Jacques Andréani

Jacques Andréani entered diplomacy after Sciences Po and the École nationale d'administration. An early Washington posting was followed by Moscow from 1960 to 1962 and responsibility for Soviet and eastern European affairs in Paris. In 1970 he became France's deputy representative at NATO. ¹

He led the French negotiating team from the preparatory talks for the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe in 1972 through the Geneva negotiations that produced the Helsinki Final Act in 1975. Looking back in a recorded oral history, he argued that the human rights provisions had greater consequences than negotiators initially expected, while acknowledging France's caution toward Soviet dissidents. ¹

Andréani subsequently directed European affairs, served as ambassador in Egypt and Italy, and headed Foreign Minister Roland Dumas's staff. He returned to Washington as ambassador from 1989 to 1995. In 1991 he addressed the Independence Day naturalization ceremony at Monticello. ^{2, 3}

After retirement he continued special diplomatic assignments. In 2000 he represented France in negotiations with the United States over compensation for Jewish banking assets confiscated during the occupation. He also taught international relations and wrote books on relations with America, Helsinki, and French identity. ¹