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It’s now been a few weeks since China brokered an agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran to normalize relations. The deal - and China’s role in it - shocked many countries in the region, including the US, and is already having a ripple effect across the Middle East. Dr. Theodoros Tsakiris, an associate professor of geopolitics and energy policy at the University of Nicosia, joins Thanos...

16 λεπτά

We’re heading to the US Congress on today’s episode, where Senator Menendez once again caught everyone’s attention while questioning Secretary of State Antony Blinken this week when he sharply criticized Turkey. Representative David Cicilline also had a noteworthy exchange with Secretary Blinken in the House, asking what steps the Biden Administration is taking to ensure that US weapons are not...

13 λεπτά

Nikos Christodoulides attended his first EU leaders summit as President of Cyprus this week, and came with a clear agenda - to engage the EU on the Cyprus issue. At the same time, Christodoulides also stressed that Cyprus is not just the Cyprus problem, but a part of the solution to the key challenges facing Europe and the region, whether it’s on energy or sanctions against Russia. Efi...

12 λεπτά

Greece is putting forward a plan to overhaul the EU’s electricity grids in order to lay the foundations for a massive rollout of renewable power. Athens is arguing that efforts to expand and strengthen Europe’s electricity grid need to be stepped up in order to handle the transition to solar and wind, especially with the EU looking to reach climate neutrality by the middle of the century. As...

14 λεπτά

After 12 hours of talks in North Macedonia this weekend, the EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell announced that Kosovo and Serbia had reached an agreement to implement an EU-backed deal to normalize relations. This has been welcomed by many as an important and historic agreement as flare-ups between the two have fed worries about a return to conflict. The two sides, however, stopped short...

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Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu was in Cairo on Saturday for the first time since ties were ruptured a decade ago to push to restore full diplomatic relations between the two countries. The move comes despite lingering tensions over Turkey’s support of the Muslim Brotherhood, its presence in Libya, and its provocative stance in the Eastern Mediterranean - three issues Cairo...

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Turkey’s President Erdogan signed off on Finland’s NATO membership on Friday — removing the biggest obstacle to the Nordic country joining the alliance. With a difficult election coming in May, however, Turkey’s president keeps insisting that Sweden is harboring alleged Kurdish terrorists and other dissidents. So far, Sweden’s efforts to placate Turkey, including with the introduction of a new...

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News of the rapprochement between long-time regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran sent shockwaves through the Middle East. The fact that China brokered the deal also took many in Washington by surprise, as it adds to worries over how US partners are responding to growing competition between the US and China. Steven Cook, the Eni Enrico Mattei Senior Fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies at...

14 λεπτά

Earlier this week Nikos Christodoulides made his first official visit to Athens as the newly elected President of Cyprus, unveiling steps to significantly strengthen the cooperation between Cyprus and Greece, something Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said was “more necessary than ever” as Christodoulides takes office “in the midst of great geopolitical volatility”. At the same time, it was...

12 λεπτά

With the US focus on Russia and China, regions like the Eastern Mediterranean appear to be on the backburner in Washington, DC. This is raising questions about Washington’s overall strategy for the region, which has grown increasingly important over the last years. Constantinos Filis, the director of the Institute of Global Affairs and associate professor at the American College of Greece,...

13 λεπτά

Alexis Papahelas penned a powerful opinion piece in the wake of the tragic train crash - “The Sisyphean task of transforming Greece” - in which he argues that Greece is changing, but important areas are being left behind. He compares the Greek leaders looking to make important changes to the mythical figure Sisyphus, who was condemned to an uphill battle without ever reaching the summit. Endy...

9 λεπτά

Turkey’s President Erdogan has finally made it official, setting May 14 as the date for elections that many see as existential for Turkey’s authoritarian leader. After twenty years of dominating Turkish politics, and given the stakes for Erdogan, there are questions as to how far he will be willing to go on May 14th to ensure the results are in his favor, and whether there will be a peaceful...

18 λεπτά

Some Biden administration officials, notably Brett McGurk, White House coordinator for the Middle East, and Amos Hochstein, special presidential coordinator for Global Infrastructure and Energy Security, have been passing through Iraqi Kurdistan, encouraging Iraqi Kurds to sell oil to Turkey while arguing this will bolster US efforts to isolate Russia and Iran. Expert Michael Rubin, a senior...

14 λεπτά

The head of the Bank of Greece, Yannis Stournaras, is adamant that 2023 will be the year when Greece finally regains investment grade after over a decade in the junk-bond wilderness. In an interview with the Financial Times, Stournaras also stressed the importance of the country maintaining fiscal prudence and reforms, while taking advantage of a “window of opportunity” to significantly lower...

8 λεπτά

As the dust begins to settle following the tragic and deadly train crash in Greece last week, there are still a number of questions, from those related to the safety standards of the country’s railway system to who is to blame. In the meantime, we are continuing to see an outpouring of grief and anger in Greek society, with nationwide protests and demonstrations taking place on Wednesday. Tom...

12 λεπτά

On Monday Turkey’s six-party opposition threw their support behind Turkish opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu as the main challenger to President Erdogan in landmark elections expected on May 14. This decision came after an intense few days that saw Meral Aksener - the leader of the second largest party in the coalition - splinter the opposition after publicly opposing Kilicdaroglu’s...

16 λεπτά

In the wake of the tragic train crash in Greece, in which at least 57 people - mostly young students - lost their lives, the question on everyone’s mind is: How could this happen? While there have been promises to investigate the causes of the crash and ensure nothing like this happens again, this, as was recently pointed out by Nick Malkoutzis in an op-ed, is also an opportunity for Greek...

18 λεπτά

Earlier this week two trains collided in Greece, killing 57 people. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis called the collision “a horrific rail accident without precedent” in Greece, and pledged a full, independent investigation. The rail crash has shaken Greeks to their core, with protests erupting in Greek cities as many see this as an accident that had been waiting to happen. Iliana...

10 λεπτά

Turkey’s President Erdogan and his government have come under fierce criticism for what many see as an inadequate relief effort following last month’s devastating earthquakes. In the meantime, the government appears to be getting ready to mount a strong crackdown on the dissent highlighting its mismanagement of disaster relief. Expert Sinan Ciddi joins Thanos Davelis to discuss this backlash...

14 λεπτά

Energy has been at the top of the agenda over the past days. Last week’s 1st East Macedonia and Thrace Forum put the spotlight on the port city of Alexandroupoli, which is at the heart of key regional developments, while the recent announcement that seismic surveys were completed south and west of Crete is adding a new dimension to Greece’s plan to not only become an important transit hub for...

12 λεπτά