Ambassador H.E. Mr. Sven Sakkov
Sven Sakkov is an expert of defence and security policy. Before taking up his position in London, he was an Ambassador of Estonia to Finland since 2020. Prior to that he served as a director of a Tallinn-based think-tank International Centre for Defence and Security (2017- 2020); as a director of NATO Cyber Centre of Excellence (2015-2017); and as an undersecretary for policy (Policy Director) at the Estonian Ministry of Defence (2008-2015).
Sakkov has also worked for President Lennart Meri (1995-1996) and been posted to Estonian Mission to NATO (1998-2001) and to the Estonian Embassy in Washington DC (2006-2008). He has a M.Phil. degree in international relations from the University of Cambridge (1996-1997) and is a graduate of Tartu University and Royal College of Defence Studies in London (2011-2012 course).
Curriculum Vitae |
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Education |
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| 2012 | Royal College of Defence Studies, London, UK |
| 1997 | M.Phil. in International Relations, University of Cambridge, UK |
| 1995 | BA Cum Laude in History, University of Tartu, Estonia |
| 1994 | St Lawrence University, NY, USA |
Career |
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| 2025 – | Ambassador of Estonia to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
| 2020 – 2025 | Ambassador of Estonia to Finland |
| 2017 – 2020 | Director of the International Centre for Defence and Security (ICDS) |
| 2015 – 2017 | Director of NATO Cyber Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE) |
| 2008 – 2015 | Undersecretary for Policy (Policy Director) at the Estonian Ministry of Defence |
| 2006 – 2008 | Defence Counsellor at the Estonian Embassy in Washington |
| 2004 – 2006 | Director of the Policy Planning Department at the Estonian Ministry of Defence |
| 2001 – 2004 | Deputy Director of the Defence Policy and Planning Department at the Estonian Ministry of Defence |
| 1998 – 2001 | Defence Counsellor at the Estonian Mission to NATO |
| 1997 – 1998 | Senior Expert of the International Cooperation Department at the Estonian Ministry of Defence |
| 1995 – 1996 | National Security and Defence Advisor at the Office of the President of Estonia |