TOKYO: The Japanese government on Friday approved the appointments of three new ambassadors, including Takio Yamada, ambassador to UNESCO, as ambassador to Vietnam.

Yamada, 60, who joined the Foreign Ministry in 1983 after graduating from the Faculty of Law at Kyoto University, worked in such positions as director-general of the ministry's International Cooperation Bureau before taking the UNESCO post in October 2017.

Jun Shinmi, ambassador to Slovakia, was appointed ambassador in charge of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development, reform of the United Nations Security Council and human rights.

Ryoichi Horie, ambassador to Kenya, Seychelles and Somalia, was appointed to concurrently serve as ambassador to Eritrea.

The government also approved the resignations of Shigeji Suzuki as ambassador to Luxemburg and Takuji Hanatani as ambassador to Morocco.

All of the appointments and resignations took effect on Friday.

JIJI Press