On 22 April, Estonian Ambassador presented her credentials to His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of the Kingdom of Bahrain. In a speech following the credentials ceremony, the King welcomed the Ambassador, praised the good bilateral relations and affirmed the Kingdom’s openness to ideas for closer cooperation.
Ambassador Belovas discussed with H.E. Ambassador Shaikh Abdulla bin Ali bin Khalifa Al Khalifa Director General of Bilateral Relations and H.E. Ambassador Ahmed Ebrahim Al Qarainees, Chief of European Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain, further initiatives to promote relations, including high-level visits and sharing Estonia’s expertise in e-governance.
Before her arrival in the Gulf States, Maria Belovas was Estonia’s Consul General in San Francisco, US. From 2018 to 2023, she worked as head of Press and Public Diplomacy Department and spokesperson at the European Union’s Delegation in Washington DC. Between 2016 and 2018 she headed the Communication Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Belovas joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2008. She has a bachelor’s degree in journalism and in public relations from the University of Tartu and a master’s degree in behavioural and organisational psychology from London Metropolitan University. Belovas resides in Abu Dhabi. In addition to Bahrain, she is accredited as Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait and IRENA, and is expecting to present her credentials in Saudi Arabia.
