Personal details
Full name: Tsjeard Roelf Hoekstra
Place / date of birth: Leeuwarden, the Netherlands, 18 January 1967
Tsjeard is married and has two daughters and two sons.
Education
1992: Master of Arts from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands
1998: Diplomatic School, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands
Career
Tsjeard Hoekstra was trained as a classical archeaologist at Groningen University. After finishing his studies, he worked several years at Groningen University where he was involved in archeaological fieldwork in Italy, Turkey and Spain and initiated partnerships of his alma mater with the universities of Siena, Pisa, Izmir and Badajoz. In 1998 he joined the Diplomatic Service of the Netherlands. He served in lower ranks at embassies in Beirut (Lebanon) and Abidjan (Côte d'Ivoire) and was speechwriter to Ministers for European Affairs Atzo Nicolai and Frans Timmermans. He held positions at the Consular department, the International Business department and the Political department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in The Hague.
Other diplomatic postings include:
2007-2011: Deputy Head of Mission/Counsellor at the Embassy of the Netherlands in Belgrado (Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo)
2011-2015: Deputy Director Security & MFA Crisis Coordinator
2015-2018: Deputy Head of Mission/Minister Plenipontentiary at the Embassy of the Netherlands in Cairo (Egypt)
2018-2019: Management Team member of the Middle East/North Africa department
2019-2020: Chargé d'Affaires/Minister Plenipotentiary at the Embassy of the Netherlands in Baghdad (Iraq)
As of 1 December 2020 Tsjeard Hoekstra serves as Director of the Strategic Representation and Outreach division with the title of Ambassador at the NATO Mission in Iraq. After completion of his one-year term he will serve as Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the Republic of Angola.
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