Thierry Bechet has worked as a career diplomat for 39 years. He started his career as a national diplomat and joined the External Relations department of the European Commission in 1989 to deal with Middle-East issues. In 1991 he became member of the private offices of two successive members of the European Commission, dealing mainly with foreign policy, energy and institutional matters.
He was the European Commission’s head of mission in Jerusalem from 1996 to 1999 and went on to serve as deputy-chef de cabinet for the EC commissioner in charge of development policy and humanitarian assistance from 1999 to 2003. He then spent four years in Geneva in charge of the EC’s relationship with the Geneva-based United Nations system. He went back to the EEAS headquarters where he dealt with the Eastern Partnership and various regional files, including the OSCE, in which capacity he got involved in conflict resolution, in particular as chair of the 2nd working group of the Geneva Discussions on Georgia. He chaired the Council working party on the OSCE/Council of Europe for several years.
Thierry Bechet was appointed Ambassador & Permanent Representative of the European Union to the OSCE in Vienna in February 2013, and in 2017 EU ambassador to Norway. In August 2021, he was appointed Chief of Protocol of the European Diplomatic Service in Brussels, from which he retired in August 2023. Since then, he has worked as a free-lance advisor to advisory firms and NGOs, and as a trainer.
Thierry has extensive experience as teacher and trainer. He has been a visiting professor at the College of Europe for more than 20 years. During his time in the EU civil service, he was actively involved in training EEAS colleagues, notably those preparing their posting abroad, and was involved in training and mentoring EEAS colleagues and national diplomats joining the EEAS. He has conducted seminars at the College of Europe on diplomatic practice and protocol.