Bernard Bot

His Excellency Ben Bot
Ben Bot in 2007
Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands
In office 3 December 2003 – 22 February 2007
Prime Minister	Jan Peter Balkenende
Preceded by	Jaap de Hoop Scheffer
Succeeded by	Maxime Verhagen
Permanent Representatives of the Netherlands to the European Union
In office 1 October 1992 – 1 January 2003
Preceded by	Unknown
Succeeded by	Unknown
Ambassador of the Netherlands to Turkey
In office 1 January 1986 – 1 January 1989
Preceded by	Unknown
Succeeded by	Unknown
Deputy Permanent Representatives of the Netherlands to NATO
In office 1 January 1982 – 1 January 1986
Preceded by	Unknown
Succeeded by	Unknown
Personal details
Born	Bernard Rudolf Bot (1937-11-21) 21 November 1937 (age 79) Batavia, Dutch East Indies
Nationality	Dutch
Political party	Christian Democratic Appeal (from 1980)
Other political affiliations	Catholic People's Party (until 1980)
Children	3 children
Alma mater	Leiden University (Bachelor of Laws, Master of Laws, Doctor of Law) Harvard University (Juris Doctor, Master of Laws)
Occupation	Diplomat Civil servant Nonprofit director Lobbyist
Religion	Roman Catholicism

Bernard Rudolf "Ben" Bot (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈbɛrnɑrt ˈrydɔlf bɛn bɔt]; born 21 November 1937) is a Dutch diplomat of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA). He served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 3 December 2003 until 22 February 2007 in the Cabinets Balkenende II and III. A career diplomat, he succeeded then-Minister of Foreign Affairs Jaap de Hoop Scheffer who resigned to become Secretary General of NATO in 2003.

Bot was born in Batavia, Dutch East Indies (now Jakarta, Indonesia). The son of Theo Bot who served as Minister of Education, Culture and Science and Minister for Development Cooperation. He studied law at Leiden University in Leiden where he earned Ph.D. and L.L.M., attended the Hague Academy of International Law, and Harvard Law School in Cambridge, Massachusetts in the United States receiving a second L.L.M. from the latter.