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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary


For Immediate Release March 14, 2000
               PRESIDENT CLINTON NAMES W. ROBERT PEARSON 
                     AS U.S. AMBASSADOR TO TURKEY

The President announced today his intent to nominate W. Robert Pearson to be U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Turkey.

Mr. W. Robert Pearson, of Tennessee, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, has a broad background in European and Security issues as well as wide management experience overseas and in Washington. He arrived in Paris in July l997 to take up his duties as Deputy Chief of Mission of the U.S. Embassy to France. He was Deputy Permanent Representative to NATO from l993 to l997. In l993, Mr. Pearson served as head of the State Department's Reinventing Government team. From l99l to l993, Mr. Pearson was the Executive Secretary of the Department. Mr. Pearson served as Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs at NATO from l987 to l990, and as Deputy Executive Secretary of the National Security Council (l985-l987). He served in Beijing, China as a political officer (l98l to l983), was staff assistant in the East Asia and Pacific Affairs bureau, and began his Foreign Service career with a two-year assignment in Auckland, New Zealand (l976-l978).

Mr. Pearson served in the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General's Corps from l969 to l973, and is a graduate of the University of Virginia Law School in l986. He is a member of the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London. He speaks French and Chinese.

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