Jan Matthysen
Encyclopedia
Jan Matthysen is the current ambassador of Belgium
to the United States
.
in 1973 with a degree in Contemporary Political History. Having joined the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1984, he became First Secretary at the Belgian Embassy in Bonn
, then Counselor at the Embassy in then East Berlin
, a position which he held through the German reunification
in 1990. He was a chargé d'affaires and later ambassador in Belgrade
beginning in 1994. In 1997 he became Head of the NATO desk at the headquarters of the Foreign Ministry in Brussels. From 1999 to 2000, he was the Acting Head of the General Directorate for Political-Military Affairs and a senior advisor on Kosovo
to the United Nations Secretary General's Special Representative for the Balkans. In 2000 he moved to Ankara as ambassador to Turkey
, Azerbaijan
and Turkmenistan
, and in 2004 he moved to Bangkok to become ambassador to Thailand
, Cambodia
, Laos
and Burma. He was appointed ambassador to the United States on 17 February 2009 and presented his credentials to United States President Barack Obama on 20 May 2009.
He and his wife Agnes Aerts have five children.
Diplomatic missions of Belgium
This is a list of diplomatic missions of Belgium, excluding honorary consulates. Belgium is unique in having three networks of representation — one for the Belgian state, another for Dutch-speaking community of Flanders and Brussels, and a third one for the French-language Community of...
to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Life
Matthysen graduated from Ghent UniversityGhent University
Ghent University is a Dutch-speaking public university located in Ghent, Belgium. It is one of the larger Flemish universities, consisting of 32,000 students and 7,100 staff members. The current rector is Paul Van Cauwenberge.It was established in 1817 by King William I of the Netherlands...
in 1973 with a degree in Contemporary Political History. Having joined the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1984, he became First Secretary at the Belgian Embassy in Bonn
Bonn
Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
, then Counselor at the Embassy in then East Berlin
East Berlin
East Berlin was the name given to the eastern part of Berlin between 1949 and 1990. It consisted of the Soviet sector of Berlin that was established in 1945. The American, British and French sectors became West Berlin, a part strongly associated with West Germany but a free city...
, a position which he held through the German reunification
German reunification
German reunification was the process in 1990 in which the German Democratic Republic joined the Federal Republic of Germany , and when Berlin reunited into a single city, as provided by its then Grundgesetz constitution Article 23. The start of this process is commonly referred by Germans as die...
in 1990. He was a chargé d'affaires and later ambassador in Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
beginning in 1994. In 1997 he became Head of the NATO desk at the headquarters of the Foreign Ministry in Brussels. From 1999 to 2000, he was the Acting Head of the General Directorate for Political-Military Affairs and a senior advisor on Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
to the United Nations Secretary General's Special Representative for the Balkans. In 2000 he moved to Ankara as ambassador to Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
and Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan , formerly also known as Turkmenia is one of the Turkic states in Central Asia. Until 1991, it was a constituent republic of the Soviet Union, the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic . Turkmenistan is one of the six independent Turkic states...
, and in 2004 he moved to Bangkok to become ambassador to Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
, Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
and Burma. He was appointed ambassador to the United States on 17 February 2009 and presented his credentials to United States President Barack Obama on 20 May 2009.
He and his wife Agnes Aerts have five children.