The Washington Diplomat

Appointments - November 2007

Finland
Kari Renko assumed the position of assistant defense, military, naval and air attaché on Oct. 13.

France
Pierre Vimont became ambassador of France to the United States on Aug. 23.

Ambassador Vimont previously served chief of staff to the French minister of foreign affairs (2002-07) and as ambassador and permanent representative of France to the European Union 1999-2002). Ambassador Vimont joined the Foreign Service in 1977 and was first posted to London as first secretary from 1978 to 1981. He then spent the next four years with the Press and Information Office at the Quai d’Orsay. Returning to Europe, he served as second counselor with the Permanent Representation of France to the European Communities in Brussels (1986-1990), and was subsequently chief of staff to the minister delegate for European affairs from 1990 to 1993. Ambassador Vimont went on to serve as director for development and scientific, technical and educational cooperation, and then for cultural, scientific and technical relations. He was deputy director-general of the entire Cultural, Scientific and Technical Relations Department from 1996 to 1997 and then director of European Cooperation from 1997 to 1999.

Ambassador Vimont holds a law degree and is a graduate of the Institute of Political Studies and the National School of Administration (ENA).

Ghana
Genevieve Goode assumed the position of first secretary on Aug. 21, replacing Adelaide Agyeman, who departed the post on Aug. 28.

Hungary
Ferenc Somogyi became ambassador of Hungary to the United States on Aug. 29.

Ambassador Somogyi previously served as Hungary’s minister of foreign affairs (2004-06) and more recently, as director for international affairs of Magyar Telekom, a Hungarian telecommunications company (2006-07). He’s also held various other positions in the private sector, including: chief executive officer of Stonebridge Communications in Macedonia (2001-04), director of Euro-Atlantic integration for Matáv Hungarian Telecommunications (1998-2001), faculty director for the College of Foreign Trade in Budapest (1992-94), and chairman of Exportguarantie Ltd. (1992-94). In addition, Ambassador Somogyi has served numerous postings in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including: state secretary for Euro-Atlantic integration (1996-98)—during which time he was chief negotiator for several treaty talks—as well as professional state secretary (1994-96; 1990-91), state secretary (1989-90), head of the Department for Multilateral and Global Issues (1984-89), and senior desk officer (1973-80). Postings abroad include deputy permanent representative to the United Nations in New York (1980-84), second secretary at the Hungarian Embassy in Nigeria (1971-73) and attaché at the embassy in Burma (1969-71).

Ambassador Somogyi holds degrees in international relations from the University of Economics and the College for Political Sciences in Budapest, as well as a doctoral degree in world economics from the University of Economics. He is married with two children.

Ireland
Finnur Thor Birgisson assumed the position of first secretary on Aug. 1, replacing Anna K. Vilhjalmsdottir, who departed the post on July 31.

Moldova
Tudor Ulianovschi assumed the position of second secretary on Sept. 11, having previously served as attaché, third secretary and second secretary in the America Division of the Bilateral Cooperation Department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of the Republic of Moldova. Ulianovschi holds a bachelor’s and a master’s of law degree from the International Independent University of Moldova.

Serbia
Vladimir Petrovic assumed the position of the deputy chief of mission, minister counselor, on Aug. 16, replacing Borislav Stefanovic, who departed the post on Aug. 15. Before joining the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in June 2007 as a minister counselor in the Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Petrovic worked in the administration of U.S. Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich of Illinois, first as a director of personnel (2003) and later as deputy director of the Illinois Trade Office (2004). In the fall of 2006, he was the ethnic outreach director as well as north Chicago suburbs director of Gov. Blagojevich’s re-election campaign. He has also been involved in various fundraising efforts for different democratic candidates, including U.S. Senate campaigns for Barack Obama, Carl Levin and Blair Hull, as well as other races. In addition, Petrovic worked for Pope, McGlamry, Kilpatrick & Morrison LLP; CARE – USA; and Gray, Rust, St. Amand, Moffett & Brieske in Atlanta, Georgia. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the Georgia State University.

South Africa
Welile Nhlapo became ambassador of South Africa to the United States on Aug. 14.

Ambassador Nhlapo previously served as South Africa’s ambassador to Ethiopia and permanent representative to the Organization of African Unity and the U.N. Economic Commission for Africa since 1995. During his term in Addis Ababa, he also served as South Africa’s nonresident ambassador to Djibouti, Eritrea and Sudan. In 1997, he was appointed South Africa’s special envoy on Burundi. Ambassador Nhlapo, who was born in Johannesburg, was active in the South African Students Organization, co-authoring the publication “Black Review” on the activities of black organizations at the time. After a banning order was served on him in 1973, he went into exile to Botswana, where he joined the African National Congress (ANC), serving as deputy editor of Sechaba, the official mouthpiece of the ANC (1978-81), head of the Youth Section (1982-87) and as a member of the Regional Political Committee until 1990. He also served as the ANC chief representative in Botswana from 1991 to 1993 before being appointed head of the Political Section in the ANC Secretary-General’s Office in Shell House. In addition, Ambassador Nhlapo was a part of the South African delegation to the U.N. General Assembly in New York when South Africa was readmitted to the world body in 1994, after which he became director of the Africa Division in the Department of Political Affairs at the United Nations.

He is married to Sissy and they have two daughters, Manini and Edna, and one son, Makhosini.

Togo
Landjergue L. Tchabré assumed the position of chargé d’affaires on Sept. 10, replacing Nonon Saa Wolou, who departed the post on Sept. 26.