Afoa Stefan Szegedi was sworn in as the new Honorary Consul of Germany to Samoa replacing his mother Tagaloa Christa Szegedi.

Winnie Switakowski, the deputy head of mission at the German Embassy in Wellington, announced the departure of Tagaloa Christa Szegedi and the arrival of Afoa Stefan Szegedi.

“As we bid farewell to Tagaloa Christa Szegedi as German consul and name Afoa Stefan Szegedi as her successor, it is a very memorable day for the diplomatic ties between Germany and Samoa," she said. 

"I want to sincerely thank Tagaloa for his exceptional service over the past five years on behalf of the German government. She has played a significant role in strengthening ties between Samoans and Germans. We hope that she and her son, Afoa Stefan Szegedi, will continue their wonderful work in the future..”

Tagaloa became the German Consul to Samoa in 2019. She said she enjoyed the challenge.

"I always appreciated speaking with Samoan government representatives to learn about their priorities and aspirations for the country, as well as how Germany might support Samoa," she said.

"With the amazing assistance of the German Embassy in Wellington, I was able to support the education sector and various NGOs in Samoa, which was the most fulfilling aspect of my job as Consul." 

"We were able to complete 34 distinct cooperation initiatives in just five years."

Afoa said it was a great honour and intended to overcome any obstacles with God's help and family's and friends' encouragement

"As the New German Consul to Samoa, my vision is to continue to strengthen the existing relations and friendship between Germany and Samoa," Afoa said.

"I intend to look for ways that our two nations can continue to collaborate and exchange ideas in fields that interest us both. Finally, I will keep looking for ways that Germany can help Samoa, particularly with initiatives that will advance the country's growth and future."