Robert H. Pelletreau, Jr. was sworn in as Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs on February 18, 1994. Prior to his most recent position, Ambassador Pelletreau had served as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Arab Republic of Egypt from July 31, 1991.

Before that, he was Ambassador to the Republic of Tunisia from 1987-1991. He was Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense from 1985-1987. He was Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs at the Department of State from 1983-1985; Country Director for Arabian Peninsula Affairs at the Department of State, 1981- 1982; Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Near East and South Asia at the Pentagon, 1980-1981. In addition,he was Ambassador to the State of Bahrain, 1979-1980; and Deputy Chief of Mission in Damascus, Syria, 1975-1978. Ambassador Pelletreau was a Political Officer in Algiers, Algeria, 1973-1975; and served in several capacities in Jordan, Lebanon, Mauritania and Morocco. Ambassador Pelletreau entered the Foreign Service in 1962.

Ambassador Pelletreau graduated from Yale University (B.A., 1957) and Harvard Law School (LL.B., 1961). He was born July 9,1935 in Patchogue, New York. He served in the United States Navy Reserve from 1957- 1958. He is married and has three children.