The Washington Diplomat

Appointments, May 2002

Azerbaijan

•Sultan Malikov assumed the position of first secretary on April 5. Malikov previously served in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Baku.
•Ilgar Mukhtarov assumed the position of second secretary on April 8. Before his appointment, Mukhtarov served in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Baku.

Bulgaria

•Lubomir Grancharov assumed the position of consul on April 1. Grancharov previously served in the Consular Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (from 2000 to 2002), at the Embassy of Bulgaria in Israel (from 1996 to 2000), and at the United Nations Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (from 1994 to 1996).

Indonesia

•Soemadi D. M. Brotodiningrat became ambassador of Indonesia to the United States on Feb. 14, replacing. Dorodjatun Kuntojoro-Jakti, who became coordinating minister for economic affairs. Before his current assignment, Ambassador Brotodiningrat served as ambassador of Indonesia to Japan and to the Federated States of Micronesia (from 1998 to 2002). He joined the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia in 1965. Since then, Ambassador Brotodiningrat has worked as director general for foreign economic relations at the Department of Foreign Affairs (from 1995 to 1998), ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva, director for multilateral economic cooperation for the Department of Foreign Affairs (from 1988 to 1991), and minister counselor at the Indonesian Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York (from 1984 to 1988). He is married with a son and a daughter.

Jordan

•Jafar A. Hassan became the chargé d’ affaires of Jordan to the United States in January. He was appointed deputy chief of mission to the Jordanian Embassy in July 2001. Before his appointment, Hassan served briefly as the director of the Israel Section at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and spent several years as personal assistant to the director of the National Security Council at the Royal Palace in Jordan. Hassan also served five years in Jordan’s Mission at the United Nations European Headquarters in Geneva where he was in charge of human rights issues and humanitarian affairs. He holds a doctorate degree in political science from the University of Geneva, a master’s degree in strategic studies from Boston University, and a bachelor’s degree from the American College in Paris.

Kenya

•Beatrice Karago became first secretary of legal affairs on April 25. She joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation as a senior legal officer in 2000. She also previously served as a state counsel in the Treaties and Agreements Department of the Attorney General’s Chambers (f rom 1993 to 2000), where she negotiated, drafted and interpreted domestic and international agreements on behalf of the government. Karago holds a law degree from the University of Nairobi and a post-graduate diploma in women and the law from the University of Zimbabwe.

Laos

•Phanthong Phommahaxay became ambassador of Laos to the United States on April 19. Ambassador Phommahaxay has had an extensive career in diplomatic service. He previously served as ambassador of Laos to Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Austria (from 1998 to 2001), ambassador to Australia and New Zealand (from 1995 to 1998), and director general of the Asia Pacific and Africa Department at the Lao Ministry of Foreign Affairs (from 1994 to 1995). He has also held posts as ambassador of Laos to Indonesia (from 1990 to 1994), director general of the Press Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (from 1984 to 1990), first secretary and deputy head of mission in Bangkok (from 1980 to 1984), and director of the NGO Section at the Department of International Organizations in the Ministry (from 1978 to 1980). Ambassador Phommahaxay graduated with a degree in foreign affairs from the Centre National d’Etudes Politiques Administratives et Juriques in Vientiane, Laos, and holds a diploma of foreign affairs from London. He is married with four children.

Spain

•Samuel J. Juarez assumed the position of counselor for agriculture, fisheries and food in February.