AMBASSADOR FERENC SOMOGYI

Dr. FERENC SOMOGYI

Born:        September 1st, 1945, Hartkirchen (Austria)

Studies:    1952-64 Primary and secondary schools in Budapest

                University degrees:

                1968: International relations, University of Economics, Budapest                    1979: International relations, College for Political Sciences, Budapest

                University Doctoral Degree:

                1977: World economics, University of Economics, Budapest

Professional career:

1968-1991         Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Hungary

1968-1969         Junior desk officer, Budapest

1969-1971         Attaché, Hungarian Embassy, Rangoon, Burma

1971-1973         Second Secretary, Hungarian Embassy, Lagos, Nigeria

1973-1980         Senior desk officer, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Budapest

1980-1984         Deputy Permanent Representative of Hungary to the United    

                       Nations, New York

1984-1989         Head of Department for Multilateral and Global Issues, MFA,

                       Budapest

1986                 Promoted to the rank of Ambassador Extraordinary and

                       Plenipotentiary

1989-1990         State Secretary, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Budapest

1990-1991         Professional State Secretary, Ministry for Foreign Affairs,

                       Budapest

- Chief negotiator, talks on the withdrawal of Soviet troops

from Hungary

1992-1994         Chairman, Exportguarantie Ltd (later: EXIM Bank),

                             Budapest

1992-1994        Director of Faculty, College for Foreign Trade, Budapest    

1994-1998          Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Hungary

1994-1996          Professional State Secretary, Ministry for Foreign Affairs,

                        Budapest

1996-1998          State Secretary, Euro-Atlantic Integration, Ministry for Foreign  Affairs, Budapest

                        - Chief negotiator for the Hungary–Slovakia Framework Treaty

                        - Chief negotiator for the Hungary–Romania Framework Treaty

- Chief negotiator for Hungary’s NATO accession talks

- Chief negotiator for Hungary’s EU accession talks

1998-2001         MATÁV Hungarian Telecommunications, Budapest

                        Director for Euro-Atlantic Integration

2001-2004         CEO, Stonebridge Communications AD, Skopje, Macedonia

                            (member of the MATÁV Group) 

2004-2006         Minister for Foreign Affairs of Hungary

2006-2007         Magyar Telekom, Hungarian Telecommunications Co.,

                             Budapest

                       Director for International Affairs

Other functions:

1989-1992         Member, Hungarian Olympic Committee

1994-1998         Member, Hungarian Olympic Committee

1994-               Member, Board of Trustees, Mc. Daniel College, Westminster,

                       Md., USA

1998-               Member, International Advisory Board, Institute for the Study of

                           Europe, Columbia University, New York, N.Y., USA

1998-2003         President, Hungarian Atlantic Council

1999-2001         Member, Board of the American Chamber of Commerce, Hungary

2001-2003         Vice-President, Atlantic Treaty Associations

Ambassador Somogyi with his family