French envoy to US cleared to take post, US official says

Aurelien Lechevallier, France's next ambassador to the United States, will be able to take up his post after several weeks of diplomatic deadlock, a US State Department official told AFP.

Lechevallier, French President Emmanuel Macron's choice to replace Laurent Bili in Washington, is expected to arrive in the US capital in the coming weeks. He is currently chief of staff to French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot.

US approval of a French ambassadorial choice is usually a formality, but Washington had held up approval since late July after a dispute over a French UN mission post criticizing a US vote at the United Nations.

On July 24, the United States was one of 10 countries to vote in the UN General Assembly against extending Volker Turk's term as UN human rights chief. After the vote, the French mission wrote on X: “The US used to be a beacon of human rights. Not anymore.”

Washington objected to the post. Days later, the US representative walked out of a UN Security Council meeting when France's ambassador took the floor in protest over the comments.

The French UN mission apologized over the weekend for the criticism. The apology was well received by Washington and cleared the way for Lechevallier's appointment, according to the US State Department official.