The United States has cleared Aurelien Lechevallier to become France’s next ambassador in Washington, ending several weeks of uncertainty over his appointment, according to a US State Department official cited by AFP. His approval followed an apology from France over criticism linked to a United Nations vote.
Lechevallier was chosen by French President Emmanuel Macron to replace Laurent Bili. He currently serves as chief of staff to French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot and is expected to arrive in Washington in the coming weeks.
Approval by the US of a French ambassadorial nominee is normally a formality. In this case, the process remained stalled from late July amid a dispute involving France’s mission to the UN and its response to a US vote at the General Assembly.
On July 24, the United States was among 10 countries voting against extending Volker Turk’s term as UN human rights chief. The other countries cited in the source included North Korea, Russia and Nicaragua. After the vote, the French mission posted on X that the US had once been “a beacon of human rights” but was not any longer.
The post prompted a reaction from Washington. The US representative walked out of a UN Security Council meeting several days later when France’s ambassador began speaking, in protest at the French mission’s comments, according to the source.
The French UN mission apologised over the weekend for its criticism. The apology was received positively in Washington and removed the obstacle to Lechevallier’s appointment, allowing him to proceed with his posting.