Yves Gazzo holds a PhD in Economics (University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne) and a PhD in Rural Economics (University of Montpellier). He graduated from the Paris Institute of Political Studies Sciences Po. He is a former student of Langues O (literary Arabic). He was admitted at the “Barreau de Paris” as lawyer in 2006.

He began his career as a aid worker in Chad (1969-1971). He continued his professional career with Arthur Andersen (1970) before becoming an advisor in Niger (1973/75) for the FAC/UNDP. He worked for FAO (Tunisia, 1978/79; Morocco, 1977/78; Libya, 1975/77) and at headquarters in Rome. He was in charge of international relations at the World Bank in Europe (1985-1988) and project officer at the World Bank in Washington (1979-1985). He then taught at the IEP in Paris in the 3rd cycle on the Arab world (1985-1994). He is a member of the jury of the Mediterranean Book Prize and has published numerous books and articles.

Deputy Head of Division in Brussels, Belgium (1990-1994), he served as economic advisor in Mali (1988-1990). A senior European official (1988-2009), he successively held the posts of EU ambassador to the Holy See and the Order of Malta, head of the European Commission’s representation in France (2003-2009) and EU ambassador to Ethiopia with accreditation to Djibouti (2001-2003). He was then posted as EU ambassador to the Philippines (1998-2001), to Jordan, and accredited to Yemen (1994-1998). He was elected at the French “Académie des sciences d’outre-mer” in 2006 and became its President in 2017.

He served as ambassador of the Sovereign Order of Malta to the Republic of Cyprus (2012 to 2015). Since June 2012, he has been Head of the Permanent Mission of the Sovereign Order of Malta to the European Union. In 2016, Yves Gazzo was admitted to the French Association of the Order of Malta.

He holds numerous foreign decorations and was elected director of the Association de soutien à l’armée française (ASAF) on 29 January 2020. He is also a member of the scientific council of the Institut de recherche France Asie (IRFA) attached to the Foreign Missions of Paris.