CABINET has approved the appointment of five diplomats accredited to Guyana from Israel, Germany, Pakistan and Thailand.
The appointees include: Non-Resident Ambassador of the State of Israel, Gil Artzyeli; Non-Resident Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany, Holger Wilfred Michael; Honorary Consul of the Federal Republic of Germany, Ralf Hemsing; Non-Resident High Commissioner of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Najm us Saqib and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Thailand,  Surasak Suparat.

A release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Guyana noted that Ambassador Artzyeli is a career diplomat who worked in several positions in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jerusalem. Gil held numerous diplomatic posts in Bogotá, Colombia; Madrid, Spain; Mexico; and in Los Angeles, United States of America. He will reside in Panama.
Present diplomatic relations with Israel were established on March 9, 1992. The appointment of Ambassador Artzyeli is expected to further enhance Guyana’s cooperation with the State of Israel in education, health, agriculture, technology and investment.
Cabinet approved the appointed two diplomats from Germany, a Non-resident Ambassador and an Honorary Consul. Non-Resident Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Guyana, Holger Wilfred Michael worked in various German Missions including Turkey, Nicaragua, Bonn, Korea, Hong Kong, Thailand, Bangladesh, and most recently in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Ambassador Michael will succeed H.E. Dr Lutz Görgens and will reside in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.
Diplomatic relations with Germany were established on September 2, 1966 and Guyana has benefited from finance and training for the sustainable management of conservation under the Guyana Protected Areas System (GPAS). In 2004, 100 percent of Guyana’s foreign debt to Germany was cancelled under a Bilateral Conversion Agreement signed by Guyana and Germany.

According to the release, Guyana continues to benefit from training and scholarships and Germany and Guyana continue to support each other’s interests including support for foreign policy. Guyana has signalled its support for Germany’s candidature to the United Nations Security Council for 2019-2020.
Honorary Consul of the Federal Republic of Germany, Ralf Hemsing is a German citizen and the operations manager of the National Milling Company of Guyana Incorporated (NAMILCO). He replaces the current Honorary Consul, Mr. Bernend Jan Hendrik Ter Welle.
Non-Resident High Commissioner of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Najm us Saqib will be based in Brasilia, Brazil. Prior to his most recent post as the High Commissioner of Pakistan in South Africa, High Commissioner Najm us Saqib worked at various missions in Bangladesh, Spain, Azerbaijan, Kenya, Canada and Cuba.
The appointment of the High Commissioner of Pakistan is expected to provide an opportunity for Guyana and Pakistan to advance cooperation at both a bilateral level and within the Commonwealth and organizations where both countries share membership.
Guyana and Pakistan have maintained a relationship at a multilateral level through international bodies such as the Commonwealth and United Nations, since diplomatic relation were established on November 10, 1967.

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Thailand, Surasak Suparat, joined the Foreign Service of Thailand in 1983 and he has since worked in Thailand’s missions in Indonesia, the United States of America, Cambodia and South Africa.
Guyana and Thailand established diplomatic relations on December 17, 1987. Since then, both countries have collaborated in international organizations such as the United Nations, the Non-Aligned Movement and the G-77 and China.
Presently, the highly decorated Ambassador is serving as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Thailand to the Federative Republic of Brazil. The Ambassador will be based in Brasilia, Brazil.