May 2014

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Barbados

N. Simone Rudder departed the post of minister-counselor/deputy chief of mission on March 31, having also served as alternate representative of Barbados to the Organization of American States.

Gambia

Sheikh Omar Faye assumed the post of chargé d’affaires on March 31, replacing Babucarr Jallow, who departed the post March 31.

Ghana

Jojo Bruce-Quansah became information counselor on March 4, having previously served as counselor in the Information Section of the Ghana High Commission in London.

Vanessa Mensah Adu departed the post of minister-counselor on March 31.

Indonesia

Budi Bowoleksono presented his credentials to serve as ambassador of Indonesia to the United States to the State Department on April 1, 2014 having most recently served as secretary-general of the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He also previously served as Indonesia’s ambassador to Kenya, with concurrent accreditation to Seychelles, Mauritius, Uganda, the U.N. Environment Program and UNHCR (2008-10). In addition, Ambassador Bowoleksono was assigned to various offices in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including the Directorate General of Foreign Economic Relations; Directorate General of ASEAN Cooperation; Directorate General of Multilateral Affairs; and the Secretariat General. He started his diplomatic career at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1986 and since then has held postings at the Indonesian Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York, the Indonesian Permanent Mission in Geneva, and the Indonesian Permanent Mission in Vienna. Ambassador Bowoleksono graduated from Krisnadwipayana University in Jakarta in 1984.

Malaysia

Datuk Dr. Awang Adek Bin Hussin presented his credentials to serve as ambassador of Malaysia to the United States to the State Department on April 11, having served as a senator in the Malaysian Parliament since April 2009 and deputy finance minister since April 2013. Ambassador Awang Adek won the Bachok Parliamentary seat election in 2004 and was then appointed deputy rural and regional development minister. He began his career as a lecturer at the Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) from 1983 to 1985, later joining the Bank Negara Malaysia from 1985 to 2001, concluding his tenure there as assistant governor. Ambassador Awang Adek holds degrees in mathematics and economics from Drew University in the United States and a master’s and Ph.D. from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Malta

Sandro Curmi assumed the position of deputy chief of mission on Jan. 1, replacing Stephen Staines, who departed the post Dec. 31. Curmi previously held various positions in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs since 2009, most recently as European correspondent.

Republic of China (Taiwan)

Lyushin Shen became the representative (ambassador) of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO) in the United States on April 1, 2014. Representative Shen previously served as head of the Taipei Representative Office in the United Kingdom (2011-14); deputy minister of foreign affairs of the Republic of China (2009-11); head of the Taipei Representative Office in the European Union and Belgium (2008-09); and director-general of the Délégation Culturelle et Economique de Taipei in the Bureau de Genève (2003-08). He also has extensive experience working in the United States, including postings at TECRO in Washington, D.C., as deputy representative (1999-2003) and director of the Public Affairs (Congressional Liaison) Division (1994-96). In addition, he was director of the Secretariat (Political Affairs) Division with the Coordination Council for North American Affairs (CCNAA) in the U.S. (1993-94), director-general of the CCNAA Office in Kansas City (1991-93), and staff consultant for the congressional liaison of CCNAA (1982-88). Representative Shen was also a senior specialist and chief of the First Section of the Department of North American Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taipei (1988-91); a visiting adjunct professor of international studies at the University of Kansas (1992-93); a research associate with the University of Maryland School of Law in Baltimore (1981-82); and a pre-doctoral fellow with the Foreign Policy Research Institute in Philadelphia (1980-81). Born Nov. 12, 1949, in Taipei, Ambassador Shen holds a bachelor’s in law degree from the National Chung-Hsing University in Taipei, a master’s and a Ph.D. in international relations from the University of Pennsylvania, and an honorary Ph.D. in international affairs from Park University in Missouri.

Romania

Gabriel Rotaru assumed the position of counselor in January. Rotaru, who joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1999, previously served as consul in Madrid, Spain.

Stefana Rotaru assumed the position of counselor in January. Rotaru, who joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in August 2000, previously served in Romanian embassies to the Holy See, Ireland and Spain.

Slovenia

Col. Ivan Mikuz assumed the position of defense attaché on March 3, replacing Col. Ladislav Graber, who departed the post Dec. 15.

Turkey

Serdar Kılıç presented his credentials to serve as ambassador of Turkey to the United States to the State Department on April 16, 2014 having most recently served as ambassador to Japan since April 2012. He also previously served as secretary-general of the National Security Council (2010-12) and ambassador to Lebanon (2008-10). In addition, Ambassador Kılıç held various postings in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including deputy general director and minister-plenipotentiary of the Deputy General Directorate of NATO and Euro-Atlantic Security and Defense Affairs (2006-08); head of department of the Deputy General Directorate of the Balkans and Central Europe (2003-06); chief of section and acting head of department of the NATO and Euro-Atlantic Security and Defense Affairs Directorate (1997-99); first and second secretary with the Gulf and Muslim Countries Department (1992-93); and attaché and assistant attaché with the Eastern Europe and Asia Department (1984-87). He was also a counselor (1999-2003) and first secretary (1993-97) with the Turkish Permanent Delegation to NATO, deputy consul general of the Turkish Consulate General in Los Angeles (1989-92), and attaché and third secretary at the Turkish Embassy in Kuwait (1987-89). Born in 1958 in Samsun, Ambassador Kılıç is a graduate of Ankara University’s Faculty of Political Sciences and is married with one child.

Cari