Letter of credence. Letter of credence for the Czechoslovak Ambassador to Lithuania, signed by President Václav Havel.
United States Ambassador to Senegal, Lewis A. Lukens, presenting his credentials to President Abdoulaye Wade in Dakar, August 11, 2011. Chargé d'affaires. In diplomacy, a chargé d'affaires (French for "charged with (in charge of) matters"), often shortened to simply chargé, is a diplomat – usually a diplomatic secretary, counselor or minister – who heads a diplomatic mission (e.g., an embassy) in the absence of its titular head (e.g., an ambassador).
A chargé d'affaires represents his or her nation in the country they are accredited to, and enjoys the same privileges and immunities as a regular ambassador. However, chargés d'affaires are outranked by ambassadors and have lower precedence at formal diplomatic events. Independent Diplomat.