The Washington Diplomat

Appointments - January 2006

Burkina Faso
Haba Barry assumed the position of press attaché on Nov. 19. Barry previously served as a writer, reporter and commentator on Ouagadougou, the national television of Burkina Faso, and as press attaché for the presidency of Burkina Faso.

Czech Republic
Nora Jurkovicova assumed the position of counselor on Nov. 19, replacing Eduard Metela, who departed the post on Nov. 18. Jurkovicova previously served in the Department of Human Resources in Prague and the Czech Embassy in Ottawa.

Petr Kolar became ambassador of the Czech Republic to the United States on Dec. 2, replacing Martin Palous, who departed the post on Nov. 18. Ambassador Kolar previously served as deputy foreign minister for bilateral affairs (2003-05), as well as the Czech ambassador to Ireland and Sweden.

Jaroslav Kurfurst assumed the position of deputy chief of mission on July 11, replacing Vratislav Janda, who departed the post on June 30. Kurfurst previously served in the Department of Security Policy in Prague and the Czech Embassy in Moscow.

Ecuador
Luis Benigno Gallegos Chiriboga became ambassador of Ecuador to the United States on Oct. 3. He served in Washington on a previous occasion as counselor in the Ecuadorian Embassy from 1979 to 1980. Most recently, Ambassador Gallegos, who joined the Foreign Service in 1966, serv ed as permanent representative to the United Nations and ambassador to Australia. Before that, he was Ecuador’s permanent representative to the European Office of the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva (1997-2000), ambassador to El Salvador (1994-97), minister and chargé d’affaires of the Ecuadorian Embassy in Bulgaria (1985-89), counselor to the Organization of American States (1978-79), and consul general in Chicago (1975-78). In addition, he has held various postings in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs since 1969, including national coordinator for entities such as Latin America, the Caribbean, European Union, Rio Group, Iberoamerican Summit and Summit of the Americas (2000-02), director general of international projects (1990-94), of Eastern Europe (1990), of information and media (1989-90), and of technical cooperation and external credit (1984), as well as director of the Department of Legalizations and the Department of Territorial Sovereignty (1983-84). Ambassador Gallegos has also participated in numerous Ecuadorian delegations, been decorated 10 times by various countries, and taught as a professor of international law in Quito. He speaks English and French and is married to Fabiola Jaramillo Almeida de Gallegos and has two children: Maria Cristina Gallegos Jaramillo, 24, and Jorge Luis Gallegos Jaramillo, 21.

Lithuania
Egle Janeliumaite assumed the position of assistant to the ambassador on Nov. 21, replacing Julija Remeikalte.

Uzbekistan
Bakhtiyor Abdullakharov departed the post of counselor on Nov. 23.