PERSONAL DATA

Name	Ariadne Petridis
Position	Secretary-General of the Benelux Union
Nationality	Belgian
Secretariat	secr.coll@benelux.int

PROFILE

Ambassador Ariadne Petridis (born 28 December 1966 in Antwerp, Belgium) started her tenure as Secretary-General of the Benelux Union on January 1st, 2026.

Prior to her current position, she was the Belgian Ambassador to NATO. Earlier diplomatic postings include the Embassies of Belgium in Rome, Paris and Kinshasa, the Permanent Representation of Belgium to the European Union in Brussels and the Permanent Representation of Belgium to the United Nations in New York.

Within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Petridis held a variety of positions, including within the Directorate for Security and Defense, the Directorate for Human Rights and the Directorate for EU External Relations. She also was Director for Public Diplomacy and Director for the Americas and the Caribbean.

Ms. Petridis is a career diplomat with over 35 years of experience and holds the rank of Minister Plenipotentiary.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Since January 2026: Secretary-General of the Benelux Union

2022 – 2025: Permanent Representative of Belgium to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

2019 – 2022: Minister Plenipotentiary, Director for Bilateral Relations with the Americas and the Caribbean

2015 – 2019: Minister Plenipotentiary, Relations with the European Parliament – Permanent Representation of Belgium to the EU in Brussels

2011 – 2015: Embassy Counsellor at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Brussels (Directorate for Politico-Military Affairs)

2007 – 2011: Embassy Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Brussels (Director of Public Diplomacy)

2006 – 2007: Teacher of French and Spanish

2000 – 2003: Embassy Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Brussels (Human Rights Directorate; European Affairs Directorate, EU external relations)

1996 – 2000: Embassy Secretary at the Permanent Representation of Belgium to the United Nations in New York: Human rights, gender, social affairs and humanitarian aid

1994 – 1996: Embassy Attaché in Kinshasa: Political affairs and human rights

1992 – 1994: Embassy Attaché in Paris: Political affairs and COCOM

1990 – 1992: Diplomatic trainee in Rome and at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Brussels

EDUCATION

1988 – 1989: International Politics, University of Antwerp

1984 – 1988: Romance Languages and Literatures, University of Antwerp

LANGUAGES

Dutch, French, English and Spanish