High Commissioner to Nauru

Today I announce the appointment of Ms Angela Tierney as Australia's next High Commissioner to the Republic of Nauru.

Australia enjoys strong and friendly relations with Nauru. Generations of Nauruans have studied and lived in Australia, and we continue to build these education and people-to-people links through the Australia Awards and New Colombo Plan.

Australia is Nauru's largest bilateral trade, investment and development assistance partner. We are committed to cooperation on nation-building infrastructure, governance, education and health in Nauru. Our two nations work productively in regional and multilateral forums, notably in the Pacific Islands Forum and the United Nations, and we particularly value Nauru's on-going contribution to combatting people-smuggling, including through the Bali Process.

Ms Tierney is a career officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and was most recently Deputy Head of Mission, Australian High Commission, Abuja. In Canberra, she has held positions including Assistant Director, Strategic and Defence Policy Section and Assistant Director, Consular Policy and Crisis Management Section. Her service overseas has included appointments as Deputy Head of Mission, Australian Embassy, Buenos Aires and Chargé d'Affaires, Australian Embassy, Kabul, as well as roles in the Pacific with RAMSI and the Bougainville Peace Monitoring Group.

Ms Tierney holds a Master of Business Administration from Deakin University, a Master of International Law from the University of New South Wales, a Bachelor of Law from the Australian National University and a Graduate Diploma in Foreign Affairs and Trade from Monash University.

I thank outgoing High Commissioner John Donnelly for his contributions to advancing Australia's interests in Nauru since 2015.