He was then posted to New York City as director of the then British Information Service, which was "an extension of the press and public affairs section of the British Embassy in Washington, located in New York because of the city's pre-eminence as a media centre. Its role [was] to explain developments in British Government policies and society to people and organisations throughout the United States."[1] O'Keefe fought to save the BIS from changes proposed by the ambassador Peter Jay but left New York in 1978; The Times reported that the dispute with Mr Jay had cost him his post[2] although the Foreign Office claimed that his departure was routine.[3]
O'Keefe was then posted as Counsellor to the embassy at Nicosia 1978–81. After a year as Research Associate at the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy, Georgetown University, he was appointed Ambassador to Senegal in July 1982,[4] just after the end of the Falklands War, when Dakar airport was a vital staging point for the RAF on their way south to the Falkland Islands. While in Senegal O'Keefe was also concurrently (non-resident) ambassador to Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania and Cape Verde. He returned to London in 1985 for a brief spell as chairman of the Civil Service Selection Board, before going to Vienna as head of the UK delegation to the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe 1986–88.
In 1988 O'Keefe was appointed to his final diplomatic post as ambassador to Czechoslovakia. "O'Keeffe arrived in a country on the brink of change. He was fortunate to have been introduced to most of the leading dissidents, so by the time of the Velvet Revolution he knew personally all the main actors in Prague and Bratislava. ... In the wave of Anglophilia that swept over post-revolutionary Czechoslovakia his official car was greeted by cheering crowds who saw him as a symbol of liberty."[5] He retired in 1991.
Laurence O'Keefe was appointed CVO in 1974[6] and CMG in the Queen's Birthday Honours of 1983.[7] Under the name of Laurence Halley he wrote two novels and a study of the influence of ethnic groups on foreign policy.
O’KEEFFE, (Peter) Laurence, Who Was Who, A & C Black, 1920–2008; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2007, accessed 27 May 2012
Obituary: Laurence O'Keeffe, The Telegraph, London, 12 June 2003
^. Archived from the original on 5 December 1998. Retrieved 27 May 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link), British Embassy in Washington DC, 5 December 1998 (retrieved on 26 May 2012)
^"Dispute with Mr Jay costs information chief his US post", The Times, London, 8 July 1978, page 1
^"Information chief 'was due to leave New York'", The Times, London, 11 July 1978, page 6
^"Latest appointments", The Times, London, 15 July 1982, page 12
^Obituary: Laurence O'Keeffe, The Telegraph, London, 12 June 2003
Interview with Peter Laurence O'Keeffe & transcript, British Diplomatic Oral History Programme, Churchill College, Cambridge, 1998
November 11, 2023
laurence, keeffe, peter, july, 1931, 2003, british, diplomat, ambassador, czechoslovakia, during, velvet, revolution, contents, career, publications, references, external, linkscareer, edito, keeffe, educated, francis, xavier, college, liverpool, university, c. Peter Laurence O Keeffe CMG CVO 9 July 1931 2 May 2003 was a British diplomat who was ambassador to Czechoslovakia during the Velvet Revolution Contents 1 Career 2 Publications 3 References 4 External linksCareer editO Keeffe was educated at St Francis Xavier s College Liverpool and University College Oxford He joined the Civil Service in 1953 initially in HM Customs and Excise but transferred to the Foreign Service in 1962 and was posted to Bangkok 1962 65 the South East Asia desk at the Foreign Office 1965 68 Head of Chancery at Athens 1968 72 Commercial Counsellor at Jakarta 1972 75 and head of the Hong Kong and Indian Ocean Department FCO 1975 76 He was then posted to New York City as director of the then British Information Service which was an extension of the press and public affairs section of the British Embassy in Washington located in New York because of the city s pre eminence as a media centre Its role was to explain developments in British Government policies and society to people and organisations throughout the United States 1 O Keefe fought to save the BIS from changes proposed by the ambassador Peter Jay but left New York in 1978 The Times reported that the dispute with Mr Jay had cost him his post 2 although the Foreign Office claimed that his departure was routine 3 O Keefe was then posted as Counsellor to the embassy at Nicosia 1978 81 After a year as Research Associate at the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy Georgetown University he was appointed Ambassador to Senegal in July 1982 4 just after the end of the Falklands War when Dakar airport was a vital staging point for the RAF on their way south to the Falkland Islands While in Senegal O Keefe was also concurrently non resident ambassador to Guinea Guinea Bissau Mali Mauritania and Cape Verde He returned to London in 1985 for a brief spell as chairman of the Civil Service Selection Board before going to Vienna as head of the UK delegation to the Conference on Security and Co operation in Europe 1986 88 In 1988 O Keefe was appointed to his final diplomatic post as ambassador to Czechoslovakia O Keeffe arrived in a country on the brink of change He was fortunate to have been introduced to most of the leading dissidents so by the time of the Velvet Revolution he knew personally all the main actors in Prague and Bratislava In the wave of Anglophilia that swept over post revolutionary Czechoslovakia his official car was greeted by cheering crowds who saw him as a symbol of liberty 5 He retired in 1991 Laurence O Keefe was appointed CVO in 1974 6 and CMG in the Queen s Birthday Honours of 1983 7 Under the name of Laurence Halley he wrote two novels and a study of the influence of ethnic groups on foreign policy Diplomatic postsPreceded byWilliam Squire British Ambassador to Senegal1982 1985 Succeeded byJohn MacraePreceded byWilliam Wilberforce Head of the UK Delegation to the OSCE1986 1988 Succeeded byMichael EdesPreceded byStephen Barrett British Ambassador to Czechoslovakia1988 1991 Succeeded byDavid BrightyPublications edit as Laurence Halley Simultaneous Equations Jonathan Cape London 1975 ISBN 022401160X Ancient Affections Ethnic Groups and Foreign Policy Praeger New York 1985 ISBN 0030025745 Abiding City Bodley Head London 1986 ISBN 0370307305References editO KEEFFE Peter Laurence Who Was Who A amp C Black 1920 2008 online edn Oxford University Press Dec 2007 accessed 27 May 2012 Obituary Laurence O Keeffe The Telegraph London 12 June 2003 Britain in the USA British Information Services Archived from the original on 5 December 1998 Retrieved 27 May 2012 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint bot original URL status unknown link British Embassy in Washington DC 5 December 1998 retrieved on 26 May 2012 Dispute with Mr Jay costs information chief his US post The Times London 8 July 1978 page 1 Information chief was due to leave New York The Times London 11 July 1978 page 6 Latest appointments The Times London 15 July 1982 page 12 Obituary Laurence O Keeffe The Telegraph London 12 June 2003 No 46280 The London Gazette 3 May 1974 p 5486 No 49375 The London Gazette Supplement 11 June 1983 p 4 External links editInterview with Peter Laurence O Keeffe amp transcript British Diplomatic Oral History Programme Churchill College Cambridge 1998 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Laurence O 27Keeffe amp oldid 1152486193, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
