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Appointments - May 2008 Austria Andreas Riecken assumed the position of minister, deputy chief of mission on Jan. 21, replacing Harald Guenther, who departed the post in October. Costa Rica Ana Lorena Villalobos assumed the position of minister-counselor for political affairs on March 1. Ana Patricia Villalobos departed the post of minister-counselor and deputy chief of mission on Dec. 31. Estonia Col. Meelis Kiili assumed the position of defense attaché on April 2, replacing Gen. Vello Loemaa, who departed the post on Jan. 6. Taimar Peterkop assumed the position of counselor (defense) on April 1, replacing Sven Sakkov, who departed the post on April 1. Slovak Republic Tomas Bican departed the post of second secretary on Jan. 31. Martin Kaco assumed the position of first secretary on Feb. 1, having previously served in Slovakia's Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York as well as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bratislava. Uruguay Beraldo R. Nicola assumed the position of counselor for political affairs on March 4, having previously served in the Uruguayan Embassy in Russia (2000-05) and the Uruguayan Mission to the Organization of American States in Washington, D.C. (1992-97).