Nomination of Edward Peter Djerejian To Be United States Ambassador to Syria

The President today announced his intention to nominate Edward Peter Djerejian, of Maryland, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, as Ambassador to the Syrian Arab Republic. He would succeed William L. Eagleton, Jr.

Mr. Djerejian is currently the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs. From 1985 to 1986, he was assigned on detail to the White House as Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Press Secretary for Foreign Affairs. Mr. Djerejian was heavily involved in the President's November 1985 summit meeting in Geneva with General Secretary Gorbaehev and in the Tokyo economic summit in May 1986. He was assigned in January 1985 as Deputy Spokesman of the Department of State and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs. Mr. Djerejian's last overseas assignment was in Amman, Jordan, where he was the deputy chief of mission at the American Embassy, 1981-1984. His previous Middle East assignments in both the field and in Washington included positions in the Near Eastern Bureau of the Department of State as Deputy Director of Northern Arabian Affairs, 1972-1974; political/ labor officer in Casablanca, Morocco, 1969-1972; and political officer in Beirut, Lebanon, 1966-1969. He also served as staff assistant to the Under Secretary of State, 1963-1965, and special assistant to the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, 1974-1975. From 1975 to 1977, Mr. Djerejian served as principal officer at the consulate general in Bordeaux, France. After training assignments in the Russian language and Eastern European and Soviet affairs, Mr. Djerejian served at the American Embassy in Moscow from 1979 to 1981, first as chief of external affairs in the political section and then as acting political counselor. Mr. Djerejian served in the United States Army from 1960 until joining the Foreign Service in 1962.

Mr. Djerejian received a B.S.F.S. from the School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University, in 1960. He was born March 6, 1939, in New York City. He is married, has two children, and resides in Bethesda, MD.