CEPA Forum 2017
Speakers
Jüri Luik
Minister of Defense, Estonia

Jüri Luik is the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Estonia as of 12 June 2017. Prior to becoming Minister of Defense, Jüri Luik was the Undersecretary for Political Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From 2015-2017 he was the Director of the International Centre for Defense and Security. From 2012-2015 Jüri Luik served as the ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to Moscow. From 2007-2012 he served as the ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary and permanent representative to NATO. From 2003-2007 Jüri Luik served as the ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to Washington. From 2002-2003 he served in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as the Head of the NATO accession negotiation delegation. From 1999-2002 Jüri Luik served as the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Estonia. From 1996-1999 he served as the ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to Brussels. From 1995-1996 Luik was a Visiting Associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, in Washington. From 1994-1995 he served as the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Estonia. From 1993-1994 Jüri Luik served as the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Estonia. From 1992-1993 he served as Minister without a Portfolio, heading the Estonian Delegation in Russian-Estonian intergovernmental negotiations. In 1992 he was a Member of the Riigikogu and in 1991 he served as the Head of the Division for International Organizations and Security Policy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and later served as the director of the same division. From 1990-1991 Jüri Luik served as the assistant advisor on Anglo-Saxon countries at the Estonian Institute. From 1988-1990 he was the political editor at the magazine Vikerkaar. Born on 17 August 1966, in Tallinn, he graduated from the University of Tartu with a degree in journalism. He has been awarded the diplomatic rank of ambassador.