Foreign Ministry has internal reshuffle

Three new deputy directors-general are appointed to head up new function-based directorates.

By HERB KEINON
As part of a significant structural reorganization inside the Foreign Ministry, the ministry’s appointment committee named three new senior deputy directors-general on Thursday, who will be in charge of new function-based directorates.
Ran Curiel, the returning ambassador to the EU in Brussels, will head the directorate overseeing diplomatic activity; Pini Avivi, who has been the deputy director-general for Russia and Eurasia, was named head of the directorate dealing with multilateral and global issues; and Gideon Meir, the returning ambassador to Italy, will head the public affairs directorate.
RELATED:Israel and South Sudan formally establish ties Israel, Turkey get more time before UN flotilla report
Curiel’s directorate will be responsible for all bilateral relations, with all the regional division and country desks – such as the European Division, the Latin American Division and the North American Division – now under his directorate’s authority.
Aviv’s directorate will be the umbrella over the departments in the ministry that deal with the UN, international organizations, economic issues and international aid.
And the public affairs directorate will house the public affairs and spokesman units, as well as the departments dealing with religious affairs and Jewish and Diaspora affairs.
The Center for Policy Research – the intelligence branch of the ministry – will remain independent. Additionally, Naor Gilon, currently head of the European division, was appointed Thursday as the new envoy to Italy.