Mrs. Pema Choden is the Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade. She joined the then Ministry in 1989 and has served in various capacities. Prior to being appointed as the Secretary, she served as the Bhutan’s resident Ambassador to Belgium and the European Union with concurrent accreditation to Sweden, the Netherlands, Denmark, Finland and Spain from April 2016 to January 2021. She received her Bachelor’s Degree from Sherubtse College, Kanglung, Bhutan and a Diploma in International Relations from the Institute International d’Administration Publique (IIAP), Ecole Nationale d’Administration (ENA), Paris, France.