Raymond A. J. Chrétien | The Canadian Encyclopedia

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Raymond A. J. Chrétien

Raymond A. J. Chrétien, public servant, diplomat, (b at Shawinigan, Qué, 20 May 1942).

Chrétien, Raymond A. J.

Raymond A. J. Chrétien, public servant, diplomat, (b at Shawinigan, Qué, 20 May 1942). After receiving his law degree from Laval and gaining admission to the Québec Bar in 1966, Chrétien joined the legal affairs division of the Department of External Affairs (now FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND INTERNATIONAL TRADE). He served on several missions for the department to the UN, Beirut and Paris before being named ambassador to Zaire in 1978, a post he held until 1981. He returned to Ottawa and became inspector general at External Affairs in 1983. In 1985, he was appointed ambassador to Mexico. He returned to Ottawa as associate undersecretary of state for External Affairs in 1988. Chrétien was appointed ambassador to Belgium and Luxembourg in 1991. In 1993 he was appointed ambassador to the US by his uncle, Prime Minister Jean CHRÉTIEN.