Imants Lieģis Explained

Imants Lieģis
Office:Minister of Defence
Primeminister:Valdis Dombrovskis
Term Start:12 March 2009
Term End:3 November 2010
Predecessor:Vinets Veldre
Successor:Artis Pabriks
Birth Date:30 April 1955
Birth Place:Meriden, England, UK
Party:The Progressives
previously Civic Union
Education:Newcastle University

Imants Viesturs Lieģis (born 30 April 1955) is a prominent Latvian diplomat and politician. Since 2016 he serves as Latvia's ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to France,[1] as well as non-resident ambassador to Algeria, Morocco and Monaco.

He served as Latvia's defence minister from 2009 to 2010.[2] Lieģis was appointed to the defence ministry post in March 2009, as part of the new six-party coalition government headed by Valdis Dombrovskis.[3] In 2010 joined the Civic Union party and was elected to the Parliament, he was Chairman of the European Affairs Committee and Chairman of Delegation to the NATO PA until October 2011.

He is a board member of the European Leadership Network.[4]

A career diplomat, Lieģis served previously as Latvia's ambassador to NATO,[5] a post to which he was appointed in 1997 while also serving as ambassador to the Benelux countries.[6] Ambassador to the Kingdom of Spain from September 2008 to March 2009. Ambassador to Hungary from 2012 to 2016.[7]

He was born in the United Kingdom. Trained in law, Lieģis worked as a solicitor in the Supreme Court of England and Wales from 1979 to 1991.

He is a Senior Network Member at the European Leadership Network (ELN).[8]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Vēstnieks.
  2. News: Dombrovska valdība gatava . Latvian . . 10 May 2009.
  3. News: Timeline: Latvia . BBC News. 23 April 2009. 10 May 2009 .
  4. Web site: Home . europeanleadershipnetwork.org.
  5. News: NATO crisis prompts candidates' jitters . 13 February 2003 . BBC News . 10 May 2009.
  6. News: Latvia to replace ambassadors to several countries . . 14 June 2000 . 10 May 2009.
  7. Web site: Latvijas Valsts prezidenta mājas lapa . www.president.lv . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160303234842/http://www.president.lv/pk/content/?cat_id=601&type=image&id=2342&lng=en . 2016-03-03.
  8. Web site: Senior Network. 2020-09-21. www.europeanleadershipnetwork.org. en-GB.