Azernews.Az

BAKU – Ian Biggs has been appointed as Australia's Ambassador to Turkey with concurrent accreditation to Georgia and Azerbaijan, the Australian foreign ministry's website reports.

Biggs replaces Peter Doyle who has been ambassador since September 2007. Biggs is expected to take up his appointment in January 2011, the Ministry's website reported.

"Turkey's international standing is reflected in its membership of the G20, where Australia and Turkey work closely on addressing challenges to international economic recovery and growth. Turkey makes a valuable contribution to the stabilization of Afghanistan through its contribution to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). We also cooperate in the United Nations and in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which Australia recently joined as an Asian Partner for Cooperation," the Australian Foreign and Trade Minister Hon Stephen Smith said in his speech on the appointment of ambassador.

Biggs is a senior career officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and was most recently Head of Secretariat, International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament, a position he has held since August 2008.

He has previously served on secondment as Special Assistant to the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Biggs has extensive experience within the Department and in the Office of National Assessments, and has served overseas as Ambassador to Saudi Arabia (2005-08). He has had earlier overseas postings to Austria, Syria, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.