Appointment of UK Ambassador Designate to Lebanon

Hugo Shorter is delighted to take up his posting as Her Majesty’s Ambassador Designate to Lebanon. This will be his first Ambassadorial position coming straight from personally advising the Foreign Secretary on a wide range of Foreign Policy priorities as Head of External Affairs for Europe Directorate. In this role he has accompanied the Foreign Secretary on a monthly basis to the Foreign Affairs Council of the EU, helping negotiate EU foreign policy decisions in areas such as crisis management, sanctions and military operations. He has also co-ordinated the UK’s foreign policy work on G7/8, including during the UK G8 presidency in 2013 and the G8 Summit at Lough Erne. This work comes after an early-career focus on defence, security and trade policy, and successful postings as Minister Counsellor for Europe and Global Issues, Paris and Deputy Head of Mission, Brasilia.

Hugo Shorter, like many Lebanese, has a special connection to Brazil, having grown up there and attended school in Rio de Janeiro, before taking degrees at Oxford University and the École Nationale d’Administration. He arrives in Lebanon with his wife and three children.

On his appointment Mr. Shorter said: “I am honoured to take up this posting leading the British Embassy in Lebanon, and to celebrate 25 years in the FCO in Beirut. I have never had the same job title twice – I’ve negotiated on arms control; led on trade policy; been a private secretary to Ministers; worked on the EU’s external action around the world.  I’ve learned lessons from every country and every job that I have worked on, and I look forward to the new challenges of being an Ambassador in the Middle East.”

2012 – 2015                   FCO, Head, Europe Directorate External

2007 – 2012                   Paris, Counsellor, Europe & Global issues

2004 – 2007                  Brasilia, Deputy Head of Mission

2001 – 2004                  FCO, Deputy Head North East Asia & Pacific Department

2000 – 2001                   Private Secretary to Minister of State

1998 – 2000                   FCO, Head, Trade Policy Section, EU Department-External

1994 – 1998                    UKDel NATO, Second, later First Secretary

1992 – 1993                    Attachment to École Nationale d’Administration, Paris

1990 – 1992                    FCO, Desk Officer Spain & Portugal, Southern European Department

1990                                Joined FCO