Jānis Jurkāns (born 31 August 1946) is a Latvian politician, one of the leaders of the Popular Front of Latvia, who served as foreign minister (1990–1992).

Biography

Jānis Jurkāns was born in 1946 into a family with Polish-Latvian roots. In 1974 Jurkāns graduated from the Latvian State University, majoring in English. He worked as a lecturer from 1974 to 1978. In 1989 he became an activist of the Popular Front. Jurkāns was Minister of Foreign Affairs in Latvia, 1990–1992. In 1992, Janis Jurkāns, together with 9 other Baltic Ministers of Foreign Affairs and an EU commissioner, founded the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) and the EuroFaculty. He resigned in 1992 due to opposition to the Latvian citizenship law, that in his view threatened social harmony in the country; he also rejected territorial claims to the Abrene district. In 1994, Jurkāns founded the National Harmony Party and was the chairman of the party's faction in the

Saeima The Saeima () is the parliament of the Latvia, Republic of Latvia. It is a unicameral parliament consisting of 100 members who are elected by proportional representation, with seats allocated to political parties which gain at least 5% of the p ...

(1994–1996; 1997–1998) and later of the parliamentary faction of the For Human Rights in United Latvia alliance. He was a deputy in the V, VI, VII and VIII convocations of the Saeima (1993–2006). In 2002, he visited Moscow and met Vladimir Putin, who expressed support for Jurkāns's policies.Зайцев В
Правящая партия в Латвии проиграла
// Независимая газета, 7 октября 2002 In 2005 he distanced himself from politics, concentrating on the logistics corporation "Baltijas asociācija – transports un loģistika". Nevertheless, he participated in the 2011 Latvian parliamentary election as a Latvia's First Party/Latvian Way candidate and was a potential candidate for foreign minister; however, he failed to get elected. Supporter of Crimea's annexation by Russia.«Экс-глава МИД Латвии поддержал присоединение Крыма к России». ria.ru, 9 Jan 2015. Jānis Jurkāns is divorced, and has two sons.

Footnotes

External links

CV on the site of Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jurkans, Janis 1946 births Living people Politicians from Riga Latvian people of Polish descent National Harmony Party politicians Latvia's First Party/Latvian Way politicians Ministers of foreign affairs of Latvia Deputies of the 5th Saeima Deputies of the 6th Saeima Deputies of the 7th Saeima Deputies of the 8th Saeima University of Latvia alumni