The Washington Diplomat

Appointments - June 2004

Brazil
• Roberto Abdenur became ambassador of Brazil to the United States on April 9. Ambassador Abdenur, who joined the Foreign Service in 1964, previously held various ambassadorial postings, including ambassador to Austria (2002-04), Germany (1995-2002), China (1989-93) and Ecuador (1985-88). He also served as first secretary at the Brazilian Embassy in Washington (1973-75) as well as deputy consul-general in the Brazilian Consulate General in London. In Brazil, Ambassador Abdenur served as secretary-general for external relations (1993-95), chief of economic and trade matters for the staff of the minister of external relations (1979-84) and assistant to the secretary-general (1975-78). Ambassador Abdenur studied law at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janerio and took an economics course at the London School of Economics. He speaks Portuguese, Spanish, English, French and German, and is married with three children.

Gambia
• Dodou Bammy Jagne became ambassador of the Gambia to the United States on March 31. Ambassador Jagne previously served various postings in the Department of State for Finance and Economic Affairs, including permanent secretary (1998-2003), deputy permanent secretary with responsibility for macro-economic management, aid coordination and chairing the Major Tender Board (1997-98), and as principal loans officer responsible for the External Public Debt and Loans Administration (1983-93). Ambassador Jagne has also authored various studies, reports and legislation, and served as a consultant for the International Procurement Agency of UK and the Gambia Public Works and Capacity Building Agency (1995-96), as well as the national authorizing officer of the European Development Fund Program (1983 -2003). Ambassador Jagne studied financial and cost accounting at Abingdon College in the United Kingdom, economics at the London Chamber of Commerce, and loan negotiations and renegotiations at the International Law Institute in Washington, D.C. He is married with five children.

Latvia
• Kaspars Ozolins assumed the position of counselor on May 16. Ozolins previously served as head of the Russia and CIS (Commonwealth of the Independent States) Countries Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Mongolia

• Sodnom Ganbold assumed the position of trade and economic counselor on Feb. 4. Ganbold previously served as director of department for the Ministry of Finance and Economics (2002-04) and national project coordinator for the U.N. Development Program in Mongolia (1997-2002).

Solomon Islands
• Collin David Beck assumed the position of ambassador of the Solomon Islands to the United States on March 31. Ambassador Beck previously served as assistant secretary of the Pacific and Asian Branch’s Political and Security Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2002-03), and chief desk officer at the Ministry (1995-2002), as well as counselor at various locations, including the Solomon Islands Permanent Mission to the European Union, the High Commission to the United Kingdom, and the embassies to Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands (1993-95). In addition, Ambassador Beck was posted to Australia for three months to establish a consulate general office in Brisbane (1990), and he also worked as senior desk officer (1990) and desk officer (1988) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Ambassador Beck holds a master’s degree in international relations and Southeast Asian politics from the University of Queensland, a foreign services certificate from Oxford University, and a bachelor’s degree in administration and political science from the University of South Pacific. He is married to Helen Beck.

Uzbekistan
• Eldor Aripov assumed the position of first secretary on May 1 after serving in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.