The Washington Diplomat

Appointments, June 2002

Afghanistan

•Ishaq Shahryar became ambassador of Afghanistan to the United States on June 19, becoming the first recognized Afghani ambassador to the United States since 1978. Throughout his career as a solar energy scientist, Ambassador Shahryar remained involved in his country’s political and diplomatic evolution. An advisor to former Afghan King Zahir Shah for five years, he was a key participant in the Bonn Accord negotiations last year that formed the interim administration. In 1994, Ambassador Shahryar was appointed to the U.S. Presidential Mission on Sustainable Energy and Trade to India and has acted as an advisor to various international trade and environmental groups. Ambassador Shahryar founded Solec International, a leading manufacturer of solar electric technology, and Solar Utility Company, and he was one of the three scientists who invented low-cost solar cells in 1972. Ambassador Shahryar holds a bachelor’s of science degree in physical chemistry and a master’s degree in international relations from the University of California in Santa Barbara. He is married with two children.

Bolivia

•Alberto Valdes became chargé d’affaires of Bolivia to the United States on March 19. Before his current assignment, Valdes held several prominent posts in Bolivia. Most recently he worked as the general manager of Banco Mercantil (2000-2001), vice minister of public investment and international cooperation at the Ministry of Finance (1998-2000), chief executive adviser to Vice President of Bolivia J. Quiroga (1997-1998), and general manager of Merinco S.A. (1996-1997). From 1992 to 1993, he worked for Quiroga on a previous occasion, at the Ministry of Finance as an adviser to then-Minister Quiroga. Valdes also served as the civil service office director a t the Ministry of Finance during the same time. Valdes holds a master’s of science in civil engineering from the California Institute of Technology and a bachelor’s degree in civil and environmental engineering from Utah State University.

Finland

•Matti Anttonen is scheduled to assume the position of deputy chief of mission on Aug. 1.

•Teemu Tanner departed his position as deputy chief of mission on May 31.

Iceland

•Audunn Atlason assumed the position of first secretary on July 1.

•Fridrik Jonsson departed his position as counselor on July 1.

Israel

•Rafael Barak became chargé d’affaires of Israel to the United States on April 18. Barak has been a career diplomat at the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs since 1977. Before his current position, he served as deputy director general at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jerusalem. After the signing of the Oslo Agreement in 1993, he was named the chief coordinator for negotiations with the Palestinians (1993-1996), deputy chief of mission at the Embassy of Israel in Belgium and Luxembourg in 1991, and counselor-press attaché at the Israeli Mission to the European communities in Belgium and Luxembourg (1987-1991). Barak is a graduate of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem where he earned a master’s degree in political science. He is married with three
children.

Kyrgyzstan

•Almaz Bakenov assumed the position of attaché on March 12, replacing Rita Kashkoroeva who departed Washington, D.C., on March 12.

Spain

•Javier Carbijosa departed his position as first counselor on July 2 after a five-year tour in the United States.

•Ramon Santos is scheduled to assume the position of counselor on Aug. 1. Santos previously served as an adviser to the secretary of state for international cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.