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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release April 7, 1997

PRESIDENT NAMES AMBASSADOR ROBERT S. GELBARD AS SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE PRESIDENT AND THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DAYTON PEACE ACCORDS

President Clinton today announced the appointment of Ambassador Robert S. Gelbard of Seattle, Washington, as the Special Representative of the President and the Secretary of State for Implementation of the Dayton Peace Accords. Ambassador Gelbard will be responsible for development, coordination and implementation of United States policy and programs related to the Dayton Peace Accords. He will be the Administration's negotiator, coordinator and program director for the Dayton Accords.

Ambassador Gelbard is a career Foreign Service Officer assigned as Assistant Secretary for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs at the Department of State from 1993-1997. Prior to this assignment, he served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs from 1991-1993, as U.S. Ambassador to Bolivia from 1988-1991 and as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South America from 1985-1988. Other assignments include service as Director of the Office for Southern African Affairs (1984-1985), Deputy Director of the Office of West European Affairs (1982-1984), and tours in Europe, Asia, South America and Washington, D.C. Ambassador Gelbard joined the Foreign Service in 1967 following service in the Peace Corps in Bolivia (1964-1966).

Ambassador Gelbard earned his Bachelor's degree from Colby College in 1964 and his M.P.A. from Harvard University in 1979.

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