Friis Arne Petersen - Misplaced Pages

Danish diplomat

Friis Arne Petersen

Danish Ambassador to Germany
Incumbent
Assumed office August 15, 2015
Preceded by	Per Poulsen-Hansen
Danish Ambassador to China
In office 2010 – July 31, 2015
Preceded by	Jeppe Tranholm-Mikkelsen
Succeeded by	Carsten Damsgaard
Danish Ambassador to the United States
In office 2005–2010
Preceded by	Ulrik Federspiel
Succeeded by	Peter Taksøe-Jensen

Personal details
Born	(1952-11-25) November 25, 1952 (age 72) Skagen, Denmark
Alma mater	University of Copenhagen

Friis Arne Petersen (born November 25, 1952) is a Danish diplomat who since 2015 has been Denmark's ambassador to Germany. From the Embassy in Berlin, Petersen is also accredited as Denmark's ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

Career

Petersen was educated as Cand.polit. from the University of Copenhagen in 1978. After completing his education, he was appointed Secretary of the National Audit Office for two years. In 1979 he was employed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and in the same year was appointed as a clerk. From 1981 to Petersen was posted at the Danish embassy in Cairo, Egypt.

In 1986 he became Head of the Foreign Minister's office Uffe Ellemann-Jensen, and continued in 1993 under Niels Helveg Petersen. In 1994 he became Head of Office with responsibility for Russia and Eastern Europe, before being appointed Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1997.

Petersen was sent to Washington, D.C. in 2005 when he was to succeed Ulrik Federspiel as Denmark's ambassador to the United States. An office he held until 2010, when he was appointed as ambassador to China. Here he was also an ambassador for five years before, with effect from 15 August 2015, became Denmark's ambassador to Germany, and accredited ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein.