Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades has appointed Christoforos Fokaides as the new Minister of Defence, an official press release issued on Thursday writes.

Fokaides, an economist and political scientist, assumes his duties following the sudden death of Tasos Mitsopoulos due to a ruptured brain aneurism on Saturday March 22.

The ceremony of affirmation  will be held on Monday, April 7, the release notes.