The Washington Diplomat

Appointments - May 2006

Albania
Kreshnik Collaku assumed the position of minister counselor, deputy chief of mission, on Jan. 22, replacing Mirosh Sako, who departed the post on Jan. 22. Collaku previously served as a professor at the University of Tirana.

Azerbaijan
Ali Garayev assumed the position of consul on March 1, replacing Huseyn Huseynov, who departed the post on March 1.

Bolivia
Frezia Guzman departed the post of first secretary on March 31.

Botswana
Sophie H. Mautle assumed the position of deputy chief of mission in April, replacing John M. Moreti, who departed the post in March.

Cambodia
Leakhena Kun departed the post of second secretary on Sept. 19, having served since September 2002.

Channoch Vong assumed the position of third secretary on Feb. 14. Vong joined the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in October 1998 and served as a desk officer with the Europe Department.

Czech Republic
Daniel Novy assumed the position of first secretary (press) on Jan. 25, replacing Petr Janousek, who departed the post of third secretary (press) on Feb. 3.

Georgia
Vasil Sikharulidze became ambassador of Georgia to the United States on March 9, with concurrent accreditation to Canada and Mexi co. Ambassador Sikharulidze previously served as the first deputy minister of defense responsible for policy and planning, international relations and legal affairs (2004-06), as well as undersecretary of the National Security Council of Georgia (March 2004 to July 2004), a NATO fellow (2001-03), and head of the NATO Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2000-02), during which time he was also appointed deputy head of the Georgian Mission of NATO in Brussels. He also worked in the Georgian Parliament as a leading specialist on the Committee of Defense and Security (1996-2000) in addition to serving as executive director of the Atlantic Council of Georgia (1995-96), as well as a physician and psychiatrist at the Institute of Psychiatry (1993-95). Ambassador Sikharulidze graduated from Tbilisi State Medical University in 1993 and speaks Georgian, English, Russian and basic French. He is married to Anna Tsagareli and has one daughter.

Germany

Klaus Scharioth became ambassador of Germany to the United States on March 13. Ambassador Scharioth, who joined the Foreign Service in 1976, previously served as state secretary of the Federal Foreign Office (2002-06), political director and head of the Political Directorate-General (1999-2002), head of the International Security and North America Directorate (1998-99), head of the Office of the Foreign Minister (1998), head of the Defense and Security Policy Division at the Federal Foreign Office (1996-97), and chef de cabinet to the NATO secretary-general in Brussels (1993-96). In addition, he worked in the International Law Division of the Federal Foreign Office (1990-93), the German Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York (1986-90), the Policy Planning Staff of the Federal Foreign Office (1982-86), the German Embassy in Ecuador (1979-82), and the Asia Division, Press Division and State Secretary’s Office at the Federal Foreign Office (1977-79). Ambassador Scharioth holds a master’s of arts degree, a law degree and a doctorate from the Fletcher School of Diplomacy. He is married and has three children.

Holy See
Monsignor Martin Krebs assumed the position of first counselor on March 31, replacing Monsignor Cecilo Rotor, who departed the post on March 31.

Archbishop Pietro Sambi became the apostolic nuncio (ambassador) of the Holy See to the United States on March 9, with concurrent accreditation as permanent observer to the Organization of American States. Ambassador Sambi previously served as apostolic nuncio in Israel and Cyprus, and apostolic delegate in Jerusalem and Palestine (1998-2005), as well as apostolic pro-nuncio in Indonesia (1991-98), and apostolic pro-nuncio in Burundi (1985-91). Archbishop Sambi was incardinated in the Diocese of San Marino-Montefeltro and ordained a priest in 1964. He holds a doctorate in sacred theology and canon law. He began his service in the diplomatic corps in 1969 as an attaché in Cameroon, transferring to Jerusalem in 1971, Cuba in 1974, Algeria in 1978, Nicaragua in 1979, Belgium in 1981, and then India in 1984 with the rank of counselor. Archbishop Sambi speaks Italian, English, French and Spanish.

New Zealand
Roy Ferguson became ambassador of New Zealand to the United States on Feb. 27. Ambassador Ferguson previously served as director of the Americas Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (2002-05) and was on the boards of the New Zealand-United States Council, Fulbright New Zealand, the Ian Axford Fellowships and the New Zealand Centre for Latin American Studies. He also served as deputy chief of mission at the New Zealand Embassy in Washington (1991-95) and ambassador to Korea (1999-2002), as well as postings in Manila and Canberra. In Wellington, Ambassador Ferguson worked in the Information, United Nations, Asian and Australian divisions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and as director of the Management Audit Unit, the U.N. and Commonwealth Division, the Environment Division and the Personnel Division. Ambassador Ferguson holds a master’s degree in history and political science from the University of Canterbury and a master’s degree in international relations from the University of Pennsylvania, and he recently completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School. He is married to Dawn Ferguson and has two sons.

Niger
Aminata Djibrilla Maiga Touré became ambassador of Niger to the United States on March 9. After joining the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1979, Ambassador Touré served as general secretary of the National Francophony Commission at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2003-05), permanent secretary at the Foreign Affairs Ministry (2000-03), and mayor of Niamey Commune II under the supervision of the Ministry of Interior (1996-2000). She also held posts in the Niger Embassy in Germany (1991-95) and in the Department of Legal and Consular Affairs at the Foreign Affairs Ministry until 1991. Ambassador Touré holds a bachelor’s degree in public law from the University of Togo and continued her post-graduate studies in Paris and Cameroon.

Romania
Robert Dumitriscu assumed the position of second secretary on March 24, having previously served as desk officer with the Analysis and Political Planning Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2005-06), desk officer with the Romanian Permanent Delegation to NATO in Brussels (2001-05), and third secretary in the NATO Division of the Foreign Affairs Ministry (1999-2001).

Eugen Mimut departed the post of counselor in December.

Switzerland
Urs Ziswiler was appointed ambassador of Switzerland to the United States on March 25. Ambassador Ziswiler most recently served as head of the Directorate of Political Affairs at the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs and as senior diplomatic advisor to the minister of foreign affairs. Since joining the Foreign Service in 1979, Ambassador Ziswiler has held a number of postings both in Bern and abroad, including ambassador to Canada and the Bahamas (1999-2004), chargé d’affaires for Yugoslavia and Bosnia and Herzegovina (1993), as well as deputy chief of mission of the Swiss embassies in Buenos Aires (1994-95), Tel Aviv (1988-90), Kinshasa, Lagos and Oslo (1980-85). In Bern, Ambassador Ziswiler served as head of the Political Division for Human Rights and Humanitarian Policy and coordinator for international refugee policy (1995-99), as well as spokesman and head of the Information Department in the European Integration Office (1990-92). Ambassador Ziswiler began his career as a junior expert for the World Bank in Madagascar and later served as a delegate of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Beirut, Gaza, Tel Aviv and Kampala. He holds a law degree from the University of Geneva and the University of Zurich, and has a post-graduate diploma on developing countries from the Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich. Ambassador Ziswiler is fluent in German, English, French, Spanish and Italian and has a basic knowledge of Arabic. He is married to Ronit Ziswiler and has two children.

Thailand
Virasakdi Futrakul became ambassador of Thailand to the United States on Feb. 22. Ambassador Futrakul previously served as ambassador to France, permanent representative to the U.N. Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and a member of the Governing Board at the Development Centre of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (2004-06). In addition, he held posts as deputy permanent secretary (2002-04), permanent representative to the U.N. Office and other international organizations in Geneva (2000-02), director-general of the Department of East Asian Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1997-2000), ambassador to Canada (1994-97), and ambassador to Myanmar (1991-94). Ambassador Futrakul, who joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1974, also served as assistant permanent secretary in the Office of the Permanent Secretary (1990-91), deputy director-general of the Department of Political Affairs (1989-90), director of the Americas Division at the Department of Political Affairs (1987-89), counselor in the Office of the Secretary to the Minister (1986-87), and first secretary at the Thai Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York (1984-86). Ambassador Futrakul holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Washington and a master’s degree in foreign affairs from the University of Virginia, and he studied at the National Defence College in Thailand. He is married to Aumaporn Futrakul.

Turkey
Nabi Sensoy became ambassador of Turkey to the United States on Jan. 10. Ambassador Sensoy previously served as deputy undersecretary of general political affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2002-05), ambassador to Russia (1998-2002), deputy undersecretary of political affairs for the European Union (1997-98), director-general of the Department of Policy Planning at the Foreign Affairs Ministry (1995-97), and ambassador to Spain (1990-95). He was also chief of staff to the president (1988-90), consul general in London (1985-88), advisor to the prime minister (1983-85), as well as counselor at the Turkish embassies in Washington, D.C. (1980-83) and in Cuba (1979-80). Before that, he served as head of section at the Department of Bilateral Political Affairs for Western Europe (1977-79), first secretary at the Turkish Embassy in Venezuela (1975-77), vice consul at the Turkish Consulate General in New York (1972-75), and third secretary and second secretary at the Department of Research in the Foreign Affairs Ministry (19070-72). Ambassador Sensoy is a graduate of the Faculty of Political Sciences at the University of Ankara.

Zimbabwe
Gumisai Gideon Gapare assumed the position of minister counselor on April 1, replacing Elita Sakupwanya, who departed the post in August. Gapare’s recent posts include director of protocol and director of policy research and promotion at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as deputy chief of mission at the Zimbabwean embassies in Kinshasa and Luanda.