- Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović
Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović (born
April 29 ,1968 ) is aCroatia n diplomat who was theforeign minister ofCroatia from 2005 to 2008.Kolinda Grabar was born in
Rijeka , Croatia. She lived in theUnited States for part of her childhood and graduated fromLos Alamos High School inLos Alamos, New Mexico . She then attended theUniversity of Zagreb graduating in 1992. Kolinda obtained a masters degree ininternational relations .In 1992, Grabar-Kitarović became an advisor to the international cooperation department of the ministry of science and technology of Croatia. In 1993 she moved to the foreign ministry, becoming an advisor. In 1995 she became the head of the
North America n department of the foreign ministry, remaining in that position until 1997. In 1997 she began to work at the Croatian embassy inCanada , as a diplomatic councilor until October 1998 and then as a minister-councilor. She remained in Canada until 2000.In 2001 Grabar-Kitarović became a minister-councilor to the ministry of foreign affairs. She left that position in 2003. In November 2003 she was elected to the
Croatian Parliament from the seventh electoral district as a member of theCroatian Democratic Union (HDZ). In the government formed in December 2003, she became the minister ofEuropean integration , beginning negotiations in 2004 for Croatia to join theEuropean Union . In February 2005 she was nominated to become the foreign minister of Croatia following the resignation ofMiomir Žužul due to allegations of corruption. A protege of Miomir Žužul, Grabar-Kitarović has been critcized for participating in an administration tainted by rampant corruption.She was confirmed by the parliament and sworn in to that position on
February 17 2005 . Her main task as foreign minister was to guide Croatia into theEuropean Union .She was replaced as foreign minister by
Gordan Jandroković in January 2008, following the November 2007 parliamentary election.Grabar-Kitarović is married to Jakov Kitarović. They have two children. She speaks English, Spanish and Portuguese fluently.
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.