Appointments (December, 2001) Armenia • Armen Yedigarian assumed the position of minister-counselor on Nov. 15, replacing Armen Kharazian who departed Washington on Sept. 30. Yedigarian previously served as director of the Americas Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Armenia and first secretary at the Armenian Embassy in Canada. Barbados • Lisa Cummins assumed the position of first secretary on Oct. 1, replacing Philip St. Hill who departed Washington on July 31. Cape Verde • José Brito was appointed ambassador of Cape Verde to the United States on Nov. 8. Ambassador Brito has more than 20 years experience in management and government service. He worked for Ocean Energy from 1997 to 2001, serving as the company’s government relations manager, government relations vice president and consultant in government affairs. From 1992 to 1996, he worked for a UN project to assist African governments in developing a long-term strategic planning process. Ambassador Brito also served on the management team of the ruling party in Cape Verde (1981-1991) and as minister of Development Planning and Foreign Aid (1977-1991). He holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and a master’s degree in physics and chemistry from the University of Abidjan. Côte D’Ivoire • Pascal Dago Kokora was appointed ambassador of Côte D’Ivoire to the United States on Nov. 8. Since 1998, Ambassador Kokora has been an associate professor of French didactics and African Francophone Studies at Georgetown University. He previously worked as an assistant professor at Georgetown (1990-1998) and as an adjunct professor in foreign language studies at American University (1989-1990). Ambassador Kokora has also held numerous other teaching posts in universities such as George Washington University, North Carolina State University, University of Quebec in Montreal, National University of Côte d’Ivoire, University of Grenoble in France and Indiana University. He holds a master’s degree and a doctorate in linguistics from Indiana University at Bloomington, Ind. • Mamadou Franck Bamba assumed the position of counselor in charge of communication and press on Oct. 29. Bamba was a journalist with Notre Voie from 1996 to 2001 and a teaching assistant at the University of Dalaware from 1998 to 2000. • Adama Kone assumed the position of second secretary on Oct. 29, replacing Amédée Yobouet Yao who departed Washington in March. • Charles Y. Koffi assumed the position of first counselor on Oct. 2, replacing James Badou who departed Washington in October. Koffi previously served as first counselor at the Embassy of Côte d’Ivoire in Ghana (1979-1985) and deputy director of the Asia Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Japan and Korea (1991-1998). • Georgette A. M’Bra assumed the position of economic counselor on Oct. 23, replacing Idrissa Bayo who departed Washington in October. M’Bra was previously in charge of Inter-African Organizations for Cooperation at the Bureau of African Affairs. Cyprus • Achilleas Autoniades assumed the position of deputy chief of mission on Aug. 1, replacing George Chacalli who departed Washington on July 31. Estonia • Priit Masing will assume the position of second secretary (political) on Jan. 3, replacing Miko Haljas who will be departing Washington on Jan. 3. Masing previously served as political secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Estonia. Japan • Ryozo Kato was appointed ambassador of Japan to the United States on Nov. 8. Ambassador Kato graduated from Tokyo University, faculty of law, in 1965, whereupon he entered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Japan. He has held numerous posts in the Ministry, including posts as director of the Security Affairs Division (1981-1984), Treaties Division (1984-1987), General Affairs Division (1990-1992), North American Affairs Bureau (1992-1994) and as director-general of the Asian Affairs Burea u (1995-1997) and the Foreign Policy Bureau (1997-1999). Most recently, Ambassador Kato was the deputy minister for Foreign Affairs at the Ministry from 1999-2001. He is married with three children. Laos • Kharnla Sayachack left his position as counselor on Sept. 9. • Seng Soukhathivong assumed the position of minister-counselor on Aug. 14. Malaysia • Muhammad Anwar Abdullah assumed the position of assistant defense, military, air and naval attaché on Oct. 25, replacing Wan Juhanwan Hussin who departed Washington on Oct. 26. Sudan • Khalid Musa Dafalla Musa assumed the position of second secretary in July. Turkey • Bulent Erdemgil assumed the position of press counselor on Nov. 19, replacing Sensu Yemisci who departed Washington on Nov. 1.