List of Australian Ambassadors to Croatia

Ambassador of Australia to Croatia
Incumbent Susan Cox since December 2012[1]
Style	Her Excellency
Nominator	Prime Minister of Australia
Appointer	Governor General of Australia
Inaugural holder	Michael Wilson
Formation	13 February 1992
Website	Australian Embassy in Zagreb

The Ambassador of Australia to Croatia is an officer of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the head of the Embassy of the Commonwealth of Australia to the Republic of Croatia in Zagreb. The position has the rank and status of an Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary and is currently held by Susan Cox, who presented her credentials to the President of Croatia Ivo Josipović on 14 December 2012^[2]

Croatia and Australia have enjoyed official diplomatic relations since 1967, when Australia opened an Embassy to the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (which included the Socialist Republic of Croatia) in Belgrade. However, with the breakup of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s, Prime Minister Bob Hawke acted quickly to recognise the newly independent former Yugoslav Republics of Slovenia and Croatia.^[3] Australia became one of the first countries to recognise Croatia's independence, on 16 January 1992, and diplomatic relations were established on 13 February 1992, with the Australian Ambassador in Vienna receiving non-resident accreditation as the first Australian Ambassador to Croatia. The first Ambassador, Michael Wilson, presented his credentials to President Franjo Tudjman in March 1992. A resident embassy was not established until October 1999, when the Australian Government appointed Neil Francis as the first Ambassador resident in Zagreb.^[4]

Office-holders

Ambassadors resident in Vienna

Name	Start of term	End of term	References
Michael Wilson	13 February 1992	1993
Ronald Walker	1993	1996	[5]
Lance Joseph	February 1997	October 1999	[4]

Ambassadors resident in Zagreb

Name	Start of term	End of term	References
Neil Francis	October 1999	November 2003	[4]
Anna George	November 2003	September 2006	[6]
Tracy Reid	September 2006	December 2009	[7]
Beverly Mercer	December 2009	December 2012	[8]
Susan Cox	December 2012	present	[9]

See also

• Australia-Croatia relations
• Foreign relations of Australia

References

1. "New ambassador appointed to Croatia". News Corp. 28 September 2012. Archived from the original on 14 September 2013. Retrieved 15 September 2013.
2. "Predsjednik Josipović primio vjerodajnice veleposlanice Australije" (in Croatian). President of Croatia. 14 December 2012. Archived from the original on 14 September 2013. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
3. "Hawke veers to EC stance.". The Canberra Times. ACT: National Library of Australia. 6 September 1991. p. 7. Retrieved 29 May 2015.
4. Downer, Alexander (20 September 1999). "Diplomatic appointment: Ambassador to Croatia" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014.
5. "Austrian posting.". The Canberra Times. ACT: National Library of Australia. 2 December 1992. p. 21. Retrieved 29 May 2015.
6. Downer, Alexander (6 August 2003). "Diplomatic appointment: Ambassador to Croatia" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 29 May 2015.
7. Downer, Alexander (28 July 2006). "Diplomatic appointment: Ambassador to Croatia" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
8. Smith, Stephen (18 November 2009). "Diplomatic appointment: Ambassador to Croatia" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
9. Carr, Bob (28 September 2012). "Diplomatic appointment - Ambassador to Croatia" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.

External links

• Australian Embassy in Zagreb