Director General for Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, Asia, and Oceania

Amb. Nicoletta Bombardiere

Since May 2024, Ambassador Bombardiere is serving as Director General for Global Issues at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

Born in 1963 in Città della Pieve, she joined the Italian diplomatic service in 1989, after graduating in Political Science from the University of Florence in 1988.

As first foreign assignment, she was posted as Consul in Durban, during the years of the political transition in South Africa.

In 1995 she became first secretary of the Italian Delegation to the OSCE in Vienna, where she dealt with cooperative security in Europe.

In 1999 she returned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in 2000 she was appointed Chief of Staff in the Directorate General for Asia, Oceania and Pacific Countries.

In 2002 she was posted to the Italian Embassy in Cairo as Counsellor for Economic Affairs, where she was engaged in promoting bilateral economic relations and investments, and development cooperation projects.

In 2006 she was appointed Political Counsellor at the Italian Embassy in London, dealing with political and security international issues.

In 2009 she returned to the Foreign Ministry and served as Head of the Far East desk, followed by the promotion to the rank of Minister Plenipotentiary in 2010.

In the same year, she was appointed Head of the Afghanistan and regional dimension Unit.

In 2013, she was appointed Deputy Diplomatic Advisor to the Italian Prime Minister followed by Advisor to the Minister of Defense.

From February 2020 to April 2024, she served as Italian Ambassador to Lebanon.

In 2023 she was promoted to the rank of Ambassador.