Born in 1956 on the outskirts of London, Peter Carter studied at The Skinners’ School in Tunbridge Wells and at New College, Oxford, where he took his degree in Modern Languages (French and German). 
 
From 1980 until 1984 Peter lived in Valdagno (province of Vicenza). At first he taught English as a foreign language; but from 1983 onwards he was self-employed, working with individuals and local businesses involved in industry and tourism.  It was during this period that Peter learned Italian.
 
Peter joined the Diplomatic Service in 1984 as a Second Secretary in the Maritime, Aviation and Environment Department of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.  In 1985 he studied Hindi for a year before being posted to New Delhi in June 1986, initially as Second Secretary (Political) and, from 1988, First Secretary.  
 
In August 1989 Peter returned to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London.  He was assigned to South and South East Asia Department as Head of Indo-China Section.  From January 1992 he was Head of Recruitment for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, in its Personnel Department. 
 
In January 1994 Peter transferred to the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers of the European Union in Brussels as a “temporary agent” in the Directorate General for the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy.  From 1994 until 1996 he was responsible for the EU’s Middle East policy; and from 1996 until 1998 for the EU’s political relations with the USA and with the countries of Africa.  
 
Peter returned to the Diplomatic Service in September 1998, when he became Head of the North East Asia and Pacific Department of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.  During this time he conducted the negotiations with the Government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to establish diplomatic relations between the DPRK and the United Kingdom.  From May 2001 until September 2005 he was the Deputy Ambassador and Consul General at the British Embassy in Tel Aviv.