Petros Molyviatis, a veteran Greek diplomat and close associate of former prime minister and president Konstantinos Karamanlis, died on Sunday, May 4, at Evangelismos Hospital aged 96.
Born on Chios on June 12, 1928, Molyviatis studied law before joining the diplomatic corps. He served in key posts at the UN in New York, NATO in Brussels, and the Greek embassies in Moscow and Ankara.
A long-serving aide in the prime minister’s office and elected New Democracy MP, he served as Greece’s foreign minister three times (2004–2006, 2012, 2015). In 1983, he was named lifetime president of the Konstantinos G Karamanlis Foundation board of trustees.
He is survived by his wife, Niovi Christaki, and their two children.
Η Ελλάδα, η Νέα Δημοκρατία και όλοι όσοι τον γνωρίσαμε, αποχαιρετούμε με σεβασμό τον Πέτρο Μολυβιάτη. pic.twitter.com/GTu4IlnRW6
— Prime Minister GR (@PrimeministerGR) May 4, 2025
Leaders expressed condolences on Sunday, with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis calling him “a worthy Greek” who left a lasting mark on diplomacy.
Former president Prokopios Pavlopoulos said Molyviatis’ loss “leaves a hard-to-fill void,” while former PM Kostas Karamanlis praised him as “a true patriot” known for his wisdom and selflessness.
Tributes also came from President Constantine Tassoulas, former PM Antonis Samaras, Deputy PM Kostis Hatzidakis, Defence Minister Nikos Dendias, and parties including New Democracy and SYRIZA.
