Indulis Bērziņš

Indulis Bērziņš (2002)

Indulis Bērziņš (born December 4, 1957 in Madona , Latvian SSR ) is a Latvian politician who was Foreign Minister between 1999 and 2002 .

Life

After attending school, Bērziņš began studying history at the University of Latvia , which he graduated in 1981. He first achieved national attention between 1988 and 1989 as the presenter of the very popular television program Apvarsnis ("Horizon"). This was one of the first programs to challenge the dogma and doctrine of the previous state broadcasting and television programs.

His political independence was also shown by the fact that he became the third registered member of the Latvijas Tautas Fronte ("Popular Front") political party in Jelgava . The “Popular Front” was the first party to campaign for the establishment of Latvia's sovereignty . Later he was one of the founders of another party, Latvijas Ceļš ("Latvian Way"), and quickly assumed a leading role there.

After his election as a member of the Saeima , he was deputy chairman of the parliamentary group of the Latvian Way party between 1993 and 1995 and deputy spokesman for the Saeima from 1998 and 1999 and thus vice-president of the parliament.

On July 16, 1999, Bērziņš was appointed Foreign Minister in the cabinet of Prime Minister Andris Šķēle and retained this office in the government of his successor, Andris Bērziņš , until November 7, 2002. As Foreign Minister, he continued the continuity of Latvian foreign policy, by continuing negotiations on Latvia's accession to the European Union and NATO . He also tried to improve security, prosperity and good relations with the neighboring states of the Baltic States .

From May 2003 to January 2005, Bērziņš represented his country as ambassador to Denmark ; then he moved to Great Britain in the same role .

Web links

• Biography (rulers.org)
• Biography at the Latvian Embassy in London (Engl.)