Klaus Scharioth

Klaus Scharioth (2009)

Dr. Klaus Scharioth (born October 8, 1946) is a German diplomat. From 2006 to 2011 he served as Germany's ambassador to the United States.

Scharioth was born in Essen, located in the Ruhr Area in western Germany. He studied law in Bonn, Freiburg and Geneva and political science, sociology and psychology at The College of Idaho in Caldwell, Idaho. He is also a graduate of the Fletcher School, where he studied international relations, international law and international economics and received his PhD. He is married with three children.

German Ministry of Foreign Affairs

His first posts were in Quito, Ecuador (1979–1982) and at West Germany's Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York City (1986–1990). In the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs itself, he has served in the Asia, press and State Secretary's offices (1977–79), in the policy planning staff (1982–1986), and in the international law division (1990–1993).

Security Policy

Scharioth was Director of the Private Office to the NATO Secretary General in Brussels, Belgium, from 1993 to 1996. In the Foreign Ministry he thereafter held posts as Head of the Defense and Security Policy Division (1996–1997), and as Head of the International Security and North America Directorate (1998–1999).

State Secretary

Klaus Scharioth was appointed Head of the Office of Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel in 1998. Under Joschka Fischer Scharioth became Political Director (1999–2002) before serving as State Secretary of the German Foreign Office from 2002 onwards.

Ambassador

Scharioth presented his ambassadorial credentials to George W. Bush on March 13, 2006. In August 2011 he was succeeded by Peter Ammon.

External links

• The Washington Diplomat Newspaper - Ambassador profile
• Interview with The Washington Diplomat, January 2007