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The recent announcement of a long-term energy agreement between Turkey and Bulgaria giving the latter access for 13 years to Turkish regasification terminals, came as a surprise to some and caused consternation in Athens. This comes as Greece is emerging as a key player in helping its northern neighbors in the Balkans - primarily Bulgaria - decouple from Russian gas through a number of...

18 λεπτά

The new year offers an opportunity to take stock of the many changes in Europe over the last year - a year marked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. George Pagoulatos, a professor of European politics and economy at the Athens University of Economics & Business and director general of the Hellenic Foundation for European & Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP), joins Thanos Davelis with the view from Athens...

14 λεπτά

Last week news dropped that the Biden administration reportedly will ask Congress to approve a $20 billion sale of F-16s to Turkey, coupled with a separate sale of F-35 fighters to Greece. The sale of F-16s was also the focus of Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu’s meeting with Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington on Wednesday. Expert Michael Rubin, a senior fellow at the...

13 λεπτά

Α global survey by Britain’s CIA Landlord Insurance has found that the lowest sale prices available for residential property, when compared to other European capitals, are in Athens. As a result, there has been a significant increase in investment interest from abroad in real estate in Greece, especially in the region of Attica which includes the city of Athens. Nikos Roussanoglou, a journalist...

10 λεπτά

For the first time in a while, the economic party is happening in the Mediterranean, and Greece is leading the way ahead of Spain and Portugal. As The Economist looked into the best and worst economic performers of 2022, Greece found itself at the top of the list, with high growth, narrow inflation breadth, plunging debt-to-GDP ratio and an outperforming stock market. Prime Minister Mitsotakis...

10 λεπτά

This week a Libyan court ruled to suspend an energy exploration deal that the Tripoli-based government signed last year with Turkey that ignored the rights of Libya’s neighbors and inflamed Libya’s own internal crisis. The energy deal struck down by the court followed up on an illegal MoU between Ankara and Tripoli that attempted to split the Eastern Mediterranean between themselves at the...

13 λεπτά

Over the last years we’ve seen a wave of creativity sweep across Greece - from art and culture to the country’s growing gastronomical scene. As this past year’s tourist numbers indicate, the world is also taking notice. An integral part of this success story are Greece’s wines, as Greek winemakers rediscover ancient cultural traditions and varieties to produce world-class wines again. Ted...

15 λεπτά

Amid discussions on the potential sale of US F-16 fighter jets to Turkey, an argument has emerged that if Ankara doesn’t get American F-16s, it will turn to Russia or China to upgrade its fleet of jets. Endy Zemenides, the Executive Director of the Hellenic American Leadership Council, joins Thanos Davelis to explain why this argument is tantamount to accepting Turkey’s hostage politics, making...

12 λεπτά

In 2020, when tension with Turkey had reached a peak, Greece declared the extension of its territorial waters in the Ionian Sea from 6 to 12 nautical miles as it’s entitled to under international law. Now, it's being reported that Greece could make a similar move around the island of Crete. Turkey, which has a longstanding threat of war against Greece if it exercises its rights and extends its...

16 λεπτά

This weekend Sweden’s Prime Minister said Turkey is asking for too much over its NATO application, adding that Sweden has lived up to its commitments and that the decision now “lies with Turkey.” Ankara has effectively demanded the impossible, notably that Stockholm override a decision by its own Supreme Court and extradite a journalist wanted by the Erdogan regime. Analysts say Turkish...

15 λεπτά

Last year Greece had to deal with a number of security challenges, whether it was the wider impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, US competition with China, or Turkey’s revisionism. Looking ahead, it’s likely Greece will be confronted with similar challenges in 2023 as well, as Russia, Turkey, and China continue to pose a threat to regional stability in Greece’s broader neighborhood. Admiral...

17 λεπτά

This week, after his first cabinet meeting of the new year, Prime Minister Mitsotakis sent a strong signal that he does not plan to call general elections before April. The announcement comes as Greece’s political parties begin to get into campaign mode. Nick Malkoutzis, the co-founder and editor of Macropolis.gr, a political and economic analysis site that focuses on Greece, joins Thanos...

18 λεπτά

A humanitarian crisis is unfolding in the Caucasus, as Azerbaijan is blockading the Lachin corridor, the main road in Nagorno Karabakh, or Artsakh. Azerbaijan’s blockade, which has been ongoing since December 12, has deprived some 120,000 Armenians in Artsakh of food, medicine and other vital supplies, and the Armenian foreign ministry has accused Azerbaijan of "ethnic cleansing." Aram...

13 λεπτά

2022 saw Greek-Turkish relations hit historic lows, as Ankara took its provocations against Greece in the Aegean to dangerous levels. The year wrapped up with Turkey’s foreign minister renewing Ankara’s casus belli - or threat of war - against Greece. This followed boasts from President Erdogan that Turkey’s new Tayfun missiles could target Athens. These developments have raised the question...

16 λεπτά

This week it was announced that Italy’s ENI and France’s Total are expediting plans to develop hydrocarbons off the coast of Cyprus following the discovery of another natural gas field, Zeus-1. This newest discovery “reaffirms the promising potential” of the East Med at a time when Europe is looking for alternatives to Russian gas. At the same time, Nicosia is also considering a proposal for a...

14 λεπτά

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis became the first Greek prime minister to visit the historic Greek minority in southern Albania in over 30 years on Thursday. Expectations were great in the community, not just because of the symbolic significance of the visit, but also because people hope to see a willingness from Athens to address some of the key challenges they face - whether it’s standing...

16 λεπτά

In the wake of WWII, Europeans formed the Coal and Steel Community to break Germany’s monopoly over coal and steel and secure peace on the continent for nearly 80 years. This peace is at risk today as revisionist countries like Russia and Turkey look to use their monopolies on gas shipments to threaten, coerce and extort Europe, putting the post World War II rules-based order at risk. Michael...

13 λεπτά

Pope Francis made headlines this week with his decision to return to Greece fragments of the Parthenon sculptures that the Vatican has held in its museum. This, along with recent reports of negotiations between Greece and Britain over the return of the Parthenon sculptures, has once again put this issue in the spotlight. Angelos Chaniotis, a professor of ancient history and Classics at the...

13 λεπτά

With Greece inching toward general elections next year, there are concerns that a series of issues both inside and outside Greece, the latest Qatargate scandal being one of them, could potentially fan anti-systemic sentiment and see voters give a boost to the extremes of the political spectrum. This could impact the formation of a future government, as polls show it is most likely the case that...

12 λεπτά

Despite Ankara’s efforts to normalize relations with Cairo, Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi delivered a new blow to the Turkish-Libyan maritime memorandum this week with a decree unilaterally declaring Egypt’s maritime border with Libya. This decree builds on the agreement between Greece and Egypt in 2020 that delimits their EEZs, and serves as a shield for Greece’s rights in the Eastern...

11 λεπτά