Greek Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis will pay an official visit to Malta between today and tomorrow.

During his visit Prime Minister Karamanlis will have official talks with the Prime Minister, Dr Lawrence Gonzi, followed by a joint press conference, at the Office of the Prime Minister.

Mr Karamanlis was born in Athens in September 1956.

He graduated from the Experimental School of Athens.

In June 1989, he was elected as Member of Parliament with Nea Demokratia at the First District of Thessaloniki.

In 1994, he was elected as member of the Central Committee of Nea Demokratia. On 21 March, 1997 he was elected President of the party by its 4th Congress.

In February 1999, he was elected Vice-Chairman of the European People’s Party and, in 2002, he was re-elected in the same position.

In June 2002, he was elected Vice-Chairman of the International Democrat Union.

On March 7, 2004, as leader of Nea Demokratia, he won the national elections by a percentage of 45.36, and securing a parliamentary majority of 164 seats out of a total of 300. He was given the mandate to form a government by the President of the Republic and, on 10 March, he took the oath as Prime Minister and Minister of Culture.

In 2007 parliamentary elections, Nea Demokratia secured, with a 41.83 per cent of the votes, a parliamentary majority of 152 seats (out of 300) and the President of the Republic asked the Prime Minister to form a new government. On 19 September, Mr Karamanlis was sworn in for a new term in office.

He is married to Natasa Pazaiti and father of twins, a son and a daughter.