Sven Alkalaj

Sven Alkalaj (born 11 November 1948) is a Bosnian diplomat who served as the country's Minister of Foreign Affairs from 11 January 2007 until 12 January 2012. More recently, he held the post of Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe between 2012 and 2014.

Sven Alkalaj
Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
In office
8 March 2012 – 8 April 2014
Preceded byJán Kubiš
Succeeded byChristian Friis Bach
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office
11 January 2007 – 12 January 2012
Prime MinisterNikola Špirić
Preceded byMladen Ivanić
Succeeded byZlatko Lagumdžija
Bosnia and Herzegovina Ambassdor to the United States
In office
23 June 1994 – 14 June 2000
Preceded byOffice established
Succeeded byIgor Davidović
Personal details
Born (1948-11-11) 11 November 1948
Sarajevo, PR Bosnia and Herzegovina, FPR Yugoslavia
CitizenshipBosnia and Herzegovina
Croatia
Political partyParty for Bosnia and Herzegovina
Alma materUniversity of Sarajevo

Alkalaj served as the first Bosnia and Herzegovina Ambassdor to the United States during the 1990's. He is one of the most prominent Bosnian Jews of Sephardic origin and is a longtime member of the Party for Bosnia and Herzegovina (SBiH), formery led by Haris Silajdžić.

Background

Alkalaj was born on 11 November 1948 in Sarajevo to a Sephardi Jewish father and a Bosnian Croat Catholic mother.[1][2] He was raised Jewish.[3][4]

His paternal family emigrated from Spain and settled in Sarajevo hundreds of years ago when they fled the Spanish Inquisition.[4] Alkalaj graduated in mechanical engineering from the University of Sarajevo in 1974. He returned to the university in 1987 and earned a degree in economics.

Career

From 1975 until 1985, Alkalaj worked at Petrolinvest as a commercial manager in Sarajevo. He would later work at Energoinvest, firstly as a regional manager for the Middle and Far East in Sarajevo, and then as a managing director in Bangkok, Thailand. From 23 June 1994 until 14 June 2000, Alkalaj served as the first Bosnia and Herzegovina Ambassdor to the United States in Washington, D.C.. Later on, he was the Ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the Organization of American States (OAS) and the Ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina to Belgium and Head of Mission of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Brussels.

From 11 January 2007 until 12 January 2012, Alkalaj served as Minister of Foreign Affairs in the government of Nikola Špirić. From 8 March 2012 to 8 April 2014, he was the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) in Geneva.[5]

Criticism

Alkalaj was criticised and his resignation demanded in 2007 after it was published in Bosnian media that he had taken Croatian citizenship in 2006 based upon his mother's lineage.[1]

Alkalaj was charged by prosecutors in a case before the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina with misconduct in his office as Minister of Foreign Affairs related to his "signing off on a cash award of 13,418.59 KM to his then deputy [Mrs] Ana Trišić-Babić for her work at the Bosnian Council of Ministers NATO coordination team."[6]

References
  1. "Ministar VP neće glasati na izborima u Hrvatskoj" (in Croatian). Nacional. 5 November 2007. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
  2. Rose, Jasmina (30 June 2009). "Bosni je potrebna EU i Amerika" (in Croatian). Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
  3. Perelman, Marc (10 October 2007). "Divided Bosnia Puts Forward a Jewish Face". The Forward. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
  4. Franklin, Stephen (8 April 1995). "Jews, Muslims Come Together For Bosnia". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
  5. "EXCOM welcomes Executive Secretary". UNECE.
  6. "Indictment against Sven Alkalaj Confirmed". Cin.ba. 14 April 2015. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
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