Carlos Lopes Pires

Mr. Carlos Alberto Raheb Lopes Pires was born on 10 September 1973, in Lebanon, where his father was serving at the Portuguese Embassy.

He graduated in International Relations from the Higher School of Social and Political Sciences at Lisbon Technical University in 1995 and he concluded, in 1997, his Master’s Degree in European Studies from the London School of Economics. He is a career diplomat since February 1998, holding, at present, the rank of Minister Plenipotentiary.

After joining the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he was entrusted with matters relating to Security and Defence, particularly focusing on the European Union and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), having been appointed as Special Advisor of the Coordinator of the OSCE Portuguese Chairmanship, from February 2001 to February 2003.

He then has been posted abroad: at the Portuguese Delegation to NATO (2003-2008, having namely acted as Deputy Political Counsellor and later as Defence Counsellor) and as Deputy Head of Mission at the Portuguese Embassies in São Tomé (6-months detachment in 2005), Cairo (2008-2010), and Paris (2014-2019).

Mr. Carlos Pires has also served in several Government Cabinets: as Advisor of the Minister of State and Foreign Affairs (September 2010 to June 2011) and of the Prime Minister (June 2011 to February 2013); as Chief of Staff of the Deputy Minister for European Affairs (February to July 2013) and Chief of Staff of the Minister for Foreign Affairs (July 2013 to August 2014).

After returning from his posting in Paris, Mr. Carlos Pires was appointed by the Prime Minister as Director-General of the Portuguese External Intelligence Service (SIED), from December 2019 to July 2023. Since July 2023, Mr. Carlos Pires is a member of the Government, as Deputy Minister for National Defence.

Mr. Carlos Pires is married and has two daughters (aged 11 and 13). He has been awarded national and foreign Honours.