Maria Zoupaniotis in Memoriam

Maria Zoupaniotis, Director of the Press and Advisory Office at the Permanent Representation of Cyprus to the United Nations passed away on Holy Thursday at age 59.

The Cypriot official was fighting a brief battle with cancer at the Mercy Medical Center in Long Island, New York. Maria leaves behind her husband Apostolos Zoupaniotis and two children, Irene and Evangelos.

She was born in Paphos in 1958 and studied Economics at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. She completed postgraduate studies in the same field at Queens College, New York. Since 1989 she has served at the Permanent Representation of Cyprus to the United Nations, initially as an Attaché and then as a Director and Director of the Press Office.

“Throughout her service Zoupaniotis had been a model of patriotism, conscientiousness, selflessness, professionalism, fellowship and devotion,” said Ambassador Kornelios Korneliou, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Cyprus to the UN, adding that “Zoupaniotis was distinguished for her ethos and hard work and was respected by her colleagues. Her career has been synonymous with the history of the Permanent Representation of Cyprus to the United Nations in the last three decades, and her death leaves a big void.”

Maria Zoupaniotis

Paying tribute to his colleague, the Spokesman for the Secretary General of the United Nations Stephane Dujarric said that “for almost 30 years, Maria Zoupaniotis was the press counsellor at the Mission of the Republic of Cyprus.  I think, if we kept track of these things, she would have been the dean of the spokespeople at the Missions. Over the years, I had the privilege of working with her preparing quite a few Cyprus talks, whether in Geneva, Buergenstock, Greentree or right here in the Secretariat.  Maria was a true professional and someone who passionately loved her country and always a pleasure to work with. In fact, no one could deliver a demarche quite like Maria.  Whenever we sometime strayed from the green vocabulary on the Cyprus issue, we often had a message to call her back at the Mission.  She would make her point with tact, precision and good manners.

“Maria will be remembered and missed in these halls,” Mr. Dujarric concluded.