Ioannis Kasoulidis

Ioannis Kasoulides (Greek: Ιωάννης Κασουλίδης; born 10 August 1948 in Nicosia, Cyprus) is a Cypriot politician, party member of DISY and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus. He has served in the same position from 1997 until 2003, and again from 2013 to 2018. He was member of the European Parliament from 2004 until 2013. He has held a number of political posts in Cyprus, including member of the House of Representatives of Cyprus from 1991 until 1993, and government spokesman from 1993 until 1997.

Ioannis Kasoulides
Ιωάννης Κασουλίδης
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office
11 January 2022 – 28 February 2023
PresidentNicos Anastasiades
Preceded byNikos Christodoulides
Succeeded byConstantinos Kombos
In office
28 February 2013 – 1 March 2018
PresidentNicos Anastasiades
Preceded byErato Kozakou-Marcoullis
Succeeded byNikos Christodoulides
In office
9 April 1997 – 28 February 2003
PresidentGlafcos Clerides
Preceded byAlekos Michaelides
Succeeded byGeorgios Iacovou
Member of the European Parliament
In office
2004–2013
Personal details
Born (1948-08-10) 10 August 1948
Nicosia, Cyprus
Political partyDemocratic Rally
Alma materUniversity of Lyon

Education and career

Kasoulides studied medicine at the University of Lyon, and founded and served as the chairman of the Federation of Cypriot Students Unions in France.[1] He graduated in 1974 with MD. From 1975 until 1981, he was a hospital doctor and lecturer in London. He specialised in geriatrics in London, at the London Hospital, in 1981. From 1981 until 1993, he practised medicine in Nicosia.[2]

Kasoulides meets with United States Secretary of State John Kerry at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., on May 10, 2013.

Ioannis Kasoulides served the Democratic Rally in various roles, including that of Chair of the party's Youth Organization. In 1991, he was elected as a member of the House of Representatives of Cyprus and in March 1993 he was appointed by then President Glafkos Clerides as the Government Spokesman, a position he held until April 1997 when he was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs. He remained Foreign Minister until the end of term of the Clerides administration in 2003. As Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kasoulides oversaw Cyprus' EU integration process.[1][2]

He founded consulting firm "DDK Strategy and Public Affairs" in 2003.[2]

In June 2004, Ioannis Kasoulides was elected to be a member of the European Parliament. He sat on the Foreign Affairs Committee and was as a substitute on the Transport and Tourism Committee. He held various other European Parliament committee positions, including the Presidency of the ad hoc Delegation for the Human Rights in Western Sahara. Ioannis Kasoulides sat as a Member of the Bureau of the European's People Party until November 2007, when he stood as candidate for the Presidency of Cyprus.[1][2]

Ioannis Kasoulides ran for President in the Cypriot presidential election of 2008.[3] He won the first round, but lost in the second to Demetris Christofias.[4] Kasoulides received just under 47% of the vote.[1][4]

In June 2009, Ioannis Kasoulides was re-elected Member of the European Parliament, achieving a new personal record regarding number of votes.[1] He was elected Vice-Chairman of the Presidency of the EPP group in the European Parliament, where he was appointed as the head of the Foreign Affairs Working group.[1]

Ioannis Kasoulides has joined the EuroAsia Interconnector on March 30, 2018 as Chairman of the Strategic Council.[5][6][7]

After the resignation of Nikos Christodoulides as Foreign Minister on January 9,2022, Kasoulides was chosen again by President Anastasiades to be the Minister after 4 years of absence from active political life. He was sworn in on January 11. [8]

Personal life

Kasoulides is married to anaesthetist Emy Kasoulidou and they have one daughter, Joanna. He is fluent in English, French and German. He co-authored the book Cyprus – EU: the Accession as I Witnessed It.[1]

Awards and decorations

Ioannis Kasoulides has been awarded with the following honours:[2]

See also

References
  1. "Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr Ioannis Kasoulides". Press and Information Office. Republic of Cyprus, Ministry of Interior. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
  2. Kasoulidis, Ioannis. "Ioannis KASOULIDES". European Parliament. MEPs. Curriculum vitae. Retrieved 6 September 2013.
  3. "Leftist leader wins Cyprus vote". BBC. 24 February 2008. Retrieved 8 May 2018.
  4. Central Intelligence Agency (2011). "Cyprus". The CIA World Factbook 2012. CIA World Factbook. New York: Skyhorse Publishing. p. 855. ISBN 978-1-61608-332-8. Retrieved 4 September 2013. election results: Demetris CHRISTOFIAS elected president; percent of vote (first round)—Ioannis KASOULIDES 33.5%, Demetris CHRISTOFIAS 33.3%, Tassos PAPADOPOULOS 31.8%, other 1.4%; (second round) Demetris CHRISTOFIAS 53.4%, Ioannis KASOULIDES 46.6%.
  5. Kasoulides joins EuroAsia Interconnector, Cyprus Mail 30.3.2018
  6. Former Foreign Minister of the Republic of Cyprus Ioannis Kasoulides joins EuroAsia Interconnector Chairman of the Strategic Council
  7. End of energy isolation of Cyprus, Sigmalive 31.3.2018
  8. "Minister - MFA".
  9. The Chairman of EuroAsia Interconnector Strategic Council awarded France’s highest decoration
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