Curriculum VitaeDimitris Avramopoulos was born in Athens, on June 6, 1953. His origins are from Arcadia and Ilia (Central Peloponnese), where lie the roots of his parents, Helene and Lambros, respectively. He has studied Public Law and Political Sciences in the School of Law of the University of Athens, and continued next with his postgraduate studies in Brussels and Boston. In 1980 he graduates from the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and begins his professional career in the Diplomatic Service, which was completed in 1993, when he entered Greece’s political arena. The highlights in his course are the following: DIPLOMATIC CAREER 1981-1993: Diplomatic Service, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Athens)
1983-1988: Consul of Greece in Liège (Belgium)
1989-1991: Special Diplomatic Advisor to the President of the “Nea Demokratia” Party, Mr. Konstantinos Mitsotakis
1991-1992: Representative in the Conference for Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE / Vienna)
1992: Spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Athens) 1992: Consul General of Greece to Geneva (Switzerland)
1993: Director of the Diplomatic Office of the Prime Minister of Greece, Konstantinos Mitsotakis POLITICAL CAREER In 1993 he resigns from the Diplomatic Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and participates in the National Elections held in October of the same year, as a member of the “Nea Demokratia” Party and parliamentary candidate for the Athens First Electoral District. 1993: He is elected member of the Central Committee of the “Nea Demokratia” Party
1993: Secretary of the “Nea Demokratia” Party in the European Democrat (EDU)
1993: Elected MP for Athens A’ Electoral District, at the Parliamentary Elections of October 1993
1993-1994: President of the Party’s Parliamentary Control Group regarding Foreign Affairs In 1994, he is recommended by the President of the “Nea Demokratia” Party at the time, Mr. Miltiadis Evert, for the office of Mayor of Athens, a post in which he was elected in October 1994 and which he held for eight years, following two successive electoral victories. Being defender of an impartial Local Administration, he deposits his Party identity on January 1st 1995. The detailed course of Dimitrios Avramopoulos in the Hellenic Local Administration field is the following: 1995-2002: Mayor of Athens. He is elected for the first time at the Municipal Elections of October 1994. He is re-elected in October 1998 during the first round, collecting the highest percentage ever gained at municipal elections in Athens.
1995-1999: Chairman of the “Hellenic Central of Municipalities and Communities” (KEDKE)
1995: Founder and first President of the “Permanent Conference of the Mayors of the Capitals of South-Eastern Europe”.
1996-2000: Vice-President of the Executive Committee of the International of Local Authorities (IULA)
1997-2002: Member of the Committee of the Regions of the European and Vice-President of its Executive Bureau (1997-2000)
2000-2002: President of the “Summit Conference of the Mayors of the World”. At the Athens Session in September 2002, the Conference ratified the “Cities’ Diplomacy” one of his international initiatives, approved by the United Nations’ Secretary General.
2001: He founds the “Athens’ International Prize for Democracy”, under the auspices of UNESCO (Paris).
2001: He founds the “Movement of Free Citizens” (KEP)
2002: He founds the «World of Olympic Cities” under the auspices of the International Olympic Committee (Lausanne).
2002: He founds the “World Institute of Cities’ Diplomacy”. After completing his tenure as Mayor of Athens, he “returns” for a year to the circle of Universities, giving lectures in some of the greatest Universities of the United States, teaching political sciences and international relations, being at the same time declared honorary professor in four big Universities abroad. On the eve of the 2004 Elections, he rejoined the “Nea Demokratia” Party and re-entered the political field, standing for Parliament in the Athens A’ Electoral District. 2004: He is elected MP of Athens with the “Nea Demokratia” Party, at the Elections of March 7th with overwhelming majority.
2004: He is appointed Minister of Tourism Development in the new Government of the “Nea Demokratia” Party, when Prime Minister was Kostas Karamanlis.
2006: After the Cabinet reshuffle on February 14th, he is appointed Minister of Health and Social Solidarity.
2007: He is re-elected MP for Athens A’ Electoral District, at the September 16th Elections.
2007: He is, once more, appointed Minister of Health and Social Solidarity.
2009: He is re-elected MP for Athens A’ Electoral District, at the October 4th Elections. 2009: By decision of the new President of the “Nea Demokratia” Party, Antonios Samaras, he is appointed Head of the Party’s Department of Foreign Affairs Policy and President of the Organizing Committee of the 8th Party Congress. 2010: He is appointed Vice-President of the “Nea Demokratia” Party. 2011: He is appointed Minister of National Defence CURRENT OCCUPATIONS Since January 2003: Chairman of the Steering Committee on Cities’ Diplomacy, established by the Glocal Forum (Rome) and the World Bank Institute (Washington D.C.) President of the “World Institute of Glocal and Cities’ Diplomacy” an independent NGO who’s Headquarters are in Rome and Executive Secretary is in Athens. Executive President of the “World of Olympic Cities”, a NGO recognised by the IOC (Lausane). Honorary President of the “Athens’ International Prize for Democracy”, under the auspices of UNESCO (Paris). ACADEMIC DEGREES-ACTIVITIES 1978: Degree in Public Law and Political Sciences from the Law School of the University of Athens
1979-1980: Postgraduate Specialization Diploma in International Organizations (Boston University / Brussels)
1986: Master’s Degree in European Studies (Institute of European Studies, Université Libre de Bruxelles / Brussels)
1995: Honorary doctor at ADELPHI University (New York)
1997: Honorary doctor at DEREE College (Athens)
2000: Honorary doctor at DREXEL University (Philadelphia)
2000: Honorary doctor at KINGSTON University
2002: Honorary Professor at the Moscow State Academy of Technological Sciences
2002: Honorary Professor at the Peking University (Beijing)
2003: Visiting Fellow at Kennedy School of Government, Institute of Politics, Harvard University HONORARY DISTINCTIONS He has been bestowed awards and decorations from many countries: Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Kazakhstan, Luxemburg, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Vatican City, Venezuela, Yugoslavia, as well as from the Ecumenical Orthodox Patriarchate of Constantinople, the Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Patriarchate of Alexandria. In 2006 he was awarded in Rome with the highest distinction among international prizes, the “Giuseppe Sciacca” award. In October 2007 he was awarded by the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels with the “Hellenic Tourism Grand Award”, for his contribution to the international promotion and consolidation of the image that modern tourist Greece has to offer. He has also been presented with Honorary Citizenship, receiving the Key to the City and medals from numerous foreign cities and municipalities: Ammohostos, Barcelona, Yerevan, Beijing, Beirut, Berlin, Boston, Bucharest, Caracas, Chicago, Florence, Genoa, Jakarta, Havana, Constantinople, Kiev, Ljubljana, Los Angeles, Miami, Montreal, Moscow, New Jersey, New York, Nicosia, Paris, Philadelphia, Providence, Rhodes, Rome, Sofia, the State of Illinois, Georgia, Rhode Island - U.S.A., Sidney, Tbilisi, Tirana, Toronto, Valletta, Washington D.C., Xian. He has also been bestowed the Honorary Citizenship of 39 Greek cities. PERSONAL INFORMATION He has served his military service in the Hellenic Air Force for 26 months (1978-1980). He is married to Vivian and has two sons, Filippos and Iasonas. He is fluent in English, French and Italian. | 
