Minister

Ioannis Kasoulides

[Assumed office on 11 January 2022]

Personal Information

Born on August 10^th 1948, in Nicosia, Cyprus.

Married to Mrs Emy Kasoulidou and they have a daughter, Joanna.

Political Career

March 2013 – March 2018

Appointed as Minister of Foreign Affairs for a second time. During his tenure, he introduced the formation of the trilateral cooperation between Cyprus, Greece and Egypt, extended the same format to Israel, Jordan, Palestine and Lebanon and he initiated the meetings of the seven Mediterranean Members of the EU (MED7). During the same period, he served as President of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group, (CMAG), the standing Committee between the Leaders Conferences.

June 2009 – March 2013

Re-elected as a Member of the European Parliament. During his term he was elected Vice President of the EPP group of the European Parliament, a position to which he was re-elected in 2012. Appointed Head of the EPP’s Foreign Affairs Working Group.

February 2008

Candidate in the elections for the Presidency of the Republic of Cyprus, where he entered the run-off.

June 2004 – June 2009

Elected for the first time as Member of the European Parliament. He was appointed full member of the Foreign Affairs Committee and under this capacity he served in various positions, including the Presidency of the ad hoc Committee for Human Rights in Western Sahara and the delegation for the relations of the European Parliament with the Palestinian Authority.

April 1997 – February 2003

Appointed as Minister of Foreign Affairs. During his term, he led the diplomatic effort that marked the beginning, the conduct and the completion of the accession negotiations of Cyprus to the European Union.

March 1993 – April 1997

Appointed as Government Spokesperson.

1991

Elected Member of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Cyprus.

Was founder and Chair of the Federation of Cypriot Students’ Union in France and has served as President of the Democratic Rally Party youth Organisation.

Education - Publications

Studied Medicine at the University of Lyon in France and specialized in Geriatric Medicine in London.

Foreign Languages: Fluent in English and French; competent in German.

Author of two books:

Cyprus– EU: The accession as I witnessed it (Livanis, Athens 2007)

Thirty years present. Ideas and thoughts about Cyprus (Kathimerini, Nicosia 2019).