Biographical Note

New permanent representative of LATVIA presents credentials

 

(Based on information provided by the Protocol and Liaison Service.)

The new Permanent Representative of Latvia to the United Nations, Normans Penke, today presented his credentials to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Before his current appointment, Mr. Penke was State Secretary of his country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 2004 to 2008.  Earlier, he served as Ambassador of Latvia to the Russian Federation from 2001 to 2004, Ambassador to Ireland from 1998 to 2001, and Ambassador to the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2001.

During several years previously, beginning in 1992, Mr. Penke held numerous posts at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including Director of the Legal Department, Undersecretary of State for Legal and Consular Affairs, Undersecretary of State for International Organizations and Foreign Trade, and Undersecretary of State for Multilateral Relations.

Between 1990 and 1992, he was a lecturer on international law at the University of Latvia’s Institute of International Affairs, having been a junior research associate at the same Institute from 1989 to 1990.

Mr. Penke was educated at the University of Latvia, Faculty of Law (1989) and at Oxford University under its Foreign Service Programme (1993/1994).  He is fluent in Latvian, Russian, English and French.

Born on 1 January 1964 in Riga, Latvia, Mr. Penke is married with two daughters.

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For information media • not an official record