Robert H. Pelletreau is a former Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs. During his 35-year Foreign Service career, he served in nine Arab countries including ambassador to Bahrain (1979-1980), ambassador to Tunisia (1987-1991) and ambassador to Egypt (1991-1993). While in Tunisia, he conducted the first official US dialogue with the P.L.O. He also served twice as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense.

Ambassador Pelletreau received numerous awards for distinguished performance during his government service and has been decorated by three foreign governments. He is a graduate of Yale University and Harvard Law School and also studied at Sciences-Po in Paris. Following retirement from the Foreign Service, he practiced law with Afridi & Angell and subsequently served with his wife as Middle East co-directors of the international non-governmental organization Search for Common Ground, based in Jerusalem.