At 9.30 this morning, the Holy Father Francis received in audience His Excellency Mr. Nicolas Patakias, ambassador of Greece to the Holy See, on the occasion of the presentation of his credential letters.

The following is a brief biography of the new ambassador:

His Excellency Mr. Nicolas Patakias
Ambassador of Greece to the Holy See

Mr. Patakias was born in Kalamata on 1 October 1959, and is married.

He graduated in law from the University of Athens in 1983, and went on to obtain a master’s degree from the Diplomatic Hellenic Academy (1986) and a specialization in political science (University of Athens, 2014).

He has held the following positions: officer at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Crisis Management Department - Telecommunications Centre (1986-1987); officer at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, UN Directorate and other International Organizations (1988-1989); consul and Chargé d'Affaires a.i. of the Embassy in Oslo (1990-1992); officer at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Middle East and North Africa Directorate (1993-1996); consul and Chargé d'Affaires a.i. Embassy in Algiers (1997-1998); permanent representative at the European Union in Brussels (1998-2004); geographical coordinator at the International Organisation EU-ACP (Africa, Caribbean and Pacific) Centre for the Development of Enterprise (CDE), head of West and South Africa in Brussels (2004-2005); head of Department and subsequently director at the OSCE and the Directorate of the Council of Europe (2006-2012); deputy director, responsible for Bilateral and Regional Issues and for the African Union at the Embassy in Addis Ababa (2012-2013); deputy director for NATO at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2013-2015); ambassador in Addis Ababa and permanent representative at the African Union and the Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) (from 2015 to the present).

He knows French, English, Italian and Spanish.