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Ambassador Vassilis Kaskarelis

Ambassador Vassilis Kaskarelis

Minister for Foreign Affairs of Greece

Ambassador Vassilis Kaskarelis has been Greece’s Minister for Foreign Affairs since May 2023.

Ambassador Kaskarelis had previously served as Senior Advisor to the
Board of Directors at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) from June
2013 until May 2023.

He joined the Greek Foreign Service in 1974 and retired in 2013 after having served as Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs during the final year of his career.
He was Ambassador in Washington, D.C. from 2009 to 2012 after 16 consecutive years of international experience in key international organizations.

As Greece’s Permanent Representative to the European Union (2004-2009), he actively participated in the decision-shaping of major developments, among others, the Lisbon Treaty, EU financial perspectives, enlargement, transatlantic relations, relations with Russia and justice and social affairs. He negotiated the final phase of the full membership of the Republic of Cyprus to the EU and the starting of the negotiations with Turkey.

He was Permanent Representative to NATO (2000-2004) during the 9/11 events, the stabilization of the Western Balkans region, the Afghanistan operations and the Iraq war, while also serving as Head Negotiator for the Confidence Building Measures between Greece and Turkey.

As Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations (1994-2000), he had the coordination and overview of all UN issues while being Deputy Negotiator for the solution of the name issue between Greece and the then Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

His other posts included Ankara and Nicosia and Berlin (West) at the time of the fall of the Wall. Ambassador Kaskarelis is the recipient of many Greek and foreign distinctions.

In 2011, when he was Ambassador in Washington, D.C., he was selected, among 183 foreign Ambassadors, and named Diplomat of the Year by the World Affairs Council.

Special Olympics Global Leadership Coalition for Inclusion

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