Nikos Christodoulides

Nikos Christodoulides (born 6 December 1973) is a Cypriot academic, politician and former diplomat serving as the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Second Anastasiades government of Nicos Anastasiades since 1 March 2018.[1]

Nikos Christodoulides
Νίκος Χριστοδουλίδης
Christodoulides visiting Israel in March 2018
Minister of Foreign Affairs
of the Republic of Cyprus
Assumed office
1 March 2018
PresidentNicos Anastasiades
Preceded byIoannis Kasoulidis
Government spokesman
In office
14 April 2014 – 28 February 2018
Succeeded byProdromos Prodromou
Personal details
Born (1973-12-06) December 6, 1973
Geroskipou, Cyprus
Nationality Republic of Cyprus
Political partyDemocratic Rally (DISY)
EducationPh.D.
Alma materQC, NYU, University of Malta, University of Athens
OccupationPolitician, Diplomat
ProfessionPolitical Scientist, Historian

Early life

Christodoulides was born in Geroskipou, Paphos on 6 December 1973.[2] His father was from the village of Giolou, in mountainous Pafos, whereas his mother was from Geroskipou. He graduated from Archbishop Makarios Lyceum in Paphos in 1991 and pursued a career in Political Science.

Career

Education

He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, Economics, Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies from Queens College, City University of New York, a master's degree in Political Science from New York University and another in Diplomatic Studies from the University of Malta, and, finally, a doctorate from the Department of Political Science and Public Administration of the University of Athens.[3]

Diplomat

He began as a career diplomat in 1999 and served as one until 2013. During this period he served as Director of the Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus, Spokesperson of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union in Brussels, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of Cyprus in Greece, Director of the Office of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Consul General at the High Commission of the Republic of Cyprus in the United Kingdom.[3] His wife is also a Cypriot diplomat, Philippa Karsera, and they met in 1999 as newly-appointed diplomatic attaches in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She is currently Deputy Head Director of the President's Diplomatic Office at the Presidential Palace.

University and government appointments

Furthermore, between the years 2007 and 2010, Christodoulides lectured and served as a Research Associate at the Department of History and Archeology of the University of Cyprus. Specifically, he taught the subject of "History of the Postwar World".[2] Finally, prior to his appointment as Minister of Foreign Affairs on 1 March 2018, he served as Director of the Diplomatic Office of the President of the Republic of Cyprus between 2013 and 2018, and Government Spokesman between 2014 and 2018.[3]

Minister of Foreign Affairs
Christodoulides meets with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in November 2018

Upon re-election in February 2018, the President of the Republic of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades, appointed Christodoulides as head of the foreign ministry, among several new appointments to his cabinet.[1] He assumed office on 1 March 2018.

Foreign minister Christodoulides visited Israel in June 2018 and met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Reuven Rivlin to discuss regional developments and the strengthening of bilateral ties in energy and emergency situations. Apart from Turkish incursions, they talked about strategic cooperation on the planned EastMed pipeline.[4]

Regarding recent provocations by Turkey in disrespect of the Exclusive Economic Zone claimed by the Republic of Cyprus, Christodoulides noted that Nicosia will not be swayed by Turkey's actions. During a meeting on Greek-Cypriot cooperation with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, he said that the "number one goal is the reunification of the country."[5]

In May 2018, Christodoulides officially asked the United Nations to prepare for a speedy re-opening of the re-unification process. After meeting Greek foreign minister Nikos Kotzias on 7 May 2018, he praised General Secretary António Guterres for having dispatched a special representative to sound out the atmosphere for reopening talks.[6]

Christodoulides welcomed an announcement by Exxon representatives in June 2018 to speed up their schedule to begin drilling operations in Block 10 of the Exclusive Economic Zone. Operations are now planned to begin in the fourth quarter of 2018.[7]

On 17 July 2018 Christodoulides met High Representative Federica Mogherini in Brussels. They talked about "the crucial role the EU can play in efforts to resume the stalled Cyprus peace talks". During his visit, Christodoulides stated that Cyprus does "not have the luxury of a new talks’ failure." But he also insisted that "Turkey has to comply with European standards and international law."[8]

In July 2020, reacting to the Armenian–Azerbaijani clashes, Christodoulides condemned the "ceasefire violation by Azerbaijan" and called for "restraint of the parties to de-escalate the tension in the region".[9]

Publications

Among contributions to many domestic and international journals, Christodoulides is also the author of two books. In 2009, he published Plans for Solution of the Cyprus Problem 1948-1978,[10] and in 2013, he published Relations between Athens and Nicosia and the Cyprus Problem, 1977-1988.[11][3]

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References
  1. "New cabinet announced". Cyprus Mail. 13 February 2018. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
  2. "Director, Diplomatic Office of the President of the Republic of Cyprus". concordia.net. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
  3. "Minister, Curriculum Vitae". Foreign Ministry of the Republic of Cyprus. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
  4. "Netanyahu and Christodoulides discuss regional developments". Cyprus Mail. 22 March 2018. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
  5. "Provocations in EEZ dominate Christodoulides' contacts in Athens". Cyprus Mail. 6 March 2018. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
  6. "Zypern bittet UN um sofortige Hilfe bei Wiedervereinigungsbemühungen" [Cyprus asks UN for immediate help in re-union endeavor] (in German). Handelsblatt. 7 May 2018. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
  7. "Christodoulides welcomes Exxon's intention to speed up drilling plans". Cyprus Mail. 10 June 2018. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
  8. "Christodoulides and Mogherini discuss EU role in efforts to resume Cyprus talks". Cyprus Mail. 17 July 2018. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
  9. Christodoulides, Nikos (15 July 2020). "Statement of the Cyprus Ministry of Foreign Affairs". www.pio.gov.cy. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus. Archived from the original on 15 July 2020.
  10. Christodoulides, Nikos (2009). Τα σχέδια λύσης του κυπριακού, 1948-1978 [Plans for Solution of the Cyprus Problem 1948-1978] (in Greek). Athens: Ekdoseis Kastaniōtē. ISBN 9789600349948.
  11. Christodoulides, Nikos (2013). Οι σχέσεις Αθηνών-Λευκωσίας και το Κυπριακό, 1977-1988 [Relations between Athens and Nicosia and the Cyprus Problem, 1977-1988] (in Greek). Athens: I. Siderēs. ISBN 9789600806007.
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