Foreign ministry permanent secretary, ambassador Andreas Kakouris, will most probably be Cyprus’ candidate for the position of president of the UN General Assembly, after he retires from his ministry post in July.

The election for the 81st session of the UN General Assembly is expected to take place in June 2026, according to the Cyprus News Agency.

The last time the Republic of Cyprus sought election to the office was in 2015, with ambassador Andreas Mavroyiannis.

The presidency of the General Assembly rotates annually among five regional groups: African Group, Asia-Pacific Group, Eastern European Group, Latin American and Caribbean Group, and Western European and Others Group.

For the 81st session in 2026-2027, the Asia-Pacific Group is scheduled to nominate a candidate for president of the General Assembly among the three candidates put forth by Cyprus, Bangladesh and Palestine.

Palestine has announced the candidacy of its permanent observer to the UN, ambassador Riyad Mansour, who, if elected, will be the first representative from a non-member observer state to hold this position.
The election process includes the presentation of vision statements by the candidates and informal dialogues with UN member states, aimed at transparency and enhanced inclusiveness.

The elected president will serve a one-year term, beginning with the 81st session of the UN General Assembly.