Mr Martin Eichtinger is Ambassador Designate of Austria to Romania and the Republic of Moldova. Before taking up this position, Mr Eichtinger was secretary general of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Labour, and also worked as Chief of Staff at the Cabinet of the Federal Minister, Austrian Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Labour. His professional background also includes work as director of International Relations at the Federation of Austrian Industry and as Chief of Staff of Dr. Maria Schaumayer, Special Representative of the Austrian Federal Government for the Settlement of Slave and Forced Labour Related Issues in the Federal Chancellery. A Doctor from the University of Graz in Austria, Mr Eichtinger also has a diploma in international affairs from the Johns Hopkins University; Bologna Center, Italy and attended the Institut d’études politiques in Paris. The new Ambassador is married with two children and speaks English, French, Italian, Spanish and Russian.

Mrs Carmen Tanasie, previously marketing manager for Ozone Laboratories, has been appointed CEO of Omnicom Media Group in Romania. Having worked for four years at Wella Romania as marketing manager, she moved to head the marketing for Coty Lancaster and then Beiersdorf Romania. In 2002 she was promoted to senior product group manager and media analysis project manager for the whole of the CEE region. In 2004 she took on the job of International Senior Brand Manager for Nivea Sun.

Mr Maurizio De Dominicis, 53, is the new general manager of Ericsson Telecommunications Romania. Previous to this position, he was president of Ericsson TTI Turkey, Key Account Manager for Spanish mobile telecom operator Amena as well as Global Account Manager at Telecom Italia Mobile.

Mr Javed Khattak has been appointed first secretary of the Embassy of Pakistan, replacing Mr Arshad Jan Pathan.

Mr Bart Maas has been appointed managing director of British American Tobacco Romania.

Spanish-based GED Real Estate investment fund has started operations in Romania, with Mr Marcelo Canellas as managing director and Mr Rafael Trebolle as deputy managing director.

Mr Alexandru Sassu, 52, is the new president of the Romanian Public Television (TVR) network for the next four years. The Social Democratic Party (PSD) proposed Mr Sassu for this job, which Parliament approved. Mr Sassu started his political carreer as a member of the Democratic Party (PD), but when Traian Basescu became the president of PD in 2003, he switched to the PSD. A deputy for 12 years, Mr Sassu was a specialist in dealing with the press and was head of the parliamentary Commission for Culture, Art and Mass-Media. In 1998, he became Minister delegate for Relationships with Parliament.

Mr Rasvan Popescu, 45, has been appointed by the Parliament as the president of the National Broadcasting Council (CNA). In 1998, Mr Popescu was appointed as a spokesperson for the Government and in 1999 became spokesman for President Emil Constantinescu. He was editor-in-chief of Romanian public TV station, TVR1, and between 1992 and 1996 was a correspondent for BBC.

Mr Iulian Buga, 50, the former Romanian Ambassador to Hague, is secretary of state in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Earlier this year Adrian Cioroianu, Minister of Foreign Affairs, proposed Mr Buga to become Romanian Ambassador to Washington, a post left open for more than a year, but President Traian Basescu failed to approve the move. Between 1994 and 1997, Mr Buga was second secretary, first secretary and counsellor at the Romanian Embassy in Washington.

Mr Gheorghe Oprescu is the new president of the Competition Council. Mr Oprescu will occupy this position until 2009. Now he is an economics professor at the Polytechnic Institute of Bucharest. Between 2001 and 2004, Mr Oprescu helped negotiate the country’s accession to the EU with Brussels. Between 1996 and 2001, he was vice-president of the Competition Council.

Mr Arvid Enders has been appointed as head of the Economic and Comercial Section of the German Embassy. Married, the 38 year-old father of three joined the foreign service in 1996 and held positions in the Protocol Department, European Affairs Department, German Embassy Beijing, Parliamentary and Cabinet Affairs Section. Before arriving to Bucharest in September 2007, he was the personal secretary of the German Federal Government Commissioner for Human Rights Policy and Humanitarian Aid.

Mr Vitor Candido Paim Gobato has been appointed Ambassador of Brazil to Romania.

Mr Rasem Hashem has been appointed as the new Ambassador of Jordan to Romania.