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HE Mr Darius Degutis (Ambassador of Lithuania to Australia)

HE Mr Darius Degutis

Ambassador of Lithuania to Australia

HE Mr Darius Degutis is a career diplomat and has served at Lithuanian Embassies in Tel Aviv (2009-2014), Warsaw (2001-2004), Washington (1998-2001) and Copenhagen (1992-1995). He has also held numerous assignments in Lithuanian diplomatic service, including Special Envoy for Energy Security (2017), Ambassador at Large for External Economic Relations (2014-2016) and Director of the NATO Foreign Ministers Summit in Lithuania (2004-2005). He has also held a variety of teaching positions at Vilnius ISM University of Management and Economics and Kaunas Vytautas Magnus University covering public diplomacy, diplomatic protocol and negotiation management. He holds qualifications from Harvard Kennedy School, European Security and Defence College, and the University of Oxford. He is fluent in English, Polish, Russian and German, and has an array of experience in the fields of international security, energy policy, middle eastern affairs and public diplomacy.

John Richardson

John Richardson

John Richardson is Vice President of AIIA Victoria and served as Ambassador to Brazil from 2016 to 2018. Previously Mr Richardson was DFAT State Director Victoria, having served overseas as Ambassador to Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, and as Deputy Head of Mission in Australia's Embassies in Germany and Thailand. In Canberra, Mr Richardson served as Assistant Secretary of the Canada and Latin America Branch; the APEC Taskforce; the Diplomatic Security Branch; the North-East Asia Branch; and the Trade Strategy Branch. His early career focussed on Australia-Japan relations.