Archive for March, 2010

H.E. Steingrímur Hermannsson (1928-2010)

It is with great sadness that the Summit Council notes the passing of H.E. Steingrímur Hermannsson, former Prime Minister of Iceland, and a member of the Summit Council’s Board of Presidents, on February 1, 2010.

Steingrímur (his surname) studied engineering at Reykajavik College, Illinois Institute of Technology and the California Institute of Technology. He then began a long and distinguished career in the engineering and industrial development fields, both in Iceland and the United States.

He was first elected to the Icelandic parliament in 1971. He served as Prime Minister from 1983 to 1987 and again from 1988 to 1991. He also served as Minister of Justice, Ecclesiastical Affairs and Agriculture (1978–79), Minister of Fisheries and Communications (1980–83) and Minister of Foreign Affairs (1987–88). He was chairman of the Progressive Party from 1979 to 1994. From 1992, he was a member of the Board of Governors of the Central Bank of Iceland until his retirement in 1998.

Internationally, his greatest moment as Prime Minister came in October 1986, when he hosted the Reykjavik Summit of Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev and U.S. President Ronald Reagan. The Summit paved the way for the ending of the Cold War, and the Icelandic government’s management of the event was widely commended. In 1991, Steingrímur expressed strong support for Vytautas Landsbergis, Chairman of Lithuanian Parliament. Shortly after, Iceland was the first country to recognize the independence of Lithuania from Soviet Union.

While Prime Minister, Steingrímur fought to keep Iceland within tight constraints on carbon emissions. In later years, Steingrímur’s environmental commitment became more pronounced as he became increasingly aware of the environmental and resource challenges facing future generations. Among other actions, he helped reforest Iceland, planting 1,000 trees per year for several years.

In Iceland, Steingrímur was a beloved and respected elder statesman, and was considered a potential candidate for the 1996 presidential elections. But he declined that honor, stating his intention to retire at the age of 70. His memoirs, published in three volumes in 1998–2000, became bestsellers.

Steingrímur Hermannsson was a great friend of the Founders of the Summit Council, Rev. and Mrs. Sun Myung Moon. He is survived by his widow, Gudlaug Edda Gudmundsdóttir, and six children.