The Minister for Foreign Affairs and External Trade
Minister for Foreign Affairs and External Trade
H.E. Mr. Össur Skarphéðinsson
Born in Reykjavik on 19 June 1953.
Current positions:
Minister for Foreign Affairs and External Trade since 1 February 2009.
Member of the Icelandic Parliament (the Althingi) since 1991
Political career:
Minister of Industry 2007 - 2009.
Minister for Nordic Co-operation 25 May 2007 - 10 June 2008.
Minister for the Environment 1993-95.
Chairman of the parliamentary group of the Social Democratic Alliance (Samfylkingin) 2006-2007.
Member of the Committee on the Constitution since 2005.
Chairman of the Social Democratic Alliance 2000-2005.
Member of the Icelandic Delegation to the EFTA and EEA Parliamentary Committees 1991-93 and 1999-2004.
Member of the Icelandic Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe 2003 and 2004-05.
Vice-Chairman of the Icelandic Delegation to the WEU Assembly 1995–99, and of the Icelandic Division of the Assembly of the Council of Europe 2004-05.
Chairman of the Icelandic Delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly since 2005.
Member of the Thingvellir Committee (Þingvallanefnd) 1995-2009.
Chairman of the parliamentary group of the Social Democratic Party 1991-1993.
Chairman of the Student Council of the University of Iceland 1976-1977.
Other work experience:
Editor of the newspaper Þjóðviljinn 1984-87.
Editor of the newspaper Alþýðublaðið 1996-97.
Editor of the newspaper DV 1997-98.
Assistant Professor at the University of Iceland 1987-88.
Deputy Director of Reykjavík Reinsurance (Reykvísk endurtrygging) 1989-91.
Education:
Matriculated from the Reykjavík Grammar School in 1973. BS in Biology from the University of Iceland in HÍ 1979. PhD in Physiology, specialising in Aquaculture, from the University of East Anglia in 1983. Recipient of a British Council scholarship for postgraduate research 1983-84.