H.E. Antonis Toumazis
Former Ambassador of the Republic of Cyprus, accredited to 19 countries
Global Advisor, Global Leadership & Governance Institute
H.E. Antonis Toumazis is a distinguished Cypriot diplomat with more than three decades of diplomatic service, with diplomatic assignments and ambassadorial accreditations covering 21 countries across Latin America, Africa, Europe, and Asia. Fluent in Greek, English, Spanish, and French, he has developed extensive expertise in bilateral diplomacy, multilateral engagement, international coordination, and cross-cultural communication.
Before entering the diplomatic service, Ambassador Toumazis practiced law. He began his diplomatic career as First Secretary and Consul at the Embassy of Cyprus in Mexico, and subsequently held a number of important diplomatic and governmental positions, including service in the Political Division for European Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus, Counsellor at the Embassy of Cyprus in Athens, and Consul General of Cyprus in Johannesburg. During his tenure in South Africa, he also served as Dean of the Consular Corps in Johannesburg and Pretoria.
In 2000, Ambassador Toumazis was appointed as the first Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Cyprus to Mexico. In this capacity, he was also accredited to Bolivia, Costa Rica, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, the Dominican Republic, and Venezuela, assuming broad diplomatic responsibilities across Latin America. In recognition of his outstanding diplomatic contribution, the Government of Mexico awarded him the Order of the Aztec Eagle in 2004. Later in 2004, he was appointed Ambassador of Cyprus to Denmark, with concurrent accreditation to Iceland, serving until 2008. From 2011 to 2016, he served as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Cyprus to Spain. In 2018, Ambassador Toumazis was appointed Ambassador of the Republic of Cyprus to the People’s Republic of China. During his tenure in China, he was also concurrently accredited to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, further expanding Cyprus’s diplomatic engagement in East Asia.
Throughout his posting in China, Ambassador Toumazis actively promoted deeper exchanges and cooperation between Cyprus and China across multiple fields. Upon the completion of his tenure in 2022, Chinese officials recognized his positive contribution to strengthening the strategic partnership between the two countries.
As a Global Advisor to the Global Leadership & Governance Institute, Ambassador Toumazis brings his extensive diplomatic experience, multilingual capacity, and global governance perspective to the Institute’s international cooperation platform. He will contribute valuable insight in areas including diplomacy, international dialogue, Europe–Asia cooperation, cross-cultural engagement, and global governance.
