Amb. João Vale de Almeida
Amb. João Vale de Almeida
European Union’s Ambassador to the United States(2010-2014) (Washington DC), to the United Nations (2015-2019)(New York) and to the United Kingdom(2020 -2022) (London). Chief of Staff of President of the European Commission (Brussels). Currently : visiting professor at Columbia University - as SIPA’s “George W. Ball Adjunct Professor of International and Public Affairs” (New York),
“ People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did but they will never forget how you made them feel “
Ambassador João Vale de Almeida is a senior European diplomat able and keen to share his knowledge and expertise and to decode the most intricate aspects of international affairs in a direct and engaging style, always providing an inside, “behind the scenes” and personal view. He has met and engaged with many world leaders in the last 20 years and has a deep, hands-on knowledge of global political and economic governance at the highest level.
BIO
João Vale de Almeida is a senior European Union Ambassador who recently retired from active duty after a 40-year international career. He was last posted in London, until November 2022, as the first EU Ambassador to the United Kingdom, after Brexit. Previously he was Ambassador to the United Nations and Ambassador to the United States.
The Ambassador is currently teaching at Columbia University in New York, as SIPA’s “George W Ball Professor of International and Public Affairs”, and will join the University of Cambridge, in the United Kingdom, as a visiting fellow later in the year.
Ambassador Vale de Almeida has a vast experience in European and International affairs, combining political, security and economic aspects and has practiced diplomacy at the highest level over the last two decades. He is a keen promoter of public diplomacy and has engaged extensively as a public speaker in business and academic circles in Europe and in the United States and is regularly interviewed by television, radio and print media from around the World.
Before taking his position in the UK, João Vale de Almeida was the EU Ambassador to the United Nations, from 2015 to 2019. In New York, he coordinated the EU's presence in all UN bodies, with a particular focus on the Security Council and the General Assembly, and its interaction with UN’s Secretary General.
Ambassador Vale de Almeida previously served as the first EU Ambassador to the United States of America, from 2010 to 2014. In Washington DC, during President Obama’s Presidency, he focused on the overall strengthening of EU/U.S. relations and actively contributed to the launching of negotiations for TTIP (Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership). He promoted a close cooperation with Administration and Congress and visited all the 50 States, meeting Governors and Mayors and engaging with business, civil society, media and academia.
Between 2004 and 2009, Ambassador Vale de Almeida was the Head of Cabinet (Chief of staff and main adviser) for European Commission President José Manuel Barroso. He accompanied President Barroso in all European Council (EU Summit) meetings and ensured coordination with the private offices of Heads of State and Government in all 28 Member States of the EU. João Vale de Almeida was also President Barroso’s Personal Representative for the negotiations on the Treaty of Lisbon.
For several years, Ambassador Vale de Almeida acted as the EU “Sherpa” for G8 and G20 Summits. In this capacity he prepared and attended annual G8 Summits in Gleneagles, UK; St Petersburg, RU; Heiligendamm, DE; Toyako-Hokkaido, JP; L’Aquila, IT; and Muskoka, CA between 2005 and 2010. He accompanied EU leaders in the launching of G20 Summits in Washington and in subsequent meetings, in 2009 and 2010, in London, Pittsburgh and Toronto, which dealt with the consequences of the financial crisis of 2008. He attended numerous Summit meetings with EU’s partners around the world including China, Russia and India.
The Ambassador served also as the Director General for External Relations of the European Commission, the European Union’s executive body. As the most senior official under the authority of the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Policy and Security , he helped formulate and execute the EU’s foreign policy and played a key role in preparing for the new European External Action Service (EEAS) introduced by the Treaty of Lisbon in 2011.
Earlier in his career in the European institutions, João Vale de Almeida held several senior positions and worked closely in different capacities with and under the authority of former Commission Presidents Jacques Delors, Jacques Santer and Romano Prodi, namely as Deputy Chief Spokesman of the European Commission.
João Vale de Almeida joined the European Commission in 1982 at its diplomatic mission in Lisbon, after spending seven years as a journalist. He holds a degree in History from the University of Lisbon and has studied and received training in journalism and management in the United States, France, Japan, and the United Kingdom.
Ambassador Vale de Almeida was decorated in 2011 by the President of the Republic of Portugal with the “Grã-Cruz da Ordem do Infante D. Henrique” (Grand Cross of the Order of Prince Henry the Navigator). More recently, in October 2022, he was decorated with the “Grã-Cruz da Ordem de Camões” (Grand Cross of the Order of Camões).
João Vale de Almeida is a Portuguese national , born in Lisbon in 1957. He is married, has two children and three grandchildren. He fluently speaks English and French, apart from his Portuguese mother tongue, and has a passive knowledge of Spanish and Italian. He practiced several sports and is passionate about football (soccer).
CONFERENCES
“Our man in Washington, New York and London” – a first-person account of an Ambassador’s life in three big diplomatic capitals of the World, with inside views of key events and personalities of the first quarter of the 21st century. Recent history and ongoing developments – but also the day-to-day practice of diplomacy - revisited and decoded by Ambassador Vale de Almeida, “one of Europe’s most experienced diplomats” (New York Times) . Including behind the curtain episodes and personal profiles of World leaders he met
“Between a friendly rock and a hard place – how Europe views the US/China rivalry ” - if asked to choose between Washington and Beijing, Europe will not hesitate to stand by its allies and friends, but not without costs. Having served as an Ambassador in the US and the UK for ten years and before that in key positions in Brussels, Ambassador Vale de Almeida is ideally placed to provide an in-depth and insightful perspective of the current diplomatic trends across the Atlantic, the Pacific and beyond
“Where is the Global Order when we need it the most?” – the invasion of Ukraine by Russia is the latest illustration –and by far the most meaningful one - of the erosion of post-Cold War consensus and of the serious ongoing challenges to the global order inherited from the 20th Century. As a diplomat active in the international scene at the highest level for the past twenty years, Ambassador Vale de Almeida possesses the hands-on knowledge and experience to identify current risks and challenges and potential ways to redress the situation ... before it is too late
“The EU – a pleasant surprise for many”-- The COVID pandemic and the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, coming right after Brexit, presented the EU and its 27 Member States with unprecedented challenges. Many predicted the worst case scenario – that the EU would simply not survive. To the surprise of many, Europeans reacted promptly and boldly . Like others, the EU is not yet “out of the woods” but Ambassador Vale de Almeida knows well enough the Union he represented in the US, the UN and the UK to be able to detail assets and liabilities , risks and opportunities now and in the near future, all relevant for the American allies to consider
TOPICS
International Relations
European Affairs
Global Governance
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