Frank Baker

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Person.png Frank Baker   PowerbaseRdf-entity.pngRdf-icon.png
(diplomat)
Frank Baker UK diplomat.png
BornFrancis Raymond Baker
27 January 1961
NationalityBritish
CitizenshipUnited Kingdom
Alma materDartford Grammar School
SpouseMaria Pilar Fernandez
UK diplomat and ambassador

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In office
2018 - 2019

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In office
September 2014 - Present

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In office
February 2010 - July 2014

Francis Raymond "Frank" Baker is a British diplomat and civil servant who was Ambassador to Libya from February 2018 to April 2019.[1] He was Ambassador to Kuwait from 2010 to 2014, and Ambassador to Iraq from 2014 to 2017.[2][3]

Early life

Baker was born on 27 January 1961 to Raymond and Pamela Baker. He was educated at Dartford Grammar School, then an all-boys state grammar school in Dartford, Kent.[3]

Diplomatic career

Baker joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in 1981. For the first two years of his career, he worked in the Personnel Operations Department.[2] From 1983 to 1986, he undertook his first posting abroad as Third Secretary at the British Embassy in Panama City, Panama.[3] From 1986 to 1991, he was based at the British Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina; first he was Third Secretary, and later he was Second Secretary.[2] In 1991, he returned to England, and was a desk officer (ranking as a Second Secretary) in the Human Rights Policy Department of the FCO for two years.[2][3] From 1993 to 1996, he was First Secretary at the British Embassy in Ankara, Turkey;[2] he was awarded an OBE for this posting.[4]

From 1996 to 1998, Baker was on secondment to the US Government and was based in Washington, D.C.[2] In 1998, he was Head of the Iraq Section in the Middle East Department, FCO.[2] Then, from 1998 to 2000, he was Private Secretary to the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.[3] From 2000 to 2003, he was Head of the Africa Department (Equatorial) in the FCO.[2] From 2003 to 2007, he was once more based in Washington, D.C.; first, between 2003 and 2004, as Counsellor (Political/Military), and then, between 2004 and 2007, as Counsellor (Foreign and Security Policy).[3] From 2002 to 2010, he was back working at the FCO, this time as Deputy Director Middle East.[2]

Baker took up his first ambassadorial appointment in 2010.[3] From February 2010 to July 2014, he was the British Ambassador to the State of Kuwait.[3][5][6] In August 2014, he was announced as the next British Ambassador to the Republic of Iraq. He took up the appointment in September 2014.[2] He was replaced in 2017 and took up the post of Ambassador to the State of Libya in February 2018.[1] He was replaced as Ambassador to Libya in April 2019.[7]

Personal life

Baker is married to Maria Pilar Fernandez. Together, they have two children; a boy and a girl.[8]

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References