President Nikos Christodoulides paid tribute to former Cypriot president George Vassiliou following his death, describing him as a leader who expanded Cyprus’s international standing and drove the country’s modernisation.
“Cyprus lost a universal citizen who expanded our homeland’s international footprint,” Christodoulides said in a written statement. “On behalf of the state and our people, I bid him farewell with feelings of appreciation, respect and gratitude.”
The president said he learnt with sadness of Vassiliou’s death, noting his name had become synonymous with efforts for economic development, social progress and modernisation of the Cypriot state across all sectors.
Vassiliou played a decisive role in achieving Cyprus’s strategic goal of European Union accession, Christodoulides said. Until the end of his life, the former president remained devoted to efforts to resolve the Cyprus problem and reunify the country, according to the statement.
Under Vassiliou’s presidency, the government promoted policies that encouraged the outward orientation of the Cypriot economy and business sector, consolidating Cyprus as a centre for professional and administrative services, the president said.
The founding of the University of Cyprus stood as a milestone in Vassiliou’s achievements, opening the path for further development of higher education in Cyprus, according to the statement.
Christodoulides extended his sincere condolences to Vassiliou’s wife, children and grandchildren.