George Vassilios was born in Famagusta on May 20, 1931. He studied at the Universities of Geneva, Vienna and Budapest. He holds a PhD in Economics from the Budapest University of Economics and specializes in Marketing and Market Research in London. He ran as an independent candidate in the 1988 presidential elections and on 21 February 1988 was elected President of the Republic of Cyprus. His work as President of the Republic during the five years 1988-1993 is well known. In 1993 he was elected president of the newly formed "Free Democrats" party and in 1996 he was elected MP. In March 1998 he took responsibility for the accession process of Cyprus, which he brought to a happy ending in December 2002. For this huge work he was awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Cyprus, which is the highest distinction of the Republic of Cyprus. George Vassilios has been awarded the title of honorary doctor by the Universities of Cyprus, Athens, Budapest, Belgrade and Thessaloniki, as well as medals and honors from many countries. He has spoken at many seminars and conferences on a wide range of topics related to political, economic, social and cultural developments. In 1990, the Department of Economics of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki awarded him an honorary doctorate for his social work and contribution to economics.