Current issue 4 / 2008

Mexico

HE Ambassador of Mexico Mr. Agustín Gutiérrez-Canet is a career diplomat and a journalist in foreign affairs. He was spokesman to the President of Mexico Vicente Fox in 2003-2005, and served abroad in Hong Kong, Italy, Spain and as Ambassador to Ireland. Born in 1951, he holds a BA in Mass Communication; active in the academic field, he edited and co-authored several books on Mexican foreign policy. He was awarded by the king of Spain with the decorations of the Commander of the Order of the Civil Merit and by the King of Sweden as Commander of the Order of the Polar Star. HE is married to Mrs. Martha Barcena, present Ambassador of Mexico to Denmark; they have two daughters.

Netherlands

HE Ambassador of Netherlands Mr. Nicolaas Beets is a graduate in Business and Management from the University of Delft. Born in 1953, he joined the Foreign Service the year of his graduation, 1979. HE is assigned to working at home and abroad as junior diplomat in Paramaribo, Jakarta and Khartoum. From 1995 to 2000 he was posted in the European Integration Department of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs as head of two divisions: of the External Relations and of the Association Agreements & Other Special Relations. Previously to Finland, His Excellency was on a four year postings first as Ambassador to Latvia and then to Saudi Arabia. His Excellency is married to Heide.

South Korea

HE Ambassador of South Korea Mr. Ho-Jin Lee is a Master of Law in International Law from the University of Seoul. Born in 1951, he integrated the Foreign Service in 1974, being posted abroad in the United States, Uganda, Philippines and Austria. He was Ambassador & Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations and Ambassador to Hungary. At home he was mainly in charge with Policy Planning in areas ranging from regional policy to security and foreign policies. Since 1994 he is a member of the UN Secretary General’s Advisory Board on Disarmament, holding its chairmanship in 2007. His Excellency is married and has two sons.

Cuba

HE Sergio Gonzales Gonzales has been appointed Ambassador of Cuba to Finland since September 2007. Born in 1960, HE graduated in International Political Relations from the Superior Institute for International Relations “Raúl Roa García”. His postings include appointments as Ambassador in Namibia, and previously as III Secretary in the USSR. He has worked in the Europe Division of the Ministry as Human Resources Deputy Director and Director of Economy and Finances Division.

France

HE Ms. Francoise Bourolleau is the French Ambassador to Finland since March 27. She graduated from the Institute of Political Studies in Paris, after a BA in Russian Studies. She has been working in the embassies in Athens, Belgrade, Moscow, Ljubljana, London, and as Ambassador in Albania. In the French Ministry for Foreign Affairs she filled positions in the divisions of Europe and Asia & Oceania among others. Her Excellency has been distinguished Knight of National Order of the Legion of Honour and Officer of the National Order of Merit.

Indonesia

HE Mr. Harry Purwanto is the new Ambassador of Indonesia to Finland and Estonia since May 23rd.

Ukraine

HE Andrii Deshchytsia presented his Credentials as Ambassador of Ukraine on March 27th. Born in 1965, he has a Ph.D in Political Science from Lviv University and a MA in History from Alberta University, Canada. Previously to his appointment he was Spokesperson of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Minister-Counsellor in the Embassy in Poland, Counsellor at the Embassy in Finland and Senior Officer of the Poland-America-Ukraine Cooperation Initiative. HE is married and has a daughter. He is fluent in English, Polish and Russian.

USA

HE Ms. Barbara Barrett is the Ambassador of United States to Finland since May 23rd. She earned her Bachelor, Master and Law degrees at Arizona State University. A businesswoman and political figure, she has been the chair of the US Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy, a member of the U.S.–Afghan Women’s Council, and the Pentagon’s Defense Business Board. She also serves on the board of the Center for International Private Enterprise, the senior advisory board of Harvard University’s Institute of Politics and was the first female deputy administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration. Ambassador Barrett is an instrument rated pilot and climbed Mount Kilimanjaro last year.

Venezuela

Mr. Wilhelm Alejandro Holmqvist Grisolia has been appointed Chargé d’Affaires a.i. to Finland.

Iraq

Mr. Ghasan T.FATAH has been Minister Plenipotentiary, Chargés d’Affaires of the Iraqi Embassy since December 2007. With a BA in Economic and Political Sciences, he joined the Foreign Service in 1968. He served in the Iraqi embassies of the UK (London), North Korea (Pyong Yang), Sweden (Stockholm), Iran (Tehran), Oman (Muscat), Serbia (Belgrade), Ethiopia (Addis Ababa), Sudan (Khartoum) and South Africa (Pretoria). He is married.

Serbia

HE Ms Vera Mavric has been Ambassador of Serbia to Finland since February. She graduated from the University of Belgrade in Economics. HE is married and has two children. She is fluent in English and Spanish. After Finland’s recognition of Kosovo she has been recalled for the time being to Belgrade in sign of protest.

South Africa

HE Mr. L M SOBIZANA MNGQIKANA, Ambassador Extraordinary & Plenipotentiary of the Republic of South Africa to the Republic of Finland and Estonia, holds a BA degree in History and Public Administration from Rhodes University, and an M.Sc. Economics (Major in International Relations) from the University of London, UK. Early in His career he was Chief Representative of the ANC, the African National Congress in the Nordic Countries and Chairperson, of the ANC’s Regional Political Committee in Sweden. Before his posting to Finland, HE was Ambassador to the Republic of Turkey, then to the Republic of Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan. HE is married. He speaks Swedish, English and his native Xhosa.

Spain

HE Ricardo ZALACAIN, M.Sc. in Economy, has been the Ambassador of Spain to Finland since February. He has been ambassador to several states in the Caribbean (Jamaica, Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Vincent & the Grenadines, Commonwealth of Dominica, Federation of St Kitts & Nevis, Grenada, Bahamas and Saint Lucia. He was equally Ambassador to Algeria, Luxembourg and served in embassies in Germany and Sweden.

Tunisia

MR. Ali BEN MALEK has been Minister Plenipotentiary, Chargee d’Affaires of Tunisia to Finland, since October. He has an MA in Law from Tunis, with additional courses in International Law and Human Rights in Geneva, Yaounde and Banjul. He has served in UN missions in Geneva and as Consul of the mission in Strasbourg. In the Ministry he has been Director of the Unit for Human Rights and attaché to the Presidency. He has been largely involved in delegations on human rights issues, such as the fight against racial discrimination. He is married and has four children.

Canada

HE Scott Fraser has been the Ambassador of Canada to Finland since October 25. He was the Director of the Asia and Oceania Commercial Relations Division at Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada since September 2005. Prior to that, he
was the Director of the Trade Commissioner Service Operations Division. From 2001 to 2003, he was the Executive Director of the Canada-China Business Council. During his 22-year career with Foreign Affairs and International Trade, he has had postings in
Taiwan, Beijing, Hong Kong, Auckland and Nairobi. Mr. Fraser has a BA in Economics and Political Science from the University of Toronto, and an MBA from McGill. He is married and has three daughters.

Germany

HE Wilfried Grolig presented his letters of credentials as Ambassador of German Federation in September. Born in 1949, with a background in Law, HE held different positions in embassies in Kinshasa, Rabat, in the UN mission in New York and in Jakarta. Between 1991-1994, he was the private secretary of Minister of State Seiler-Albring (European Affairs), then for one year in charge with policy planning, management and development in Siemens AG.  Among his postings in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Head of the Task Force for Global Issues, Deputy Director General for Central Services and Director General for Culture and Education. Helsinki is HE’s first ambassadorial posting.

Israel

HE Ambassador Avi Granot was born in Tel Aviv in 1950, to parents from Krakow, Poland, who survived the Holocaust by being on Schindler’s list. After completing studies in history and biology at the State University of New York, USA, he joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel. Ambassador Granot served in various diplomatic positions in Ottawa, Rome and Pretoria, Washington D.C. and as Ambassador in Addis Ababa. For the past seven years, he served as Political Advisor to the President. As of October 2007, HE is serving as Ambassador of Israel to Finland and Estonia (resident in Finland).

Lithuania

HE Dr Doc Mrs Halina Kobeckaite, the new Ambassador of Lithuania to Finland, is born in 1939. She graduated as a journalist, studied Uzbek language in Tashkent and post graduated studies in Moscow. With a Doctorate in Philosophy of Arts, HE worked as an academician for over 20 years. Previously to Finland, she was Ambassador to Estonia, Turkey, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan and also Adviser to the President of Lithuania. She advocates for human rights of minorities and women.  HE is a member of the Writers’ and of the Journalists’ Guilds and the translator of over 20 books, being highly awarded for diplomatic services and translations, both by Lithuanian and foreign institutions.

Norway

HE Leidulv Namtvedt presented in Helsinki his credentials in his first ambassadorial posting in September. Born in 1950, with a BA in Political Studies and additional studies at the Norwegian National Defence College, he held different positions in the embassies in Beijing, London and Moscow. In the Ministry for Foreign Affairs he was Head of the Department of Press and Culture, Deputy Director General of the Press, Culture and Information Department, and later of the Department for Security Policy, as well as Director General of the Administrative Department. His Excellency is married and has 3 adult children.

Ireland

HE Ambassador of Ireland Mr. PHILIP MCDONAGH presented his credentials in Helsinki on 30th of August. Born in 1952, he is a career diplomat with a MA from Oxford University. During his career he has held many different postings, such as First Secretary in Rome, Stockholm, Brussels and at the UN mission in Geneva. He was responsible for GATT/EU enlargement in Dublin and for Northern Ireland and British-Irish relations in London. Prior to his posting in Helsinki he was Ambassador to India (also accredited to Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka) and Holy See. He also writes poetry and has published two books. HE is married and has two daughters.

Croatia

HE Dr Damir Kusen presented his credentials as the new Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia to Finland in February 2007. He holds a BA in Psychology from Zagreb University, a MA in international relations from Westminster University, London, and a PhD in international relations from King’s College, University of London. Dr Kusen joined the Croatian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1992. Since 2004, he has chaired the Board of the Croatian Institute for International Relations in Zagreb. He is married and has one daughter.

Cyprus

Ambassador Thalia Petrides is a career diplomat in the foreign service of the Republic of Cyprus. She has served as Ambassador to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, to the OSCE in Vienna, to Portugal and Cape Verde and as of 11 January 2007 she is Ambassador of Cyprus to Finland. She has authored several books on diplomacy and her other interests include music, astronomy, animal welfare and environment protection. HE is fluent in English, French, Portuguese and Greek (mother tongue).

Belgium

Born in 1946, HE Guido Armand Courtois went to school in London, Paris and Antwerp, obtaining a BA in International Relations from Gent University in 1969. He joined the diplomatic service in 1973, holding different positions, in Abidjan, Washington (commercial counsellor), La Haye (cultural counsellor), Ambassador in Luanda, Tunis, Amman, Director of Logistics in the Ministry and then Consul General in Jerusalem. Between 1991 and 1992 HE was diplomatic counsellor of then Deputy Prime Minister Willy Claes. In January 2007 HE took his post as Ambassador to Finland. HE is married and has an adult son.

Bulgaria

HE Dr. Plamen Lubomirov Bonchev, born in 1957 in Vidin, Bulgaria, took both his MA in International Relations and his PhD in Political Sciences in Moscow. His thesis, “Western European Security and Defense Co-operation”, leaded him to hold in the Foreign Affairs Ministry, that he joined in 1983, mostly positions as NATO & WEU Officer: 1998 - 2003 Deputy Head of Mission, Bulgarian Mission to NATO & WEU in Brussels; 2004 - 2006 Director, NATO & International Security Directorate in Sofia, and Director of the Bulgarian Ministerial Task Force at NATO Foreign Ministers meeting in Sofia (April 2006). Since September 2006 HE is Ambassador to Finland and Estonia.

Japan

HE Hitoshi Honda, born in 1946, studied Foreign Studies in Tokyo University, and then obtained a Master Degree in Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, USA. He joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1967, where he was Deputy Director General of the Foreign Service Training Institute, Ambassador in the Global Issues Department and Director General of the International Affairs Department. After several postings in France, Hungary and Huston, USA, HE was appointed Ambassador of Japan to Ukraine and Republic of Moldova. Before his mission as Ambassador to Finland, HE was for 2 years Senior Councillor of the prestigious Japan Oil, Gas and Metal Corporation.

Chile

HE CARLOS PARRA MERINO, MA, studied Law at University of Conception, at Stanford and Yale Law Schools. In addition to his academic experience in Chile HE held two postings in London, as legal counselor in the embassy of Chile and as international civil servant in the International Maritime Organization. He also founded and co–directed the Institute for the New Chile in Rotterdam (1977-1982). Previously to his appointment as Ambassador to Finland HE was Ambassador in Sweden (1990-1994) , Lawyer and consultant to foreign companies (1994-2002), Director in the Ministry of Agriculture (2002-2004) and Undersecretary of Aviation in the Ministry of National Defens e (2004-2006). Mr. Carlos Parra Merino speaks fluently English and Spanish. HE is married.

China

A university graduate, HE. Mrs. Ma Keqing is born in China in 1955, in Shandong Province. Mrs. Ma presented her credentials to the President of Finland on May 18th. She joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1976 at the Department of Western European Affairs. In 1977 she got her first posting to Finland. Her Excellency spent altogether almost 20 years in Finland, in 3 mandates in the Chinese Embassy in Helsinki, as Third Secretary, as Second Secretary and as Counselor. While in China, she held different positions in the Western European Affairs, including the position of Director of the Department and Deputy Director General (2001-2004). Previously to her appointment to Finland she was for two years Deputy Director General in the Department of European Affairs. HE is married and has one daughter.

Estonia

Estonia’s new Ambassador to Finland, HE Merle Pajula , served as Ambassador to UN in New York in 2000. Mrs. Pajula has graduated from the University of Tartu, in Languages , and joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1992. Previously she worked in the embassy in Helsinki in 1995 –1998, after which she has been director of the Foreign Ministry’s Press and Information Department. From 2000 to 2004 she served as Estonia’s Ambassador to United Nations, in New York.

Iran

The New Iranian Ambassador to Finland, Dr Reza Nazarahari, is a career diplomat, previously posted as Senior Officer in International Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Dr. Nazarahari is 44, and got his BA in Diplomatic Relations from the College of International Relations in Tehran in 1989. He also completed his M.A. in Political Science. Dr. Nazarahari took his Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Kent in Canterbury (UK) in 1996. Dr Nazarahari speaks English and Arabic. He is married and they have two children.

Slovenia

HE Vojislav Šuc presented his credentials as Ambassador to Finland, with residence in Stockholm, on 2nd of November 2006. Graduated from the Faculty of Social, Political Studies and Journalism in Ljubljana, he occupied in the Ministry for Foreign Affairs different positions, among which Head of department for Multilateral political relations and Head of Division for North, Latin America and the Caribbean. He was Secretary for human rights and disarmament in Geneva (1986-1990) and Consul General in New York (1996-2000). Between 2000-March 2006 he has been the President of the Managing Board of the NGO International Trust Fund for Demining and Mine Victims Assistance. Besides Slovenian, HE speaks English, French, Italian and Serbian and Croatian. He is married and has two daughters.

Czech Republic

HE Vladimir Kotzy, the Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Finland is born in april 1941. He has obtained a double diploma from the university of Prague, first as Foreign Trade Engineer then in Marketing. He has worked for Cedok Travel Agency until 1970, being promoted Department manager for Scandinavia, Benelux and the UK. Asked to step away for political reasons, he is called back in 1989 and appointed manger Director in Amsterdam then in London. In 1997 he joins the Foreign Affairs Ministry as Deputy Director of the 2nd Territorial Department and later as Director of the Department of Bilateral Economic Relations. HE was Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Canada from 1998 to 2004. Mr. Vladimir Kotzy speaks fluently English and German and has a working knowledge of Russian, French and Dutch. HE is married and has one adult daughter.

Romania

HE Lucian Fatu was appointed Ambassador to Finland in May 2006. He holds a B.A. in civil engineering from the Polytechnic Institute of Bucharest and a M.A. in European Integration from the University of Limerick, Ireland. Mr. Fatu started working in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bucharest fifteen years ago as a United States desk officer. He was the Deputy Director General for EU Affairs and the Minister-Counselor in the EU General Affairs Unit, the Deputy Director of North America and, subsequently, Director of the Western Europe Units. While abroad, he has been posted in London as the Deputy Head of Mission, in Washington, D.C. as a political officer and in Lithuania as Ambassador, also in charge of Latvia. HE Mr. Fatu is married and has two children.

Russia

HE Mr. Alexander Rumyantsev presented his credentials on June 2 as the new Ambassador of Russia to Finland. From 2001-2004, Mr. Rumyantsev was the Minister of the Atomic Energy of the Russian Federation. In 2004 and 2005 he was the head of the Russian Federal Atomic Energy Agency. He built his internationally recognized expertise in nuclear physics in the Russian Nuclear Research Centre "Kurchatov Institute", where he worked from 1969 to 2001; in 1994 he took over as Director. His Excellency is Doctor of Science, Professor and Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences. In 1986 he was awarded the USSR State Prize for his scientific and research activities. Since 2005, he has been Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Global Energy International Prize. His Excellency is married and he has an adult daughter.

Vietnam

HE Mr. Tran Ngoc An was appointed as the first residential ambassador to Finland of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in June 2006. Born in 1963 in Hanoi, HE graduated from International Relations Institute in Hanoi, completing a MA in Political Economy and International Relations in Kent University, UK. He also studied in the University of Polytechnics in Kiev, and Japanese language in Japan. HE joined the Foreign Affairs Ministry in 1988, as officer in the International Organization Department. From 1998 to 2005 he was Deputy Director General in the ASEAN Department. Previously to his posting as Ambassador he was one year posted in Helsinki as Chargee d'Affaires a.i. HE is married and has two daughters.

Sweden

H.E. Mrs. Eva Walder-Brundin presented her credentials as Ambassador to Finland in March 2006. Born in 1951, she is has been working as an economist in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs since 1976. Her first posting abroad was in Dhakan. She was also posted in New York and Vienna. In 1998 she was appointed as Ambassador to Singapore. While in Sweden, she was the head of the Department for Asia and the Pacific. Her Excellency Mrs. Brudin is married and she has one child. During her free time she enjoys theatre, opera, winter sports, golfing, and gardening.

Great Britain

The new British Ambassador to Finland, H.E. Mrs. Valerie Caton, officially became Ambassador to Finland in early March 2006. Dr. Caton joined the Foreign Service in 1980. She worked in the embassies in Brussels (Second Secretary and First Secretary), Paris (First Secretary and a second time as Financial and Economic Counselor) and Stockholm (Deputy Head of Mission and Consul-General). While at home, she lead the Environment Policy Department. In 2004 she was the head of the Climate Change and Energy Group in the Foreign Affairs Ministry. Dr. Caton is married and has a daughter and a son. She is fluent in French and she speaks some Swedish and German.

Brazil

H.E. Luiz Sergio Gama Figueira, born in Rio de Janeiro on 10 January 1941, has a B.A. in Law and an M.A. in Diplomacy from Brazil. He completed his studies with a Master's degree in Economics from George Washington University in the United States. While in the Foreign Affairs Ministry, he held the positions of Acting Director of the Trade Promotion Division and of Secretary for Budgetary and Financial Affairs. Mr. Figueira has been posted in Washington, New York, Mexico City, Tokyo, Singapore, Brussels, and Montevideo. Before Finland, His Excellency was Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Oman. He was awarded several decorations, including the Legion d'Honneur, France; the Order of Rio Branco, Grand Cross, Brazil; and the Order of the Aztec eagle, Encomienda, Mexico.

Hungary

H.E. Dr. Andras Hajdu, appointed in February to be the Ambassador to Finland, is a career diplomat with a degree in Law from the University Eötvös Lorand in Budapest. He joined the International Law department of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1974, where he held a variety of different positions. He also worked in research and as a lecturer in the University where he used to be a student, where he was head of the Policy Planning Staff and the Section of European Political Affairs. His Excellency was previously the Ambassador to Sweden and was also accredited to Iceland and Denmark. He is member of Hungarian Atlantic Council, the Hungarian Society of Foreign Affairs, and of Hungarian Society of Political Sciences.

Mr. Andras Hajdu is divorced and has two daughters.

Switzerland

Born in 1947, H.E. Mr. Josef Bucher completed a Master Degree in Sociology in Fribourg and Geneva. Mr. Boucher joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1974 and served in Berne, Cairo and Amman. He was the Deputy Head of Mission to Jeddah, Oslo, Geneva - as Deputy head for the Delegation to EFTA and GATT - then Chargee d’Affaires in Libya. In 1997 H.E. was nominated as the Ambassador to Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda and the Seychelles. His Excellency is a special representative of Switzerland on conflict issues. He has co-chaired in 2002 the ceasefire negotiations in the 18 years old conflict in Sudan regarding the Nuba Mountains.

Mr. Josef Bucher is married and has three teenage daughters.

Argentina

HE Mrs. Lila Subirán de viana was appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Finland in September 2005. She graduated from the Political and Diplomatic Sciences, Universidad Nacional de Litoral. She joined the Foreign Service in 1963 and was posted in Chile, Netherlands, United States, Romania and Moldova. While in the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Argentina, she held positions in the Department of the Antarctica and the Malvinas Islands, the Latin American Affairs, and of European, American and North African Affairs. She headed Argentinean delegations to the un, visited the Antarctic and the Malvinas, and wrote her thesis on “The Antarctic Problem: Origin, Development and Possible Evolution of the Criteria that rule in the Antarctic Continent.” Over the last three years she was Responsible for the Women´s Group in the Argentine Council for the International Relations (c.a.r.i.)

In addition to Spanish and English she speaks French and Romanian. She is married and is mother of four.

Greece

HE Dimitri-Michael loundras offi cially became Ambassador of Greece to Finland on 16 October. He is a career diplomat with a law degree from the University of Athens. He was appointed Ambassador to Pakistan in 1997. He was previously posted in Canberra, Geneva, Tel Aviv and Munich. While in Greece, he worked in the Directorate for the Middle East, as Director of the Cabinet of the Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Director of the Directorate for Multilateral Economic Cooperation, and Director of the Diplomatic Cabinet of the President of the Republic. Mr. Loundras is the president of the Union of Greek Diplomats. He was decorated as the Knight Commander of the Holy Sepulcher of the Order of Phoenix. He also received the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit and the Grand Cross of the Order of Leopold ii (Belgium). Mr. Loundras speaks English, French, German, Italian and Hebrew. He is married and he has three daughters.

India

Mr. Pradeep Singh was appointed as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Finland on 16th September 2005. He graduated from the University of Delhi, India with Honours in Literature and Philosophy. He joined the Indian Diplomatic Service in 1981, working in Indian Missions in Afghanistan, France, Poland, Australia and New Zealand. While in the Government of India, New Delhi, he was responsible for promotion of foreign trade, emigration policy and, most recently, as Joint Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs and Deputy Director General of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (iccr). In addition, Mr. Singh has worked with multilateral and international organizations such as undp, unesco and wipo. He has led Government of India delegations to the Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries (tcdc) Conferences organized by UNDP in Jakarta (Indonesia), Manila (Philippines) and Accra (Ghana). Mr. Singh’s extra-curricular activities include golf and tennis.

Latvia

HE Mr Einars Semanis presented his credentials as Ambassador to Finland on 25 August 2005. He has a PhD in Philosphy and Masters degrees in Political Sciences, Philosophy, and Sociology. In addition to Latvia, he studied in Oslo, London and Moscow. He followed synology studies and British Parlamentary studies. Mr. Semanis joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1993 after a career as researcher, consultant, and lecturer in Riga andM oscow. He was posted twice in China, including one posting as Ambassador in 1999. He was also the Latvian Ambassador to the United States. While in the Minisitry for Foreign Affairs he was in charge of eu issues as Under Secretary of State. He was also acting Under Secretary of State in the Western Affairs Department and he was head of the Division of the American and Australian States. Mr. Semanis speaks Latvian, English, Russian and Chinese. His hobby is downhill skiing. He is married and he has one daughter.

Turkey

HE Mr. Reha Keskintepe presented his credentials as Ambassador to Finland in December 2005. He has a BA in Business Administration from Boaziçi University in Istambul. A career diplomat, Mr. Reha Keskintepe joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Turkey in 1981. He was appointed Third Secretary, and then Second Secretary in New Delhi in 1982, then Second and First Secretary in Washington in 1984. He was the First Secretary at the embassy in Moscow in 1990, the First Counsellor in the Turkish Mission to United Nations Offi ce in Geneva in 1995, and First Counsellor in the Embassy in Beijing in 1999. In the Ministry he last held the position of Deputy Director General-Plenipotentiary in the General Directorate for Policy Planning. He was also Head of Department for eu Affairs and was Chief of Section in the Department for relations with Greece. He speaks Turkish and English, he is married, and he has two children.