NATO Senior Civilian Representative in Afghanistan

Ambassador Fernando Gentilini

May 2008

• Born in Subiaco (Rome), Italy, 2nd March 1962;
• Graduated in Law from the University of Rome, 1986;
• Joined the Italian Diplomatic Service in February 1990; first assigned to Department of Human Resources and Administration, Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Rome;
• Second Secretary (Economics and Trade) at the Italian Embassy in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), July 1992;
• Promoted to First Secretary of Legation, January 1995;
• First Secretary at the Italian Permanent Representation to the E.U. in Brussels, December 1996;
• Seconded as Italian Representative within the Policy Planning and Early Warning Unit at the E.U. Council Secretariat, under the authority of the High Representative for the E.U. Common Foreign and Security Policy, December 1999;
• Promoted to Counsellor of Legation, Rome, July 2000;
• Posted to MFA’s Department of European Countries as Head of Unit for Western Balkans, Rome, December 2002;
• Seconded as E.U. High Representative’s Personal Representative to Kosovo, April 2004;
• Promoted to Counsellor of Embassy, July 2004;
• Seconded to the Policy Unit at the Office of the Secretary General/High Representative for the CFSP in Brussels, December 2004;
• Seconded to the Presidency of the Council as Deputy Diplomatic Advisor to the Italian Prime Minister, Rome, August 2006;
• Second Lieutenant (short service) of the Italian Army (Artillery), March 1987;
• Awarded the Italian Honour, “Cavaliere Ufficiale dell’Ordine al Merito della Repubblica” in 2006.