Fotiou appointed commissioner for humanitarian affairs

Former defence minister Fotis Fotiou was sworn in yesterday as the new Commissioner for Humanitarian and Overseas Affairs, replacing Kate Clerides, who has held the post since the new government was installed last year but who has resigned for family reasons.
At a handing-over ceremony at the presidential palace, President Nicos Anastasiades said the position was particularly important given its mandate included the missing, the enclaved and humanitarian crises, as well as the issues affecting expatriate Cypriots.
“Our aim is to further strengthen the relations between the state and the diaspora,” said Anastasiades.
“The commitment of our expatriates to creating strategic alliances for the benefit of our national cause is essential.” He thanked Clerides for her service.
In his comments, Fotiou said establishing the fate of the missing persons would be a priority and referred to Anastasiades’ efforts to increase pressure on Turkey to cooperate on the issue.
He also hailed the work of the diaspora and pledged to open channels of communication with all stakeholders related to his mandate.
Fotiou’s new position is widely seen as a consolation prize for the former minister, who quit his party DIKO last year when it split from the coalition with ruling DISY and Anastasiades failed to keep him in the cabinet.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.