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Keynote Addresses

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Plenary /
European Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy, Brussels
Former President, Republic of Estonia, Tallinn

Dr. Benita FERRERO-WALDNER

European Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy, Brussels

1966-1970 University of Salzburg, study of law (Dr. Iuris)
1971-1978 Paul Kiefel, Freilassing/Germany (1971-72), Export Department; Gerns and Gahler, Freilassing/Germany, Director for Export Promotion
1978-1981 P. Kaufmann Inc., New York, Sales Director for Europe
1981-1983 Gerns and Gahler, Freilassing/Germany, Chief Management Assistant
1984 Austrian Embassy, Madrid, Spain
1984-1986 Federal Ministry for Foreign Affairs Department of Economic Affairs, Department of Political Affairs, Department of Consular Affairs
1986 Austrian Embassy, Dakar, Senegal, First Secretary
1986-1987 Federal Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Department for Development Co-operation
1987-1990 Austrian Embassy, Paris, Counsellor for Economic Affairs
1990-1993 Austrian Embassy, Paris, First Counsellor and Deputy Chief of Mission, Chargé d'Affairs a.i.
1993 Federal Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Chief of Protocol
1994-1995 UN Chief of Protocol
1995-2000 State Secretary for Foreign Affairs
2000-2004 Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs of Austria
since 2004 European Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy, Brussels

Lennart MERI

Former President, Republic of Estonia, Tallinn

1953 graduated from the Faculty of History and Languages of Tartu University
 worked as dramatist and producer of radio plays in the Estonian broadcasting
1958 wrote his first book after trip to Central Asia and old Islamic centrs in the Kara-Kum Desert
 many books and films on more travels followed and were translated into a dozen languages
 significantly contributed to the preservation of the Estonian national identity; first to take protest abroad against Soviet plan of mining phosphate in Estonia (later: the "Singing Revolution")
1988 founded non-governmental Estonian Institute to promote cultural contacts with the West & send Estonian students to study abroad
1990 appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs after the first non-communist elections
 participated in the CSCE Conferences in Copenhagen, New York,