Rihards Kols is a Latvian politician currently serving as a Member of the European Parliament, working in the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Committee on International Trade and the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy. He has been a member of the 12th, 13th, and 14th Saeima, where he represented the "National Alliance" party. During his tenure in the 13th and the 14th Saeima, he held the position of Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee. Kols led the Saeima delegation in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and represented the Saeima in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). His professional experience includes serving as the Prime Minister's Parliamentary Secretary and the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Culture. Additionally, he interned at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatham House. Beyond his political career, Kols is a member of the Latvian National Guard. He is also a Millennium Fellow at the Atlantic Council and is part of the Senior Network of the European Leadership Network. Rihards Kols holds a Master’s Degree in Diplomacy and a Professional Bachelor’s Degree in Law.