The Washington Diplomat

Appointments - November 2009

Hungary
Béla Szombati was appointed ambassador of Hungary to the United States on Sept. 18. Ambassador Szombati previously served as head of the Strategic Planning and Information Management Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2006-09) as well as Hungary’s ambassador to the United Kingdom (2002-06) and to France (1994-99). In addition, he was deputy head of the State Secretariat for European Integration (1999-2002) and foreign policy advisor to the Hungarian president and head of the Foreign Relations Department of the President’s Office in Budapest (1991-94). Ambassador Szombati — who previously served in Washington from 1988 to 1991 as cultural attaché at the Hungarian Embassy — has also held posts at the Hungarian Embassy in Vietnam as well as in the Foreign Ministry’s Departments for North America, Asia, Western Europe and International Security. Ambassador Szombati completed his higher education at London University and Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest, where he graduated in 1980, after which he joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He speaks fluent English and French as well as some Russian and Spanish. Ambassador Szombati is married to Zsuzsa Mihályi and has two sons, Kristóf (born 1980) and Daniel (born 1986).

Luxembourg
Mario Wiesen assumed the position of consul on Aug. 7, replacing Marc Godefroid.

Sri Lanka
M.R. Hassen assumed the position of first secretary on Nov. 8. Hassen, who joined the Sri Lanka Foreign Service in 2000, previously served as deputy director of the Public Communication Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as well as first secretary at the Sri Lankan Embassy in Stockholm.

Switzerland
Norbert Barlocher assumed the position of counselor, head of communication and cultural affairs, on Oct. 1.

Alessandro Del Prete departed the post of counselor (culture) in August.

Emilija Georgieva departed the post of counselor (communications) in August.