Ioannis Kasoulidis

Ioannis Kasoulides speaking at the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy Conference

Ioannis Kasoulides is a Cypriot politician and member of European Parliament. He is member of European People's Party and Democratic Rally (Major political party of the Republic of Cyprus.) He was elected as member of Cyprus Parliament on 1991 and also served as minister of the government of Cyprus for the period 1993-2003.

Ioannis Kasoulides is also a member of the Advisory Board of the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy.

He was born on 10th of August, 1948 in Nicosia. He is married with Mme Droushiotou Emy and has one daughter named Joanna.

Career

Ioannis Kasoulides was born on the 10th of August 1948 in Nicosia.

He studied medicine at the University of Lyon in France and specialised in geriatrics in London. He founded and served as the first chairman of the Federation of Cypriot Students Unions in France.

Ioannis Kasoulides served the centre-right wing party, Democratic Rally, from various posts, including the post of the President of the Youth Organization of the Party.

In 1991, he was elected as an MP in the House of Representatives of Cyprus and in March 1993 he was appointed by the President Glafkos Clerides as the Government's Spokesman where he served until April 1997, when he was appointed Foreign Minister until the end of term of Clerides administration in 2003. As Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ioannis Kasoulides led the diplomatic attempt that marked the beginning, the process and the completion of the process of integration of Cyprus in the E.U.

In June 2004, Ioannis Kasoulides was elected for the first time Member of the European Parliament. He sat on the Foreign Affairs Committee and served as a substitute on the Transport and Tourism Committee. He served in various 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.

Ioannis Kasoulides ran for President in the February 2008 elections in Cyprus. He won the first round, entering the second round against the eventual winner, Dimitris Christofias. Kasoulides received just under 47% of the vote.

In June 2009, Ioannis Kasoulides was re-elected as a Member of the European Parliament, achieving a new outstanding voting record in number of votes. He was elected as 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

Ioannis Kasoulides is fluent in English, French and German and has published the book Cyprus-E.U-The integration through my experience.

He is married to a doctor (anaesthetist) Emy Kasoulidou and they have a daughter, Joanna.

Education and work experience

• 1974: Graduate in medicine (M.D.) in Lyon
• 1981: specialised in geriatrics at London Hospital
• 1975-1981: Hospital doctor and lecturer in London
• 1981-1993: Practised medicine in Nicosia

Publications

• "Cyprus-EE: The Accession as I Lived It" (2007)

Timeline

• 1985-1989: Various posts in the Democratic Rally (DISY)
• 1990-1993: Chairman of Democratic Rally Youth Movement
• from 1993: Member of the Democratic Rally Political Bureau
• 1991-1993: Deputy for Nicosia
• 1993-1997: Government spokesman
• 1997-2003: Minister of Foreign Affairs
• Founder of D.D.K
• July 2003: Strategy and Public Affairs Limited (communications and crisis management consultants)
• May 2004: Elected member of European Parliament

Decorations

• Commander of the Order of the Phoenix Hellenic Republic
• Commander of the Order of Merit Hellenic Republic
• Commander of the Order of Xirka (Malta)
• Commander of the National Order of the Cedar (Lebanon)
• Commander of the Order of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre
• Palestinian Bethlehem 2000 Award
• Athens Municipality Highest Distinction Award

See also

• European Parliament election, 2004 (Cyprus)

External links

• European Parliament biography
• Declaration (PDF) of financial interests (Greek)
• Personal website link http://kasoulides.com [1]
• CYPRUS ELECTIONS - ΕΚΛΟΓΕΣ
• Cyprus Elections & Politics