France

Philippe Etienne became the ambassador of France to the United States on July 8, 2019. He previously held numerous posts within the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, notably as ambassador of France to Romania (2002-05); director of the Cabinet of the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs (2007-09); permanent representative of France to the European Union (2009-14); ambassador of France to Germany (2014-17); and most recently, diplomatic adviser to President Emmanuel Macron (2017-19). Ambassador Etienne is an expert on the European Union and continental Europe. He has held posts in Moscow, Belgrade, Bucharest, Bonn, Berlin and Brussels. He has also served as an adviser in the Cabinet of the Minister of Foreign Affairs on several occasions. A graduate of the École Normale Supérieure and the Ecole Nationale d’Administration (“Voltaire” Class, 1980), Ambassador Etienne also holds the Agrégation (teaching diploma) in mathematics, has a degree in economics and is a graduate of the National Institute for Oriental Languages and Civilizations (Serbo-Croatian). He speaks English, German, Spanish, Russian and Romanian. He also is an Officer of the Legion of Honor and a Commander of the National Order of Merit.

Peru

Hugo de Zela became ambassador of Peru to the United States and coordinator of the Lima Group on July 8, 2019, having previously served as Peru’s vice minister of foreign affairs since April 2018. He also served as chief of staff of the General Secretariat of the Organization of American States (OAS) on two occasions, from 1989 to 1994 and 2011 to 2015. A career diplomat with 42 years of experience, Ambassador de Zela has served as permanent representative to the OAS, Peru’s ambassador to Brazil and Argentina, Peru’s national coordinator in the Rio Group, as well as a member of Peru’s delegation in border negotiations with Ecuador from 1997 to 1998. He holds a degree in international relations from the Diplomatic Academy of Peru and has studies in economic and administrative sciences at the Universidad de la República Oriental del Uruguay, as well as doctorate studies in political sciences at the Unversidad del Salvador in Argentina.

Sri Lanka

E. Rodney M. Perera became ambassador of Sri Lanka to the United States on July 8, 2019, having previously served as his country’s ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg and the European Union. A member of the Sri Lankan Foreign Service for over three decades, Ambassador Perera has held various senior posts in Sri Lanka missions abroad and in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He served as additional secretary and as the ministry spokesman from 2013 to 2014, and he was Sri Lanka’s ambassador to Norway (2009-12) and to Italy (2003-07). Ambassador Rodney Perera holds a master’s degree in international relations from Columbia University in New York. He is also the recipient of “Grande Ufficiale – Ordine Della Stella Della Solidarieta” (Grand Officer of the Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity), Italy’s highest civilian honor.