Ambassador Ricardo Neiva Tavares has been the Head of the Mission of Brazil to the European Communities, in Brussels, since September 29th 2008. He was born in Rio de Janeiro on August 16th 1957. Between 2006 - 2008 he was Senior Advisor to the Minister of External Relations in Brazil. His other recent diplomatic posts that he has held in Brazil from 2001 to 2006 include General Coordinator for Economic Organsiations and Press Secretary. Between 1995 and 1998, Mr Tavares was a Counsellor for the Mission of Brazil to the United Nations in New York. (Source: British Chamber of Commerce in Belgium website)