Michalis Stayrinos

Michalis Stavrinos was born in Nicosia, Cyprus, on November 14, 1954, and hails from Lefkara, Cyprus. He studied Law at the Faculty of Law of the University of Athens (1977) and subsequently Political Science at the same university (1979). In 1980, with a scholarship from the State Scholarships Foundation of Greece (I.K.Y.), he earned a Master of Science degree in Maritime Law and Policy from the University of Wales, and in 1982, again with a scholarship from I.K.Y., he obtained a Ph.D. in International Law from the same university. He worked as a lawyer in Athens, then at the National Bank of Greece (from December 1982 in the Bank's Administration - Shipping Operations Department), and later was seconded to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Greece (Special Legal Service) in Athens (1986-89). Since June 15, 1989, he has been serving in the Diplomatic Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus. He has served at the Permanent Mission of Cyprus to the UN (1991-95), the Embassy in Bonn (1996-98), as Consul General in Thessaloniki (1998-2000), as High Commissioner/Ambassador to Kenya (2000-02), as Ambassador in Copenhagen (2002-03), as Permanent Representative to the Council of Europe (Strasbourg, 2006-08), and from August 28, 2011, to September 30, 2015, as Ambassador of Cyprus in Dublin. At the Central Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus, he has served as Head of the Department of Multilateral Relations and International Organizations, Head of the Middle East and Africa Department, Head of the Legal Department, Head of the Department of International and Community Law - Turkey's Accession Process, and Deputy Director of the European Union Directorate, and currently as Head of the Department of International and European Conventions and Deputy Political Director. He has authored the books "The Aegean Continental Shelf Issue," published by Ant. N. Sakkoulas, Athens 1986, "Cypriot Epics - A Glorious Elegy to 'Cyprus, where I was not destined to be'," University Studio Press, Thessaloniki 2000, "The Crime of Settlement in International Law," Parga Publications, Nicosia 2013, "The Referendum on Scotland's Secession from the UK and International Law," published by Ant. N. Sakkoulas, Athens 2015. He also has a large number of scientific publications.