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H.E. Barbara Plinkert began her term as the EU Ambassador to Singapore in 2017 - a historically significant year as the EU turned 60 and ASEAN 50; and the EU and ASEAN marked 40 years of ties. During her term, Singapore's importance as a key strategic partner was further emphasized by its simultaneous position as ASEAN chair in 2018 and its assumption of the three- year role as ASEAN's coordinator for EU relations, also in 2018. These ties were further deepened with another important milestone under her watch – the landmark EU-Singapore Free Trade Agreement taking effect on November 21st 2019.

Prior to her assignment in Singapore, Ambassador Plinkert was Head of Division responsible for Headquarters Security and EEAS Security Policy at the European External Action Service in Brussels. Before that, she served in various positions in different parts of the world. From 2011-2015, she was based in Addis Ababa as Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to Ethiopia. Before that, she held key positions within the EU with postings in Zimbabwe, Tajikstan and Kazakhstan. Between 1998 and 2003, her work for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime took her to Afghanistan.

Ambassador Plinkert speaks English, German, French and Chinese. She holds a Masters of Arts degree in Sinology, South-east Asian studies and Linguistics from Free University of Berlin.