The Economic and Geopolitical importance of Eastern Mediterranean gas fields for Greece and the EU
Forward by H. A. Samaras “Europe is currently confronted with a unique challenge and a remarkable opportunity! A challenge and opportunity faced also by countries of the Eastern Mediterranean, EU-member and non-EU alike. For the first time ever in Europe’s energy history, the EU is guaranteed an uninterrupted supply of a traditional energy source: The [...]
As Greeks wait for a second eurozone rescue package to finally be agreed in Brussels today, many are blaming Germany and France for encouraging and benefiting from some of the much-criticised profligate spending which reduced Greece to near bankruptcy. Do France and Germany have a share on the Greek debt crisis? The Independent UK: France [...]
Continue reading …Turkey Chides Greek Foreign Minister for his Statements on Greek-Turkish Relations
February 23, 2012 No Comment
The Turkish Foreign Affairs Ministry has issued an announcement chiding the Greek Foreign Minister, Stavros Dimas, for his statements on Greek-Turkish relations during the latter’s meeting with the Secretary General of NATO last Thursday in Athens. “It is known by the Greek authorities and all parties concerned that we are paying special attention to ensuring [...]
Continue reading …Patriarch Bartholomew Asks for Religious Freedom and Equal Rights for Minorities in Turkey
February 23, 2012 No Comment
Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew I said the new Turkish constitution should grant greater religious freedom to the country’s minorities after he paid a landmark visit to a Turkish parliamentary commission working on the new document. On Monday, Feb 20, Patriarch Bartholomew I met with members of a parliamentary subcommittee seeking an all-party consensus for a [...]
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Greece and Cyprus must hammer out a joint economic strategy for the exploitation of offshore mineral deposits, New Democracy leader Antonis Samaras said in Nicosia on Monday. Samaras, whose conservative party is leading polls for a general election penciled in for April, said Greece should follow the example of Cyprus and delineate maritime borders with [...]
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Greece’s participation in NATO has not managed to respond to the significant threat represented by Turkey, the foreign minister, Stavros Dimas, told a special event held to mark the 60th anniversary of the country’s membership of the military bloc. “Since the mid-1970s, Greece has been facing a standing threat by one of its [Nato] allies, [...]
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Nato Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen (L) and Greek Foreign Minister Stavros Dimas address reporters during a news conference in Athens, 16 February 2012 (Reuters) NATO’s chief says the military alliance will keep up attacks on the Taliban, despite news of secreat talks between the militant organisation, the United States and the Afghan government. Secretary-General Anders [...]
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Prime Minister Lucas Papademos on Wednesday proposed a meeting with his counterpart in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Nikola Gruevski. In a letter to Gruevski, the Greek premier suggested that the pair meet on the sidelines of the European Council that will take place in Brussels at the beginning of March. Papademos said [...]
Continue reading …Evolution of Turkey’s policy in the Eastern Mediterranean—Implications for US Interests
February 16, 2012 3 Comments
I have received the following details of a very important policy forum held on 6 February 2012 at the Capital Hilton Hotel just a few blocs from the White House, organized by the American Hellenic Institute. The topic of the policy forum was the “Evolution of Turkey’s policy in the Eastern Mediterranean—Implications for US Interests”. [...]
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The President of the Greek Parliament, Philippos Petsalnikos, signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with his Serb counterpart, Slavica Jukic-Dejanovic, on Monday in Belgrade. The Memorandum establishes the continuance of the cooperation between the Greek and the Serbian Parliament, and also stipulates that Greece will help Serbia in its EU integration process. Petsalnikos highlighted that the [...]
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