Urmas Paet

Résumé

Urmas Paet has been the Minister of Foreign Affairs since April 2005. He has continued in this post in Prime Minister Andrus Ansip’s cabinet since the elections in 2007 and 2011.

Before becoming Foreign Minister, Urmas served as Minister of Culture for two years.

From 1999 to 2003, Urmas served as the elder of the Tallinn city district of Nõmme. Before this he worked as a journalist with Estonian Radio and in the news office of the Postimees daily newspaper.

Urmas majored in Political Science, graduating from the University of Tartu in 1996 and from the Master’s Programme in International Relations at the University of Oslo the same year.

In his spare time he likes to attend the theatre, watch movies and go skiing and cycling.

In addition to Estonian, Urmas speaks Russian, English and German.

Urmas is married and is a father to two daughters.

CV

Date and place of birth: 20 April 1974, Tallinn

Party membership: Estonian Reform Party, Liberal Party

Education:

1996 University of Tartu, Political Science
1996 University of Tartu, Master’s degree in Political Science

Further education

1996 University of Oslo, Master’s Programme in International Relations

Career:

April 2005–present Minister of Foreign Affairs
2003–2005 Minister of Culture
1999–2003 Nõmme District Elder, Tallinn
1999–1999 Estonian Reform Party, adviser
1998–1999 Postimees Ltd., news office, senior editor and political journalist
1994–1998 Postimees Ltd., news office, reporter
1993–1994 Estonian Radio, news office, editor
1991–1992 Estonian Radio, editorial office for foreign news, editor

Foreign languages: Russian, English & German

Party membership: Estonian Reform Party