Ferdinando Salleo

Ferdinando Salleo entered diplomacy in 1960 after studying law in Rome. His early career took him to Paris, President Giuseppe Saragat’s office, New York, Prague, and Washington. He subsequently headed the NATO desk, served in Bonn, and directed development cooperation before becoming Italy’s representative to the OECD. These assignments preceded his appointment as ambassador to the Soviet Union in 1989. ¹

In his oral history, Salleo recalled meeting Mikhail Gorbachev at the Kremlin on 24 December 1991, accompanied by diplomat Aldo Amati, shortly before the Soviet president’s resignation. He later became the foreign ministry’s political director and secretary general. His account also names Manlio Brosio and Egidio Ortona among the senior diplomats from whom he learned during his early service. ¹

Salleo returned to Washington as ambassador in 1995 and remained until 2003. The construction and opening of the new Whitehaven Street chancery took place during this mission. Architect Piero Sartogo’s account distinguishes the contributions of the embassy team: Stefano Benazzo coordinated functional and security requirements, while Maria Rosa Ciannella handled administrative and financial review. Salleo joined Foreign Minister Lamberto Dini and Sartogo at the chancery’s opening on 21 June 2000. ²

After retirement, Salleo continued writing and discussing diplomatic history. His published work includes Albania: un regno per sei mesi, a study of the short reign established in Albania in 1914; in his 2023 oral history he recalled the professional culture and political crises he encountered. ¹