CURRICULUM VITAE - Mr. Maris Riekstins
Date of birth: April 8, 1963
Place of birth: Riga, Latvia
Nationality: Latvian
Marital status: Married, two children
Education:
1989-1993: University of Latvia, Faculty of Law, lawyer
1982-1985: Latvian Sports Institute, Faculty of Pedagogy, teacher
Work experience:
January 2011 - appointed Latvia's Ambassador to NATO (in Brussels)
November 2007-April 2010 - Minister of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Latvia
January-November 2007 - Chief of Staff to Prime Minister of Latvia Mr. Aigars Kalvitis
March 2006 - January 2007: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Latvia to Mexico. Presented credentials to President of Mexico Vicente Fox on March 22, 2006.
December 2004 - January 2007: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Latvia to the United States of America. Presented credentials to President George W. Bush on December 9, 2004.
August 1993-November 2004: State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia
November 1992-August 1993: Under-secretary of State of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia
January 1992-November 1992: Director of the Western Europe Division; Director of the Europe Division; Desk Officer of the Political Department of the Europe Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia
1987-1991: Deputy Chairman; Desk Officer of the Committee of Latvian Youth Organisations
Professional activities:
2002-2004: Head of the Latvian delegation for accession negotiations with the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)
January 2002-July 2002: Chairman of Supervisory Committee on Organisation of the NATO Aspirant Countries Summit in Riga on 5 and 6 July 2002
1999-2004: Chairman of the Advisory Council for the Membership of Latvia in the World Trade Organisation
1997-1998: Head of the Latvian delegation for the U.S.-Baltic Partnership Charter
1998-2004: Head of the Latvian-Italian Economic Working Group
1996-2004: Chairman of the Diplomatic Service Agency's Shareholders Council
July 1996-July 1999: Head of the Latvian delegation for negotiations on Latvian-Lithuanian sea border delimitation
October 1995-July 1996: Head of the Latvian delegation for negotiations on Latvian-Estonian sea border delimitation
1995-2004: Chairman of the Control Committee of Strategic Goods of Republic of Latvia
Awards:
1998: Royal Norwegian Order of Merit, Commander
2000: Royal Norwegian Order of Merit, Grand Officer
2001: French National Order of Merit, Grand Officer
2001: Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas, 4th class
2003: The 3rd Class Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana of Estonia
2003: Ordem do Infante D. Henrique Grande Oficial, Portugal
2003: Three Star Order of Latvia, Commander
2004: Order of Merit of the Italian Republic "Grand Official"
Language skills: Latvian (native), English, Russian, German