Jón Baldvin Hannibalsson

Jón Baldvin Hannibalsson (Born February 21 1939). Son of Hannibal Valdimarsson. MA in Economics from University of Edinburgh 1963. Studied at Stockholm University 1963-1964. Teacher Education from University of Iceland 1965. Studied at Harvard University (Center for European Studies)1976-1977.Editor of "Frjáls Þjóð" 1964-1967. Editor of "Alþýðublaðið" 1979-1982. Member of Althing 1982-1998. Chairman of the Social Democratic Party 1984-1996. Minister of Finance 1987-1988. Minister of Foreign Affairs 1988-1995. Later ambassador in USA, Finland and the Baltic States, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

Mr. Hannibalsson led the Icelandic delegation while Iceland particapated in the forming of the European Economic Area. He then traveled, on behalf of the Icelandic government, to Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia to recognize their independence in 1991.Mr. Hannibalsson was the only western foreign minister to arrive on the scene in the Baltic States in January 1991 when Gorbachev, during the last year of his reign was at the brink of commanding a military crack down against the Baltic inidependence movement. Since then Iceland became the first country to give formal recognition to the restoration of Baltic independence and exchange diplomatic relations. In recognition of this fact the square in front of Estonia's foreign ministry is named Iceland's square and on the ground of Lithuania's Seimas the rocks of the last barricades from January 1991 bear the inscription: To Iceland - They Dared When Others Remained Silent. In 1995, Mr. Hannibalsson was made honorary citizen of Vilnius along with Mr. Ronald Reagan. Also in 1991, he was the first foreign minister in the world to recognize Croatia as a sovereign nation.