BEIRUT: Former Arab News columnist Amal Mudallali was named on Thursday as Lebanon’s envoy to the UN.

Her name was among a list of diplomatic appointments announced by the Council of Ministers during a Cabinet session at Baabda Presidential Palace in Beirut under the chairmanship of President Michel Aoun and in the presence of Prime Minister Saad Al-Hariri.

Mudallali began her career in Lebanese newspaper An-Nahar, then moved to Washington after being granted an excellence scholarship from the Lebanese University, where she received her PhD.

When the late Rafik Al-Hariri was appointed prime minister, she worked as his foreign media adviser until his assassination. She is part of Saad Al-Hariri’s team of advisers.

The Council of Ministers also approved the following Foreign Ministry appointments: Ambassador Hani Shmeitli as secretary-general; Ambassador Ghadi Khoury as director of political and consular affairs; and Ambassador Kanj Al-Hajal as director of administrative and financial affairs.

Among the most prominent ambassadors on the list was Fawzi Kabbara, ambassador to Saudi Arabia, and Gaby Issa, ambassador to the US.