US clears incoming French ambassador after UN dispute
Aurelien Lechevallier is expected to arrive in Washington in the coming weeks after France apologised for criticism of a US vote at the United Nations.
The US State Department has cleared Aurelien Lechevallier to take up his post as France’s ambassador to the United States, ending several weeks of deadlock over his appointment, France 24 reported.
Lechevallier was selected by French President Emmanuel Macron to replace Laurent Bili. He is currently chief of staff to French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot and is expected to arrive in Washington in the coming weeks.
The appointment had been held up since late July after France’s mission to the United Nations criticised Washington’s vote against extending Volker Turk’s term as UN human rights chief.
The United States was among 10 countries to oppose the extension at a UN General Assembly meeting on 24 July. After the vote, the French mission wrote on X that the US had once been “a beacon of human rights” but was not any longer.
Washington responded by delaying approval of Lechevallier’s appointment. The US representative also walked out of a UN Security Council meeting when France’s ambassador took the floor, in protest at the criticism.
France’s UN mission apologised over the weekend, an action that was reportedly welcomed by Washington and cleared the way for the State Department’s approval.
