Coming Home to Georgetown
Former Swedish Ambassador Henrik
Liljegren and his glamorous Turkish wife
Nil are back, this time on a different kind of
diplomatic mission. The retired ambassador is
now the senior political/diplomatic advisor
to the president of the Saab Group, Northern
Europe’s largest high tech defense and civil
security company.
This diplomatic duo is particularly thrilled
to finally see the House of Sweden resting
gracefully on the banks of the Potomac in
lower Georgetown. After all, it was their idea:
to build the first
and only embassy
on the river.
But the Swedish
Foreign Ministry,
too worried about
flooding, said “no”
at first.
Later, when Jan
Eliasson became
the ambassador,
there was another
attempt, along with
some calculated
cheerleading from
Kate and Alan
Novak. Finally, after
more years, this
stunning Georgetown landmark was approved.
Ironically, flood waters inaugurated the House of
Sweden before the King and Queen could do so.
Hollywood on the Danube
Former Hungarian Ambassador András
Simonyi, who charmed American audiences
as a passionate rock’n’roll electric guitarist
with his band, The Coalition of the Willing,
is now in the movie business. Simonyi was
just appointed board chairman of the new |
Korda Studios, a recently opened $125 million
facility in Etyek, just outside Budapest, where
he hopes to “rejuvenate Hungary’s film
industry and bring my country back on to the
international film scene.”
Locals are already referring to the town
as “Etyekwood,” and betting that this worldclass
studio will help to make Hungary more
competitive in today’s global filmmaking market.
This Dance is Over
After four years, Argentina’s Ambassador
José Octavio Bordón (“Pilo” to his pals) and
his wife Mónica
have returned home,
leaving behind many
American friends.
This academic and
seasoned politician
will be remembered
as a favorite tango
partner with a great
sense of humor.
“I will not do
anything when I go
home,” he quipped,
just before leaving.
“My wife will go
back to work but I
will just stay home. I
can’t get a job. If all
the people in Washington who promise to visit
us really do come, we’ll have non-stop company.
That would be great, and that’s why I’m staying
home - so I can welcome each one!”
The Bordóns plan to follow the American
presidential campaigns closely. “We loved
campaigning,” remembered Mónica, “…I was
my husband’s pollster, so it was up to me to
give him the bad news.”
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