Cyprus appointed a new defense minister on Thursday to succeed ex-defense minister Tasos Mitsopoulos who died just a week after he took over the post.

An official announcement said President Nicos Anastasiades appointed in his 11-member Council of Ministers Christoforos Fokaides to head the Ministry of Defense.

He will take up his post on Monday.

Fokaides is a 40-year old economist who also studied political science in the United Kingdom and taught at a Cypriot university.

Ex-minister of defense Tasos Mitsopoulos died on March 22 at the age of 48 after suffering a massive brain hemorrhage in his office.