Born on August 9, 1954, Mr Christian Goncalves Baeta joined the Ghana Foreign Service shortly after graduating from the University of Ghana (BA (Hons) Political Science & Sociology) in 1977. He has also obtained Graduate Diplomas in International Relations from the University of Ghana, (1979-1980), and in International Affairs from the University of Nairobi, Kenya (1985-1986).

Not long after he had been recruited Mr Baeta was given his first major responsibility as Assistant Director of the Africa Bureau (1978-1979). He moved to the Inspectorate Bureau as Assistant Director from 1980 to 1982 and to the International Organisations and Conferences Bureau, also as Assistant Director, from 1982 to 1984 and again as Assistant Director, Economic Relations Bureau, 1984 to 1988.

Mr Baeta's first foreign posting was to the High Commission of Ghana in London, as First Secretary and Head of Chancery, from 1988 to 1992. He returned to Accra in 1992 and was assigned as Assistant Director, Africa Bureau. Between 1996 and 2000 he was on posting to the Embassy of Ghana in Prague, Czechoslovakia, as Counsellor.

Mr Baeta returned to Accra in 2000 and was appointed Assistant Director, Middle East and Asia Bureau, and from 2001 to 2002 Assistant Director, Americas Bureau.

Between 2002 and 2006 Mr Baeta was the Minister-Counsellor at the High Commission of Ghana in New Delhi, India. Since 2006 he has been the Acting Director of the Middle East and Asia Bureau.

His hobbies are reading, gardening and walking.

Middle East & Asia Bureau

The Bureau has responsibility for assisting the Ministry in the formulation and implementation of Ghana's foreign policy with respect to countries in the Middle East and Asia region. Hence the bureau plays both an advisory and a coordinating role in this regard. It processes political reports and other dispatches received from Ghana's Mission's in these regions and makes recommendations/proposals to the Ministry.

Composition of the Bureau

The Bureau consists of a Director and a complement of five Foreign Service Officers (FSOs), made up of three FSO A3s, one FSO B5, One FSO C4.

Schedule of Affairs

The three Branch "A" officers are each assigned to a number of countries in the Middle East and Asia region; this gives an average of seventeen countries per officer.

The total number of countries in the region covered by the Bureau is 43. In addition, the bureau covers international organisations such as the Arab League, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, Gulf Cooperation Council, Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC).

In spite of the large number of countries in the region, Ghana has only seven (7) resident Diplomatic Missions in the area: Japan, China, Malaysia, South Korea, India, Saudi Arabia and Israel.

These Missions have concurrent accreditation to countries in the region where Ghana does not have resident Missions. Ghana also maintains a number of Honorary Consulates throughout the region, manned by Honorary Consuls.

Ghana's Relations with the Region

Since independence, Ghana has maintained warm and friendly relations with all states in the region. Countries in the region share with Ghana membership of the UN, NAM, WTO and other organisations which have of late been spearheading efforts at restructuring global relations (both social and economic) to meet the aspirations of developing countries.

Generally, there is a high level of economic cooperation between Ghana and countries in the region, particularly in the area of Finance, Trade, Education, Energy and Agriculture. Over the years, the level of cooperation has been enhanced by the exchange of high level official visits.

Ghana continues to work tirelessly with countries in the region towards achieving a peaceful and just world order, in tandem with our policy of promoting respect for International Law and the settlement of international disputes by peaceful means.