Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia

Ģirts Valdis Kristovskis is an experienced Latvian politician and, since 3 November 2010, the current Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia. In the course of his career in public administration and politics, Mr. Kristovkis has occupied a number of key positions both at the national and European level. In the early 90s the Supreme Council of the Republic of Latvia charged Mr. Kristovskis with the task of establishing the National Guard of Latvia and appointed him as the first commander. This experience qualified Mr. Kristovskis for the posts of the Minister of the Interior, a member of Defence and Internal Affairs committees for three parliamentary periods, and as the Prime Minister’s advisor on Defence and Security Affairs, which all resulted in Mr. Kristovskis being appointed Minister of Defence of the Republic of Latvia from 1998 to 2004.

Having won seats in six Latvian parliaments from 1990 to 2010, Ģirts Valdis Kristovskis gained broad political experience. During his tenure, he was also a member of the European Affairs Committee in the Latvian Saeima. From July 2004 to July 2009, Mr. Kristovskis was Member of the European Parliament (UEN), serving as Vice-Chairman of the Subcommittee on Security and Defence, member of the Committees on Foreign Affairs, International Trade, and Development. Before becoming member of the 10th Saeima and Foreign Minister, Mr. Kristovskis was opposition deputy (Citizens Union faction) in the Riga City Council, where he dealt with development and finance matters.

Minister Kristovskis was born on 19 February 1962 in Ventspils, Latvia. Having graduated from the Riga Technical University, Faculty of Architecture and Construction, he resumed studies at the University of Latvia and in 1998 obtained a Master’s Degree in Law. Mr. Kristovskis is currently on an intermission of studies at the Political Science Doctoral Degree programme. Besides this, Mr. Kristovskis has completed an International Defence Management Course at the Defence Resources Management Institute, Monterey, CA, U.S.