Gunnar Wiegand, is head of the European Commission's Unit for Relations with Russia as well as the acting director for Eastern Europe, Southern Caucasus, and Central Asia, in the Commission's Directorate-General for External Relations. Before this Mr. Wiegand held a variety of positions at the Commission, including head of the Unit for Transatlantic Relations, spokesman for external relations with Commissioner Chris Patten, assistant to the Director-General of Trade Policy and Desk for External Aspects of German Unification. His previous professional experience with Eastern Europe and transition processes has included work both at the Commission where he was responsible for financial services projects under the TACIS program for the former Soviet Union, and at a political foundation in Germany in charge of projects in Eastern Europe from 1987 to 1990. Mr. Wiegand also worked previously on EU-Latin America relations in Madrid. He holds a law degree from the University of Hamburg and an M.A. in international relations from Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, DC.