Francisco Javier Conde Saro, born in Madrid, is a lawyer and diplomat. He has been Assistant Director General for International Relations in the Directorate for Maritime Fisheries, Director for Political Affairs on Africa and Asia in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Counsellor at the Ministry of Transport, Tourism and Communications, Economic and Commercial Counsellor at the Spanish Embassies in Rabat and Buenos Aires, and General Director for Juridical and Institutional Coordination in the Secretariat of State for European Communities at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In 1990 he became Cabinet Chief of the Secretary of State for European Communities, and was appointed ambassador to Algeria. He held this post until 1994, when he was named Secretary General for the European Communities. He has also served as Spain’s Ambassador-Permanent Representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and in 2002 he was designated ambassador to Japan. Since 2009 he has been at the head of the Sociedad Estatal de Exposiciones Internacionales (SEEI).