James Appathurai | |
|---|---|
 Appathurai wearing the Order of the Golden Fleece in 2021 | |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Education | University of Toronto (BA) University of Amsterdam (MAIR) [1] |
| Occupation | Diplomat |
James Appathurai (born 7 August 1968, Toronto) [2] is a Canadian diplomat and academic. He is the current NATO Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Innovation, Hybrid and Cyber, a position he was appointed to in September 2021. [3] [4]
Appathurai has worked for NATO since 1998 and was its spokesperson from 2004 to 2010. [1] [5] From December 2010 until April 2022, Appathurai was the Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy. [1] [6] [7] [8] During this time, he took on the role of Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia, [9] [10] [11] [12] and held discussions with the government of Georgia about potential NATO accession. [13] [14] In 2021, President of Georgia Salome Zurabishvili awarded Appathurai the Order of the Golden Fleece for his contribution to Georgia–NATO relations. [15]
Appathurai was one of three NATO representatives at the 2024 Bilderberg Conference, an annual exclusive gathering of the European and North American political and business elite. [16] [17]
