Javier Solana, Foreign Policy Representative, European Union

Born: 1942 in Madrid, Spain.

Education: Doctorate in physics - Fulbright scholar at several American universities. Professor of solid-state physics at Madrid Complutense University - author of over thirty publications in the field.

Joined the Spanish Socialist Party in 1964. He was elected to Spain's parliament in 1977 and remained a member until 1995. During his tenure he served as minister of culture, minister of education and science, and minister of foreign affairs.

He served as secretary general of the Nato alliance between 1995 and 1999.

In 1999 he became the EU's first ever foreign policy czar, a new position designed to give the EU more clout, say and recognition on the international scene.