Ambassador Jan Matthysen

Jan Matthysen joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1984. He started his foreign service career as First Secretary at the Belgian Embassy in Bonn, followed by an assignment as Counselor at the Embassy in then East Berlin, where he witnessed the reunification of Germany in 1990.

From 1994 to 1997, he served in Belgrade, first as Chargé d’Affaires and later as Ambassador. Following his time in the former Yugoslavia, Jan Matthysen became Head of the NATO desk at the Foreign Ministry in Brussels. From 1999 to 2000, he served as the Acting Head of the General Directorate for Political-Military Affairs. At the same time, he was Senior Advisor on Kosovo to the United Nations Secretary General’s Special Representative for the Balkans.

In 2000, Jan Matthysen was appointed Ambassador in Ankara, accredited to Turkey, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan. In 2004, he moved to South-East Asia, serving as the Belgian Ambassador in Bangkok and accredited to Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Burma/Myanmar.

He began his current appointment as Ambassador to the United States in February 2009, and presented his credentials to President Barack H. Obama on May 20, 2009.

Ambassador Matthysen graduated from the University of Ghent in 1973 in Contemporary Political History. He is married to Mrs. Agnes Aerts. They have five children.

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