Edgars Rinkēvičs is Minister of Foreign Affairs since October 25, 2011. He was Head of the Chancery of the President of Latvia from October 2008 till October 2011. He also served as State Secretary in the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Latvia from August 1997 till October 2008. He also worked as Chief of the Office for organising the NATO Summit of Heads of State and Government, which took place in Riga, 2006. Mr. Rinkēvičs graduated from University of Latvia and received his Master’s degree in Political Science in 1997. From 1999-2000 he also studied at the U.S. National Defence University, Industrial College of the Armed Forces and has a graduate degree in National Resource Strategy.