The Washington Diplomat

Appointments - December 2009

Canada
Gary Doer assumed his responsibilities as ambassador of Canada the United States in October 2009. Ambassador Doer previously served as premier of Manitoba for 10 years, during which time he worked extensively with U.S. governors to enhance Canada-U.S. cooperation on trade, agriculture, water protection, climate change and renewable energy. Ambassador Doer won three consecutive elections as premier of Manitoba with successive increased majorities. In 2005, he was named by Business Week magazine as one of the top 20 international leaders on climate change. His government introduced balanced budgets during each of his 10 years in office while reducing many taxes, including a plan to eliminate small business taxes. As premier, he also led strategic investments in health care, education, training and infrastructure. Ambassador Doer hails from Winnipeg. He is married with two daughters.

Estonia
Kyllike Sillaste-Elling assumed the position of deputy chief of mission on Aug. 15, replacing Eva-Maria Liimets, who departed the post Aug. 15.

Italy
Giulio Terzi di Sant’Agata assumed his responsibilities as ambassador of Italy to the United States on Oct. 1. Ambassador Terzi’s most recent overseas posting was as ambassador of Italy to Israel (2002-04). He also previously served as Italy’s permanent representative to the United Nations, where he also headed the Italian Delegation to the Security Council, which Italy had joined as nonpermanent member for the 2007-08 term. Security Council reform, Afghanistan, humanitarian intervention and protection of civilians in armed conflicts were among the major issues that Ambassador Terzi focused on during his presence on the council. He had served in New York on a prior occasion, from 1993 to 1998, as first counselor for political affairs and later as minister and deputy permanent representative to the United Nations. Prior to his latest New York assignment, Ambassador Terzi served in the Foreign Ministry in Rome as deputy secretary-general, director-general for multilateral political affairs and human rights, and political director. During those four years, his responsibilities included major international security and political issues, especially in the framework of the U.N. Security Council, the U.N. General Assembly, and the U.N. Council on Human Rights, as well as the Council of the European Union, NATO, the G-8, and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. He also advised the foreign minister on international security, focusing on the Western Balkans, the Middle East, Afghanistan, East Africa, nuclear proliferation, terrorism and human rights. During his initial two years at the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Ambassador Terzi served as a protocol officer. Then in 1975, he was posted as first secretary for political affairs at the Italian Embassy in Paris. After returning to Rome in 1978 as special assistant to the secretary-general, he went to Canada to serve as economic and commercial counselor for almost five years, a period of sharp growth in economic and high-tech cooperation between Italy and Canada. In 1987, he returned to Rome to serve first at the Department for Economic Affaires, focusing on high technology exchange, and later as head of one of the Offices of the Department of Personnel and Human Resources. His next foreign assignment was to NATO in Brussels, where he was political adviser to the Italian Mission to the North Atlantic Council in the immediate aftermath of the Cold War, German reunification, and the first Gulf War. Ambassador Terzi holds a law degree at the University of Milan, specializing in international law.

Morocco
Wassane Zailachi assumed the position of deputy chief of mission in May, replacing Aicha Afifi, who departed the post in March. Zailachi previously served as director of the Department for North America, Central America and the Caribbean at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2003-09).

Mozambique
Amélia Matos Sumbana became ambassador of Mozambique to the United States on Nov. 4. Ambassador Sumbana previously served as a member of the National Parliament (1994-2009) as well as secretary of the Central Committee for International Relations of the FRELIMO Party (1997-2006). In addition, she was a founding member of the Mozambique Red Cross and has served as its deputy president (2000-04). Ambassador Matos has also held posts at the Ministry of Education and Culture as well as the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). The ambassador completed her higher education at the Eduardo Mondlane University in Maputo. She is fluent in Portuguese, English, French, Spanish and Tsonga. Ambassador Sumbana is married to Adriano Fernandes Sumbana and has four children.

Namibia
Marinda Hess assumed the position of third secretary on Nov. 2, replacing Ellen Bevkes-Swartz, who departed the post in September.

Poland
Mariusz Brymora departed the post of counselor on July 31.

Andrzej Kopacki assumed the position of colonel on Oct. 1.

Janina Pabian departed the post of attaché on Aug. 31.

Malgorzata Szum assumed the position of counselor on Aug. 5.

Artur Wardzynski departed the post of first secretary on Sept. 30.