George Vassiliou, the third President of the Republic of Cyprus and the diplomat who spearheaded the island’s entry into the European Union, has died at the age of 94.
Vassiliou passed away at Nicosia General Hospital following a period of hospitalisation, during which his clinical condition was described by the State Health Services Organisation (SHSO) as serious.
The news of his passing was announced in a post on social media by his wife, Androulla Vassiliou.
As she states, “after two years of suffering, my beloved George, my life partner for 59 years, passed away peacefully in our arms tonight at the General Hospital of Nicosia. It is difficult to part with this man, who was an exceptional husband and father, a man full of kindness and love for his country and its people”.
Elected in 1988 as an independent candidate with the backing of AKEL, Vassiliou defeated veteran politician Spyros Kyprianou on a platform of modernisation and pragmatic diplomacy. His presidency lasted until 1993.
Perhaps his most enduring legacy was his role as the Chief Negotiator for Cyprus’s accession to the European Union from 1998 to 2003. Appointed by his successor and former rival, Glafcos Clerides, Vassiliou led the complex technical and political harmonisation process that eventually allowed Cyprus to join the bloc in 2004. His commitment to the European project was matched by his tireless efforts to resolve the Cyprus problem, notably through his engagement with the “Ghali Set of Ideas” during the early 1990s.
He is also widely credited with the establishment of the University of Cyprus, the country’s first public university.
A successful businessman before entering politics, Vassiliou founded the Scientific Research Centre for Middle Eastern Market Studies (KEMA), which became one of the largest market research organisations in the region. Following his presidency, he founded the United Democrats party and served as a member of the House of Representatives from 1996 to 2001.
Vassiliou is survived by his wife, Androulla Vassiliou—herself a prominent political figure and former European Commissioner—and their three children.
