BRATISLAVA, January 2, (WEBNOVINY) — The Foreign Affairs Ministry has managed to fill all vacant posts in economic diplomacy as planned by its head Mikulas Dzurinda. Several selection processes took place. Suitable candidates were sought via advertising, press and the Internet. The service in exotic countries drew attention of hundreds of people. In early June 2011, Dzurinda announced big changes to the Slovak diplomacy.
The ministry planned to fill twenty-two posts in the first round of selection procedures; e.g., offices in Moscow, Oslo, Beijing, Nairobi and Zagreb. “As many as 257 candidates applied; posts in San Francisco, Ottawa and Oslo raised the strongest interest. Eighteen jobs were filled in the first round,” ministerial spokesman Lubos Schwarzbacher remarked. The minister offered seven posts to the staff of his department. Jobs in Moscow, Seoul, Damascus and Pretoria attracted one applicant each. No one wanted to travel to Beijing, Mumbai and Tunis.
As a result, the ministry prepared a second round. “The second selection round to fill posts of economic diplomats at Slovakia’s embassies abroad with external candidates was successfully completed,” Schwarzbacher confirmed. Twelve diplomats will serve in Moscow, Seoul, Damascus, Pretoria, Beijing, Baghdad, Tashkent, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Mumbai and Tunis. Jobs in Baghdad and Damascus awoke the least interest.
The Foreign Affairs Ministry decided to close fifteen commercial sections at embassies in fifteen EU countries, for instance, in Paris, Prague, Athens, Brussels and Vienna. Dzurinda explained that those posts had to be closed so that twelve posts of economic diplomats could be opened in countries with great potential, namely in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
SITA