Hynek Kmoníček

Hynek Kmoníček
Czech Republic Ambassador to the United States
Incumbent
Assumed office 16 March 2017
President	Miloš Zeman
Preceded by	Petr Gandalovič
Chief Foreign Policy Advisor to the President
In office 28 March 2013 – 15 March 2017
President	Miloš Zeman
Czech Republic Ambassador to Australia
In office 17 May 2011 – 20 March 2013
President	Václav Klaus Miloš Zeman
Preceded by	Juraj Chmiel
Succeeded by	Martin Pohl
Czech Republic Ambassador to India
In office 10 October 2006 – 2009
President	Václav Klaus
Preceded by	Jaromír Novotný
Succeeded by	Miloslav Stašek
Czech Republic Ambassador to the United Nations
In office 23 October 2001 – 2006
President	Václav Havel Václav Klaus
Preceded by	Vladimír Galuška
Succeeded by	Martin Palouš
Personal details
Born	(1962-10-22) 22 October 1962 Pardubice, Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic)
Political party	ČSSD
Spouse(s)	Indira Gumarova
Residence	New York City
Alma mater	University of South Bohemia Charles University in Prague

Hynek Kmoníček (born 22 October 1962 in Pardubice) is a Czech diplomat and political figure.^[1][2] He is currently the foreign policy adviser to Czech President Milos Zeman, and Director of the International Department at the Office of the President.^[3] Previously, Kmoníček served in various ambassadorial posts under all three post-Communist presidents of the Czech Republic, including as the Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York City.

Early life and education

Kmoníček was born in Pardubice, then Czechoslovakia.^[4] He graduated first from the University of South Bohemia, with majors in classical guitar and pedagogy, and later earned degrees in English language studies and Classical Arabic Studies from Charles University.^[4] He finished his studies on the post-graduate program of modern history of the Middle East at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Young Jewish Leaders in Diaspora, Rothberg Overseas Program).^[4] At Hebrew University, his specialization was medieval Islamic mysticism. His graduation thesis was entitled "Al-Miraj of Abu Yazid al-Bistami". His political science graduation paper was titled "Historical development of Saudi-American relations from the beginning to the JFK era."

Career

Kmoníček started his diplomatic career in 1995 as a desk officer at the Middle East Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He became director of this department in 1997.^[4] In 1999, Kmoníček was promoted again, to the position of Director General of Asia, Africa and America.^[4] His last promotion came in June 1999, when he was named Deputy Minister,^[4] with responsibility for Czech bilateral relations with all non-EU countries. He held this position until 2001.^[4]

From 2001 to 2006, Kmoníček served as Czech Ambassador to the United Nations in New York. As a member of the UN General Assembly, Kmoníček served as Chairman of the Fifth Committee, which is responsible for administration and budgetary matters.^[4] Between 2006 and 2009, he was Czech Ambassador in India, also responsible for Bangladesh, Nepal, the Maldives and Sri Lanka.^[5] In this role, Kmoníček lobbied the Czech government in favour of helping the Sri Lankan government during the civil war, which included arms and the air bridge to Jaffna.

In 2009, he was appointed to the position of Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal, Consular, and Current Political Issues.^[6] After his removal from the position of Deputy Foreign Minister in July 2010, Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg nominated him for the post of Czech Ambassador in Australia,^[7] also responsible for New Zealand, Cook Islands, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Vanuatu, and Samoa.^[8] Schwarzenberg was reported to have commented that if possible, he would rather have sent Kmoníček to Mars.^[7]

A longtime friend of President Milos Zeman, Kmoníček joined the Presidential Office on 28 March 2013 as Director of the Foreign Department, and shortly afterwards with primary responsibility for the President's policy on foreign affairs.^[3] He is considered to be a key figure within the Zeman administration, advising the president on Middle Eastern, Asian and American affairs.^[9] In 2015, he was credited by the US Ambassador Andrew Schapiro as having resolved a diplomatic dispute between Schapiro and Zeman.^[1] As one of only a few Czech Social Democratic Party members in the Presidential Office, he is considered to be an interlocutor between the prime minister, the foreign minister and the president. There has been media speculation about Kmoníček's nomination for position of Czech Ambassador to the United States, which Kmoníček did not comment on.^[10]

In 2015, a Czech scientist who discovered a new species of beetle named it after Kmoníček as a token of a gratitude for assistance he had provided as ambassador.^[11][12]

Since 2015 he has been writing about foreign affairs for the Czech newspaper MF Dnes as an external contributor.

Personal life

Kmoníček's personal interests include cooking and collecting documentary movies, world music and hot sauces from around the world. He also writes reviews for art, culture and academic journals worldwide.

References