Iulia-Raluca Matei - appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, head of Romania's Permanent Representation to the EU

President Klaus Iohannis on Wednesday signed the decree on the accreditation of Iulia-Raluca Matei as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, head of Romania's Permanent Representation to the European Union, the Presidential Administration announces, agerpres reports.

According to the Foreign Affairs Ministry (MAE), Iulia-Raluca Matei has been a career diplomat since 2003 and has covered all professional stages to the currently held diplomatic rank of ambassador. Her diplomatic career has been constantly associated with the relations with the European Union and Romania's status as EU member state.

She was appointed on November 8, 2019, as secretary of state, starting April 2013 she had been deputy director general and then as of 2016 director general with the European Union Department of the Foreign Affairs Ministry. In this capacity, she was in charge of managing EU matters. She coordinated the activity of the European Union Department during the preparation and exercise of Romania's first presidency of the EU Council, in the interval January 1 - June 30, 2019.

After Romania's accession to the European Union, from April 2007 until July 2012, she carried out her activity within Romania's Permanent Representation to the European Union in Brussels, and over 2003-2007 she was part of the team of MAE's European Union Department.

Iulia-Raluca Matei graduated in 2001 the Faculty of Political and Administrative Sciences, the French section, within the Bucharest University, and subsequently got a Master's degree in EU institutions and policies, from the Institute of European Studies within the Free University of Brussels.