Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis – and the Helsinki Spirit
Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus Dr. Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis has a personal and warm relationship with Finland. When moving to Finland with her husband in January 1975 as young students, Marcoullis and her husband were two of the few Cypriots in Finland. They also had a unique chance to meet the then President of Cyprus, Archbishop Makarios, who arrived to Helsinki to attend the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (now OSCE) Summit in July 1975. This remains very vividly in the memory of Marcoullis, as she now supports strongly the initiative of President Sauli Niinistö on bringing back the Helsinki Spirit to the international cooperation agenda.
Later on, as the Ambassador of Cyprus to Sweden in 1996-98, Marcoullis was accredited to Finland as well, visiting Helsinki every other month. Later as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus in 2007-2008 and 2011-2013, Marcoullis developed the relations between Cyprus and Finland on reciprocity and common values. Finland had a role in being part of solving the Cyprus question back then – as it had before and continues to have.
”I love Finland and Finnish people”
While in Finland, Marcoullis learned the language of the country and used it fluently. To demonstrate how dear Finland and the Finnish people are to her, she pronounces with good skills the following in Finnish expressing her love to Finland and Finns:
”Nimeni on Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis. Opiskelin Helsingin yliopistossa valtiotieteiden lisensiaatiksi. Asuin Myymäessä Vantaalla mieheni kanssa kolme vuotta. Rakastan Suomea ja suomalaisia.”
For the Marcoullis, the reason for coming to Finland was a scholarship her husband was granted from the World Health Organization (WHO) to conduct research at the Minerva Foundation Institute for Medical Research. Marcoullis herself became a PhD candidate in Political Sciences and Sociology at the University of Helsinki. The couple packed up their belongings and drove through Europe from Athens to Finland. The time they spent in Finland was one of the most beautiful period of their life.
”We felt welcome and we had many Finnish friends. The darkness and the cold weather did not bother us, when we were having a good time pursuing our studies and among our friends. With them we travelled around the country, for instance to the Turku archipelago, Lake Saimaa area and Northern Finland and did everything you could do in Finland in three years.”
As an equal welfare society, Finland made an impression on Marcoullis who experienced the benefits of the welfare state personally, as free education and health care. In 1977, a son was born to the Marcoullis family, and they received the maternity package alongside other support directed at families. The adoption of the provision by the state of a maternity package, came to Cyprus around forty years later.
The advancement and progress in the area of gender equality in Finland and in the other Nordic countries, was an eye opener for Marcoullis. While she was living in Finland, there were no women in the Parliament of Cyprus and few of them in politics in general. The equal and active participation of women in the society, economics, and politics in Finland, established a model to Erato’s mind. This model guided her in the following phases of her career and she has acted as a champion and spokesperson for the model in all her public intervensions.
”In addition, the good relationship between Finns and Finnish Swedes, made an impression on me. They live in peace and respect one another. Moreover, Swedish is the second official language in Finland. As a Cypriot, it was an important model for me for the examination of the relationship between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots.”
Marcoullis recalls that the Finland she lived in during her studies was a notably more closed society compared to today. During that time, there were not many international students and visitors. Finland became more international because of EU-membership, and the number of international students increased.
After the years spent in Finland, Marcoullis graduated as a Licentiate of Social Sciences and her husband completed his research at the Minerva Foundation Institute for Medical Research and simultaneously graduated as a Doctor of Medicine from the University of Helsinki.
Dr. Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis interviewed by the Ambassador Harri Mäki-Reinikka and intern Josefina Kuusikallio at the residence of the Ambassador.
From Sweden to Finland every other month
Years later, in 1996-98, Dr. Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis served as Ambassador of Cyprus to Stockholm, from where she was also accredited to Finland, other the other Nordic and the Baltic countries. She presented her credentials to President Martti Ahtisaari at the end of 1996. Returning to Finland as a diplomat, brought back the warm feelings and memories connected to the time she had spent in Finland.
”I was happy for the opportunity to serve as my country’s Ambassador accredited to Finland. Since my previous relationship to Finland, the work was even more meaningful. I travelled from Stockholm to Finland at least every other month.”
The work focused at the time on sharing EU issues and the experiences of Finland, who had only a year earlier (1995) joined the EU as a member state.
The close relationship between the countries was emphasized, especially by the fact that Finland had taken an active role in solving the Cyprus question. As the first peace mediator in Cyprus, Sakari Tuomioja and more than 10 000 Finnish UNFICYP-peacekeepers had an enormous impact.
”We will always be in debt of gratitude to the Finnish people for their efforts. For instance, the significance of Sakari Tuomioja in the negotiations between the two communities is bigger than we even know, since he helped to prevent the then threats of invasion by Turkey and war in 1964.”
Marcoullis’ relationship to the son of Sakari Tuomioja, former Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja, strengthened while she served as the Foreign Minister in 2007-2008 and 2011-2013. In addition, she had met and worked closely with many other Finnish politicians and officials, like Riitta Uosukainen, Tarja Halonen, Jukka Valtasaari, Kalevi Sorsa, Jaakko Blomberg and Pertti Torstila. Marcoullis is thankful to many other Finnish colleagues and officials working with Cyprus along the years.
”When I was the Minister of Foreign Affairs, I visited in Finland to meet, among others, the then Foreign Ministers, Ilkka Kanerva in 2008 and Erkki Tuomioja in 2012. In 2012, I also gave a keynote speech on the issue of peace and security in Eastern Mediterranean, during an event hosted by Paasikivi Society. The visits of Finnish Foreign Ministers to Cyprus have also been memorable.”
The Embassy of Cyprus opened in Finland in 1999 and the Embassy of Finland opened in Cyprus in 2004. The contribution of resident Ambassadors in Helsinki and Nicosia respectively, strengthened the cooperation between the countries, naturally making it even easier than before.
Dr. Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis presented her credentials as the Ambassador of Cyprus to Finland, to President Martti Ahtisaari, in Helsinki in December 1996.
Finland and Cyprus are connected by, first and foremost, the UN and the EU
The relations and cooperation between Finland and Cyprus are founded on, above all, UN and EU partnership. Both countries support the principles and values of the EU and the UN – sovereignty, territorial integrity, and peacebuilding.
”I believe we can do a lot to further strengthen the beautiful and already strong relationship between our countries. Through tourism, the encounters between our countries and people have been numerous and they will certainly continue to be. In addition, we could increase cooperation in the spheres of culture, politics, and science.”
The events related to the Finnish peacekeepers’ participation in UNFICYP-remains very strong in the memories of Marcoullis. In addition, she praises the rich culture of Finland, which ranges from poetry and literature to music, especially Sibelius.
”I love Sibelius. I constantly listen to his music at home. While we were in Finland, we attended numerous Sibelius concerts.”
Encouraged by her teacher, Marcoullis read Finnish epic poetry Kalevala, while studying the Finnish language. Together with the current Ambassador of Finland in Cyprus, Harri Mäki-Reinikka, she now envisions organizing Kalevala–related events. According to preliminary plans the first event is going to be organized, if the pandemic situation allows, already next spring – on the Day of Kalevala.
Kalevala was translated to Greek for the first time in 1992 and again in 2004. Marcoullis’ view in general is that the works of Finnish and Cypriot authors and poets ought to be translated into Finnish and Greek respectively, much more than at present.
As a member of the Board of Trustees of the Cyprus Institute, Marcoullis has ideas also about developing scientific cooperation. The Chairperson of the Board of this respected research and academic institute is, since more than 5 years, the previous President of the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters, Finnish-Swedish Dan-Olof Riska. Other Finnish researchers also work in the Cyprus Institute, such as the Professor of Bioarcheology Kirsi Lorentz.
”We could strengthen the already existing scientific cooperation for instance in the fields of technology and digital innovations. Cyprus could benefit from the expertise of Finland in this area.”
Moreover, increasing visits and cooperation between other Cabinet Ministers, beyond Foreign Ministers, would be welcomed. Cyprus would have a lot to learn for example from the environment expertise of Finland. In return, Cyprus could share its expertise in shipping with Finland. Around ten per cent of the ships of Finland are registered under the Cyprus flag – and hundreds of ships sailing with the Cyprus flag arrive in the ports of Finland every year, also in the winter.
Marcoullis is willingly referring to the Helsinki Spirit as Finland takes over the presidency of OSCE in 2025 and simultaneously celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe and the Helsinki Final Act. The initiative of President Sauli Niinistö has traveled fast all the way to Cyprus.
Marcoullis is a strong supporter of the Helsinki Spirit for both personal and principled reasons. At the time, the Helsinki Final Act opened the pathway for extensive cooperation between European countries, strengthened the security of Europe, as well as the efforts for peace and for the respect of human rights.
”Now this spirit ought to be returned back to the cooperation agenda. The Helsinki Spirit still functions in the European Union, but it ought to reach an area wider than the European Union. Once again, Finland can act as a central leader based on its expertise in e.g. security, human rights and economics.”
The interview was conducted by the intern of the Embassy of Finland in Nicosia Josefina Kuusikallio.
The interview is being published as a part of the virtual celebrations of the diplomatic relations between Finland and Cyprus. More information on the anniversary on our website: Diplomatic relations 60 years