Egidijus Vareikis has been a Christian Democrat member of the Parliament of Lithuania since 2000, and is currently a board member of the Parliamentary Network on the World Bank and IMF. He obtained a Chemistry PHD in 1989, studied journalism in Canada and the USA, and graduated from the Institute of High International Studies in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1993. Mr. Vareikis has worked as research scientist of biochemistry, journalist, university teacher and advisor to the Foreign Ministry of Lithuania on defense and international security issues. From 1996 to 2003 he presided the Lithuanian Atlantic Treaty Association (LATA), and is the Vice President of the Association of European Parliamentarians for Africa (AWEPA) since 2004. In 1997-2000 he was a Member of the Lithuanian delegation for EU membership negotiations, and in 1998 he was Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary. He is also the Chairman of the EU-Lithuanian Joint Parliamentary Committee, and a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.