Friis Arne Petersen has served as Denmark’s ambassador to on the United States since October 3, 2005. Petersen received a Master of Economics from the University of Copenhagen in 1978 and became Head of Section at the National Audit Office from 1978-1979. He served as Head of Section in both Economic and Political Affairs at the Foreign Ministry and became the 1st Secretary at the Royal Danish Embassy in Cairo in 1981-1984.

 

Since then, Petersen has served on the staff of two Danish Foreign Ministers and held various senior positions as Permanent Secretary of State and Undersecretary.

 

Petersen served as chief of staff in Foreign Minister Niels Helveg Petersen's office from 1986-1994, until he became the director of the Russia and Eastern Europe Department in 1994-1995. In 1995-1997, Petersen was made Under Secretary of State for Foreign and Security Policy. Before his appointment as ambassador to the US, Petersen served as Head of the Foreign Ministry, Permanent Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, and Alternate for the Minister for Foreign Affairs in the European Union Council of Ministers from 1997-2005.