore
