Melita Gabrič is a professional diplomat. She holds a PhD in International Relations, specializing in International Conflict Mediation. Before being appointed as State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs in September 2024, she served for six years in Canada. Her most recent position there was as the EU Ambassador and Head of the European Union Delegation in Ottawa. She was the first Slovenian to hold such a position in a G7 State. In her role as Slovenian Ambassador to Ottawa, she was also accredited as non-residential Ambassador to Cuba and served as the Head of the Association of Women Ambassadors in Canada. Prior to her posting in Canada in 2018, she led Slovenia’s development cooperation and humanitarian aid at the Slovenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Since 2007, she had been involved therein a variety of human rights and international organizations’ issues and also led one of the early editions of the Bled Strategic Forum. She served in diplomatic positions in New York and for eight years (1999–2007), Gabrič served as Foreign Policy Advisor to the Prime Minister and then President of Slovenia, Dr. Janez Drnovšek, a position from which she contributed to Slovenia’s international positioning, including to the country’s accession to the European Union and NATO.