Krzysztof Skubiszewski

Krzysztof Jan Skubiszewski (8 October 1926 – 8 February 2010) was a Polish politician, a former Minister of Foreign Affairs (1989–1993) and an established scholar in the field of international law.

Early life and education Skubiszewski was born in Poznań on 8 October 1926.

Career Skubiszewski taught international law at his alma mater, Poznan University. During the communist regime in the country he was an active member of the Solidarity movement.

After the fall of communism, he served in the successive cabinets of Tadeusz Mazowiecki, Jan Krzysztof Bielecki, Jan Olszewski and Hanna Suchocka and was the first minister of foreign affairs of the Third Republic of Poland. He was in office from 12 September 1989 to 26 October 1993. In 1992, Skubiszewski, together with 9 other ministers of foreign affairs from the Baltic Sea area, and an EU commissioner, founded the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) and the EuroFaculty.

He was awarded with the Order of the White Eagle, Poland's highest state decoration. In 1993, he was appointed an ad hoc judge in the International Court of Justice in the Hague.

Death and legacy Skubiszewski died on 8 February 2010 at the age of 83. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland initiated a scholarship and a research grant for the candidates from Central Europe, the Balkans, the Baltic States, Eastern Europe, Russia, Central Asia and the Caucasus for his memory in 2013.