The Washington Diplomat

Appointments - September 2007

Bangladesh
Humayun Kabir became ambassador of Bangladesh to the United States on July 20. A career diplomat with the rank of deputy permanent secretary, Ambassador Kabir previously served as Bangladesh’s high commissioner to Australia, New Zealand and Fiji (2006-07), as well as ambassador to Nepal (2003-06). In addition, he was director-general at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for South Asia and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (2003), for Europe (2002), and for the United Nations (2001). He also served as deputy high commissioner (1999-01), first secretary and counselor (1991-94) at the Bangladesh Embassy in India, counselor at the Bangladesh Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York (1996-99), and second and first secretary at the Bangladesh Embassy in Washington (1987-91). Additional postings include director of the U.N. and Foreign Secretary’s Office at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1994-96), private secretary to the advisor for foreign affairs and section officer at the Foreign Minister’s Office (1984-87), and lecturer at the University of Dhaka (1977-80). Ambassador Kabir, a freedom fighter during the Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971, has written extensively on diplomacy with a focus on multilateral and public diplomacy and U.N. peacekeeping. He holds a master’s in political science and a bachelor’s in law degree from the University of Dhaka, in addition to studies at the Academy of International Law in The Hague and at the University of Paris XI in France. Ambassador Kabir speaks English, French, Hindi and Nepali, and he is married with two sons.

Barbados
Michelle Gibbons assumed the position of attaché on June 25, replacing Angela Applewhaite, who departed the post on June 30.

Hungary
Balázs Erdei assumed the position of third secretary (science and technology) on July 24, replacing István Takács, who departed the post of counselor (science and technology) on March 31. Erdei was previously in charge of Hungarian-U.S. bilateral science and technology relations at the National Office for Research and Technology in Budapest.

Béla Gedeon assumed the position of third secretary (culture) on July 20, replacing Sándor Bognár, who departed the post of counselor (culture) on April 30. Gedeon previously served as desk officer for Canada in the Department for the Americas at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2004-07) and desk officer for the Middle East in the Department for Africa (2003-04).

Iceland
Finnur Thor Birgisson assumed the position of first secretary on Aug. 1, replacing Annak Vilhjalmsdottir, who departed the post on July 31. Birgisson previously served as first secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2003-07) and as legal adviser at Lanstraust Ltd. (2002-03).

Latvia
Andrejs Pildegovics became ambassador of Latvia to the United States on July 25. Ambassador Pildegovics previously served as chief of staff in the chancery of the Latvian president (2006-07) as well as foreign policy advisor to the president (2000-06). In addition, he served several postings in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including head of the Middle East and Africa Division (1999-2000), press secretary (1996-98), assistant to the state secretary (1995-96), and civil servant (1994 to 95). Ambassador Pildegovics studied Chinese history and language studies at the University of St. Petersburg; Chinese language studies at the Beijing Foreign Languages Institute; diplomatic studies at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution; and the Foreign Service Program at Oxford University. He is married with three children.

Malawi
Yvonne Tinyade Kalumo assumed the position of first secretary of tourism, communication and consular services on July 9. Kalumo previously served as a communication associate with the U.N. Development Programme Malawi, and she holds a bachelor’s degree in humanities from the University of Malawi-Chancellor College, as well as a master’s degree in mass communication from the University of Leicester in England.

Renox William Maluwa assumed the position of first secretary of administration on July 9. Maluwa previously served as principal accountant at the Ministry of Finance, and he holds a bachelor’s degree in accountancy from the University of Malawi, Polytechnic, as well as a diploma in accountancy from the Malawi College of Accountancy.

Rhino Mchenga assumed the position of counselor and head of chancery on July 9. Mchenga previously served as a chief economist at the Ministry of Economic Planning and Development, and he holds a bachelor’s of science degree in economics from the University of Malawi-Chancellor College, as well as a master’s in science degree in development economics from the University of Manchester in England.

Malta
Mark Miceli-Farrugia became ambassador of Malta to the United States on July 25. Ambassador Miceli-Farrugia previously served as Malta’s non-resident ambassador to the Baltic Republics of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia from 2002 to 2007, as well as president of AmCham Malta (the Maltese-American Chamber of Commerce). Inspired by his prior career marketing beverages in Malta, Canada and Italy, Ambassador Miceli-Farrugia pioneered the Meridiana Wine Estate at Ta’ Qali, Malta, in partnership with Marchese Piero Antinori in 1994, serving as the wine estate’s founder and chief executive officer until April 2007. His holding company, Terrae Reditus, also successfully launched Leila carob-based digestive liqueur in 2004. In addition, Ambassador Miceli-Farrugia has served on a number of boards for Maltese public institutions, including the Malta Chamber of Commerce & Enterprise, Malta Enterprise and Young Enterprise, as well as for private initiatives such as L. Farrugia & Sons Ltd. and the Farsons Group of Companies. Ambassador Miceli-Farrugia obtained a diploma in diplomatic studies from the Mediterranean Academy of Diplomatic Studies in 1992, and he holds a master’s in science degree in management studies from the London School of Economics. He is married to Josette, a lawyer, and has a 9-year-old son, Christopher.

Slovak Republic
Michal Pavuk assumed the position of first secretary on Aug. 1. Pavuk previously served in the Department of the Western Balkans at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2005-07; 1998-2001) and at the Slovak Embassy in Turkey (2001-05).

Tajikistan
Abdujabbor Shirinov became ambassador of Tajikistan to the United States on Feb. 21. Ambassador Shirinov previously served as first deputy director of the Agency for State Finance Control and the Struggle Against Corruption (2006-07) and as first deputy chairman of the National Bank of Tajikistan (2000-06), during which time he chaired the Committee for State Financial Control of the Republic of Tajikistan (2006). In addition, he was the first deputy chairman of the Executive Board of the Joint-Stock Commerce Agro-Industrial Investment Bank (1998-2000), as well as chief engineer and later director of the Settlement Department of the National Bank of Tajikistan (1992-98). From 1974 to 1992, Ambassador Shirinov also worked as a computer software programmer, eventually reaching the post of head of department for designing automatic control systems in the data-processing center of Tajik State University. Ambassador Shirinov graduated from Tajik State University with a specialty in mathematics, returning to obtain a degree in economics in 1999. He speaks Persian, Russian and English, and is married with five children.

Thailand
Krit Garnjana-Goonchorn became ambassador of Thailand to the United States on July 25. Ambassador Garnjana-Goonchorn previously served as Thailand’s permanent secretary (2004-07), ambassador to France (2002-04), deputy permanent secretary in the Office of the Permanent Secretary (2001-02), and director-general of the Department of Treaties and Legal Affairs (2000-01; 1993-95) as well as the Department of East Asian Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2000-01). He was also Thailand’s permanent representative to the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva (1995-2000), ambassador attached to the Office of the Permanent Secretary (1992-93), and minister at the Royal Thai Embassy in Washington (1989-92). Additional postings include director of the Division of Economic Relations and Cooperation in the Department of Economic Affairs (1987-88), counselor in the East Asia Division of the Department of Political Affairs (1984-87), and first secretary (1983-84) and second secretary (1980-83) of the Legal Affairs Division in the Department of Treaties and Legal Affairs, as well as third secretary in the Treaty Division of that same department (1978-80). Ambassador Garnjana-Goonchorn studied at the National Defence College of Thailand, and he holds a bachelor’s in law degree from Queen’s College at the University of Oxford, in addition to a diploma in international law and a doctorate in international law, both from the University of Manchester in England. He is married to Ravewan Garnjana-Goonchorn.