Eduard Kukan

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Eduard Kukan

Incumbent
Assumed office 
July 4, 2006
In office
December 13, 1994 – October 30, 1998

In office
October 30, 1998 – July 4, 2006
Preceded by Zdenka Kramplová
Succeeded by Ján Kubiš

In office
March 16, 1994 – December 13, 1994
Preceded by Jozef Moravčík
Succeeded by Juraj Schenk

Slovak ammbassador to United Nations
In office
January 1, 1993 – ??? 1993

Czechoslovak ammbassador
to United Nations
In office
??? 1990 – December 31, 1992

Born December 26, 1939 (1939-12-26) (age 68)
Trnovec nad Váhom, First Slovak Republic
Political party SDKÚ-DS
Spouse Zdenka Kukanová


Eduard Kukan (born December 26, 1939) served as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovakia from 1998 to 2006. He was a candidate in the presidential election held on April 3, 2004, and although pre-election polls had suggested he would come in first, he actually came in third behind former prime minister Vladimír Mečiar and Ivan Gašparovič, thus preventing him from contesting the run-off.

Mr. Kukan graduated from The Moscow State Institute of International Relations in 1964, where he has also gained an excellent command of the Swahili language. After graduation he received a Doctorate in Law from the Faculty of Law of the Charles University in Prague.

Since then his employments have included:

  • Czechoslovak Embassy in Lusaka (1968-1973)
  • Czechoslovak Embassy in Washington from as Minister-Counsellor and Deputy Ambassador (1977-1981)
  • Czechoslovak Embassy in Addis Ababa from as Ambassador (1985-1988)
  • Permanent Representative of Czechoslovakia to the United Nations in New York (1991)
  • Permanent Representative of Slovakia to the UN (1993)
    • UN Chairman of the Committee for Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Affairs
    • Special Envoy for the Balkans (1991-2001)
  • Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovakia (March 1994-December 1994)
  • Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovakia (October 1998-present)
  • Special Envoy for the Balkans (1991-2001)

Eduard Kukan is married and has two adult children. In addition to his native tongue and Swahili, he speaks English, Russian, and Spanish. In 1993, he was awarded an honorary law degree by the Upsala College in New Jersey, U.S..

Kukan is a member of the Board of Advisors of the Global Panel Foundation.

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