The Washington Diplomat

Appointments, September 2003

Algeria
• José Octavio Bordón became ambassador of Argentina to the United States on July 21. Ambassador Bordón previously worked in Washington in 1992 as a research fellow for the Wilson Center and as a visiting professor at Georgetown University, having also served as a consultant for the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) from 1998 to 1999 and again in 2003, as well as for the U.N. Development Program in 1997. Ambassador Bordón began his public service career in Argentina in 1983 as a congressman for the province of Mendoza, later serving as governor of Mendoza (1987-91) and a national senator (1992-96). In addition, Ambassador Bordón ran for his nation’s presidency in 1995, finishing in second place with 30 percent of the vote. More recently, he was the executive director of the Social and Economic Development Program, a joint venture between the Argentine government and the IDB, from 2002 to 2003 and director of the Temas de Mercosur magazine from 1996 to 2000. Ambassador Bordón holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the Universidad del Salvador in Argentina and is married with three children.

Bangladesh
• Abul Kalam Azad assumed the position of economic minister on July 15, replacing Quazi Mesbahuddin Ahmed, who departed the post on Feb. 25.

Belarus
• Dmitry V. Ponomarev assumed the position of counselor on June 23 having previously served as deputy chief of the Foreign Policy Analysis Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Belarus.

Dominican Republic
• Carlos Díaz Warden assumed the position of first secretary on June 25, replacing Wendy Karina Mena, who departed the post on June 19. Warden, a medical doctor, is an expert in administrative matters and public health se rvices.

Finland
• Piritta Asunmaa assumed the position of political counselor on Aug. 1, replacing Jarno Syrjala, who departed the post on July 31. Asunmaa previously served as diplomatic adviser to the Finnish minister of foreign affairs from 1999 to 2003.
• Cmdr. Kari Huntala assumed the position of assistant defense, military, naval and air attaché on Aug. 1, replacing Lt. Col. Heikki Vaulivehmas, who departed the post on July 31.

Hungary
• József Petróczi assumed the position of political affairs counselor on Aug. 1, replacing János Rózsa, who departed the post on July 30 after four years of service. Petróczi previously served as an analyst in the Hungarian prime minister’s office (2001-03), a political affairs counselor at the Hungarian Embassy in Israel (1996-2001), and various posts in the Hungarian Ministry of the Interior (1978-96).

Malta
• Mark Anthony Pace assumed the position of first secretary and consul on July 1. Pace previously served as first secretary and consul at the Embassy of Malta in Moscow (2000-03). Prior to that assignment, he served in the Directorate for Bilateral Relations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Malta.

Slovenia
• Miklauz Borstnik departed the post of counselor on Aug. 29.
• Col. Andrej Lipar assumed the position of defense, military, naval and air attachÈ on July 21. Lipar, who graduated from the Air Force Academy and Air War College in Slovenia, previously served as deputy commissioner of the Air Force and Air Defense of Slovenia.

Tunisia
• Taoufik Chebbi assumed the position of first secretary on Aug. 1. Chebbi, who holds a law degree from the Faculté des Sciences Juridiques, Politiques et Sociales, previously served as first secretary at the Tunisian Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 1998 to 2003.

Ukraine
• Valerii Kondzatiuk departed the post of assistant defense and air attaché on July 18.
• Andriy Lukianets assumed the position of assistant defense and military attaché on July 21 having previously served as a military expert at the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense.
• Mykola Prykhodko assumed the position of secretary-coordinator on Aug. 8 having previously served as an information-technology expert at the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
• Ilona Ruban assumed the position of consular division senior secretary on Aug. 4 having previously served as a consular officer at the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Uruguay
• Carlos Gitto assumed the position of first secretary on July 22. Gitto previously served as first secretary in charge of Mercosur foreign relations affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Uruguay (2001-03).

Zambia
• Inonge Mbikusita-Lewanika became ambassador of Zambia to the United States on Feb. 26. Ambassador Mbikusita-Lewanika previously served as an ambassador and special envoy to the Zambian president (2001-02) and as a member of Parliament (1991-2001), serving on various committees specializing in foreign affairs, service, education, science and technology, children, youth and women. From 1980 to 1990, she was the UNICEF regional adviser and senior program officer in Eastern and Southern Africa as well as West and Central Africa. In addition, Ambassador Mbikusita-Lewanika was a professor of education and teacher training at the University of Zambia and a lecturer at the Evelyn Hone College of Further Education and the Mongu Teacher Training College (1972-80). Ambassador Mbikusita-Lewanika, who holds various degrees including a doctorate, has also worked for nongovernmental organizations and served as a community activist. She is the mother of two daughters and a grandmother of two boys.