Jüri Luik

Jüri Luik has been appointed director of ICDS from August 2015. Prior to this position, he held a number of posts both as a cabinet-level politician and a professional diplomat. Between 2012 and 2015 he served as Ambassador of Estonia to the Russian Federation. From 2007 to 2012 he served as the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Republic of Estonia in the North Atlantic Council. He assumed the post after serving for four years as the Ambassador of Estonia to the United States co-accredited to Mexico and Canada. In the Estonian Government, he served as Minister of Foreign Affairs (1994–1995), twice as Minister of Defence (1993 and 1999–2002), and as Minister without Portfolio, Head of the Government Delegation for negotiations with Russia over the withdrawal of Russian troops (1992–1994). He was elected to the Estonian Parliament in 1992. Mr Luik holds the diplomatic rank of Ambassador. He graduated from the University of Tartu with a degree in journalism in 1989 and in 1995–96 was a Visiting Associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in DC.