Greek ambassador to Bulgaria appointed to Nato post
Thrasyvoulos “Terry” Stamatopoulos, Greece’s ambassador to Bulgaria since February 2012, has been appointed Nato assistant secretary-general for political affairs and security policy.
Before becoming the Greek ambassador in Sofia, Stamatopoulos was Greece’s ambassador at the Greek permanent representation to Nato, from 2007 to January 2012. From 2000 to 2004, he was minister-plenipotentiary, deputy permanent representative of Greece to Nato.
During his nine years at Nato previously, Stamatopoulos helped draft the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative decision, having taken part in the Istanbul Summit of Nato in 2004. As a member of the North Atlantic Council, he has visited Gulf states that are Nato partners. He played an instrumental role in the agreement between Nato and the United Arab Emirates on the establishment of the UAE mission to Nato.
A graduate of Aristotle University in Thessaloniki, from the LSE and McGill University in Montreal, both in international relations, and from Georgia State University in the US with an MA in communication, Stamatopoulos held various posts in the Greek diplomatic service from 1979 onwards, including as consul in Atlanta and consul-general in Alexandria in Egypt.
(Photo, of Nato Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, left, and Terry Stamatopoulos: nato.int)
