Edgars Rinkēvičs facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Edgars Rinkēvičs
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Rinkēvičs in 2023
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| 11th President of Latvia | |
| Assumed office 8 July 2023 |
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| Prime Minister | Krišjānis Kariņš Evika Siliņa |
| Preceded by | Egils Levits |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
| In office 25 October 2011 – 8 July 2023 |
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| Prime Minister | Valdis Dombrovskis Laimdota Straujuma Māris Kučinskis Krišjānis Kariņš |
| Preceded by | Ģirts Valdis Kristovskis |
| Succeeded by | Krišjānis Kariņš |
| President of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe | |
| In office 17 May 2023 – 8 July 2023 |
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| Preceded by | Þórdís Kolbrún R. Gylfadóttir |
| Succeeded by | Krišjānis Kariņš |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 21 September 1973 Jūrmala, Latvia |
| Political party | Latvian Way (1998–2004) Reform Party (2012–2014) Unity (2014–2023) |
| Alma mater | University of Latvia Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy |
Edgars Rinkēvičs (born 21 September 1973) is an important public official and politician from Latvia. He is currently the 11th President of Latvia, a role he started in July 2023. Before becoming president, he was Latvia's Minister of Foreign Affairs for many years, from 2011 to 2023.
He also led the office of the President of Latvia and worked as a state secretary in the Ministry of Defence. He was also a member of the Saeima, which is Latvia's parliament. When he became president, Rinkēvičs made history. He became the first openly gay head of state in a country that is part of the European Union.
Before becoming president, Rinkēvičs was a member of different political parties. These included Latvian Way, the Reform Party, and the Unity party. After being elected president, he left the Unity party. In Latvia, presidents usually stay neutral and do not belong to a political party.
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Early Life and Education
Edgars Rinkēvičs was born in Jūrmala, a city in Latvia. He finished high school there in 1991. After high school, he went to the University of Latvia. He studied history and philosophy and earned his first degree in 1995.
During this time, in 1994 and 1995, he also studied in the Netherlands. He attended the University of Groningen to learn about Political Science and International Relations. He received a special certificate for his studies there. Later, in 1997, he earned a master's degree in political science. He then got a second master's degree in 2000 from the Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy.
Political Career
From 1993 to 1994, while still a student, Rinkēvičs worked as a journalist. He reported on foreign policy and international news for Latvian Radio. In 1995, he started working at the Ministry of Defence. He was a senior expert in the Policy Department.
He quickly moved up in the Ministry of Defence. By 1997, he became the main Secretary of State for Defence. He held this important role until October 2008.
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Between 1998 and 2004, Rinkēvičs was a member of the Latvian Way political party. In 1998, he helped discuss a partnership agreement between the US and the Baltic countries. From 2002 to 2003, he was part of Latvia's team that worked on joining NATO.
In 2008, he became the Head of the President of Latvia's office. He held this position until July 2011. In October 2011, Rinkēvičs became the Minister of Foreign Affairs. He joined the government led by Valdis Dombrovskis.
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He first served as an independent politician. But in January 2012, he joined the Zatlers' Reform Party. In May 2014, he became a member of the Unity party. He continued to serve as Minister of Foreign Affairs in different governments. He worked under Prime Ministers Laimdota Straujuma and Māris Kučinskis. He also served under Krišjānis Kariņš until 2023.
As Foreign Minister, Rinkēvičs spoke about important global events. In 2020, he welcomed the agreement to create full diplomatic relations between Israel and Bahrain. He also shared his deep concern about the fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh. He asked Armenia and Azerbaijan to stop fighting and find a peaceful solution.
Presidency (2023–present)
Edgars Rinkēvičs was chosen to be the president of Latvia on May 31, 2023. He officially started his term as president on July 8, 2023.
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On November 20, 2023, he visited Israel. His visit was to show support for the country during the 2023 Israel–Hamas war. On December 15, 2023, President Rinkēvičs met with Canadian Minister of Defence Bill Blair. They met at the Riga Castle to talk about how their countries could work together. They focused on topics like defence and security.
Personal Life
On November 6, 2014, Edgars Rinkēvičs shared on his Twitter profile that he is gay. This made him the first lawmaker in Latvia to make such an announcement. When he was elected president in 2023, he became the first openly gay head of state in a country belonging to the European Union. He is also the first openly gay president of any country. Besides his native Latvian, he can speak English, Russian, and French fluently.
Honours
Edgars Rinkēvičs has received many awards for his service.
National Honours
Commander Grand Cross with Chain of the Order of the Three Stars (2023)
Grand Cross of the Cross of Recognition (2023)
Commander Grand Cross of the Order of Viesturs (2004)- Grand Officer of the Order of the Three Stars (2007)
Recipient of the Commemorative Medal for Advancing Latvia's Membership to NATO (2004)
Recipient of the Medal of Honourable Merit for Contribution to Armed Forces Development (2000)
Foreign Honours
Estonia:
- First Class of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana (2019)
- Second Class of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana (2009)
- Third Class of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana (2005)
Finland: Commander First Class of the Order of the Lion of Finland (2013)
Germany: Grand Cross 1st Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (2019)
Greece: Grand cross of the Order of the Redeemer (2024)
Italy:
- Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (2019)
- Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (2005)
Malta: Honorary Companion of Honour with Collar of the National Order of Merit (2024)
Netherlands: Grand Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau (2018)
Norway: Grand Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit (2015)
Poland: Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland (2005)
Ukraine: First Class of the Order of Merit (2022)
NATO: Recipient of the NATO Meritorious Service Medal (2007)
See also
In Spanish: Edgars Rinkēvičs para niños
- List of foreign ministers in 2021
- List of openly LGBT heads of state and government
