CF2026

Cyprus Forum Cities

24 April 2026

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Igniting Dialogue, Inspiring Change

The expansion to Athens marks an exciting new chapter for the Cyprus Forum, the annual forum dedicated to fostering dialogue and driving impactful change. As part of the Cyprus Forum series, the launch in Athens highlights our commitment to broadening our reach and engaging with diverse perspectives on critical issues.

Since its inception, the Cyprus Forum has been at the forefront of bringing together policymakers, academics, civil society representatives, and thought leaders to collaborate on solutions for a better future. By establishing a presence in Athens, we aim to amplify these conversations, drawing upon the city’s historic role as a birthplace of democracy and its vibrant, forward-looking community.

Whether you’re in Athens, Cyprus, or beyond, your voice matters. Let’s come together to spark dialogue, exchange ideas, and shape meaningful change. Join us in igniting dialogue and inspiring change.

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ANTONIS ECONOMIDES

Antonis Economides holds a BA(Hons) Accounting, Finance and Economics from the University of Essex, UK, as well as a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the European University of Cyprus.

He worked at Coopers & Lybrand, the National Bank of Greece (Cyprus) Ltd and for more than 27 years in the Cyprus Civil Service.

He is the Director of the Local Government Directorate, Ministry of Interior, for the past 8 years and the District Officer of Kyrenia. As the Head of the Local Government Directorate, he has been dealing with the supervision of the local authorities, the execution of development projects, as well as leading and implementing the Reform of the Local Government.

He served as a member of the European Committee on Democracy and Governance (CDDG) of the Council of Europe, while now he is a certified reviewer of the GRECO Committee.

AGNI GREGORIOU

Agni Gregoriou is a PhD candidate at Frederick University and a Research Associate at the Urban Planning and Development Unit. With an academic background in Denmark and Italy holding an MSc from Aalborg University and a BSc from Politecnico di Milano her work explores how children and adolescents experience their everyday journeys in car-dependent Mediterranean cities, and how urban form shapes their perceptions, behavior, and well-being.

By uncovering everyday challenges and lived experiences, her research translates insights into child- and youth-friendly routes and more inclusive mobility solutions.

ANGELOS HADJICHARALAMBOUS

Angelos Hadjicharalambous is the Chairman of the Larnaca District Local Government Organisation. Elected in 2024, he leads the newly established district authority as part of Cyprus’s local government reform.

STAVROS HADJIYIANNIS

Dr. Stavros Hadjiyiannis is the Mayor of the South Nicosia – Idalion Municipality. He serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Union of Cyprus Municipalities, a member of the Board of Directors of the Nicosia District Local Government Organization, and a member of the Cyprus national delegation to the European Committee of the Regions (CoR).

He holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

With more than 20 years of experience in Research and Innovation, his expertise lies in the design, modeling, simulation, analysis, and development of innovative prototypes, devices, and products. To date, he has participated as coordinator, technical manager, and researcher in over 25 national projects and 25 European research and innovation programs. Since 2004, he has been an adjunct lecturer at Frederick University. He has an extensive publication record, including 18 journal articles and more than 30 conference papers, with his work cited over 550 times by academic and research institutes worldwide.

He is also the co-inventor of seven registered patents.

GEORGE ISAIA

George Isaia was born in 1994 in Nicosia. He holds a degree in Classical Studies and Philosophy from the University of Cyprus and a master’s degree in Social and Political Sciences from the same institution. His academic and professional interests focus on strengthening institutions, promoting the rule of law, and advancing participatory democracy.

He is the Executive Director of Oxygen for Democracy, where he leads initiatives aimed at fostering democratic governance and institutional resilience. He also serves as an independent special advisor at Zenox Public Affairs, providing strategic advice on policy and governance, and as an advisor to the Commissioner for the Citizen on issues related to participatory democracy and civic empowerment. Actively engaged in policymaking and governance frameworks, he contributes to initiatives addressing institutional development, legal reform, and democratic participation. He is a member of the Mirror Committee on Governance of Organisations of the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO), contributing to the development of international governance standards.

George is also the founder of PolicyLab, a consultancy dedicated to transforming ideas into effective, evidence-based policies. With extensive experience in governance, participatory democracy, and institutional development, he supports organisations and institutions in designing, refining, and advocating for impactful policy solutions. At PolicyLab, he approaches policymaking as a laboratory-an environment where ideas are tested, data is analysed, and innovation drives meaningful change.

KYRIAKOS KAREKLAS

Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering in 1981-postgraduate degree in 1982, from the CITY COLLEGE OF THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK with specialization in “construction works”.

He graduated with the highest distinction (general grade 3.86 from 4.00) with various awards, as the second best student of the University in 1981 and continuously studying under scholarships he received because of his exceptional performance. While studying for the master’s degree (1981-1982), he successfully worked with the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (NYC MTA) as a Civil Engineer.

October 1982-May 1983, he worked as a Civil Engineer in a private company in Cyprus. From 1983 to December 2016, he worked in the District Administration of Larnaca as the “Head of Technical Services” of the Central Service for Larnaca Community Councils. Since 1998, he was involved in European projects through the Union of Communities of Larnaca. From 15/06/2004 until the end of 2005, with the approval of the District Officer of Larnaca, he was assigned as the temporary Director of the Larnaca District Development Agency, with intense activity. He helped to approve the Larnaca District Development Agency as a Local Action Group (in relation to the LEADER program) and to realize its participation in many European Competitive Programs that brought benefit across the district.

He has participated in many meetings, conferences and workshops in Greece, Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Malta, Bulgaria, Zarzis of Tunisia and many other countries. From 1/1/2017, he is the Mayor of Athienou, with great efforts to develop the Municipality. He accomplished so that Athienou to be approved as a Good Practice City of Volunteerism by URBACT Program and the Municipality to lead two Transfer Networks transferring this Good Practice in 11 other EU cities. Also the Municipality to participate in many other EU projects. Since 2017 he is the Mayor of Athienou, making the Municipality as an example for other local authorities to follow and he has contributed to Athienou progress in many aspects.

In 2017 he was elected as a vice-president of the Larnaca – Famagusta Districts Development Agency, while in 2022 he was unanimously elected as its President. In 2024, he was unanimously re-elected President for a new term until 2029. At the same time, he actively participates in the Board of Directors of the Exploitation and Management of the Koshi Landfill, promoting decisions for the proper waste management of the district, but also of the Municipality of Athienou.

He is very zealous in promoting the resolution of problems related to the occupation of a large part of the Municipality by Turkish troops, and he has been unanimously elected as President of the Committee of Border and Semi-Occupied Municipalities of the Union of Municipalities of Cyprus.

Being the Mayor of Athienou he has developed a lot of actions at European level, with Athienou being approved as a Good Practice City for Volunteerism and being participant in many European projects as a lead partner or as a simple partner. He strengthened volunteerism, cultivated voluntary consciousness and encouraged the active participation of the citizens in European meetings and actions, promoting Athienou. The participants get acquainted with the European happenings and succeeded so that the Municipality is appreciated in Europe as a reliable partner.

ANDREAS KAZAMIAS

Andreas is a senior executive specializing in payments, issuing, acquiring, and fintech partnerships.

With expertise in strategy, management advisory, and performance frameworks, he has worked across Europe, Australasia, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and LATAM.

He holds a BSc from the University of NSW and an MSc in Blockchain and Digital Currency from UNIC.

He serves as Board Advisor at Morphosis Group. A member of director associations in the UK and New Zealand, Andreas is committed to the practical and responsible adoption of AI and has contributed to several greentech initiatives.

ANDREAS KITROMILIDES

Andreas Kitromilides is a long-serving Cypriot local government leader and the current President of the Union of Cyprus Communities. He is also the elected President of the Community Council of Kapedes, a role he has held for many years, reflecting deep involvement in local administration.

TEDD MOYA MOSE

Dr Tedd Moya Mose is an international legal scholar, practitioner, and entrepreneur specialising in law, technology, and global governance, with deep expertise in energy and infrastructure.

He has advised governments and multilateral institutions—including the UNFCCC, EBRD, WTO, and IMF—on complex regulatory frameworks across shifting global landscapes. As founder of Lex Navitas, Dr Mose has led large-scale infrastructure and innovation initiatives, acting as a strategist for technology ventures at the intersection of international policy and investment.

He offers a global perspective on how AI and emerging technologies can responsibly advance energy transition and infrastructure development, without displacing the human judgement and contextual awareness essential to high-stakes legal and regulatory work.

An Honorary Research Associate at the Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford, he was the inaugural PhD scholar at the Energy Law Institute, Queen Mary University of London, and has held academic posts at Oxford, LSE, St Andrews, and Michigan—bridging technical insight with practical guidance for the evolving energy and infrastructure sector.

CHARALAMPOS PITTOKOPITIS

Charalampos Pittokopitis was born and raised in the Pafos district and has a long history of public service.

He currently serves as President of the Pafos District Local Government Organization, where he is responsible for coordinating and overseeing key district services such as water supply, sewerage, and urban development.

His work focuses on improving the quality of life for the citizens of Pafos, upgrading infrastructure, and promoting sustainable development in the region.

CHARALAMBOS PROUNTZOS

Charalambos Prountzos was born in Nicosia in 1978.

He originates from the occupied villages of Gerolakkos and Akanthou. He graduated in 2001 with the title LLB (Hons) from the University of Bristol and later received the title of Barrister-at-Law from the Inns of Courts School of Law in London. He has also received a Diploma in Professional Legal Skills from City University, London.

He is a Member of Gray’s Inn, of the Cyprus Bar Association and of the Board of Directors of the Cyprus Investment Funds Association (CIFA). He is a licensed insolvency practitioner and he participated until recently in the Cyprus Bar Association Committee for Corporate and Tax matters as well as in bilateral business initiatives like the Cyprus – Canada Business Association.

He is a lawyer and Managing Partner of Prountzos & Prountzos LLC which he founded and is managing since 2010. From 2019 until 2023 he led the legal services of a Big4 firm for the Central, Eastern Europe, Southeastern Europe and Central Asia Region where he was in charge of teams in 32 different countries exceeding 500 people. He has large experience in legal matters concerning regulated markets. He has handled important cases of competition law, mergers and acquisitions and personal data protection. He has dealt with legislative and regulatory matters related to energy, both renewables and natural gas. He has consulted on many large infrastructure projects and is considered a leading figure in renewable energy and waste management projects.

Charalambos has successfully handled landmark Constitutional, employment and public procurement cases. From 2011 until 2018 he has served as a Member and Vice Chairman for Administrative and Finance of the Governing Committee of the Open University of Cyprus.  In 2018 he was elected as the first Chairman of the Council of the Open University of Cyprus. The Open University of Cyprus is one of the three public universities of the Republic of Cyprus. He has also served as a Member of the Board of CYENS a, Research and Innovation Centre. CYENS is a Centre of Excellence which is a joint venture between the three public universities of the Republic of Cyprus, Max Planck Institute of Germany, University College London (UCL) and the Municipality of Nicosia. He participated as a member of the Working Group on Governance and Power Sharing during the last negotiating process for the Cyprus problem between 2015 – 2017.

He is an active citizen with a rich social and cultural activity, numerous public interventions and articles in paper and digital media.

He is married with the journalist Gogo Alexandrinou and they have two children.

ANACLÁUDIA ROSSBACH

Anacláudia Rossbach is the Executive Director of UN-Habitat and an economist with over 20 years of experience in housing, informal settlements, and urban policies. She was appointed Executive Director of UN-Habitat at the Under-Secretary-General level by the General Assembly, following nomination by the UN Secretary-General on 7 June 2024.

Prior to this role, she was the Director for Latin America and the Caribbean at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy and served as Regional Manager for Cities Alliance, where she founded the Urban Housing Practitioners Hub.

Prior to that, with the World Bank, she oversaw the development and implementation of Brazilian housing and slum-upgrading policies. Ms. Rossbach has actively contributed to global urban policy discussions and has a strong academic presence in the field. She took office on 12 August 2024.

CHARALAMPOS THEOPEMPTOU

Following many years of public and environmental advocacy through the NGO Ecological Movement, he was appointed in 2006 as Cyprus’s first Commissioner for the Environment.

He served for many years as a Lecturer at the Higher Technical Institute and subsequently as a Lecturer at the Cyprus University of Technology.

In 2016, he was elected to the House of Representatives, and following his re-election in 2021, he assumed the Chair of the House Standing Committee on the Environment.

ANDREAS VYRAS

Andreas Vyras was born in Larnaka in 1978.

He studied Public Administration and Business Administration at the University of Cyprus and earned an MBA from the University of Southampton.

In 2002, he returned to Cyprus and worked in the public sector and later at the Cooperative Central Bank.

In December 2016, he was elected Mayor of Larnaka at the age of 38, becoming the youngest mayor in the city’s history. He was re-elected in June 2024 with 65.7% of the vote.

Vyras has been actively involved in social and political organizations, having served as President of the Board of Directors of the Cyprus Youth Organization and participating in the youth meetings of the European Union.

IOANNIS VYRIDES

Dr. Ioannis Vyrides is an Associate Professor at the Cyprus University of Technology and Head of the Environmental Engineering Laboratory.

He studied Chemical Engineering at the National Technical University of Athens, completed his PhD at Imperial College London, and later worked as a postdoctoral researcher at King’s College London.

His work focuses on biogas, anaerobic digestion, waste treatment, and innovative technologies for CO₂ conversion and renewable energy. He has broad experience in European and national research projects and has published extensively on biogas upgrading, wastewater treatment, and sustainable environmental technologies.

KYRIAKOS XYDIAS

Born on 1972 and married to Marina Dimitriou, with whom they had two daughters. 

Elected as the Mayor of the newly established Amathountas Municipality for the period 2024-2029, which consists of the following Districts: Agios Athanasios, Germasogeia, Moutagiaka, Mathikolonis, Akrounta, Finikaria, Armenochori and Agios Tychonas.

Member of the executive committee of the Union of Cyprus Municipalities, vice president of the Limassol District Local Government Organization.

Member of the Limassol District Domestic Waste Disposal or Recovery Site Exploitation Council.

Member of the Cyprus Delegation to the Committee of the Regions of the European Union.

Between 2017-2024 he served as Mayor of Germasogeia and member of the Limassol Water Board, the Sewerage Board of Limassol – Amathus and the executive committee of the Union of Cyprus Municipalities.

He served as President of the Sports Association «Proodos», member of the School Committee Germasogeia, Secretary of the AKEL (political party) Germasogeia Committee, and Member of the Limassol Theatrical Route.

Between 2010-2016 he worked as a Physics teacher in secondary schools.

Between 2001-2010 he worked as a Parliamentary Associate in the House of Representatives of Cyprus. • Graduate of the Department of Physics of the University of Athens.

During his student life, he served as President of the Student Movement «Proodeutiki» and a member of the administrative council of the Student Union.

He worked as a department head at the company “HOCHTIEF AG” during the construction of the new Athens Airport «Eleftherios Venizelos».