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The Foreign Ministry of Latvia |
Edgars Rinkēvičs
Minister of Foreign Affairs

Date of birth: 21 September 1973
Ethnicity: Latvian
Nationality: Republic of Latvia
Education |
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1999 - 2000 |
U.S. National Defence University, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Master’s Degree (MS) in National Resource Strategy |
1995 - 1997 |
University of Latvia, Master’s degree in Political Science |
1994 - 1995 |
Groningen University (The Netherlands), Political Sciences and International Relations Studies (certificate) |
1991 - 1995 |
University of Latvia, Faculty of History and Philosophy, Bachelor’s degree |
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Professional experience |
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Since 25 October 2011 |
Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia |
10/2008 - 07/2011 |
Chancery of the President of Latvia, Head of the Chancery |
08/1997 - 10/2008 |
Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Latvia, Secretary of State |
2005 - 01/2007 |
Office for organising the NATO Summit of Heads of State and Government, Chief of Staff |
2002 - 2003 |
Deputy Head of the Latvian delegation for accession negotiations with NATO |
05/1997 - 08/1997 |
Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Latvia, Acting Secretary of State |
09/1996 - 05/1997 |
Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Latvia, Under Secretary of State for Defence Policy Matters |
03/1996 - 09/1996 |
Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Latvia, Policy Department, Director |
1995 - 03/1996 |
Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Latvia, Policy Department, Senior Desk Officer |
1993 - 1994 |
Latvijas Radio, Journalist, foreign policy and international relations topics |
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Awards |
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2013 |
Commander, First Class, of the Order of the Lion of Finland |
2007 |
Grand Officer of the Order of Three Stars |
2007 |
NATO award For Meritorious Service |
2006 |
The Order of Orange-Nassau, the Kingdom of Netherlands |
2005 |
The Order of Merit, the Republic of Estonia |
2005 |
The Order of Merit, the Italian Republic |
2005 |
Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland |
2004 |
Commander of the Great Cross of the Order of Viesturs |
2004 |
Republic of Latvia Minister of Defence Award - Commemorative Medal for Advancing Latvia's Accession to NATO |
2000 |
Republic of Latvia Minister of Defence Award - Medal of Honourable Merit for Contribution to Armed Forces Development |
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Language skills |
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Latvian |
native |
English |
excellent |
Russian |
excellent |
French |
good |