8 Μαϊ 2024 Greece disrupts sanctions busting oil transfers off its coast Over the past two years an area south of Greece’s Peloponnese had become a major location to circumvent sanctions against Russian oil exports. It looks like Greece has now found a way to disrupt these operations - taking place in international waters - after the Greek navy blocked off the area for naval exercises. A factor in this story is the fact that Greece has not extended its territorial... 8 λεπτά
7 Μαϊ 2024 From the Baltic to the Aegean: Greece and the Three Seas Initiative Last fall Greece joined the Three Seas Initiative, which brings together 13 EU countries located between the Baltic, Black, Adriatic, and now the Aegean Seas. The Three Seas Initiative was initially founded with the economy in mind, to foster regional dialogue and boost investment, and with Greece’s addition, its diplomatic and economic pull now extends to the Mediterranean. Ian Brzezinski, who... 13 λεπτά
4 Μαϊ 2024 The Greeks and the American diner Anyone who has visited the United States or is familiar with shows like Seinfeld will have come across a diner, a uniquely American type of restaurant. Few may know, however, that from the 1960s onward Greek-Americans came to dominate the diner restaurant scene, especially in the Northeast and the Midwest. Professor Alexander Kitroeff, one of the leading historians of the Greek-American... 18 λεπτά
2 Μαϊ 2024 Greek aid to Ukraine in the spotlight The Financial Times recently reported that Greece and some other EU countries have been under pressure to send more aid to Ukraine, specifically air defense systems. Prime Minister Mitsotakis has ruled this out, citing Greece’s defense needs. Constantinos Filis, the director of the Institute of Global Affairs and a professor of international relations at the American College of Greece, joins... 11 λεπτά
1 Μαϊ 2024 The US reluctance to call Turkey’s presence in Cyprus an occupation This summer will mark 50 years since Turkey’s invasion of Cyprus, and for the last five decades tens of thousands of Turkish occupation troops have been present in the northern part of the island. 50 years later, the US still refuses to officially recognize Turkey’s illegal occupation as an occupation. Michael Rubin, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and director of policy... 12 λεπτά
1 Μαϊ 2024 An ocean of potential: Greece, the US, and the Our Ocean conference Politicians, scientists and organizations from all over the world were in Athens this April as Greece hosted the 9th International Our Ocean Conference. Greece, the US, and all stakeholders made some 450 commitments totalling billions of dollars for the protection of the oceans and seas, including two new marine parks in the Aegean and the Ionian seas. The State Department’s Deputy Assistant... 14 λεπτά
30 Απρ 2024 Why Erdogan called off his White House visit After originally leaking that a White House visit was in play in the lead up to municipal elections at the end of March, President Erdogan is now postponing his May meeting with President Biden in Washington, DC. No reason was cited, but, as some analysts note, the move will likely upend efforts to mend ties between the two NATO allies. Wolfango Piccoli, the co-founder of the risk analysis... 11 λεπτά
26 Απρ 2024 Elections in North Macedonia put EU and ties with Greece, Bulgaria in the spotlight Voters in North Macedonia went to the polls on Wednesday for the first round of presidential elections in a vote widely seen as a litmus test for upcoming parliamentary elections. There are some concerns the election outcome could affect North Macedonia’s relations with Greece and Bulgaria - given references to the Prespa Agreement and constitutional changes Sofia is calling for - and further... 10 λεπτά
26 Απρ 2024 Has Erdogan canceled his White House visit? Claims that Turkish President Erdogan has canceled an upcoming meeting at the White House have been circulating in Turkish media. With neither Washington nor Ankara formally denying the rumors, it is raising more questions about whether they are true or not. In the meantime, it seems Ankara is once again putting up hurdles with regard to NATO, this time over the approval of former Dutch Prime... 11 λεπτά
24 Απρ 2024 109 years since the Armenian Genocide: Is history repeating itself? Today marks 109 years since the Armenian genocide began. With commemorations taking place across the world, there is a renewed fear that the lessons of “Never Again” have been forgotten following Azerbaijan’s attack on Nagorno Karabakh and the subsequent mass exodus of over 100,000 Armenians from the region in what has been described as ethnic cleansing. Aram Hamparian, the Executive Director... 13 λεπτά
24 Απρ 2024 Changes to Greece’s Golden Visa scheme Changes to Greece’s Golden Visa scheme are set to kick in at the end of the summer. This will see increases in the minimum amount needed to invest in order to secure a residence permit in an effort to tackle the country’s housing crisis. This move comes as golden visa programs are being phased out or shut down around Europe, and as housing has become a hot political issue. Nikos Roussanoglou, a... 10 λεπτά
23 Απρ 2024 The 'spectacular turnaround' in investments in Greece Investments in Greece have shot up over the past years, with the country outperforming its Eurozone partners when it comes to the pace with which it is attracting and increasing investments. Despite this positive picture, there are a number of myths around investments in Greece, especially when it comes to real estate and the Golden Visa scheme. Michael Arghyrou, the head of the Council of... 15 λεπτά
19 Απρ 2024 Greece's economic rebound and the challenges ahead Since emerging from its international bailouts and a decade-long economic crisis, the Greek economy is now surging, outperforming its eurozone partners with its economy expected to grow nearly 3% this year. Despite this positive outlook, there are key challenges ahead, as some economies in the eurozone have slowed down, and many Greeks hurt by the crisis are still struggling. Nikos Vettas, the... 12 λεπτά
19 Απρ 2024 Greece plans defense system like Israel’s Iron Dome Following Iran’s latest attack on Israel over the weekend Defense Minister Nikos Dendias said that Greece plans to develop a defense system similar to Israel’s Iron Dome aimed at safeguarding the country against airborne threats. Meanwhile, while Iran was also the focus of a summit in Brussels, EU leaders also highlighted relations with Turkey, linking them to progress on the Cyprus issue.... 12 λεπτά
17 Απρ 2024 From California to Mount Olympus and Greece's seas Back in February, the readout from the 5th US-Greece strategic dialogue saw the US and Greece stress the importance of integrating youth in climate change mitigation and resilience, including through a youth corps exchange program that links the California Conservation Corps with Ecogenia in Greece. Thanos Davelis caught up with Larry Notheis, the Chief Deputy Director at the California... 10 λεπτά
17 Απρ 2024 Looking at the Greek financial crisis through Schäuble’s memoirs The memoirs of former German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble were recently released in Germany. As expected, Greece features heavily. All the key moments of the crisis and its main actors are sketched in his memoirs, from the times Grexit was genuinely on the table, to his dealings with prime ministers Papandreou, Samaras, and Tsipras, and finance ministers Papaconstantinou, Venizelos, and... 12 λεπτά
16 Απρ 2024 Visiting the oracle: Delphi Economic Forum IX Last week thought leaders, politicians, experts and the business community gathered in Delphi in Greece for the 9th Delphi Economic Forum. The Hellenic American Leadership Council (HALC) had an important presence there as well, leading discussions on the role of the diaspora, the importance of Cyprus, the Middle East post October 7th, and the future direction of American foreign policy given US... 13 λεπτά
12 Απρ 2024 Planned flotilla from Turkey to Gaza could spark a new crisis Reports indicate that a new flotilla to Gaza is being prepared out of Turkey. 14 years ago we saw a similar move take place, when the attempt to send the Mavi Marmara flotilla to Gaza led to a diplomatic crisis. Rich Goldberg, a senior advisor at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies with a deep expertise in sanctions policy who previously served on the White House National Security... 13 λεπτά
11 Απρ 2024 The ISIS resurgence in Syria and Turkey's role in it Years after its collapse in Iraq and Syria at the hands of a US-led coalition, it looks like ISIS is making a comeback. As reports indicate, ISIS has been expanding its presence in Syria, attacking regime soldiers, civilians, and the US-backed Kurdish-led SDF. An underreported element of this story is Turkey’s role in the revival of the Islamic State. Nadine Maenza joins Thanos Davelis to look... 11 λεπτά
10 Απρ 2024 Greece to protect its seas with two new marine parks Greece’s government just announced the creation of two new marine parks – in the Ionian and Aegean seas. The move comes a week before Athens is set to host the 9th Our Ocean Conference on April 16 and 17, which will see key stakeholders not only put a spotlight on issues related to the protection of the seas, but also present a series of concrete proposals. Giorgos Lialios, a journalist at... 10 λεπτά