Androulla Kaminara (born 29 April 1957) is a Cypriot European civil servant who from September 2019 to May 2022 served as the

Ambassador An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or sov ...

and Head of Delegation of the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...

to the

Islamic Republic of Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...

. As such, she was the first female ambassador of the European Union to Pakistan. Before her appointment to the

European External Action Service The European External Action Service (EEAS) is the diplomatic service and combined foreign and defence ministry of the European Union (EU). The EEAS is led by the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (HR/VP), who is also ...

, she joined the European Commission in 1991, where she has served in various Directorates General, including those dealing with

technology Technology is the application of knowledge to reach practical goals in a specifiable and reproducible way. The word ''technology'' may also mean the product of such an endeavor. The use of technology is widely prevalent in medicine, science, ...

communication Communication (from la, communicare, meaning "to share" or "to be in relation with") is usually defined as the transmission of information. The term may also refer to the message communicated through such transmissions or the field of inquir ...

development cooperation Development aid is a type of foreign/international/overseas aid given by governments and other agencies to support the economic, environmental, social, and political development of developing countries. Closely-related concepts include: developm ...

international relations International relations (IR), sometimes referred to as international studies and international affairs, is the scientific study of interactions between sovereign states. In a broader sense, it concerns all activities between states—such as ...

, and

humanitarian aid Humanitarian aid is material and logistic assistance to people who need help. It is usually short-term help until the long-term help by the government and other institutions replaces it. Among the people in need are the homeless, refugees, and ...

. Kaminara has held a number of high-level positions at the European Commission including five years as Director for Africa, Asia, Latin America, Caribbean and Pacific in the Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), and Principal Adviser and Head of the Task Force "Knowledge, Performance and Results" in the

Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development The Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG International Partnerships or DG INTPA) is the European Commission department responsible for international development policy. It operates under the authority of the European Commissione ...

from 2014 to 2016. She has served as a member of Cabinet in the offices of two European Commissioners with portfolios in

and

energy In physics, energy (from Ancient Greek: ἐνέργεια, ''enérgeia'', “activity”) is the quantitative property that is transferred to a body or to a physical system, recognizable in the performance of work and in the form of heat a ...

and

small and medium-sized enterprises Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) or small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are businesses whose personnel and revenue numbers fall below certain limits. The abbreviation "SME" is used by international organizations such as the World Bank ...

policy respectively. As a result of her interest in research and education, she has served for two years as EU fellow/visiting academic at St. Antony's College,

Oxford University Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

, and as research associate of

King's College London King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public research university located in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of King George IV and the Duke of Wellington. In 1836, King's ...

, specializing in EU policies and in geopolitics of energy. Before joining the European Commission, Kaminara was a special adviser to two cabinet ministers in Greece and managing director of a private consultancy firm.

Early and personal life

Androulla Kaminara was born in

Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is geo ...

in 1957. Cypriot by birth, Kaminara also holds British and Greek citizenship. She is married. She takes a keen interest in

arts The arts are a very wide range of human practices of creative expression, storytelling and cultural participation. They encompass multiple diverse and plural modes of thinking, doing and being, in an extremely broad range of media. Both hi ...

and

culture Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups.Tyl ...

. Her hobbies include

swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, or other liquid, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Locomotion is achieved through coordinated movement of the limbs and the body to achieve hydrodynamic thrust that r ...

and

scuba diving Scuba diving is a mode of underwater diving whereby divers use breathing equipment that is completely independent of a surface air supply. The name "scuba", an acronym for "Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus", was coined by Chris ...

and holds a captain's license for

sailing Sailing employs the wind—acting on sails, wingsails or kites—to propel a craft on the surface of the ''water'' (sailing ship, sailboat, raft, windsurfer, or kitesurfer), on ''ice'' (iceboat) or on ''land'' (land yacht) over a chosen cour ...

. She can speak Greek, English, French, Spanish and Turkish.

Education

Androulla Kaminara holds a

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...

(Hons.) in

geology Geology () is a branch of natural science concerned with Earth and other astronomical objects, the features or rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Ear ...

from King's College and in

physics Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge which r ...

from

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree ...

, a

Master of Science A Master of Science ( la, Magisterii Scientiae; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree in the field of science awarded by universities in many countries or a person holding such a degree. In contrast to ...

degree in

management science Management science (or managerial science) is a wide and interdisciplinary study of solving complex problems and making strategic decisions as it pertains to institutions, corporations, governments and other types of organizational entities. It is ...

from

Imperial College, University of London Imperial College London (legally Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine) is a public research university in London, United Kingdom. Its history began with Prince Albert, consort of Queen Victoria, who developed his vision for a cu ...

, as well as a Maîtrise in

from Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) in

Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...

European Commission

* Staff member - European Commission Directorate General Information and Communication Technologies (January 1991 - December) * EU Fellow to the

University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the universit ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

, United States (September 1999 - December 1999) * Member of Cabinet - Greek Commissioner Responsible for Transport, Energy and SME issues Christos Papoutsis (January 2000 - July 2000) * Member of Cabinet - Danish Commissioner Responsible for Development Cooperation

Poul Nielson Poul Nielson (born 11 April 1943) is a Danish politician from the Social Democrats who has held the posts as Energy Minister and Minister of Development Cooperation, and served as European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid fro ...

(August 2000 - July 2003) * Head of Unit - European Commission Directorate General - EuropeAid - Geographic Coordination for 44 West and Central African and Caribbean Countries (July 2003 - July 2006) * Director for Quality of Operations of the European Commission's Directorate-General for International Partnerships, Directorate General - EuropeAid (July 2006 - April 2008) * Head of the European Commission Representation in Cyprus (April 2008 - March 2012) * European Commission Special Advisor, Directorate General for Communications (March 2012 - September 2012) * Academic Visitor to St. Antony's College &

Fellow to St. Antony's College,

(October 2012 - July 2013 and October 2013 - July 2014) * Principal Advisor and Head of Task Force on Knowledge, Performance and Results , Directorate General for International Cooperation and Development (DG DEVCO) (July 2014 - June 2016) * Director of Humanitarian Aid Operations for Africa, Asia, Latin America,

Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...

and Pacific , Directorate General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO) (July 2016 - August 2019)

EEAS - European External Action Service

Androulla Kaminara assumed the office as

and Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Pakistan on September 17, 2019. She presented her credentials to

President of Pakistan The president of Pakistan ( ur, , translit=s̤adr-i Pākiṣṭān), officially the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is the ceremonial head of state of Pakistan and the commander-in-chief of the Pakistan Armed Forces.Dr. Arif Alvi during a special ceremony at the Aiwan-i-Sadr on November 7, 2019. During her tenure as an Ambassador, Kaminara has been working for the promotion of EU-Pakistan Business & Trade. She launched an EU – Pakistan Business Forum, a series of one-day conferences to highlight both the potential of Pakistani SME's and the opportunities of the European Single Market as export destination. The EU-Pakistan Business Forum raised awareness about the European Single Market among Pakistani

SMEs Superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES) systems store energy in the magnetic field created by the flow of direct current in a Superconductivity, superconducting coil which has been Cryogenics, cryogenically cooled to a temperature below ...

and to discuss the experiences and challenges SMEs are facing to be part of global supply chains and to export to Europe. During the three editions in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi the Business Forum focused on a range of sectors, such as IT, gems and jewelry, surgical goods, auto-parts among others. In past few years Kaminara also highlighted the importance of Generalized Scheme of Preferences (GSP+). She actively engaged with Pakistani lawmakers, the business community as well as journalists and the wider public to underlin
GSP+
being a central pillar of the EU-Pakistan relations. Highlighting the benefits Pakistan has drawn from th
GSP+
system since Pakistan obtained the trade preference in 2014, she underlined the huge untapped potential for Pakistan. In her efforts to promote Interfaith Harmony, Kaminara initiated, a series of interfaith roundtables, in collaboration with Maulana Abdul Khadir Azad, Grand Imam of

Badshahi Mosque The Badshahi Mosque (Urdu, Punjabi: ; literally ''The Royal Mosque'') is a Mughal-era congregational mosque in Lahore, capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab. The mosque is located west of Lahore Fort along the outskirts of the Walled C ...

, with the first one taking place in Islamabad in December 2020 and last one in July 2021. This initiative brought together representatives and experts with very different backgrounds: religious leaders and human rights activists and they all shared the objective to advance interfaith harmony and the respect of the freedom of religion and belief. Under her ambassadorship, there is a close cooperation with Economic Affairs Division on key issues of donor coordination, streamlining of programme approval procedures and other topics relevant to the cooperation of the Government of Pakistan with Development Partners. The EU signed five financing agreements in 2020–2021, worth EUR 141 M, with the

Government of Pakistan The Government of Pakistan ( ur, , translit=hakúmat-e pákistán) abbreviated as GoP, is a federal government established by the Constitution of Pakistan as a constituted governing authority of the Administrative units of Pakistan, four provin ...

, related to public finance management, rule of law, education, water management and poverty reduction, ensuring funds commitments in a timely manner. Constructive consultations were held at federal and provincial levels in 2020 and 2021 on the future multi-annual indicative programme for bilateral EU-Pakistan cooperation from 2021 to 2027, paving the way for funding of the coming seven years. Since 2021, Kaminara has been the chair of the Pakistan chapter of the Core Group - Support Platform for the Solutions Strategy for Afghan Refugees (SSAR) and is spearheading the multilateral Core Group platform on policy and operational dialogue to foster inclusive policies and resilience building measures for Afghan Refugees in Pakistan. In acknowledgement that refugee protection and solutions are a collective responsibility, Ambassador Kaminara, is likewise a driving force behind converging the interests of the Core Group members and towards a coordinated approach in supporting the Government of Pakistan in their efforts of hosting refugees for the last four decades.

Awards and recognition

International Peace Award

On 24 November 2021,

, a series of interfaith roundtables that brought together representatives and experts with very different backgrounds i.e., religious leaders and human rights activists with the shared objective to advance interfaith harmony and the respect of the freedom of religion and belief. She received the award during the International Interfaith Peace Conference in

Islamabad Islamabad (; ur, , ) is the capital city of Pakistan. It is the country's ninth-most populous city, with a population of over 1.2 million people, and is federally administered by the Pakistani government as part of the Islamabad Capital T ...

which was organized by the Interfaith Council for Peace and Harmony and Majlis Ulema-e-Pakistan and attended by representatives of various religions.

Global Ambassadors Award

Global Ambassador Award 2021 to Ambassador Androulla Kaminara

On 25 November 2021, Androulla Kaminara received another award ''On Behalf of the People of Pakistan'' acknowledging the services of outstanding Foreign Ambassadors in Pakistan. The award was presented by the Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting

Farrukh Habib Farrukh Habib (born 18 September 1987) is a Pakistani politician who had been a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan from August 2018 till July 2022 and former Minister of State from April 2021 till April 2022, born in Faisalabad. He sta ...

in the fourth Global Ambassadors Award Ceremony 2021 organized by The Diplomatic Insight Group. Androulla Kaminara was recognized for her tireless work to promote the political, economic, cultural, educational, people-to-people contacts, trade, and development works in Pakistan. As well as her close coordination with Government of Pakistan to further strengthen the EU-Pakistan Relations. The ceremony was attended by Senator/ Chairman Standing Committee on Info & Broadcasting Faisal Javed Khan, Ambassadors, Diplomats, Businessmen, and Civil Society leaders.

Publications

Energy and security in the East Mediterranean: How energy will play an increasingly important role in the security of the East Mediterranean
' (March 2014) Opinion Piece by Androulla Kaminara in South East European Studies at Oxford (SEESOX)
Now there is a window of opportunity for decisions leading to the optimization of the benefits from East Mediterranean natural gas discoveries
' (March 2014) Article by Androulla Kaminara
The gender dimensions of energy policy
'" (July 2015) Opinion Piece by Androulla Kaminara in South East European Studies at Oxford (SEESOX)

Opinion editorials (2019-2022)

Time for real honour
(2019-12-01) in Daily Times by Androulla Kaminara/Dr. Barrister Farogh Naseem on

International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women The United Nations General Assembly has designated November 25 as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (UN General Assembly Resolution, Resolution 54/134). The premise of list of minor secular observances#November, ...

- November 25
Why women in sports matter
(2020-03-08) in

The News International ''The News International'', published in broadsheet size, is one of the largest English language newspapers in Pakistan. It is published daily from Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi/Islamabad. An overseas edition is published from London that cater ...

by Androulla Kaminara & Hajra Khan on

International Women's Day International Women's Day (IWD) is a global holiday celebrated annually on March 8 as a focal point in the women's rights movement, bringing attention to issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights, and violence and abuse against wom ...

- March 8
Pak-EU ties: fostering prosperity every day
(2020-03-17) in

The Express Tribune ''The Express Tribune'' is a daily English-language newspaper based in Pakistan. It is the flagship publication of the '' Daily Express'' media group. It is Pakistan's only internationally affiliated newspaper in a partnership with the ''Interna ...

by Androulla Kaminara
Europe Day
(2020-05-09) in

by Ambassadors of EU and

Member States A member state is a state that is a member of an international organization or of a federation or confederation. Since the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) include some members that are not sovereign states ...

on Europe Day - May 9
Transgender rights during times of Covid-19
(2020-05-17) in

by Ambassadors of EU and

on International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOT) - May 17
Against child labour – making a promise to Zohra
(2020-06-12) in

The Nation ''The Nation'' is an American liberal biweekly magazine that covers political and cultural news, opinion, and analysis. It was founded on July 6, 1865, as a successor to William Lloyd Garrison's '' The Liberator'', an abolitionist newspaper tha ...

by Androulla Kaminara on

World Day against Child Labour The World Day Against Child Labour is an International Labour Organization (ILO)-sanctioned holiday first launched in 2002 aiming to raise awareness and activism to prevent child labour. It was spurred by ratifications of ILO Convention No. 138 ...

- June 12
Further strengthening electoral processes
(2020-09-15) in

by Ambassadors of EU and

International Day of Democracy In 2007 the United Nations General Assembly resolved to observe 15 September as the International Day of Democracywith the purpose of promoting and upholding the principles of democracyand invited all member states and organizations to commemorat ...

- September 15
Right to legal representation
(2020-10-10) in

by Androulla Kaminara on World Day against Death Penalty - October 10
Common grounds for religious and social harmony and its contemporary significance
(2021-02-07) in

by Androulla Kaminara & Dr. Qibla Ayaz on UN Interfaith Harmony Week - first Week of Feb
Brighter future
(2021-03-11) in

DAWN Dawn is the time that marks the beginning of twilight before sunrise. It is recognized by the appearance of indirect sunlight being scattered in Earth's atmosphere, when the centre of the Sun's disc has reached 18° below the observer's horizo ...

by Androulla Kaminara & Pamela Coke-Hamilton on GRASP
The game changers
(2021-06-16) in

by Androulla Kaminara & Sharmeela Rassool
Democracy vital for prosperity and sustainable development
(2021-09-15) in

by Androulla Kaminara on

- September 15
COP26 as the turning point: From climate negotiations to solutions
(2021-10-16) in

by Androulla Kaminara on Climate Action Weeks 27 Nov-17 Oct

References

External links

LinkedIn Profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kaminara, Androulla 1957 births Living people Ambassadors of the European Union to Pakistan Cypriot diplomats European civil servants Alumni of King's College London Alumni of Imperial College London Université libre de Bruxelles alumni Cypriot women writers 21st-century Cypriot writers