Profile
Dr. Riina Kionka has served as the Ambassador and Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Pakistan since 30 April 2022. She was appointed in Pakistan following the completion of Mrs. Androulla Kaminara’s tenure.
Dr. Kionka obtained her Ph.D. in International Relations from Columbia University and her B.A. in International Relations and German Literature from Michigan State University.
Professional Experience
She served as the EU ambassador to South Africa from 2019 until 2022. She possesses an extensive and esteemed career in international relations and policy.
From 2014 until 2019, Dr. Kionka acted as the senior foreign policy advisor to Mr. Donald Tusk, President of the European Council, on significant international matters.
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Moreover, her work at the European External Action Service of the European Union (EEAS) involved managing the Central Asia Division.
She also led Human Rights projects for the whole organization and acted as a Personal Representative of Javier Solana the then Secretary General/High Representative of the EU for the area of Human Rights.
Previously a senior diplomat with the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Kionka served as the Chief of Policy Planning.
She later became the Political Director of the government of Estonia then the government appointed her as Estonia’s Ambassador to Germany in 2000.
She returned to Estonia in 2004 to become the Undersecretary for EU Affairs. In this role, she was central to coordinating the country’s EU policy during a very sensitive time.
From 1989 to 1993, her professional journey begins as a research analyst of Estonian affairs for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty in Munich, Germany.
EU-Pakistan Relations
The EU has established constructive collaboration with Pakistan in political, economic, social, and cultural spheres. Both parties prioritise peace and security, democracy, human rights, and democratic governance.
They collaborate on migration and mobility, commerce, investment, sustainable development, education, culture, and science and technology.
A significant portion of Pakistan’s exports, particularly in textiles and apparel, is directed towards the EU, hence strengthening these commercial links.
The Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) enables Pakistan to obtain preferential access to the European Union’s markets.
In 2023, Pakistan’s overall trade reached 15.3%, with the EU emerging as its second-largest trading partner. In that year, Pakistan ranked as the EU’s 47th largest goods trading partner, accounting for 0.2% of the EU’s overall trade.
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Furthermore, the EU and Pakistan are committed to the promotion of science and technology cooperation.
Nearly €80 billion in funding over seven years from 2014 to 2020 was made available by Horizon 2020, the EU’s largest research and innovation programme to date.
Future Cooperation Plans
Looking ahead, the new Multi-Annual Indicative Program (MIP) outlines EU cooperation goals with Pakistan for the next period (2021–2027).
The EU Delegation supports rural development, education, and governance among other long-term projects.
