The Washington Diplomat

Appointments - April 2007

Belgium
Dominique Struye de Swielande became ambassador of Belgium to the United States on Dec. 29. Ambassador Struye previously served as Belgium’s permanent representative to NATO (2002-06), ambassador to Germany (1997-2002), head of cabinet for the state secretary for international cooperation (1995-96), and director-general for administration at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1994-95). In addition, Ambassador Struye was diplomatic counselor and deputy head of cabinet for the prime minister (1992-94), head of cabinet for the minister of foreign affairs (1991-92), director of the European Section at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1990), deputy permanent representative and consul general to the United Nations in Geneva (1987-90), as well as counselor in the cabinet of the foreign affairs minister (1984-87). He has also served postings in Zaire, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Austria. Ambassador Struye, who joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1974, holds a doctorate in law from the Catholic University of Leuven, a master’s of law from the University College London, and a master’s of European Law from the University of Ghent.

Iceland
Anna Sigridur Alfredsdottir assumed the position of attaché on Jan. 1.

Jordan

Prince Zeid Ra’ad Zeid Al-Hussein became ambassador of Jordan to the United States on Jan. 22. Ambassador Zeid previously served as Jordan’s permanent representative (2000-07) and deputy permanent representative (1996-2000) to the United Nations. An expert in international justice, Prince Zeid played a central role in the establishment of the International Criminal Court. In September 2002, he was elected the first president of the governing body of the International Criminal Court, at a time when the court was only a plan on paper, overseeing the court’s growth during the next three years. He has also been active in other legal issues, including chairing the Ad Hoc Committee on the Scope of Legal Protection under the Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel, as well as serving as chairman of the Panel of Experts for the U.N. Secretary-General’s Trust Fund to Assist States in the Settlement of Disputes Through the International Court of Justice. Prince Zeid also served as political affairs officer in UNPROFOR in the former Yugoslavia from 1994 to 1996, and following allegations of widespread abuse by U.N. peacekeepers in 2004, he was appointed advisor to the U.N. secretary-general on sexual exploitation and Abuse. For the last three years, Prince Zeid also chaired the Consultative Committee for the United Nations Development Fund for Women. Prince Zeid holds a bachelor’s degree from the Johns Hopkins University and a doctorate from Cambridge (Christ’s College). He is married to Princess Sarah Zeid and has a son and daughter.

Malawi
Hawa Olga Ndilowe became ambassador of Malawi to the United States on Nov. 17. A public servant in the Malawi Public Service since 1981, Ambassador Ndilowe served as an information systems analyst until 1997. From 1997 to 2006, she served in the top levels of the public sector leadership, management, administration and public policy management in the following ministries: Water Development, Defense, Home Affairs and Internal Security, Housing, and the Ministry of Information and Tourism. Ambassador Ndilowe holds a bachelor’s degree in social science (economics and mathematics) from Chancellor’s College at the University of Malawi and a master’s degree in management of information systems from the London School of Economics. She is a widower with four children, one of whom is adopted.

Peru
Manuel Talavera assumed the position of minister, deputy chief of mission on Feb. 1, replacing Jorge Félix Rubio, who departed the post on Feb. 29.

Romania
Lucian Rosenfeld assumed the position of first secretary on Dec. 29, having previously served for the past two years as advisor to the minister of foreign affairs. Rosenfeld holds a master’s degree in security studies from the University of Tel Aviv.

Uzbekistan
Padambay Sultanov assumed the position of attaché in October having previously served in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.