OPR - Thursday, 22 February 2007

President Eddie Fenech Adami was presented with the Letters of Commission by the High Commissioner of Cyprus H.E. Mrs. Athena K. Mavronicola and Letters of Credentials by the Ambassador of Tunisia, H.E. Mr. Mohamed Ali Ganzoui.

Both ceremonies took place in the Ambassadors’ Room at The Palace, Valletta.

This afternoon, The President and Mrs. Fenech Adami will host the newly accredited Ambassadors to an official luncheon at San Anton Palace.

Profile: H.E. Mrs. Athena K Mavronicola, High Commissioner of Cyprus:

Mrs. Athena K. Mavronicola was born in Limassol, Cyprus on 9^th November 1949.

She obtained a Law degree from the Law School of Athens University, Greece (1968 – 1973), Middle Temple Inn, 1969 – 1971, Diploma of Contemporary Diplomacy and Political Studies, New York University, New York 1986 – 1987.

She started her professional career as a lawyer, Barrister at Law, Nicosia, 1974 – 1976. In October 1976 she entered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Cyprus as Attache’ within the Political Affairs Division. A year later she worked as Attache’ in the Division of Protocol and Consular Affairs.

In 1978 she was posted to the Embassy of Cyprus in Athens, Greece as Secretary of Embassy and Head of Press Office.  In 1982 she was posted to another Embassy, that of Washington, D.C. in the United Sates of America where she served as Secretary of Embassy.  In 1983 she was appointed Counsellor at the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Cyprus to the United Nations, New York where six years later she then served as Acting Permanent Representative up to year 1990.

She occupied some high ranking positions within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs such as that of:  Counselor, Acting Director of the Political Affairs Division (1991 - 1993); Acting Director of Protocol and Consular Affairs Division (1993 -1994) and Acting Director of the Political Affairs Division (Cyprus Problem) (1995 -1996).

In September 1996 she was appointed Ambassador of the Republic of Cyprus to the Czech Republic with concurrent accreditation as Ambassador to Hungary and Moldova. In 1999 she was appointed Ambassador of Cyprus to the Kingdom of Spain, from September 1999 to September 2004. With concurrent accreditations as Ambassador to Argentina, Chile and Uruguay

The Ambassador speaks Greek, English, Spanish and French.

The President presented with credentials by the High Commissioner of the Republic of Cyprus

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Profile: H.E. Mr. Mohamed Ali Ganzoui, Ambassador of Tunisia:

Mr. Mohamed Ali Ganzoui was born in Tunisia in October 1944.

The Ambassador obtained a degree in Economic and Political Sciences from the Tunis Faculty of Economics in 1973. A year later he graduated from the High National School of the Police Superintendent-Saint-Cyr au Mont d’Or-France

He started his diplomatic career in 1974 where he held various responsibilities at the

Ministry of Interior, mainly as Director General of National Security. Between 1992 and 1994 he served as General Consul in Düsseldorf (Germany) and General Consul in Jeddah (Saudi Arabia).

He served as Secretary of State in charge of National Security from 1995 to 2002.  He served as Ambassador of Tunisia in Syria

between 2002 and 2003. In 2003 he became President Director General of a real estate company for two years.

 In November 2005 up to June 2006 he became Secretary of State in charge of National Security.

The Ambassador is married and is a father of one child.

The President being presented with letters of credence by the Ambassador of Tunisia