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Valentin Ion-Dorin Lipatti
Ambassador, Essayist and Translator
Born: on March 26, 1923, in Bucharest, in the same family which gave the world the great pianist
Dinu Lipatti. Son of Theodor Lipatti, diplomat and Ana (b.Racoviceanu)
Married, no children
Studies
- 1945 - Graduate of the Faculty of Letters and Philosophy, Bucharest, whre
he was the student of Basil Munteanu and Tudor Vianu
Professional Activity
-
1947-1948 - Professor, High School "Sf.Sava", Bucharest
- 1948-1964 - Lecturer, Associate Professor, University of Bucharest
- 1959-1964 - Director of the Technical Secretariat of Romania's National Commission for
UNESCO
- 1965-1971 - Ambassador to UNESCO, Paris. Continuing the line of his great predecessors,
academicians Tudor Vianu and Andrei Otetea, he was elected member of UNESCO Executive
Council
- 1972-1973 - Director of the Cultural Directorate in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- 1972-1977 - Head of the Romanian delegation to the Conference for Security and Cooperation in
Europe, Helsinki and Geneva
- 1973-1977 - Director of the Directorate for Relations with Europe in the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs
- 1978-1980 - Director of the Cultural Directorate in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- 1978-1984 - Ambassador at Large, Ministry of Foreign
Affairs
- 1984 - Retired
- 1998 - Dies in Bucharest
Contributions to the Conference for Security and Cooperation in Europe
Ambassador Lipatti led the Romanian Delegation on the whole duration of
the negotiations meant to forge out the Final Act of the Conference for
Security and Cooperation in Europe, started on the 22nd of November
1972, in Helsinki-Dipoli, held in Helsinki and Geneva and ended also in Helsinki,
where the signing ceremony of the Final Act took place, on the First of August 1975.
He asserted himself as one of the best negotiators, an accomplished
analyst of the conceptual opinions and a convinced adept of arguing method in
seeking and defining solutions. In full swing of the cold war, he persuaded
his partners of negotiations that a document that would sanction the principles
of cooperation and security in Europe could not ignore the equal rights of all
states, small or medium-sized, and the full respect for the history, culture
and civilization of all peoples. He was the most dynamic spirit in the debates
meant to initiate and adopt the principles, norms and common values of the
international relations at European level and his merits to this regard were
recognized by his partners even during the negotiations. He had a high sense
of a responsibility assumed on the ground of personal beliefs never
subject to circumstances.
"The Decalogue of Helsinki" bears the imprint of ambassador Lipatti,
especially as regards the establishment of the principles of non-recourse at
force, the peaceful settlement of disputes, sovereign equality of states and
others. The establishment of the rule of consensus in adopting decisions, as
well as of the entire range of working procedure laid down at the foundation
of the Conference for Security and Cooperation in Europe, later the
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, is the work of ambassador
Valentin Lipatti.
Published Works
- His writings include numerous works, in both the linguistic and literary
domains, as well as in the political and memoirist fields.
- Asserted himself as an excellent translator into French of Ion Luca
Caragiale's masterpieces, as well as an author of manuals and journalism,
approaching especially the diplomatic and cultural life, the negotiations
within the framework of the Conference for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
Selective List
- A History of Italian Literature, lithographed course, Bucharest, 1945
(in Romanian)
- Montesquieu, illuminist thinker, Bucharest, 1955 (in Romanian)
- French Values. Studies and articles, I-II, Bucharest, 1959-1968 (in
Romanian)
- The National Issue in Romania, Data and Facts. In collaboration
with
J.Demeter and E.Eisenburger, Bucharest, 1972 (in Romanian)
- Le dix-huitième siècle français, Bucharest, 1976
- Modigliani, Album. Bucharest, 1984 (in Romanian)
- The Conference for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Political
Publishing House, Bucharest, 1975 (in Romanian) (Valentin Lipatti, Ion Diaconu, Nita Constantin, Ioan
Sbarna) (in Romanian)
- The Conference for Security and Cooperation in Europe: notes about a
negotiation and its follow-up. Political Publishing House, Bucharest, 1985
(author) (in Romanian)
- Balkans yesterday and today. Romanian Contributions to the
multilateral Cooperation in the Balkans. Bucharest, 1988 (in Romanian)
- In Europe's trenches. Memoirs of a negotiator. Military Publishing
House, Bucharest, 1993 (author) (in Romanian)
Translations
- Molière - Georges Dandin or the cheated husband, introductive study,
Bucharest, 1951 (in Romanian)
- Victor Hugo - About literature. Presentations and notes, Bucharest,
1957 (in Romanian)
- Liviu Rebreanu - La Révolte (The Uprising), French version, Bucharest, 1957
(Second Edition: 1958)
- Jean Anouilh - Ciocarlia (Skylark), Bucharest, 1958 (from French)
- H.de Balzac - Iluzii pierdute (Lost Illusions), Introductory Study,
Bucharest 1959
- C.Prisnea - Bacchus en Roumanie (Bacchus in Romania), French Version,
Bucharest, 1962
- Paul Vialar - Vremea impostorilor (A Time for Impostors,
Introductory Study), Bucharest, 1964
- Beaumarchais - Barbierul din Sevilla (A Barber in Seville). Nunta lui
Figaro (Figaro's Wedding), Bucharest,
1967
Valentin Lipatti distinguished himself by a high stature specific to the
elite, with a refined culture and erudition, a direct and affectionate
communication, with a profound friendship. Those who worked with him or were in
his proximity had the chance to know a tumultuous personality, that served his
country till the last minutes of his life. We owe to ambassador Lipatti this
great lesson of professionalism and patriotism.
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