News
By Anna Gawel
The Washington Diplomat

Candid New Representative Confident in Palestinian Elections
With political squabbling, near-daily violence, the ongoing threat of another postponement and the news that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has suffered a major stroke, the road to the Palestinian legislative elections has been under a constant cloud of doubt and confusion. Nevertheless, Afif Safieh, the new Palestinian representative in Washington, is optimistic that elections will press forward…Read More

Austria Takes Over Helm of Divided European Union
On Jan. 1 Austria took over the rotating six-month presidency of the European Union (EU), inheriting a daunting agenda that includes reviving the stalled EU constitution and tackling immigration fears, expansion plans and other pressing matters…Read More

Libya Decides to Retry Bulgarian Nurses
Five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor who have been imprisoned and sentenced to death in Libya since the late 1990s received some welcome news for the New Year…Read More

Opinion
Special Op-Ed Contribution by M. Ashraf Haidari
The Embassy of Afghanistan

Continued International Support Key to Afghanistan’s Future
M. Ashraf Haidari, first secretary at the Embassy of Afghanistan in Washington, talks about how the January 2006 donors’ conference in London will be critical to expanding Afghanistan’s democracy and freedom and ensuring Afghan public support in the fight against terrorism…Read More

Lifestyle
By Gail Scott
The Washington Diplomat

Reaching Out to Help Rebuild Pakistan
Shaista Mahmood was determined to help her home country of Pakistan after she saw television footage of the horrifying devastation following the Oct. 8 earthquake that killed more than 80,000 people and left 3.5 million homeless…Read More

An Ambassador’s Dream to Linger On
Former Finnish Ambassador Jukka Valtasaari has just wrapped up a long and distinguished diplomatic career as Finland’s ambassador in Washington, but unlike most retiring foreign ambassadors who return immediately to their home countries, Valtasaari and his popular wife Etel will be staying awhile in Washington…Read More

Another Farewell and Long-Awaited Reopening
Although many ambassadors come to Washington, not everyone succeeds in making the same lasting impressions and lifelong friends that the Valtasaaris of Finland and outgoing Turkish Ambassador Faruk Logoglu and his exuberant wife Mimi have made.…Read More