Ambassador Vassilis Kaskarelis, who joined the Greek Foreign Service in 1974, has had a long diplomatic career, bringing in 2009 to Washington D.C. 16 consecutive years of international experience in key international organizations and a unique knowledge on European affairs, transatlantic relations and global issues. Prior to his post as Greece’s Ambassador to the US, Ambassador Kaskarelis served for the past six years in Brussels as Greece’s Permanent Representative to the European Union (2004-2009), where he actively participated in the decision-shaping of all major developments involving the EU (among others, Lisbon Treaty, EU financial perspectives, enlargement, transatlantic relations, relations with Russia and justice and social affairs). He negotiated the final phase of the full membership of the Republic of Cyprus to the E.U. and the starting of the negotiations with Turkey. Previously, he was Permanent Representative to NATO (2000-2004) during the 9/11 events, the stabilization of the Western Balkans region, the Afghanistan operations and the Iraq war, while also serving as head negotiator for the Confidence Building Measures between Greece and Turkey. Before that, he served in New York as Ambassador, Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations (1994-2000), having the coordination and an overview of all U.N. issues at a critical juncture for the Organization. In parallel he was deputy negotiator for the solution of the name issue between Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. His other posts included Ankara and Nicosia, giving him first-hand experience in the relating issues, as well as Berlin (West), where he witnessed the fall of the Wall and the subsequent events that changed the face of Europe. Ambassador Kaskarelis is the recipient of many Greek and foreign distinctions. In 2011, Ambassador Kaskarelis was selected, among 183 foreign Ambassadors, and named Diplomat of the Year by the World Affairs Council at an event held in Los Angeles, U.S.A. Ambassador Kaskarelis served as Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from July 2012 to March 2013. Author of the book "The Perfect Storm. NATO after 9/11", in Greek, editions METAIXMIO, 2017.
