Urmas Paet

Urmas Paet
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia
Incumbent
Assumed office
April 2005
President Arnold Rüütel, Toomas Hendrik Ilves
Preceded by Rein Lang
Personal details
Born 20 April 1974 (1974-04-20) (age 37)
Tallinn, Estonia
Nationality Estonian
Political party Estonian Reform Party
Alma mater University of Tartu
Signature

Urmas Paet (born 20 April 1974) is an Estonian politician who has been Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia since 2005. He is a member of the Estonian Reform Party. As of September 2010, Paet has been the longest serving minister since the re-establishment of Estonian independence.[1]

Biography

Paet was born in Tallinn. He graduated from the University of Tartu in 1996 with a BA in political science and continued his graduate studies there, however without obtaining the degree. He had been active in journalism during his studies, and continued in that career until 1999, when he entered politics by joining the Reform Party and becoming professional advisor. He served as the Deputy Mayor of Nõmme (a district of Tallinn) from 1999 to 2003.

In April 2003, when the Juhan Parts government took office, Paet became Estonian Minister of Culture. He remained in that position until April 2005, when the Parts government fell. Since April 2005, when the Andrus Ansip cabinet took office, he has been Foreign Minister.

Paet is married and has two children. He is a polyglot and speaks Estonian, Russian, German, Finnish and English.

External links

Media related to [//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Urmas_Paet Urmas Paet] at Wikimedia Commons
Political offices
Preceded by
Vilja Savisaar
Elder of Nõmme District, Tallinn
1999–2003
Succeeded by
Hanno Pevkur
Preceded by
Margus Allikmaa
Minister of Culture
April 2003 – April 2005
Succeeded by
Raivo Palmaru
Preceded by
Rein Lang
Minister of Foreign Affairs
April 2005–present
Incumbent

References