NEW PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF CYPRUS PRESENTS CREDENTIALS TO DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF UNOG

Leonidas Pantelides, the new Permanent Representative of Cyprus to the United Nations Office at Geneva, today presented his credentials to Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva.

Prior to his appointment to Geneva, Mr. Pantelides had been serving as Director of the Diplomatic Office of the President of Cyprus since 2008. From 2004 to 2008, he was the Ambassador of Cyprus to the Russian Federation, concurrently serving as Ambassador to Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Belarus. From 2001 to 2004, Mr. Pantelides served as Ambassador of Cyprus to Greece with parallel accreditation to Albania, Bulgaria and Romania. From 1998 to 2001, Mr. Pantelides served as Ambassador of Cyprus to Sweden with accreditation to Iceland, Norway, Latvia and Denmark.

A career diplomat, Mr. Pantelides joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1987. He served at the Embassy of Cyprus in Washington, United States, as First Secretary from 1989 to 1993. He has also served as Director of the Office of the Foreign Minister and Director of the Permanent Secretary’s Office.

Mr. Pantelides was born in Nicosia on 14 December 1952. He received a doctorate in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Kent, Canterbury, England in 1983. He has published a number of articles on various philosophical, political and cultural subjects and has published a book. He had taught international affairs as a part-time professor.


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CR11/034E