ANNOUNCEMENTS

Professor Maria Gavouneli, Professor of International Law at the Faculty of Law and deputy director of the Athens Center for Public International Law - Athens PIL, has been honoured by the French Republic. The insignia of the Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur were bestowed upon Professor Gavouneli and Mr Margaritis Schinas, Minister of Rural Development & Food and ex Vice-President of the European Commission by M. Benjamin Haddad, Minister of European and Foreign Affairs of the French Republic on Saturday, 25 April 2026 at the French Embassy in Athens during the visit of President Macron in Greece.

During the ceremony the Minister referred to her academic work, especially on matters pertaining to the law of the sea; her contribution to the protection of human rights in her capacity as President of the Greek National Comission for Human Rights; and her promotion of the bilateral relations within the framework of our common European project as the first woman Director General of the Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy - ELIAMEP.

In her reply Professor Gavouneli pointed out that, although she is also the first professor of international law at the Faculty of Law who has not complete her studies in France, she could not but continue in the long tradition of close academic, political and cultural ties between the two countries.

The Minister's laudatio may be found here.