Praxoula Antoniadou

Praxoula Antoniadou Kyriacou is a Cypriot politician, Central banker, an economist and businesswoman. She was a minister and the leader of a political party.

Praxoula Antoniadou-Kyriacou Πραξούλα Αντωνιάδου Κυριακού
President of the United Democrats, Cyprus
Incumbent
Assumed office 2008
Preceded by	Michalis Papapetrou
Minister for Commerce, Industry and Tourism
In office July 2011 – March 2012
Preceded by	Antonis Paschalides
Succeeded by	Neoklis Sylikiotis
Personal details
Born	Nicosia, Cyprus
Political party	United Democrats
Spouse	Lysandros Kyriacou
Alma mater	London School of Economics
Website	www.praxoula.org

Praxoula Antoniadou Kyriacou is a graduate of The London School of Economics and Political Science. She carries with her 24 years of professional experience at the Central Bank of Cyprus, where she also served as coordinator of the accession negotiations with the European Union. Praxoula Antoniadou Kyriacou also served as Minister of Trade, Industry and Tourism of the Republic of Cyprus between 2011-2012 and oversaw the first discovery of natural gas in the exclusive economic zone of Cyprus -December 2011, at Aphrodite, Block 12. She moved into active political life in 2006, in an effort to contribute to the reunification of Cyprus. She is leading the United Democrats, a strongly pro-solution party which is a member of the European political family of the European Liberal Democrats -ALDEParty. She has been one of the co-authors of the trilogy of the Day After studies, conducted by three women economists in a bicommunal context, on the economic benefits of a solution reunifying Cyprus. She is a member of the steering committee of the Cyprus Bicommunal Women Coalition working for an urgent solution of the Cyprus problem within the framework provided by United Nations Resolutions and also for the active, substantial participation of women in the negotiating process.

Education and career

Praxoula Antoniadou-Kyriacou was born in Nicosia where she attended the English School. She obtained her BSc and MSc in Economics at The London School of Economics and Political Science.

Following her studies, she started working at the Central Bank of Cyprus. She held a managerial position with the Central Bank, where she served for 24 years. During her work at the central bank, she was engaged in macroeconomic analysis, policy formulation and management, and in statistics. She was also highly involved in European Union matters and served as coordinator of the Central Bank of Cyprus during the five-year period of the accession negotiations. She has also served as member of various committees of the European Central Bank and of EUROSTAT.

Throughout her career, Antoniadou-Kyriacou participated in a number of seminars and courses at the International Monetary Fund, the European Central Bank, EUROSTAT, the US Federal Reserve, the Bank of England, the Swiss National Bank and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, as well as in seminars on management issues (CIIM, Dale Carnegie).

She is a member of the three ladies team of economists who have co-authored the award-winning trilogy of studies on “The Day After’’1, concerning the economic benefits to accrue to all the Cypriots, as well as to Turkey and Greece once Cyprus is reunited.

Political career

In her capacity as the President of the United Democrats, she worked within the political family of the European Liberal Democrats trying to promote the implementation of Liberal values such as freedom, democracy and respect of human rights. In accordance with the above, the United Democrats appreciated the unanimous adoption by the European Liberal, Democrat and Reform Party, in their November 2009 Barcelona Congress, of a resolution expressing support to the efforts for the attainment of an agreed solution to the Cyprus problem that will be reunifying Cyprus on the basis of a bizonal bicommunal federation.

As President of the United Democrats, Antoniadou-Kyriacou had participated in meetings organized in Istanbul by GPoT Center, TESEV and the German Liberals’ Friedrich Naumann Stiftung, aiming at building communication bridges between Greek and Turkish Cypriots and, especially, between Cyprus and Turkey. In the context of these meetings, she had the opportunity to meet with His-All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, as well with the Turkish Prime Minister Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

She has also been a regular and active participant of the meetings of the leaders of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot political parties meeting at Ledra Palace.

As a Minister of Energy, Trade, Industry & Tourism, she was fortunate to lead the discovery of natural gas offshore Cyprus, which she considers can and should be instrumental towards the achievement of Peace in Cyprus and between Cyprus and its neighbours.

In this regard, she has been the co-author (bicommunal studies) of many studies about the economic benefits of peace in the area of the Eastern Mediterranean.

In late 2012 Antoniadou-Kyriacou announced her intention to be a candidate for the Cypriot Presidential elections of 2013, running with the support of her party, the United Democrats.

Personal life

Praxoula Antoniadou-Kyriacou is married to Lysandros Kyriacou-a long serving Civil Engineer Consultant- and has two children, Semeli an accomplished architect and Theodoros a civil engineer. She has a keen interest in music and she is an accomplished flautist. As an amateur musician she has participated in the television charity show 'DanSing for You' in order to help children battling cancer.