Nicosia: Former President of the Republic of Cyprus George Vassiliou passed away on Tuesday night, at the age of 94. According to Cyprus News Agency, his wife Androulla Vassiliou announced his death in a post on X. She shared that after two years of suffering, "my beloved George, my life partner for 59 years, passed away peacefully in our arms" at the Nicosia General Hospital. She expressed the difficulty of saying goodbye to someone who was an excellent husband and father, and a man with a deep love for his country and people. George Vassiliou was born in Famagusta on 20 May 1931 to ophthalmologist Vasos Vasiliou and dentist Fofo Vassiliou. He pursued economics at the Universities of Geneva, Vienna, and Budapest, and earned a PhD in economics from the University of Budapest. Vassiliou specialized in marketing and market research in London before returning to Cyprus in 1962, where he established the Middle East Research Centre (KEMA). In 1984, he founded the Middle East Centre for Management Studies and a similar institution for computer studies, collaborating with well-known business schools and the UK's National Computer Centre. Vassiliou was elected President of the Republic of Cyprus in 1988 as an independent candidate, supported by AKEL and various independents. He focused on resolving the Cyprus problem during his presidency. Although not re-elected, Vassiliou remained active in politics. In 1993, he founded the Movement of Free Democrats, which later merged with ADISOK to form the United Democrats movement, where he served as Honorary President. His presidency saw Cyprus apply for EU accession, and he later led the negotiating team for Cyprus' accession to the EU, a successful effort that earned him the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Cyprus in 2002. Vassiliou was also recognized as an Honorary Doctor by universities in Athens, Thessaloniki, Budapest, and Belgrade. He received numerous medals and honorary distinctions from countries including France, Greece, Austria, Hungary, Egyp t, Italy, Yugoslavia, Syria, and Portugal.