H.E. KIRA CHRISTIANNE D. AZUCENA

Kira Christianne D. Azucena is the Philippine Ambassador to New Zealand with concurrent jurisdiction over the Cook Islands, Fiji, Niue, Samoa and Tonga. On 13 June 2023, she presented her credentials to Governor-General RT. Hon. Dame Cindy Kiro, GNZM, QSO of New Zealand.

Ambassador Azucena is a seasoned diplomat with a career spanning 28 years, having joined the Philippine foreign service in 1995. Throughout her career, she has held various notable positions, including Director of the Division for Central Europe at the Office of European Affairs; Special Assistant to the Secretary-General of the National Organizing Committee of the Philippine Hosting of the 12th ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings in 2006 in Cebu; Assistant Secretary of the Office of American Affairs; Chief Coordinator of the Office of the Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Chief of Staff of the Secretary of Foreign Affairs; and Assistant Secretary of the Office of the United Nations and International Organizations.

Abroad, Ambassador Azucena served as First Secretary and Consul and Alternate Permanent Representative to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) at the Philippine Embassy in Rome; Deputy Consul General at the Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong SAR; Deputy Consul General at the Philippine Consulate General in New York and Manager of the Philippine Center in New York; and Deputy Permanent Representative and Chargé d’affaires, a.i. at the Philippine Mission to the United Nations in New York.

Ambassador Azucena was born in Dumaguete City, Philippines, in August 1973. She obtained her Bachelor of Mass Communication degree from Silliman University. She is married and has three children.