Jan Kohout

Jan Kohout
Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic
In office 10 July 2013 – 29 January 2014
Prime Minister	Jiří Rusnok
Preceded by	Karel Schwarzenberg
Succeeded by	Lubomír Zaorálek
In office 8 May 2009 – 13 July 2010
Prime Minister	Jan Fischer
Preceded by	Karel Schwarzenberg
Succeeded by	Karel Schwarzenberg
Permanent Representative of the Czech Republic to the European Union
In office 19 May 2004 – 2 January 2008
Preceded by	Pavel Telička
Succeeded by	Milena Vicenová
Personal details
Born	(1961-03-29) 29 March 1961 (age 63) Plzeň, Czechoslovakia
Political party	KSČ (1986–1989) Social Democratic Party (1995–2009)
Children	2
Alma mater	Charles University

Jan Kohout (born 29 March 1961) is a Czech diplomat and politician. He was Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic in caretaker governments of Jan Fischer and Jiří Rusnok.^[1] Between 1986–1989 he had been a member of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia; since 1995 is a member of the Social Democratic Party but before accepting the office of Foreign Minister he suspended party membership.

After the Velvet revolution, he entered the Czechoslovak and later Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He served as Ambassador to the EU in Brussels as well as Deputy Foreign Minister. After Prime Minister Vladimír Špidla resigned in 2004, Kohout was offered the post but refused; Stanislav Gross took over as Premier.

Kohout is a graduate of the Faculty of Arts of the Charles University in Prague. He is divorced and has two children.