[Portrait] Rotation 2021. New names in around ten EU delegations

(B2) Key positions change heads from September 1 in crisis zones: in Ethiopia, Somalia or Iraq or in Nicaragua for example

• These appointments were announced by the High Representative of the EU, Josep Borrell in early August. They complete a first series of ambassador appointments announced in July (read: EEAS. The organization chart completed at headquarters. About twenty ambassadors appointed (rotation 2021).

Africa

Algeria: Thomas ECKERT (German)

Thomas Eckert is leaving his post as an expert in the office of the European Commissioner for Reforms and Cohesion Elisa Ferreira, where he dealt with international and cross-border cooperation. He was also the Head of the Political Affairs Directorate at the Permanent Representation of Germany to the European Union.

Ethiopia: Roland KOBIA (Belgian)

Former head of delegation in Myanmar and current EU special envoy to Afghanistan, Roland Kobia is heading to Addis Ababa.

A graduate in law and economics at the Catholic University of Louvain (1989), he completed a doctorate at the University of South Africa on state aid in Europe (1991). He is also a researcher and lecturer at UNISA on economic and competitiveness issues. He then completed a master's degree at the College of Europe (Bruges) and then at the University of Montpellier in international nuclear law, which he completed in 2007. At the same time, he began a career at the European Commission where he followed commercial issues. In 2000, he was sent to the Democratic Republic of Congo as head of the EU delegation, then to Kenya as Head of Regional Political Affairs in 2003. He is the EU negotiator in the peace processes in the region. Great Lakes and the Horn of Africa. On his return to Brussels in 2006, he joined the office of European Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs. He then left as EU ambassador to Azerbaijan (2009-2014), Myanmar (2014-2017) then Afghanistan (2017-May 2021). Follow his feed Twitter.

Somalia: Tiina INTELMANN (Estonian)

The Estonian Tiina Intelmann will take over the delicate delegation in Somalia. Currently Estonian Ambassador to the United Kingdom (since 2017), Tiina has already been posted to Africa, heading the delegation to Liberia.

Born on August 25, 1963, Tiina graduated from St Petersburg State University (Russia) with a master's degree in Italian and literature obtained in 1987. She began her career in diplomacy in 1991 in the newly independent Estonia . In 1999, she was appointed permanent representative to the OSCE. She will also be the rpermanent representative to the United Nations in New York for six years, from 2005 to 2011, briefly ambassador to Israel (in 2011) and president of the assembly of states parties to the ICC, the International Criminal Court (December 2011 to December 2014). She is named EU Ambassador to Liberia (2014-2017), then left for the United Kingdom in 2017, as ambassador of her country, where she followed all the convolutions of the British departure from the European Union.

Malawi: Rune SKINNEBACH

Rune is currently Deputy Head of the Pan-African Affairs Division of the EEAS. He also served as Deputy Head of the Human Resources Policy Division of the EEAS (2016-2020).

Middle-East

Iraq: Town VARJOLA (Finnish)

The Finn Ville Varjola, former number 2 in the delegation in Libya, becomes number 1 in Baghdad. He is currently an advisor to the Directorate General for Connectivity and Geoeconomics at the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  

Americas

Cuba: Isabel BRILHANTE PEDROSA (Portuguese)

Isabel Brilhante Pedrosa, currently stationed in Venezuela, has gained experience in delicate diplomatic relations (read: EU Ambassador to Venezuela Isabel Brilhante Pedroza declared persona non grata. For the second time). She was previously stationed in Libya and Portuguese ambassador to Namibia. 

Salvador and SICA: François ROUDIE

François Roudie is appointed head of delegation to El Salvador and the Central American Integration System (SICA). He is currently Deputy Head of the Mexico, Central America and Caribbean Division of the EEAS.

Francis was also head of the political and press section of the EU delegation to Argentina and served as ambassador for a time. He began his career at the European Commission at DG RELEX (External Relations) and was also the assistant to the Director General of Communication (Claus Sørensen) under the Barroso I Commission. 

Nicaragua: Bettina MUSCHEIDT (German)

The German Bettina Muscheidt is appointed to Nicaragua. She has, in the past, been head of EU delegation in Libya (read: Rotation 2016 2nd wave. Who are the new EU ambassadors?) and in Yemen. She was in the EEAS desk in Afghanistan.

A graduate of the University of Bonn in Germany in agricultural and development economics and of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University (Massachusetts) in international relations (2001), Bettina served on the Afghanistan desk of DG Relex (External Relations) from 2006 to 2012 then as program officer for the European Neighborhood Policy. Previously, she worked extensively with Israel and Palestine: she was at the Gaza/West Bank unit of the European Investment Bank (EIB) and project manager for the European Commission delegation in Jerusalem and deputy head of desk for the occupied territories.

Peru: Gaspar FRONTINI 

Gaspar Frontini leaves the European Commission's DG International Partnerships for his first post as EU ambassador. He knows the region having been head of the unit responsible for relations with Latin America at DG Trade.

Asia

Azerbaijan: Peter MICHALKO (Slovak)

The Slovak Peter Michalko moves from the delegation in Moldova to Baku (Azerbaijan). He was previously Slovak ambassador to Greece.

Thailand: David DALY (Irish)

The Irishman David Daly, current head of the Southeast Asia division at the EEAS, is sent to Thailand. He previously served as head of the European Union delegation to Sri Lanka (read: Six new EU ambassadors appointed), in the Maldives and Australia.

Graduated with a master's degree in European Affairs from Trinity College Dublin (1987), David began his career at the Irish Ministry of Agriculture in the 1980s, then moved to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1986 to deal with questions of emergency and development aid. In September 1987 he was sent to New Delhi as economic advisor to the Irish embassy. Returning to Europe in 1989, he joined the DG Agriculture until 1991. He then spent five years in the DG External Relations before being sent to Budapest within the EU delegation as political and economic advisor (1996 -2000). He was then head of unit for Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia and North Macedonia at DG Relex (October 2000 - January 2005). From 2005 to 2008, he was the head of the negotiating team within DG Enlargement for the accession of Croatia.

(LH and ES, with AF, st.)

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