ROMSO Cyprus Knowledge Base

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Haris Trassu (born 1943 in the Republic of Cyprus) is Minister of Communications and Public Works of Cyprus (2004–2007), President of the Cyprus-Russia Friendship and Cultural Relations Society, which has existed for over 50 years.

Biography
Haris Trusso was born in Cyprus in 1943. After graduation, he dreamed of becoming an architect, but at that time there were no higher educational institutions in Cyprus. The only chance to get a higher education is to study abroad, but Haris Trussu’s family was poor and lacked the necessary money. He began to look for an educational institution that would provide scholarships to foreign students and applied to the Embassy of the USSR. First, we had to pass the entrance exams and come to the USSR. He traveled a long way: from the port of Famagusta he sailed by steamship through Latakia, Alexandria, then to Odessa, and from Odessa by train to Moscow. The entrance exams passed successfully and entered the engineering faculty of the Peoples’ Friendship University named after Patrice Lumumba on the specialty “Builder-engineer”. During his studies at the university he met his future wife.
In 1967 he graduated from this school.

After graduation, he returned to his homeland and served in the National Guard of Cyprus from 1967 to 1968. From 1968 to 1970 he served as Executive Engineer at the State Department of Hydrostructures of Cyprus. He founded Thrassor Brothers and Co. From 1976 to 1990 he was a member of the Board of the Association of Engineers and Architects of Cyprus. From 1990 to 1992 he was Chairman of the Board of the Association of Engineers and Architects of Cyprus. In 1993 he became a member of the Administrative Committee of the Chamber of Science and Technology of Cyprus. Elected First Vice President of the House. From 2003 to 2004 he was Chairman of the Cyprus Urban Planning Council. From 2004 to 2007 he was Minister of Communications and Public Works of Cyprus. He knows Russian, Greek, English and Spanish. There is a family - a wife, two children, three grandchildren.

Awards
Pushkin Medal (Russia, December 6, 2007) - for his great contribution to the dissemination, study of the Russian language and the preservation of cultural heritage, in the rapprochement and mutual enrichment of cultures of nations and nationalities.
Gratitude of the President of the Russian Federation (November 4, 2011) - for his great contribution to the development of Russian-Cypriot cultural and humanitarian cooperation, strengthening friendship between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Cyprus.

Notes

Graduates of Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia