Appointments (August, 2001) Embassy of Bolivia • M. Christina L. De Aparicio has assumed the position of first secretary. De Aparicio is a lawyer and career diplomat. She was previously the director of the Office of Legalizations in Bolivia. She replaces Javier Vizcarra, who departed Washington on June 5. Embassy of Burkina Faso • Hailare Soulama has assumed the position of first counselor at the embassy. Before this assignment, Soulama served as second counselor at Burkina Faso’s permanent mission to the United Nations. Embassy of Cape Verde • Gregorio Santos Lopes Semedo, first secretary, has assumed the position of chargé d’affaires. Embassy of Costa Rica • Laura Dachner has assumed the position of minister counselor for economic and trade affairs. She replaces Irene Arguedas, who departed Washington on May 31. • Maria Antonieto Garcia has assumed the position of counselor (tourism). • Rocio Echaverri has assumed the position of minister counselor for culture and education. Echaverri was previously the counselor for administrative affairs at the embassy in Washington. She replaces Sabino Morera, who departed Washington on May 31. • Ileana Navarro has assumed the position of cultural assistant. • Pamela Trajos has left the post of tourism officer. Cuba • Chief of the Cuban Interests Section of the Embassy of Switzerland, Fernando Remírez de Estenoz, has departed his position. Embassy of Cyprus • Achilleas Antoniades has assumed the position of deputy chief of mission. He replaces George Chacalli, who returns to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Nicosia. • Elena Panayides has left the position of press attaché. She has assumed the same position at Cyprus’ permanent mission to the UN in New York. Embassy of Gabon • Fidele Nguembi Moussavou, counselor, assumed the position of chargé d’affaires, a.i. on July 17. Embassy of Germany • Ambassador Wolfgang Ischinger arrived in Washington on July 1 to assume his post at the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany. He replaces Ambassador Jürgen Chrobog. Ambassador Ischinger served previously as deputy foreign minister in Berlin. From 1995-1998, Ischinger was the director-general for political affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bonn. The ambassador has served in a variety of other positions in Germany. His foreign posts have included Paris (minister-counselor, 1990-1993), Washington (first secretary, 1979-1982) and New York (special assistant, cabinet of the UN secretary-general, 1973-1975). Ambassador Ischinger has done post-graduate work at Harvard University and received his master’s degree in international law from the Fletcher School of Diplomacy. • Ambassador Jürgen Chrobog and his wife Magda, who have served in Washington since early 1995, departed Washington on June 27. Chrobog has returned to Berlin to assume the position of deputy foreign minister. Embassy of Iceland • Gudni Bragason will assume the position of deputy chief of mission on Aug. 1. He replaces Sveinn Bjönsson, who leaves the same day. Embassy of Jordan • Jafar Hassan assumed the position of deputy chief of mission on July 1. Hassan’s previous post was head of the Israel Desk at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Amman. Hassan also served as the personal assistant to the director of the National Security Council at the Royal Palace. He replaces Ali Al Ayed, who left Washington on June 30. Embassy of Malaysia • Wong Seng Foo has arrived in Washington and assumed the position of minister-counselor for economic affairs. Embassy of Mauritania • Kemal Mohamedou assumed the position of first counselor for political and cultural affairs on June 26. He replaces Abdallahi ould Kebd, who left Washington in March. Before this assignment, Mohamedou r epresented Mauritania at the offices of the Secretariat General of the Arab Maghreb Union in Rabat, Morocco, for eight years. Embassy of Norway • Hanne Heldgaard assumed the position of cultural attaché on July 9. She replaces Svein Bora, who departed on June 1. Embassy of Zambia • Brig. Gen. Patrick Mulwanda has assumed the position of defense attaché. He replaces Brig. Gen. Gilbert Chileshe, who departed Washington on June 30.