Giannos Kranidiotis
 Giannos Kranidiotis    (diplomat, politician) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Γιάννος Κρανιδιώτης September 25, 1947 Nicosia, Cyprus |
| Died | September 14, 1999 (Age 51) Bucharest, Romania |
Cause of death | Plane crash |
| Nationality | Greek |
| Alma mater | University of Athens, Harvard, Sussex University |
| Victim of | • Air disaster • premature death |
| Party | PASOK |
Giannos Kranidiotis was a Greek diplomat and politician who died in a 1999 airplane incident.
Background
Son of the Cypriot diplomat, poet, and writer Nikos Kranidiotis, he studied law at the University of Athens and continued with postgraduate studies in international relations at Harvard and Sussex University.
Career
Kranidiotis was a member of the Panhellenic Socialist Party (PASOK) from 1976, he was an advisor on the Cyprus dispute to prime minister Andreas Papandreou from 1981 to 1984. He held a number of important posts at the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs: secretary of European affairs (1984–1989), deputy foreign minister (July 8, 1994–January 1995 and from February 3, 1997), and alternate foreign minister (February 19, 1999 until his death).[1]
Kranidiotis also was a Member of the European Parliament (1995–1997) and was elected a member of PASOK's Central Committee in March 1999. He held an honorary doctorate in international relations from the Democritus University of Thrace.
Death
Kranidiotis, his son Nikolas, and four other people died the presidential Dassault Falcon 900 airplane on their way to a six-nation Balkan foreign ministers' regional cooperation meeting in Bucharest.[1]
According to reports, it happened when a "freak accident when a plane carrying a Greek diplomatic mission to Bucharest plummeted some 17,000 feet in the air prior to landing.The plane dropped from an altitude of 23,000 feet to 6,000 feet, before pilots landed the aircraft safely at the Bucharest airport."[1]
His death came a few months after the end of the Kosovo War, where Greece was the only NATO-member opposed to the war on Serbia/Yugoslavia (but refrained from vetoing the NATO decision)[2].
Events Participated in
| Event | Start | End | Location(s) | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bilderberg/1997 | 12 June 1997 | 15 June 1997 | US Lake Lanier Georgia (State) | The 45th Bilderberg meeting |
| Bilderberg/1999 | 3 June 1999 | 6 June 1999 | Portugal Sintra | The 47th Bilderberg, 111 participants |
