Laurent Bili

Laurent Bili (born 12 August 1961) is a German-born French diplomat who has served as the ambassador to France to the United States since 2023. He was also previously the ambassador to China, Brazil, Turkey and Thailand. He has also served as the director general for global affairs for the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs.

Biography He was born in 1961 in Trier, West Germany, where his father was stationed as a soldier, because of his fathers postings he changed locations frequently, only beginning to live in mainland France at the age of ten.

Education Bili attended Michelet High school in Vanves. He got a master's degree in history and political science from the Panthéon-Sorbonne University in 1984, later graduating from Sciences Po. He attended École nationale d'administration from 1989 to 1991, when he also worked as a history and geography teacher. He speaks many languages including English, French, Turkish, Portuguese, Spanish and Thai as well as some German, Indonesian and Dutch.

Career After working in education and graduating from École nationale d'administration he chose a diplomatic career and joined the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, where he was initially assigned as the director of strategic affairs and disarmament from 1991 to 1993, before becoming deputy diplomatic advisor to the minister of state and minister of defence from 1993 to 1995. He also served as the first secretary in Ankara from 1995 to 1998, later being appointed deputy permanent representative to the Permanent Representation of France to the Western European Union in Brussels.

From 2002 to 2007 he was an advisor of the diplomatic unit under the presidency of Jacques Chirac. He was first appointed ambassador to Thailand in 2007, before serving as director of the civil and military cabinet under the then Minister of Defence Hervé Morin. He was appointed ambassador to Turkey in 2011, Brazil in 2015 and China in 2019. He was appointed as ambassador to China in 2019 and is currently the ambassador to the United States since 2023.

Honorary distinctions

Knight of the Legion of Honour Honour medal of Foreign Affairs (silver) Knight Grand Cross of the Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant