UNIS/BIO/673
13 May 2003

Minister of Justice of Greece Pays Visit to the Director-General of UNOV

VIENNA, 13 May (UN Information Service) -- The Minister of Justice of Greece, H.E. Mr. Filippos Petsalnikos, paid a visit today to Antonio Maria Costa, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV).

Mr. Petsalnikos has served as Minister of Justice of Greece since October 2001. Prior to taking up this appointment, from 2000 to 2001 he served for a third time as Under Secretary at the Ministry of National Education and Religion. From 1998 to 1999, Mr. Petsalnikos was Minister of Public Order, from 1996 to 1998 he was Minister for Macedonia and Thrace, and from 1994 to 1996 Deputy Minister of National Education and Religion.

From 1990 to 1993, Mr. Petsalnikos served as Secretary of the Parliamentary Sector of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) for National Education. From 1988 to 1989, he was appointed Under Secretary at the Ministry of National Education and Religion for the second time.

From 1987 to 1988, Mr. Petsalnikos served as Under Secretary at the Ministry of Culture (Sector for the Young, for Greeks Living Abroad, People's Education), and from 1986 to 1987 he served as Under Secretary at the Ministry of National Health and Religion. In 1985, he was elected a Member of Parliament of the PASOK party in the Prefecture of Kastoria from where he has been re-elected ever since. From 1984 to 1985, he served as General Secretary in the Ministry of National Education and Religion in the sector of People's Education. In both 1977 and 1981 Mr. Petsalnikos was nominated a Member of Parliament for PASOK in the Prefecture of Kastoria. Mr. Petsalnikos also served as Secretary of the Educational Sector for PASOK, as well as Secretary of the PASOK Sector for Greeks living abroad. Mr. Petsalnikos was a founding member of PASOK.

Born in 1950 in Mavrohori, Kastoria, he studied law at the Aristoteleion University of the Thessaloniki Law School, from which he graduated with honours. He also pursued post-graduate studies at the University of Bonn, Germany. Since 1985 Mr. Petsalnikos has been an attorney.

Mr. Petsalnikos is married and has three children.

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