Former Prime Minister Costas Simitis passed away at dawn in Greece at the age of 88.
Simitis was transferred, without a pulse, at dawn to the Corinth Hospital, from his cottage in Agioi Theodoroi. He was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.
Simitis served as Prime Minister of Greece from January 1996 to March 2004. He succeeded Andreas Papandreou.
Born in Piraeus on June 23, 1936, Simitis was a full professor at Panteion University.
In October 1996 he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the School of Economics of the University of Cyprus.
He visited Cyprus several times, culminating in his visit in April 2003, immediately after the signing of the Act of Accession of the Republic of Cyprus to the European Union on April 16, which Costas Simitis had described as a highlight of Greece’s national strategy.
In his book Policy for a Creative Greece, he wrote that the top moment of emotion for him was his visit, immediately afterwards, to Nicosia and the expressions of enthusiasm with which he was embraced by the Cypriot people.
During his premiership, Cyprus’ accession to the European Union was planned and completed.
