Claude Blanchemaison

Claude Blanchemaison, born March 6, 1944 in Loches, is a French diplomat.

Education
Claude Blanchemaison is a graduate of HEC Paris, Sciences Po and Paris Nanterre University (economic sciences). His dissertation focuses on the economics of education.

He is part of the Rabelais class at the École nationale d'administration (1973).

Career
He joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1973 as secretary, then the central administration from 1973 to 1978. In 1978, he was appointed first secretary at the permanent representation of France to the European Communities, in Brussels, then second advisor in the same position from 1979 to 1989.

In 1982, he became deputy secretary general for European economic cooperation issues at the SGCI, a department of the Prime Minister. In 1985, he was appointed charge d'affaires in South Africa and, in 1987-1989, he was deputy director of the Far East at the MAE. Then from 1989 to 1993, he was French ambassador to Hanoi.

In 1993, Claude Blanchemaison headed the Europe department at the Quai d'Orsay, then that of Asia and Oceania (end of 1993-mid 1996). He was then appointed French ambassador to New Delhi (1996-2000) and succeeded Hubert Colin de Verdière as ambassador to Moscow (2000-2003).

In September 2003, Claude Blanchemaison was appointed head of the general directorate of international cooperation and development in Paris. He was then appointed ambassador to Madrid, from January 2005 to June 2007. He was secretary general of the French presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2008 and retired in 2009. He represents France on the Board of Governors of the Foundation Asia-Europe (Singapore) from 2011 to 2018 and teaches in Paris dauphine.

During the 2017 presidential election, he was one of 60 diplomats who supported Emmanuel Macron. Elected member of the Académie des sciences d'outre-mer in 2017, he is also a consultant for various media including the LCI television channel.

Awards

 * Knight of the Legion of Honor, December 31, 1992
 * Officer of the National Order of Merit in 2000 (knight in 1985)
 * Officer of the Order of Academic Palms in July 201021
 * Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters (July 23, 2010)
 * Order of Friendship July 31, 2003 (Russia)

Books

 * Claude Blanchemaison, La Marseillaise du général Giap, Paris, Michel de Maule, 2013, 121 p. (ISBN 978-2-87623-525-0)
 * Claude Blanchemaison, Réussir vos négociations en Russie, La Plaine-Saint-Denis, AFNOR, 2014, 195 p. (ISBN 978-2-12-465448-2)
 * Claude Blanchemaison, Vivre avec Poutine, Editions Temporis, Prix Jacques de Fouchier de l'Académie française, Paris, * 2018. (ISBN 978-2-37300-010-8)
 * Claude Blanchemaison, L'Inde contre vents et marées, Editions Temporis, Paris, 2021, 314 p. (ISBN 978-2-37300-021-4)