Permanent Representative of Germany at the NATO Council (1989–1993), Ambassador to the UK (1999–2002) and the Russian Federation (2002–2005)
German diplomat. State Secretary in German Foreign Office (1994–1999); Chairman of the Foundation for German-Russian Youth Exchanges (2006–2012); member of the NATO-Working Group on a new strategy (2009–2010); member of the supervisory board of Robert Bosch GmbH (2008–2013) and of the Baltic International Bank from 2016; Chairman of the Investment Advisory Council of the Green Gateway Fund from 2012; Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Center for Global Politics, Free University Berlin from 2011. During diplomatic carrier he was deeply involved in relations with the USSR and Russia; as of 2005 - advisor to major European companies on the Russian strategy; participant in various bodies in Germany promoting deepening of German/European relations with Russia; frequent interview partner for German and Russian media on German/Western-Russian relations.