Lieutenant General Stavros Papastathopoulos
Lieutenant General Stavros Papastathopoulos was born in Nicosia, Cyprus, in 1966. He was admitted to the Hellenic Army Academy (Evelpidon) in 1984 and graduated in 1988, as Artillery Second Lieutenant.
Up until the rank of Major (1988-2006) he served in various Artillery Units, as well as Platoon Leader in the Hellenic Army Academy and as Trainer in the Artillery School. He also served in various staff appointments and as Aide-de-camp of the Chief of Hellenic National Defence General Staff. Upon being promoted to Lieutenant Colonel (2007) he assumed duties as Commander of the 163rd Artillery Battalion (PzH 2000 GR). In 2009, he was transferred to the Hellenic Military Delegation in the Military Committee of NATO in Brussels. Upon completion of his duties in that position (2012), he was appointed Director of the Staff Office of the Chief of Hellenic Army General Staff, where he was promoted to the rank of Colonel. Following (2014), he was appointed as Artillery Commander of the XII Mechanised Infantry Division “EVROS. Afterwards, he initially assumed the duties of Chief of Section for National and International Operations in the Planning and Exercise Directorate of the Hellenic Army General Staff (2016), and, afterwards, of Chief of Section for International Planning – International Operations. In 2017, he was promoted to Brigadier General and assumed duties Director of the Defence Planning and Organisation Directorate of the Hellenic Army General Staff. In 2019, he was appointed Commanding General of the 96th Higher National Guard Battalion Command “CHIOS”, while in 2020, he was promoted to Major General and appointed Director of D’ Staff Directorate (Defence Planning – Organisation) of the Hellenic Army General Staff. In 2021, he was appointed Commanding General of the XII Mechanised Infantry Division “EVROS” and in 2022, he assumed the duties of Commandant of the Hellenic Army Academy. On 17 January 2023 he was promoted to Lieutenant General and assumed the duties of Chief of Staff of the Hellenic Army General Staff. On 15 January 2024, he was appointed Commanding General of D’ Army Corps “THRAKI”. On 11 January 2025, upon decision of the Governmental National Security Council, he was appointed Commanding General of the Hellenic 1st Army.
During his career, he has graduated from all required schools of the Artillery, as well as the Hellenic Army Staff College, the Hellenic Supreme Joint War College, the Joint Defence Staff Officers’ College, and the Hellenic National Defence College. He has also graduated from the Basic Department of the Chemical Warfare School of the US Army, and from the US Command and General Staff College (Distance Learning).
Additionally, Lieutenant General Stavros Papastathopoulos holds a postgraduate degree from the Νaval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California – USA [Master of Arts in Security Studies (Defence Decision – Making and Planning)] (2003-2004), and from Plymouth University – United Kingdom (Master of Arts in Applied Strategy and International Security), which he obtained through his studies in the Hellenic National Defence College (2013-2014). He is also a PhD Candidate in the International, European, and Area Studies Department of Panteion Social and Political Sciences University.
He possesses language proficiency certificates in the English (excellent knowledge) and French (good knowledge) languages.
Lieutenant General Stavros Papastathopoulos is married and has two children (22 and 19 years old).
