Catherine Ashton, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, has appointed new heads of the EU delegations in Azerbaijan, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Kyrgyzstan, Paraguay and Sri Lanka. Three of the appointees are national diplomats from the EU member states; the other three come from the European External Action Service.
The EEAS described the appointments as part of the annual reshuffling of diplomatic posts.
Malena Mård, a Swedish diplomat, has been appointed head of the EU’s delegation in Azerbaijan. Mård is currently the head of the department for eastern Europe and central Asia in Sweden’s foreign ministry. She has also served in St Petersburg, Dhaka and Brussels.
Alberto Navarro, a Spanish diplomat, has been appointed head of the EU’s delegation to the Dominican Republic. Navarro is currently Spain’s ambassador to Morocco and previously served as director of the European Commission’s department for humanitarian aid (ECHO) and as head of the Commission’s delegation to Brazil. Navarro also served as head of the private office of Javier Solana, the EU’s foreign policy chief, and state secretary for Europe in the Zapatero government.
Ketil Karlsen of Denmark has been appointed head of delegation in Honduras. He is currently chargé d’affaires of Denmark’s embassy to Zimbabwe and previously served as deputy ambassador in Nicaragua, with responsibility for Central America.
Cesare de Montis, an Italian national, has been appointed head of delegation in Kyrgyzstan. De Montis is currently co-ordinator for the economic chapter of the EU’s association negotiations with the Caucasus countries in the EEAS and was previously head of delegation in Moldova and Venezuela.
Alessandro Palmero of Italy has been appointed head of the EU delegation to Paraguay. Palmero currently serves as deputy head of division for the Mercosur countries in the European External Action Service in Brussels, and was previously head of operation in the Commission’s delegation to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
David Daly of Ireland has been appointed head of delegation in Sri Lanka. He moves from Canberra, where he heads the EU’s delegation to Australia and New Zealand. He was previously head of the Croatia unit in the Commission’s department for enlargement.