About Hans Brask

Hans Brask has been director of Baltic Development Forum since August 2007. His background is in international affairs since he began working in the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1990. He holds a MA in Political Science from the University of Aarhus (1990) and a MA in History and Philosophy from the University of Essex, UK (1990).

Hans Brask has a wide experience in Baltic Sea Region affairs and in EU affairs from his past jobs. During his posting as embassy secretary at the Danish EU-representation in Brussels from 1992 until 1995 he was responsible for economic and political issues concerning the EU’s pre-accession strategy towards the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. He was also responsible for EU relations to the countries of the former Soviet Union. Notably, he took part in the EU’s negotiations with Russia on the Partnerships and Co-operation Agreement and the EU’s external strategy towards the Baltic Sea Region.

Between 1995 and 1997, Hans Brask was posted as EU-advisor to the Estonian Government in Tallinn and later the Latvian Government in Riga on behalf of the European Commission. He helped the two countries in their preparations for EU accession negotiations and in implementing the EU’s legislation on the Internal Market.

In 1997, Mr. Brask rejoined the Danish Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Copenhagen and was Head of Division responsible for Baltic Sea Region affairs and Danish relations to the Russia and the countries of the former Soviet Union. He was also Head of Secretariat during the Danish presidency for the Council of the Baltic Sea States from July 1998 till July 1999. In parallel, Hans Brask was lecturer in EU-affairs and EU-negotiation in Poland.

Subsequently, Hans Brask was posted to Paris in 2001 as Head of Economic and EU-affairs at the Danish Embassy in Paris. He closely followed the EU’s policies on external relations, treaty negotiations (later the Lisbon Treaty) and the EU’s Economic agenda. In 2005 Mr. Brask decided to go back to Copenhagen where he was the Deputy Head of Department for European Affairs, which included the EU’s Lisbon agenda. During 2006 Hans Brask took part in a special team elaborating the Ministry’s globalization agenda that lead to several reforms in the Ministry.  

Hans Brask was born in 1962 and he lives together with Maibritt Richmann Kallehauge. They have 1 child.