 |
Dalius CekuolisLithuanian civil servant and diplomat
Date of Birth: .
Country:  Lithuania |
Content:
- Early Life and Education
- Diplomatic Career
- Lithuanian Independence
- Embassies and Diplomacy
- United Nations
- Candidacy for UNGA Presidency
- Return to Lithuania and Ambassadorship
- Honors and Recognition
Early Life and Education
Virginijus Čekuolis was born on February 29, 1959, in a fraternal twin birth with his brother Giedrius Čekuolis. He attended Vilnius Secondary School No. 15 from 1966 to 1977. Subsequently, he pursued higher education at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations from 1977 to 1982, earning a degree in international relations.
Diplomatic Career
Čekuolis' diplomatic career commenced in 1982 when he joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Lithuanian SSR as a Second Secretary, and later promoted to First Secretary in 1984. In 1986, he was appointed to the Soviet Embassy in Guinea, where he served until 1990.
Lithuanian Independence
After Lithuania's declaration of independence in 1990, Čekuolis returned to his home nation. He served as Head of Press and Information at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, laying the groundwork for Lithuania's international engagement.
Embassies and Diplomacy
From 1991 to 1994, Čekuolis held various diplomatic positions in Denmark. He represented the Baltic Information Bureau in Lithuania, served as Counsellor at the Embassy of Lithuania, and acted as Chargé d'Affaires. During this time, he was also appointed Ambassador of the Republic of Lithuania to Denmark, concurrently accredited to Iceland and Norway (1992-1994).
In 1994, Čekuolis became the Ambassador of Lithuania to Belgium, with additional accreditation to the Netherlands and Luxembourg from 1995. From 1995 to 1997, he concurrently served as Lithuania's Representative to NATO and to the Committee of Senior Officials of the Council of the Baltic Sea States.
United Nations
In 1999, Čekuolis was appointed Ambassador of Lithuania to Portugal, serving until 2004. He then returned to Lithuania and assumed the role of Secretary of State for Security Policy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2004-2006).
In 2006, Čekuolis was appointed Permanent Representative of Lithuania to the United Nations. He held this position until 2012, during which time he served as President of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) from 2007 to 2012. In this capacity, he chaired the United Nations Conference of the Parties on Small Arms and Light Weapons and the Third Biennial Session of the High-level Panel on the Revitalization of the General Assembly.
Candidacy for UNGA Presidency
In 2012, Lithuania nominated Čekuolis as a candidate for President of the 67th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. However, Vuk Jeremić of Serbia was elected by a narrow margin with the support of Russia.
Return to Lithuania and Ambassadorship
After his UNGA campaign, Čekuolis returned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as Director of the Political Department (2012-2014). In 2014, he was appointed Ambassador of Lithuania to France, where he served until 2019. In November 2019, he was appointed Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania.
Honors and Recognition
Čekuolis has received numerous awards for his diplomatic service:Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown (1998, Belgium)
Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit (2003, Portugal)
Commander's Cross of the Order "For Merits to Lithuania" (2003)
