Graduated from the Civil Aviation Academy in St. Petersburg, Russia. He was a pilot instructor until 1985. Among his victories as a stunt pilot are multiple championship titles won at national level and twice in the former U.S.S.R.
From 1992 to 1997 he was chief executive of the construction firm Restako.
In the 1997 municipal elections Paksas, then a member of the Conservative Party, was elected to the Council of Vilnius. He became mayor of Vilnius but two years later, a political row between President Valdas Adamkus and Prime Minister Gediminas Vagnorius resulted in Paksas' appointment to the post of prime minister. He lasted hardly five months as PM since a squabble over privatization of Lithuania's oil concerns forced him to hand in his resignation. Re-elected mayor of Vilnius in the 2000 local elections.
He is married and has two children.
Gintautas Bartkus, 34, Liberal Union, minister of justice.
Graduated from the faculty of law at Vilnius University. Started his career as director's adviser at the governmental department of nations. Later worked at the law office. In 2000, he was elected the elder of the law firm. Since 1989, he's been a lecturer at Vilnius University's law faculty.
Speaks Russian and English. Married, has two children.
Vilija Blinkeviciute, 40, Social Liberals, minister of social security and labor.
Graduated from Vilnius University's faculty of law and worked in the state welfare system. Appointed as secretary of the Social Security and Labor Ministry in 1994. Since 1996, she's been a deputy minister in charge of the social support and services sector.
Speaks English and Russian. Hobbies include literature, traveling and partying with friends. Unmarried.
Vinsas Janusonis, 50, Social Liberals, minister of health.
Graduated Kaunas Medical Institute with a doctor's degree in medicine and later earned therapeutist and health care administrator diplomas. He's held various jobs, ranging from intern to therapeutist. He's been head of the out-patient clinic and head physician at the seaport hospital of Klaipeda since 1976. A prolific writer who's authored over 80 scientific articles and three monographs. His Klaipeda hospital is a leading one in Lithuania.
Married, has three children.
Gintautas Kevisas, 45, Liberal Union, minister of culture.
Studied piano at the Lithuanian State Conservatory. Music teacher at Vilnius-based Balys Dvarionas music school. In 1980-1982 Kevisas continued his music studies at Gnesin Music Pedagogical Institute in Moscow. In 1988, he was appointed director of the National Philharmonic Society. Organized the first International Vilnius Music Festival in 1997.
Speaks English and Russian. Married, has a son.
Kestutis Kristinaitis, 39, Social Liberals, minister of agriculture.
Engineer - land survey specialist degree from the Lithuanian Academy of Agriculture. Between 1985 and 1992 he worked first at the National Land Survey Institute and then became the first deputy minister of agriculture. Continued his career as deputy director of the land management department, head of the land reform board and head of the land utilization unit. Since 1993, he has been president of Matininkai corporation.
Speaks Russian, Polish and German. Married, has a son and a daughter.
Linas Linkevicius, 39, Liberal Union, minister of defense.
Earned a diploma in electrical engineering from Kaunas Polytechnic Institute. Worked in the central committee of Komsomol until 1988 and then moved to the Lithuanian Democratic Labor (ex-Communist) Party. After the 1992 general elections, Linkevicius became the youngest Lithuanian MP.
Leader of a parliamentary delegation to NATO, defense minister and ambassador in charge of national missions to NATO and West European Union since 1997.
Speaks English, French and Russian. Hobbies include sports, journalism and driving. Married, has two daughters.
Jonas Lionginas, 44, Liberal Union, minister of finance.
Studied economic cybernetics and finance at Vilnius University. Continued his career at the Finance Ministry. In June, 1999, appointed as finance minister but resigned from the post in mid-October of the same year. Worked at Lithuania's road association Lietuvos Keliai as a consultant on financial and economic issues. He speaks English and Russian. Married and has two daughters.
Eugenijus Maldeikis, 42, Liberal Union, minister of economy.
Bachelor's degree in political economy from Moscow State University. Ph.D. in economics.
Lecturer at Vilnius University. Head of the Economics Ministry's economic reforms and strategy department in 1990-1992. He's worked as senior consultant to the president of Lithuania. Head of the Economic Research Center from 1992 to 1996. Board chairman of Turto Bankas from 1996 to 1999 before being appointed minister of economy. Lithuania's Deloitte & Touche board chairman, from 1999 to present. In the March 2000 municipal election, Maldeikis was elected as Vilnius City Council member.
Married and has two sons.
Vytautas Markevicius, 38, Social Liberals, minister of the interior.
Graduated from the faculty of law at Vilnius University. Started his career at the state prosecutors' office in 1985. He was appointed as chief of the law enforcement unit under the national office in 1991. He worked as a lawyer for Lithuanian-Danish joint venture CLAN-BALT from 1993 to 1994. Set up his own law office in 1995. In 1999, he was appointed vice-minister of the interior.
Speaks Russian and English. Married, has three children.
Algirdas Monkevicius, 44, Social Liberals, minister of education and science.
Doctor's degree in social sciences. Head of the social sciences faculty at Siauliai University. He speaks English, French and Russian. Monkevicius is married and has two children.
Gintaras Striaukas, 40, Liberal Union, minister of transport.
Master's degree in civil engineering at Vilnius Engineering Construction Institute. Since 1991, he's been director general of Lithuanian highways directors' board. Elected to the International Road Builders Federation. Married, has a daughter and a son. Speaks Russian, Polish and English.
Antanas Valionis, 50, Social Liberals, minister of foreign affairs.
Graduated from the faculty of mechanics at Kaunas Polytechnical Institute, and continued his academic career in journalism and political sciences at Warsaw University in 1990-1994.
Ph.D. in political and social sciences. Also known as author of a biography for Danuta Walesa, wife of former Polish President Lech Walesa.
Speaks English, Russian and Polish. Married, has two sons. Hobbies include table tennis, swimming, running and music.
Henrikas Zukauskas, 49, Liberal Union, minister of environment.
Graduated from Vilnius Civil Engineering Institute. He's worked as architect. In 1990, he was elected to the City Council of Kaunas and then climbed to the post of Kaunas deputy mayor. Founder of the advertising firm Style.
Since 1998, he's been working for Vilnius municipality's urban development department.
Married, has two children.
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