Appointments (January, 2002) Central African Republic •François Manguiri left his post as the financial attaché on Oct. 26. Croatia •Kresimir Pirsl assumed the position of minister plenipotentiary-deputy chief of mission in June, replacing Branko Baricevic, who departed Washington on June. 31. Pirsl previously served as head of the Department for North America at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 1998 to 2001. •Alan Vojvodic assumed the position of second secretary of the press on Nov. 1, replacing Luka Aleric, who returned to Croatia to work in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Before joining the embassy, Vojvodic worked as a public relations officer in the Croatian private sector. Cyprus •Spyros Attas left his post as first secretary in September. •Chavalambos Kafkavides assumed the position of consul-second secretary on Jan. 4. Estonia •Priit Masing assumed the position of second secretary of political affairs on Jan. 3, replacing Miko Haljas, who departed Washington on Jan. 3. Jamaica •Seymour Mullings became ambassador of Jamaica to the United States and Jamaica’s permanent representative to the Organization of American States in November. Before his current assignment, Ambassador Mullings served as Jamaica’s deputy prime minister (1991-2001) and as a member of Parliament, representing the constituency of Southeast St. Ann for more than 30 years. In addition, he has held posts as the minister of Land and Environment (2000-2001), Foreign Affairs (1995-2000), and Agriculture (1991-1994). Lesotho •Molelekeng Ernestina Rapolaki became ambassador of Lesotho to the United States on Dec. 27. Ambassador Rapolaki has extensive experience in both economic affairs and population policy. She previously served as the principal secretary at the Ministry of Development Planning (1997-2001), director of Population and Manpower Planning at the Ministry of Economic Planning (1994-1997), director of Economic Policy at the Ministry of Development Planning (1987-1992), and senior planning officer at the Ministry of Economic Planning (1985-1987). She earned a master’s in population policy from the University of Southern California and specialized in economics at the National University of Lesotho, earning her bachelor’s in 1980. Ambassador Rapolaki is divorced with three children. Luxembourg •Paul Schmit assumed the position of deputy chief of mission on Jan. 1, replacing Carlo Krieger, who departed Washington on Aug. 31. Thailand •Sakthip Krairiksh became ambassador of Thailand to the United States on Nov. 27. Before assuming his current post, he was the ambassador of Thailand to Japan (1999-2001), ambassador to Cambodia (1993-1995) and ambassador at large (1986-1988). He has also served as deputy permanent secretary (1995-1999), director-general of the Information Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1990-1993), director-general of the Protocol Department (1988-1990) and deputy chief of mission for the Royal Thai Embassy in Washington, D.C. (1982-1986). He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Boston University in 1971 and also graduated from the National Defense College in Thailand in 1989. •Natapanu Nopakun assumed the position of first secretary in January, replacing Paisit Boonparlit, who departed Washington in October. •Totsapol Rongwaree assumed the position of second secretary in January, replacing Pongsin Vanalearl, who departed Washington in October. Turkey •Osman Faruk Logoglu became ambassador of Turkey to the United States in October. Ambassador Logoglu has held numerous posts at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, most recently as undersecretary (2000-2001), deputy undersecretary of political affairs (1998-2000) and deputy director general at the Department of Bilateral Political Affairs in Greece (1989-1993). He has also been an ambass ador on two previous occasions: to Denmark from 1993 to 1996 and to Azerbaijan from 1996 to 1998. In addition, Ambassador Logoglu has served as the consul general at the Turkish Consulate General in Hamburg, Germany, (1986-1989) and counselor to the Turkish Permanent Delegation at the United Nations in New York (1980-1984). He earned his graduate degree from Brandeis University in 1963 and his doctorate in political development and leadership from Princeton University in 1969. Ukraine •Yurii Parkhomenko assumed the position of third secretary on Nov. 28. Parkhomenko, an expert on legal issues, previously worked in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Ukraine. Vietnam •Nguyen Thi Chiem left his post as second secretary on Dec. 31. •Ha Thi Ngoc Ha assumed the position of first secretary on Nov. 5. •Pham Binh Minh assumed the position of minister plenipotentiary-deputy chief of mission on Oct. 1, replacing Pham Van Que, who departed Washington on Nov. 15. Minh previously served as the deputy permanent representative of Vietnam to the United Nations in New York from 1999 to 2001.