On 1 August 2015, the current Estonian Ambassador to the Russian Federation, Jüri Luik, will take over as director of the International Centre for Defence and Security (ICDS).
Ministry of Defence Permanent Secretary Mikk Marran, Chairman of the ICDS Supervisory Board, extolled Luik’s credentials and said the centre will be in capable hands. “Ambassador Jüri Luik, one of the most influential Estonian security policy experts, is an internationally highly-regarded analyst,” said Marran. “Ambassador Luik’s experience is certainly an important prerequisite on ICDS to continue on its path toward becoming one of the leading think tanks in the Baltic Sea region and Northern Europe.”
Minister of Defence Sven Mikser also praised Luik. “I’m certain that his immense experience will help ICDS become a policy research centre that, in the current complicated security situation, will contribute to developing and expanding one of Estonia’s hallmarks: security foresight and discourse,” said Mikser. “Luik will take over a centre that, under outgoing director Matthew Bryza, has become a think tank with a high work ethic and broad expertise.”
Luik has served as Estonian foreign minister, defence minister and Member of Parliament. His career as a diplomat includes ambassadorial postings to NATO, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. From 2003-2007, Luik was Ambassador to the United States of America, and from 2007 to 2012, Estonia’s permanent representative to NATO. Luik became ambassador to Moscow in 2012.
The current director of ICDS, Ambassador Matthew Bryza, has held the post since spring 2012. After his contract ends in spring 2015, Bryza will continue his work with ICDS by serving on ICDS’ International Advisory Board.