MUSTAFA KEMAL ATATÜRK

Taras Shevchenko

Taras Schevchenko (1814-1861) was a Ukrainian poet and a fighter for the independence of Ukraine whose literary heritage is regarded as the foundation of modern Ukrainian literature. The monument is dedicated to the liberation and independence of all captive nations.

Located at 2200 block of P Street NW (22nd St NW, Washington, DC 20037)

Embassy of Turkey

2525 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

Tel: +1 202 612-6700 | Email: embassy.washingtondc@mfa.gov.tr

Hasan Murat Mercan, a founding member of Turkey’s ruling conservative Justice and Development Party (AKP), has represented his country as ambassador to the US since March 2021. Mercan earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degree in industrial engineering (1981 and 1984) from Istanbul’s Boğaziçi University, and a PhD in decision and information sciences in 1989 from the University of Florida in Gainesville. He’s been an assistant professor of management at several institutions including Anadolu University in Eskişehir, Bilkent University in Ankara, and Ohio’s Cleveland State University.

From 2007 to 2011, Mercan was a deputy for Eskişehir and chairman of the Turkish Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs (2007-11). He went to become deputy minister of energy (2012-14); chairman of the World Energy Council’s Turkish National Committee (2014-17) and Turkey’s ambassador to Japan (2017-21) before assuming his current post.

In a recent article for Defense One, Mercan said “it’s time for rapprochement between Turkey and the United States,” noting that “recent events from Afghanistan to Africa require us to revisit the entire transatlantic partnership—together.”

Embassy of Turkmenistan

2207 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

Tel: +1 202 588-1500 | Email: turkmenembassyus@verizon.net

Meret Bairamovich Orazov, born in 1950, has been Turkmenistan’s ambassador to the US since 2001, with accreditation to Mexico since 2013.

Before representing the former Soviet republic as a diplomat, Orazov was chancellor of Turkmen State University (1992-2001), interrupted only by a stint as Turkmenistan’s minister of foreign economic relations from 1995 to 1997.

He served as director of the Mathematical Institute of Turkmenistan’s Academy of Science (1991-94); first secretary of the Democratic Party of Turkmenistan (1991-92); chancellor of the Economic University of Turkmenistan (1987-91) and chairman of the mathematics department at that same institution (1983-84).

Orazov earned his master’s and doctorate degrees in mathematics from Moscow State Lomonosov University (1973 and 1976). His areas of research were functional and spectral analysis; mathematical problems of fluid mechanics; and educational problems during transition to a market economy.

Orazov and his wife, Irina Orazova, have three children and one granddaughter.

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Embassy of Uganda

5911 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011

Tel: +1 202 726-7100 | Email: info@ugandaembassyus.org

Embassy of Uganda

5911 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011

Tel: +1 202 726-7100 | Email: info@ugandaembassyus.org

Robinah Kakonge has been named to replace Mull Sebujja katenda as Uganda’s new ambassador to the United States.

Her father was John Kakonge, secretary-general of the opposition Uganda Peoples Congress. In 1972, the elder Kakonge was kidnapped in broad daylight from his Kampala wine shop and murdered on the orders of former president-for-life Idi Amin.

The ambassador, who has no memory of her father, fled with her mother to the US in 1977, where she was educated and has spent most of her adulthood. She graduated from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications. In addition, Kakonge has a master’s degree in journalism from New York’s Columbia University, as well as a master’s in public health leadership from Uganda Christian University.

A former communications officer for Uganda’s mission to the United Nations, Kakonga has focused her career on public health (including HIV/AIDS and COVID-19 policies); business and innovation; sustainable agriculture; media and communications; and national security.

Kakonge is also a founding member of both the Uganda Council on Foreign Relations and the American Chamber of Commerce in East Africa.

Embassy of Ukraine

3350 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20007

Tel: +1 202 349-2963 | Email: emb_us@mfa.gov.ua

Oksana Markarova was appointed Ukraine’s ambassador to the US in April 2021. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in environmental science from Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, and an MPA in public finance from Indiana University.

A former minister of finance and deputy minister before that, Markarova co-authored Ukraine’s macroeconomic revival program, which led to a deficit-to-GDP ratio of 2%. She introduced midterm budgeting and gender-oriented budgeting. She also negotiated, structured and coordinated two IMF programs and other agreements with international financial institutions.

During her tenure, Markarova and her team also created the UkraineInvest government promotion agency, the Ukrainian Startup Fund and a system of online public finance portals. Before joining the government, Markarova spent 17 years in private equity and finance, with leadership roles in the ITT investment group, Western NIS Enterprise Fund, Chemonics and other ventures.

Markarova serves on the boards of the Ukraine House DC Foundation, Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, and the Ukrainian Development Foundation. She’s married, with four children and a grandson.

Ambassador

Yousef Al Otaiba

Embassy of the United Arab Emirates

3522 International Court NW, Suite #100 Washington, DC 20008

Tel: +1 202 243-2400 | Email: washingtonemb@mofaic.gov.ae

Yousef Al Otaiba, one of the most visible and influential foreign diplomats in Washington, has been the ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to the US since 2008.

Al Otaiba’s leadership was instrumental in finalizing the US-UAE 123 Agreement for Peaceful Civilian Nuclear Energy Cooperation (2009), hosting the Special Olympic World Games in Abu Dhabi (2019) and facilitating the historic UAE-Israel normalization agreement (2020). His key role in the Abraham Accords led to his inclusion in TIME’s list of the 100 most influential people of 2020.

In addition to boosting bilateral trade by 70% since becoming ambassador, Al Otaiba has also helped finance community programs across the US. His embassy’s Community Soccer Program has funded 11 new soccer fields in low-income cities. In addition, Al Otaiba sits on the board of the Special Olympics as well as Harvard Kennedy School’s Leadership Council.

Before his current post, Al Otaiba was director of international affairs for Gen. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the crown prince of Abu Dhabi and deputy supreme commander of the UAE Armed Forces.

Embassy of the United Kingdom

3100 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

Tel: +1 202 588-6500 | Email: public.affairsdc@fcdo.gov.uk

Karen Pierce is the UK’s ambassador in Washington. Prior to this, she was Britain’s permanent representative to the UN in New York, and before that, director-general for political affairs and chief operating officer of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) in London.

Pierce joined the FCO in 1981. Her first posting was Tokyo (1984-87); she then returned to the UK, joining the Security Policy Department. Pierce later served as private secretary to the British ambassador in Washington (1992-95), then held several posts including team leader for Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova; deputy head of the Eastern Adriatic department, head of the newsroom, and later of both the EU department and the Afghanistan Political Military Unit before returning to the Balkans as a coordinator for four years.

In 2006, Pierce moved to New York for her UN ambassadorship, returning to London in 2009 to direct the South Asia/Afghanistan department. In 2012, Pierce relocated to Geneva, where she was UK permanent representative to the UN, WTO and other bodies. In 2015-16, she was Britain’s ambassador to Afghanistan.

Embassy of Uruguay

1913 I Street NW, Washington, DC 20006

Tel: +1 202 331-1313 | Email: urueeuu@mrree.gub.uy

Andrés Augusto Durán has been Uruguay’s ambassador to the United States since September 2020. A lawyer by profession, Durán has over 20 years of experience in the private sector, having participated in key foreign investment projects, mergers and acquisitions throughout Latin America.

Before his current post, Durán was executive advisor for Ashmore Group’s private equity and real estate division, leading M&As while coordinating activities between the company’s New York and Bogotá offices (2018- 2020).

Previously, Durán was a founding partner at Bragard & Durán (2011-18) and a partner and associate with Hughes & Hughes (1998-2011). He was also a visiting attorney in Slaughter & May (2008), and worked in the legal division of the Inter-American Investment Corp. (currently IDB Invest).

Durán earned a law degree from Uruguay’s Catholic University and an LL.M. in international legal studies from the Georgetown University Law Center. He also has an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management.

Durán and his wife, Isabel Lindner, have two children. He enjoys tennis, running and soccer.