Inigo Lambertini
Born in Naples on 10 June 1959, Inigo Lambertini graduated cum laude from Federico II University of Naples with a degree in Law. In 1987, four years after graduating, he entered the diplomatic service and began his career at the Directorate General for Economic Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with a portfolio covering relations between European Union member states and third countries.
From 1991 to 1993 he was Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Italy in Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. He then moved to Brazil, where he was First Secretary and head of the Trade Office of the Embassy in Brasilia. In 1997 he became coordinator of COREPER (the Committee of the Permanent Representatives of the Governments of the Member States to the European Union), before being promoted to the rank of Counsellor at Italy’s Permanent Representation at the EU in Brussels in 1999.
In 2000 he returned to Rome and took on the role of Director of the Coordination Unit of the Secretariat General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The following year he moved to the Embassy in Washington, where he was head of the Office for Relations with United States Congress. He was then promoted to the rank of First Counsellor at the same Embassy. From 2001 to 2005 he was also Deputy Observer at the Organization of American States (OSA).
In 2005 he moved from Washington to Paris, where he was Italy’s Deputy Permanent Representative at the OECD. From 2008 he took the helm of the task force set up by the Italian government in Paris to support Milan’s candidacy for Expo 2015, making a significant contribution to the city’s victory. In 2009 he returned to the OECD and took on the role of head of the Unit for the Country System and Territorial Autonomy of the Secretariat General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The following year he took on the duties of Director General and Deputy Director General at the Directorate General for Economic, Cultural and Scientific Diplomacy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In 2014 he returned to the United States, where he was Deputy Permanent Representative at Italy’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York, with the title of Ambassador. He was President of the Security Council during Italy’s presidency of the Council in 2017. In 2018 he returned to Rome as Head of the Protocol Office.
In 2021 he was promoted to the rank of Ambassador.
In 2022 he took on the role of Ambassador of Italy to the United Kingdom.
He is Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Star of Italy, Knight of Magistral Grace of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St John of Jerusalem, Rhodes and Malta.
He has received the following awards and decorations:
- 2023, San Marino: Commander of the Order of Saint Agatha
- November 2021, Spain: Commander by Number of the Order of Isabella the Catholic
- August 2021, France: Officer of the Legion of Honor of the French Republic.
- Austria – Grand Decoration of Honour in Gold with Star for Services to the Republic of Austria
- February 2019: Knight Grand Cross of the Military Constantinian Order of Saint George
- January 2019, Germany: Knight Commander’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
- 2019, Azerbaijan: Knight of the Order of Dostlug
- November 2018, Sweden: First Class Commander of the Order of the Polar Star
- October 2018, Romania: Grand Cross of the National Order of Faithful Service
- 2018, Armenia: Order of Frienship
- November 1995, Brazil: Commander of the Order of Rio Branco
Ambassador Lambertini speaks fluent Italian, English, French, Spanish and Portuguese. He is married to Maria Grazia Gragnano, with whom he has two children, and his interests include history, opera and football.