Gediminas KIRKILAS

Deputy Speaker of Seimas (Lithuanian Parliament), Prime Minister of Lithuania (2006-2008)

During more than 25 years of political career Mr. Kirkilas has gained the substantial experience in the fields of defense policy, foreign affairs and European integration as well as various national policy issues. He has worked in both legislative and executive government bodies. Since independence was declared on 11 March 1990, Mr. Kirkilas was involved in the state-building matters and was elected six times (in 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012) to the Seimas under the Social Democratic Party of Lithuania ballot. Since 2003 he is Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary. In 2002–2004 he was Special Representative of the President of the Republic of Lithuania for the Matters Related to Transit Transportation by the Russian Federation to and from the Kaliningrad Region. He became Defense minister of Lithuania on 7 December 2004. In 2006–2008, he was the Prime Minister of Lithuania. Since 2012 he is a Deputy Speaker of the Seimas, a Chairman of the Committee on European Affairs and a member of the Committee on the Development of Information Society of the Seimas.