Imants Lieģis

Minister of Defence of the Republic of Latvia

Imants Lieģis has been Minister of Defence of Latvia for the past year and a half. Until the formation of the current Government in March 2009, he spent 17 years working as a career diplomat in Latvia’s Foreign Ministry with a strong focus on Defence and Security issues. He was Ambassador to NATO for 7 years, including when Latvia joined the Alliance in 2004.He spent 3 years as Latvia’s Ambassador to the EU Political and Security Committee and served as Ambassador to Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. Before joining Latvia’s Diplomatic Service in 1992, Minister Lieģis worked as a Solicitor in England for 10 years, having obtained a degree in Law (LLB) from the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne. Between 1989 and 1991 he was the European Representative of the Baltic World Council, when he lobbied European Institutions on the Baltic States’ efforts to regain there independence and bring an end to their illegal occupation by the Soviet Union. Since April 2010 Imants Lieģis has also been Acting Minister of Justice. He is a candidate in the upcoming elections in the political grouping “Vienotība”(“Unity”).