Ilze Juhansone has been involved with EU matters for many years. She is currently Deputy Secretary-General of the European Commission responsible for Relations with other EU institutions, such as the European Parliament and the Council. As several of the most important issues she deals with have an international dimension, she works closely with the European External Action Service (EEAS).  Previously, she was Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Latvia to the European Union, after having held senior positions – with strong exposure to EU policies – in the Latvian Foreign Affairs and Justice ministries, respectively. She chaired the Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREPER II) the Latvian Presidency of the Council in the first half of 2015. Ambassador Juhansone also has a strong policy background in the field of justice.  She holds Masters degrees in Law and Philology from the University of Latvia.