Ioannis Kasoulides

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Ioannis Kasoulides (born August 10, 1948 in Nicosia) is a Cypriot politician, was one of the leading officials of the right-wing Democratic Rally party and served as Foreign Minister in the Glafcos Clerides government from 1997 until 2003.

In June 2004, he was elected a Member of the European Parliament. He is head of the Cypriot Delegation and a Member of the Bureau of the European People's Party. He sits on the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs and serves as a substitute in the Transport and Tourism Committee. He is also Vice-Chairman of the Delegation for Relations with the Palestinian Legislative Council, Chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee for Human Rights in Western Sahara, member of the Euromeditarranean Parliamentary Assembly, Chairman of the Friends of the Commonwealth caucus and head of the European Neighborhood Policy-South (ENPI-South) Working Group of the European Parliament.

Kasoulides studied medicine at the University of Lyon in France and specialised in geriatrics in London. He worked in the private sector after returning to Cyprus.

He is also founder and first chairman of the Federation of Cypriot Students Union in France, served at various party posts and was elected deputy in 1991.

In March 1993 he undertook the post of Government Spokesman and resigned from Parliament and retained his position until April 1997 when he was appointed Foreign Minister until 28 February 2003.

As Minister, Kasoulides led the diplomatic service during efforts for Cyprus' Accession to the European Union and was mainly responsible for the political part of the negotiations.

Kasoulides is known as a moderate and progressive politician with fresh ideas and an open mind. He has made a name for himself as a devoted patriot but a staunch opponent of populist and nationalist attitudes. Kasoulides has a wide and deep international reach and enjoys high approval ratings across the political spectrum, reaching beyond the Democratic Rally. Because of his moderniszing, Europeanist, proressive attitude, he is widely expected to run in the 2008 Presidential Elections as the leading challenger, and many Cypriots hope that he will be able to reverse the current stalemate and bring Cyprus closer to a comprehensice solution to the occupation problem.

He also enjoys much respect in the EU where his statesmanlike attitudes have gained him a reputation as a man who can broker deals.

1 Education and work experience
2 Career
3 Decorations
4 External links

[edit] 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

[edit] Career

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)