San Jose Mercury News - Becatoros: AP chief in Athens

San Jose Mercury News - Becatoros: AP chief in Athens: "Becatoros: AP chief in Athens
The Associated Press
Article Launched: 05/04/2007 12:50:29 PM PDT

LONDON- Elena Becatoros, an editor in London and a former reporter in the Balkans for The Associated Press, has been named AP's chief of southeastern European news in Athens.

Her duties will include directing news coverage in Greece, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Macedonia and Albania, said Dan Perry, the AP's regional editor for Europe and Africa, who announced the appointment Thursday. She will be the successor of Patrick Quinn, who recently was named AP's assistant chief of Middle East news in Cairo.

Becatoros, 34, joined the AP in 1997 in Athens. She covered the Balkans, including the conflict in Albania and the wars in Kosovo and Macedonia, for five years before transferring to the International Desk in New York in 2002.

'I am excited and look forward to leading our strong team in coverage of a fascinating, changing and often challenging region,' she said of her appointment.

Becatoros moved to London in 2004, helping to establish a European-African regional editing hub. Reporting assignments in recent years have included the war in Iraq, international summits, the U.N. General Assembly and the 2004 Olympic Games."