Giannos Kranidiotis
Encyclopedia
Giannos Kranidiotis (born September 25, 1947, Nicosia
, Cyprus
; died on September 14, 1999, in an airplane disaster) was a Greek
diplomat and politician.
Son of the Cypriot diplomat, poet, and writer Nikos Kranidiotis, he studied law at the University of Athens and continued with postgraduate studies at Harvard and Sussex University. Member of the Panhellenic Socialist Party
(PASOK) from 1976, he was an advisor on the Cyprus dispute
to prime minister Andreas Papandreou
from 1981 to 1984. He held a number of important posts at the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs: secretary of European affairs (1984–1989), deputy foreign minister (July 8, 1994–January 1995 and from February 3, 1997), and alternate foreign minister (February 19, 1999 until his death).
Kranidiotis also served as a Member of the European Parliament
(1995–1997) and was elected a member of PASOK's Central Committee in March 1999. He held an honorary doctorate in international relations
from the Democritus University of Thrace
.
Kranidiotis, his son Nikolas, and four other people died aboard the presidential Dassault Falcon 900 airplane on their way to a six-nation Balkan foreign ministers' regional cooperation meeting in Bucharest
. Twenty minutes before its landing in Bucharest
the plane lost altitude and suffered severe in-flight pitch oscillations injuring or killing many of its passengers.
Nicosia
Nicosia from , known locally as Lefkosia , is the capital and largest city in Cyprus, as well as its main business center. Nicosia is the only divided capital in the world, with the southern and the northern portions divided by a Green Line...
, Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
; died on September 14, 1999, in an airplane disaster) was a Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
diplomat and politician.
Son of the Cypriot diplomat, poet, and writer Nikos Kranidiotis, he studied law at the University of Athens and continued with postgraduate studies at Harvard and Sussex University. Member of the Panhellenic Socialist Party
Panhellenic Socialist Movement
The Panhellenic Socialist Movement , known mostly by its acronym PASOK , is one of the two major political parties in Greece. Founded on 3 September 1974 by Andreas Papandreou, in 1981 PASOK became Greece's first social democratic party to win a majority in parliament.The party is a socialist party...
(PASOK) from 1976, he was an advisor on the Cyprus dispute
Cyprus dispute
The Cyprus dispute is the result of the ongoing conflict between the Republic of Cyprus and Turkey, over the Turkish occupied northern part of Cyprus....
to prime minister Andreas Papandreou
Andreas Papandreou
Andreas G. Papandreou ; 5 February 1919 – 23 June 1996) was a Greek economist, a socialist politician and a dominant figure in Greek politics. The son of Georgios Papandreou, Andreas was a Harvard-trained academic...
from 1981 to 1984. He held a number of important posts at the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs: secretary of European affairs (1984–1989), deputy foreign minister (July 8, 1994–January 1995 and from February 3, 1997), and alternate foreign minister (February 19, 1999 until his death).
Kranidiotis also served as a Member of the European Parliament
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
(1995–1997) and was elected a member of PASOK's Central Committee in March 1999. He held an honorary doctorate in international relations
International relations
International relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...
from the Democritus University of Thrace
Democritus University of Thrace
Democritus University of Thrace was established in July 1973. It is based in Komotini, Greece and has campuses in the Thracian cities of Xanthi, Alexandroupoli and Orestiada. The university accepted the first students in the academic year 1974–1975...
.
Kranidiotis, his son Nikolas, and four other people died aboard the presidential Dassault Falcon 900 airplane on their way to a six-nation Balkan foreign ministers' regional cooperation meeting in Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
. Twenty minutes before its landing in Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
the plane lost altitude and suffered severe in-flight pitch oscillations injuring or killing many of its passengers.
External links
- Alternate FM Kranidiotis, 5 others die in airplane accident (Athens News Agency, 15 September 1999)