The Hon. Dr. Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis
Former Foreign Minister of the Republic of Cyprus
President of the Council for Cultural Diplomacy Studies
Biography
Dr. Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis is a graduate of Law and Public Law/Political Science of the University of Athens. Following her masters, she obtained a PhD (PhD) in Sociology and Political Science from the University of Helsinki in 1979. Dr. Kozakou-Marcoullis launched her diplomatic career firstly in the Permanent Mission of Cyprus to the United Nations (1980-1988), where she would later tackle troublesome issues as member of the Cyprus Question Division (1988-1993), and soon afterwards, in 1993 as the Director of the Permanent Secretary's Office. After her success in handling issues surrounding Cypriot foreign policy, Dr. Kozakou-Marcoullis lent a hand as Director of the Cyprus Question and EU-Turkey Affairs Division from 2003 to 2007, where her experience working in the international arena came to be advantageous her island nation.
Dr. Kozakou-Marcoullis served as a diplomat at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 1980-2007. Specifically, in 1998-2003 she served as Ambassador of the Republic of Cyprus to the United States of America, with parallel accreditation to Canada, Brazil, Guyana, Jamaica, the World Bank, the IMF, ICAO and the Organization of American States and as Ambassador of the Republic of Cyprus to Sweden (and all Nordic/ Baltic States), as well as Ambassador to Lebanon and Jordan (2005-2007).
In 2007 Dr. Kozakou-Marcoullis was appointed as Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus, replacing the late President Tassos Papadopoulos. Her work in the foreign ministry lasted less than a year, but her input and presence during the Euro economic crisis helped reinforce Cypriots morals and gave the international community assurance of her nations standing on the world stage.
From April 2008, until her appointment as Minister of Communication and Works in 2010, Dr. Kozakou - Marcoullis served as the Head of the Working Group on Property. Dr. Kazakou-Marcoullis became Minister of Communications and Works from March 2010 to August 2011 where her service would be called again in handling Cyprus's image abroad and internally at the office she once served, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Dr. Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis served repeatedly as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus from August 2011 to February 2013.
During her career as a diplomat she represented Cyprus in numerous Assemblies, Congresses and Conferences of the European Union, the United Nations, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Commonwealth, the Council of Europe and the OSCE. She was the face of a nation for the world community during Cyprus´s hardest days and reassured her country's position in the face of economic turmoil and calamity. Her presence helped soothe the fears within the EU community during Cyprus's downturn, fearing an exodus of Cyprus from the European community, and a foreign policy nightmare for this small island nation.
Dr. Kozakou-Marcoullis has published a large number of articles on a wide range of issues in which her expertise have contributed to the field of international relations, including, the Cyprus Issue, the United Nations, the European Union, Foreign Policy, Cultural Diplomacy and Gender Equality.
