Tasia Athanasiou (Greek: Τασία Αθανασίου) is the Greek Special Envoy for Syria (appointed 5 May 2020). When she was Greece’s Ambassador to Damascus from 2009 to 2012, Athanasiou was responsible for closing down the mission due to security concerns.^[1] It has been said that “her appointment is part of Greece’s effort to play a more active role in the Eastern Mediterranean ... (and is) a reflection of Greece’s interest in contributing to efforts to resolve the Syrian crisis.”^[2]

Athanasiou was Ambassador to Russia from April to August 2019 when she was replaced by Αikaterini Nasika after a change of government in Greece. She was also the Greek Ambassador to Poland from 2012 until 2017 and their ambassador to Italy.^[3]