The High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, today welcomed Ambassador Jacques Andrieu as the new Deputy High Representative and Head of OHR Office South. Ambassador Andrieu takes over from Ambassador Jean-Pierre Berçot, who has been appointed as Ambassador of France in a West African country.
Since graduating in Political Science from the State College for Public Administration (ENA) in 1969, Ambassador Andrieu has spent most of his career as a senior public servant in the French state administration. He served as Prefect (highest ranking civil servant) in several regions of France. In 1997, he joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where his most recent position has been that of Special Prefect with responsibility for the foreign relations of French regions and municipalities. Ambassador Andrieu is married with two children.
The High Representative expresses his gratitude to Ambassador Berçot for the fruitful contribution, commitment and effort he brought to a broad range of responsibilities in Mostar and throughout Herzegovina. Among the key peace-implementation areas in which Ambassador Berçot has made an invaluable contribution are the integration of seats for Herzegovina-Neretva Canton Ministries; the establishment of the HNC Health Fund; the establishment of the HNC Employment Bureau; the unification of the Cadastre Office in Mostar; and the integration of the HNC budget. His contribution to the process of drafting a permanent Statute of Mostar City has been particularly appreciated.