List of Australian Ambassadors to Serbia

Ambassador of Australia to Serbia
Incumbent Julia Feeney since December 2013[1]
Style	Her Excellency
Nominator	Prime Minister of Australia
Appointer	Governor General of Australia
Inaugural holder	Alan Renouf
Formation	1967 (Yugoslavia) 2003 (Serbia and Montenegro) 2006 (Serbia)
Website	Australian Embassy in Belgrade

The Ambassador of Australia to Serbia 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 Serbia in Belgrade. The position has the rank and status of an Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary and is currently held by Julia Feeney, who presented her creditials to the President of Serbia Tomislav Nikolić on 4 February 2014.^[2] The Ambassador also holds non-resident accreditation for Macedonia and Montenegro.

Office history

Serbia and Australia have enjoyed official diplomatic relations since 26 April 1966, when Australia and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia agreed to enter into formal diplomatic relations, with Australia opening an embassy in Belgrade in 1967.^[3] 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 in early 1992.^[4] Then subsequently the former republics of Bosnia and Herzegovina in May 1992 and Macedonia on 15 February 1994 were recognised. With these acts Australia maintained its relations with Yugoslavia, with Foreign Minister Gareth Evans stating: "We do continue to recognise what is left of Yugoslavia as Yugoslavia. Our mission in Belgrade will stay accordingly accredited to Yugoslavia and they'll be no change in the status of the Yugoslav mission here in Australia."^[5]

However, with the developing civil war in Yugoslavia and its former republics, Australia imposed sanctions on Yugoslavia and the Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was recalled with a new ambassador not being appointed until 1997.^[6] The new ambassador, Noel Campbell, had served as Chargé d'affaires in Belgrade since May l994, while he had been accredited as Ambassador to Romania since April 1992 and to the Republic of Macedonia since December 1995. From 1970 until 15 January 2014 the Ambassador in Belgrade was also accredited to Romania, when it was transferred to the Embassy in Athens. From 1972 to 1992 accreditation was also held for Bulgaria, until it was also transferred to the Embassy in Greece. From 1985, the Ambassador was also accredited to Albania, following the establishment of diplomatic relations on 15 September 1984, to 1992 when it was transferred to the Embassy in Rome.^[7][8] Yugoslavia became the Union of Serbia and Montenegro in February 2003 and with the independence of Montenegro in early 2006, the union dissolved and Australia recognised Montenegro on 27 June 2006 and transferred recognition of the former Union to the reconstituted Republic of Serbia, with non-resident accreditation to Montenegro from 1 September 2006.^[9]

Office-holders

Ambassadors to Yugoslavia

Name	Start of term	End of term	References
Alan Renouf	1967	1970	[10]
Roy Fernandez	1970	1971	[11][12]
Robert Robertson	July 1971	1973	[13]
Malcolm Booker	1974	November 1976	[14]
Barrie Dexter	November 1976	1980	[15]
Michael Wilson	1980	1984	[16]
John Hoyle	1984	December 1988	[17]
Frank Milne	December 1988	May 1992	[18]
Edward Patching (Chargé d'affaires)	May 1992	May 1994	[19]
Noel Campbell (Chargé d'affaires)	May 1994	28 April 1997	[20]
Noel Campbell	28 April 1997	August 1997	[20]
Chris Lamb	August 1997	15 February 2000	[21]
Charles Stuart	March 2000	4 February 2003	[22]

Ambassadors to Serbia and Montenegro

Name	Start of term	End of term	References
Charles Stuart	4 February 2003	April 2003	[23]
John Oliver	April 2003	5 June 2006	[23]

Ambassadors to Serbia

Name	Start of term	End of term	References
John Oliver	5 June 2006	May 2007	[24]
Clare Birgin	May 2007	June 2010	[24]
Helena Studdert	June 2010	December 2013	[25]
Julia Feeney	December 2013	present	[1]

See also

• Australia-Serbia relations
• Foreign relations of Australia

References

1. Julie, Bishop (8 November 2013). "Ambassador to Serbia" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
2. "Serbian President receives credentials of new ambassadors in Belgrade". Belgrade: inSerbia Network Foundation. 4 February 2014. Archived from the original on 1 July 2014. Retrieved 1 July 2014.
3. "Link with Belgrade.". The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995). ACT: National Library of Australia. 27 April 1966. p. 3. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
4. "Hawke veers to EC stance.". The Canberra Times. ACT: National Library of Australia. 6 September 1991. p. 7. Retrieved 29 May 2015.
5. "Australia recognises republics.". The Canberra Times. ACT: National Library of Australia. 17 January 1992. p. 2. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
6. "Australia expected to act quickly.". The Canberra Times. ACT: National Library of Australia. 1 June 1992. p. 8. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
7. "IN BRIEF Diplomatic relations.". The Canberra Times. ACT: National Library of Australia. 16 September 1984. p. 3. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
8. Rann, Mike (4 February 2015). ""ALBANIA, AUSTRALIA AND ASIA: THE ECONOMIC CHALLENGE" SPEECH BY HON. MIKE RANN, AUSTRALIAN AMBASSADOR TO ALBANIA" (Speech). Retrieved 30 May 2015.
9. Downer, Alexander (1 September 2006). "Australia Establishes Diplomatic Relations with the Republic of Montenegro" (Press release). Australian Government.
10. "The first envoy to Belgrade.". The Canberra Times. ACT: National Library of Australia. 26 August 1966. p. 3. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
11. "Diplomatic posts announced.". The Canberra Times. ACT: National Library of Australia. 23 January 1970. p. 7. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
12. "Rumanian post.". The Canberra Times. ACT: National Library of Australia. 16 March 1970. p. 7. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
13. "Ambassador.". The Canberra Times. ACT: National Library of Australia. 24 July 1971. p. 9. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
14. "Ambassador.". The Canberra Times. ACT: National Library of Australia. 5 March 1974. p. 1. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
15. "New post.". The Canberra Times. ACT: National Library of Australia. 11 December 1976. p. 3. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
16. "New Ambassador.". The Canberra Times. ACT: National Library of Australia. 24 January 1980. p. 3. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
17. "Appointments.". The Canberra Times. ACT: National Library of Australia. 31 July 1984. p. 3. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
18. "New ambassador.". The Canberra Times. ACT: National Library of Australia. 1 November 1988. p. 3. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
19. "Aust plans to lift 4000 out of war.". The Canberra Times. ACT: National Library of Australia. 11 June 1992. p. 1. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
20. Downer, Alexander (28 April 1997). "Diplomatic appointment: Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016.
21. Tim, Fischer (2 July 1997). "DIPLOMATIC APPOINTMENT: AMBASSADOR TO THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF YUGOSLAVIA" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 30 May 2015.
22. Downer, Alexander (15 March 2000). "Diplomatic Appointment: Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia." (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
23. Downer, Alexander (17 December 2002). "Diplomatic appointment: Ambassador to Yugoslavia, Romania and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 30 May 2015.
24. Downer, Alexander (29 March 2007). "Diplomatic Appointment: Ambassador to Serbia" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 11 April 2015.
25. Smith, Stephen (23 June 2010). "Diplomatic appointment: Ambassador to Serbia" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.

External links

• Australian Embassy in Belgrade