Jón Baldvin Hannibalsson (born February 21, 1939) is an Icelandic politician.

Education

The son of Hannibal Valdimarsson, Jón Baldvin Hannibalsson earned an MA in Economics from University of Edinburgh in 1963. He studied at Stockholm University from 1963-1964, and studied teacher education at the University of Iceland in 1965. He attended Harvard University's Center for European Studies from 1976 to 1977.

Editor

He edited Frjáls Þjóð (1964-1967) andAlþýðublaðið (1979-1982).

Political career

• Chairman of the Icelandic Social Democratic Party (1984-1996)
• Minister of Finance 1987-1988
• Minister of Foreign Affairs 1988-1995

European Economic Area

Jón Baldvin Hannibalsson led Iceland's delegation while Iceland participated in forming the European Economic Area.

As diplomat

Later he served as a diplomat in the USA, Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. He recognzied the Baltic States' independence in 1991, as the only western foreign minister to arrive on the scene in January 1991 when Gorbachev was at the brink of a military crack down.

Legacy

In recognition the square in front of Estonia's Foreign Ministry is named as "Iceland's Square", and on the grounds of the Lithuanian Seimas (Parliament)the rocks of the last barricades from January 1991 bear the inscription To Iceland - They Dared When Others Remained Silent. He was also, purportedly, the first foreign minister in the world to recognize Croatia as a sovereign nation in 1991.