Sandra Kalniete

Sandra Kalniete
Kalniete in 2024
Member of the European Parliament for Latvia
Incumbent
Assumed office 14 July 2009
European Commissioner for Agriculture and Fisheries
In office 1 May 2004 – 11 November 2004
President	Romano Prodi
Preceded by	Franz Fischler
Succeeded by	Mariann Fischer Boel (Agriculture and Rural Development) Joe Borg (Fisheries and Maritime Affairs)
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office 7 November 2002 – 9 March 2004
Prime Minister	Einars Repše
Preceded by	Indulis Bērziņš
Succeeded by	Rihards Pīks
Personal details
Born	(1952-12-22) 22 December 1952 (age 71) Togur [ru], Tomsk Oblast, Soviet Union (now Russia)
Political party	Popular Front (Before 1993) New Era Party (2002–2008) Civic Union (2008–2011) Unity (2011–present)
Alma mater	Art Academy of Latvia University of Leeds University of Geneva
Website	www.kalniete.lv

Sandra Kalniete (born 22 December 1952) is a Latvian politician, author, diplomat and independence movement leader. She served as Foreign Minister of Latvia 2002–2004 and as European Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries in 2004. Since 2009, she has served as Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the European People's Party.

She is currently^[when?] a member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) and a substitute member of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI). Additionally she is a member on the Delegation for relations with the countries of Southeast Asia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and a substitute member on the Delegation to the EU-Ukraine Parliamentary Cooperation Committee and on the Delegation to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly.^[1]

After her reelection in 2014, she became Vice-Chair of the Group of the European People's Party in the European Parliament.

Kalniete is also the chairperson of the Reconciliation of European Histories Group, an all-party group in the European Parliament involved in promoting the Prague Process. The group includes 40 MEPs from across the political spectrum including the European People's Party, the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, the Greens, and the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats.^[2]

She has previously served as Ambassador to the United Nations (1993–97), France (1997–2000) and UNESCO (2000–02). Beside her native Latvian language, she is also fluent in English, French and Russian.^{[citation needed]}