Marek Varga

Ambassador Varga has spent most of his professional career at the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs and the Ministry of Defence of the Slovak Republic, and at its subordinated departments and agencies. He has been principally active in the fields of politico-military issues, protracted and active conflicts, defence policy, military diplomacy, and intelligence. He was a member of the Slovak team in the accession process to NATO and the EU and was deeply involved in the activities of the SK EU Presidency in 2016 as well.

In 1994-1995, as a member of the European Union Monitoring Mission in Former Yugoslavia, he was mainly responsible for the Eastern Slavonia region and the Brčko Corridor. During a highly volatile period before the Dayton Agreement was signed, Mr. Varga was actively involved in defusing multi-ethnic tensions, predominantly in the Vukovar area.

From 2001 to 2005, he served as a military expert at the Slovak Embassy in Washington D.C., during an important period of the Slovak accession to NATO (2004) and the participation of the Slovak Armed Forces in contingency operations in both Afghanistan and Iraq.

From 2008 to 2011, he was a team leader of analysts covering Middle East politico-security developments at the EU Military Staff. This role was particularly intensive in 2011 with the Arab Spring breakout and its further dynamic consequences for the region. He served from 2011 to 2012 as a Deputy Director of the Military Intelligence Service.

From 2013 to 2017, after a successful selection process that included candidates from other EU member states, he occupied the position of Head of the Intelligence Analysis Branch within the EU Military Staff at the European External Action Service in Brussels.

From 2017 to 2020, while holding the position of Deputy Head of the SK OSCE Task Force, he led the Politico-Military and Conflicts Unit of the Slovak OSCE Chairmanship in Bratislava.

In 2020, he was selected as Ambassador of the Slovak Republic to Lebanon, Iraq, and Jordan, and as Chargé d’Affaires to Syria. He has performed his duties in these countries until August 2024.