The Washington Diplomat

Appointments - May 2004

Belarus
• Pavel Shidlovsky assumed the position of counselor on March 16. Shidlovsky previously served as assistant to the minister of foreign affairs (2001-04) and as second secretary at the Belarus Embassy in Canada (1998-2001).

Mexico
• Carlos de Icaza became ambassador of Mexico to the United States on March 31. Ambassador Icaza, who joined the Foreign Service in 1970, previously served as an ambassador to Japan (2001-04), to Belgium and Luxembourg (1996-98), to Argentina (1995-96), and to Ecuador (1986-88). In addition, he has served as undersecretary of foreign relations for Latin America and Asia-Pacific (1998-2000), undersecretary for management (1991-93), chief of staff to the Mexican secretary of foreign relations (1988-91), and general director for Latin America and the Caribbean (1983-86) as well as general director of the Foreign Service (1980-83). In the 1970s, Ambassador Icaza held posts as minister of the Mexican Permanent Mission to the International Organizations headquartered in Geneva (1979-80), private secretary to the undersecretary of foreign relations (1973-77), third secretary at the Mexican Embassy in Panama (1971-73) and analyst at the International Organizations Desk (1970-71). Ambassador Icaza is the author of "La Diplomacia Contemporánea (Contemporary Diplomacy)" and "El Orden Mundial Emergente (The Emerging World Order)."

Paraguay
• James Spalding became ambassador of Paraguay to the United States on March 31. Ambassador Spalding previously served as co-founder and director of the Sustainable Development Advisory Group (GADES). In 2003, he formed a part of the Economic Transition Commission of President Duarte Frutos, developing the 100-Day Plan for state-owned companies. During his 10 years working in the public sector, Ambassador Spalding occupied key economic policy postings, including minister of finance, vice minister of economy and integration at the Ministry of Finance, vice minister of commerce, president of Paraguayan Petroleum, and vice minister of integration. In addition, Ambassador Spalding served as governor of the Inter-American Development Bank, the World Bank Group, the Corporación Andina de Fomento and the Financial Fund for the Development of the River Plate Basin. He was also one of the top Paraguayan negotiators in the MERCOSUR process, representing Paraguay in MERCOSUR’s negotiations with the region, in the Free Trade Area of the Americas and the European Union. Ambassador Spalding holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and a master’s degree in economics from Rutgers University. He is married to Cecilia Coello with three daughters.

Slovenia
• Maj. Srecko Matovic assumed the position of assistant defense, military, naval and air attaché on April 5.

Syria
• Imad Moustapha became ambassador of Syria to the United States on March 31. Ambassador Moustapha previously served as dean of the faculty of information technology at the University of Damascus and secretary-general of the Arab School on Science and Technology. He is a co-founder of the Network of Syrian Scientists, Technologists and Innovators Abroad (NOSSTIA), and was an active consultant to several international and regional organizations on science and technology policies in the Middle East. In addition, Ambassador Moustapha served as a member of the Syrian team responsible for drafting reform strategies for the ministries of culture, education and higher education. An extensive writer with more than 200 published articles in English and Arabic, Ambassador Moustapha has also authored, co-authored and edited several books and has appeared in numerous television news programs around the world. Ambassador Moustapha holds a doctorate in computer science from the University of Surrey in the United Kingdom and is fluent in English and French and some German.

Uzbekistan
• Eldor Aripov assumed the position of first secretary for political issues on April 1.