Brussels Forum Session: Security South: Transatlantic Strategy in a Time of Crisis
Stefano Sannino has served as secretary general of the European External Action Service (EEAS) of the EU since January 1, 2021. Previously, he held the post of deputy secretary general for economic and global Issues at the EEAS. Prior to that, he was Italy’s ambassador to Spain and Andorra and Italy’s permanent representative to the EU in Brussels.
After a period at the Cabinet of the President of the Commission, Sannino joined the Directorate General for External Relations (2004–2010) as director for crisis management and representative at PSC, then director for Latin America, and finally as deputy director general for Asia and Latin America . In 2010 he moved to the Directorate General for Enlargement as deputy director general and later as director general, a position he held until June 2013.
Earlier in his career, Sannino served as the diplomatic advisor to the Italian prime minister and his personal representative to G8 summits. He has also held the position of ambassador and head of the OSCE Mission in Belgrade. He has held several positions within the Italian Diplomatic Service: deputy head of mission of the Italian Embassy in Belgrade; head of the Secretariat of the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs;; and diplomatic advisor and head of the cabinet of the minister of foreign trade. Beyond his native Italian, Sannino is fluent in Spanish, English, and French.