On Monday, September 14, 2026, at the National Palace, Gautier Lekens (41 years old), the new French Ambassador to Haiti, presented his credentials to Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, in the presence of Foreign Minister Raina Forbin.

On this occasion, the Ambassador reaffirmed France's commitment to the exceptional friendship with Haiti and to cooperation between the two countries.

He intends to contribute, in close collaboration with the Haitian authorities and people, to building the future of the Franco-Haitian relationship.

Learn more about Gautier Lekens :

With a background in diplomacy, ministerial offices, and the defense industry, the Ardennes native is embarking on a mission as sensitive as it is exceptional, his first as Ambassador to a country.

The future ambassador has been preparing for this new adventure for several weeks. In addition to Haitian Creole classes and briefings from various government departments, he recently completed an internship with the National Gendarmerie Intervention Group (GIGN), the elite unit of the gendarmerie responsible for ensuring, among other things, the security of French embassies and providing close protection for ambassadors in high-risk areas.

A graduate in musicology, German, and political science, Gautier Lekens' career as a diplomatic advisor followed in the footsteps of Bernard Cazeneuve, who served successively as Minister Delegate for European Affairs (2012-13), Minister of the Budget (2013-14), and Minister of the Interior (2014-16). At the end of François Hollande's presidency, he spent four years in Madrid as Deputy Ambassador (Minister-Counselor, according to official terminology).

At the end of 2021, he joined the private sector and the Thales Group, where, based in Brussels, he held positions that immersed him in the heart of the arms market and its enormous challenges. Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Thales Group significantly accelerated its production and investments to meet the unprecedented increase in defense budgets in Europe.

Given his various assignments and qualifications, he is fluent in at least four languages : French, German, Spanish, and English.

HL/ S/ HaitiLibre