The Greek Current

After several years of virtually nonexistent relations, Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis spoke on the phone Wednesday with Najla Mangoush - the interim foreign minister of the government of national unity in Tripoli. According to diplomatic sources, Gerapetritis stressed the need to relaunch relations between Athens and Tripoli and to open direct channels of communication. Athens’ willingness to restart relations comes at a time when Ankara is also taking steps toward rapprochement with countries in the region - like Egypt - and with actors in eastern Libya. Expert Aya Burweila joins Thanos Davelis to look at these latest developments and break down what they mean for Libya and the region. Aya Burweila is a Libyan expert from Benghazi based in Athens, is the founder and director of the non-profit Code on the Road, and a BBC Woman Expert in Terrorism and Radicalization.You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:Athens seeking restart with TripoliNewly reconciled, Turkey and Egypt could be a force for stability in AfricaFuneral held for fan killed in Athens attack. UEFA President Ceferin to meet Greek PMPatriarchate gets green light, in writing, for liturgy at Panagia Soumela

This year marks the centenary of the Lausanne Treaty, a treaty that has survived a number of twists and turns in world history. While it continues to largely define the status quo between Greece and Turkey, the spirit of the treaty has also been interpreted differently in both countries, with Greeks seeing the treaty as a painful, but necessary basis for peace, while for Turks the spirit of Lausanne is summed up in a single word – sovereignty. Bruce Clark, a contributor to The Economist and the author of Twice A Stranger: How Mass Expulsion Forged Modern Greece and Turkey and Athens, City of Wisdom, joins Thanos Davelis to look at what the Treaty of Lausanne has meant on either side of the Aegean, explaining that while this difference in views may pose risks, a world without Lausanne would be much more dangerous.Read Bruce Clark’s latest piece in Kathimerini: Survival and ambivalence: The story of LausanneYou can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:Russian consular services in occupied areas stirs debateTASS: Russia to provide consular services in occupied CyprusTurkey inflation: Erdogan's policy U-turn tests patience

Congressman Pete Sessions recently visited the Turkish occupied part of Cyprus, becoming the first American politician to fly directly into ​​the unrecognized Turkish proxy state - against State Department advice - on a junket sponsored by the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce. The visit was condemned by the Republic of Cyprus as well, which denounced it as a violation of international law and a departure from Washington’s official stance. Michael Rubin, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and former Pentagon official, joins Thanos Davelis to explain how Congressman Sessions’ stunt was not only deeply irresponsible, but does nothing to advance diplomacy, and is manna for expansionist dictators everywhere.Read Michael Rubin’s latest: Pete Sessions’s occupied Cyprus junket bolsters dictators, undermines peaceYou can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:Gerapetritis: ‘Sovereignty not up for discussion’Cyprus making progress with US visa waivers

It’s now been almost a year and a half since Russia invaded Ukraine, and the impact of Putin’s war can be felt from the geopolitical landscape to the global economy. A point of particular concern has been energy, as Europe has had to find ways to cut its reliance on Russian gas and oil. Georgia Nakou, a features editor at MacroPolis, a specialist website focused on political and economic analysis of Greek affairs, joins Thanos Davelis to look at how Greece's energy policy has been affected by Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent EU sanctions on Russia, and explore what this means as Greece’s government looks to maintain an ambitious energy and climate policy.Read Georgia Nakou’s analysis for the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung foundation: Energy Without RussiaYou can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:Defenseless against horde of hooligansFan killed in Greece during clashes between rival supportersUEFA postpones AEK Athens-Dinamo Zagreb match after fan killed in brawlGreek inflation strikes back

It’s been a busy month in Washington, and Hellenic issues weren’t left out of the legislative agenda as Congresswoman Grace Meng and the Hellenic Caucus introduced an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act that once again puts the US-Greece relationship in the spotlight. A part of the amendment that has gotten a lot of media attention - with some headlines misquoting the bill - calls for a report assessing the potential for additional bases or an expanded US military presence in Greece. Endy Zemenides, the Executive Director of the Hellenic American Leadership Council, joins Thanos Davelis to cut through the headlines and break down what Congress is really calling for with this NDAA amendment that’s once again showing Congress’s commitment to take the US-Greece partnership to new heights.Read Endy Zemenides’ latest article in Kathimerini here: Beyond the hyperbolic headlinesYou can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:Justice minister praises handling of Limassol fire, hopes for a ‘better day’Extreme weather conditions: EU sends assistance to Slovenia and CyprusGreece sends two Canadair fire fighting aircraft to help Cyprus fight a forest fireGreece, Israel boost defense industry links

Following a decade-plus of fractured relations with key Western partners, including the US, Turkey’s President Erdogan has made some moves to seemingly rebuild these relationships. His decision on Sweden’s NATO membership at the summit in Vilnius and the toning down of his aggressive posturing in the Aegean against Greece are but a few examples. Despite this, many in NATO, as well as officials in the US government, openly question Erdogan’s commitment to the West. Expert Sinan Ciddi joins Thanos Davelis to break down that while some of these moves by Erdogan’s may appear promising - for now - we should abandon the notion that Erdogan’s Turkey will anchor itself with the West.Sinan Ciddi is a non-resident senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), where he contributes to FDD’s Turkey Program and Center on Military and Political Power (CMPP). He is also an Associate Professor of Security Studies at the Command and Staff College-Marine Corps University and Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service.Read Sinan Ciddi’s latest piece here: Chasing The Mirage Of Turkey’s Western OrientationYou can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:Cyprus condemns US congressman’s visit to Turkish-occupied Cyprus as a violation of international lawGreece is limiting Acropolis visitors from September

A new movement is underway in Greece, and is taking place on its beaches in the middle of the tourist season. Citizens on a number of popular islands have been mobilizing to reclaim their beaches from private businesses, a number of which have illegally covered the seafront with umbrellas and sunbeds. These demonstrations are already starting to have an impact, with the so-called “beach towel movement” not only raising questions about the sustainability of the current tourism model in Greece, but also taking on a political dimension. Nick Malkoutzis, the co-founder and editor of Macropolis.gr, a political and economic analysis site that focuses on Greece, joins Thanos Davelis to discuss the “beach towel movement” and its broader impact. You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:Government cracks down on sun lounger sprawl as public mood towards tourism soursThe spread of rented lounge chairs on Greece’s beaches brings a pledge to increase inspectionsPM announces high-level cooperation council with EgyptTurkey fumes as Disney axes founding father series after Armenian outcryTurkey investigates reported cancellation of Disney Plus series on Ataturk

This week Albanian authorities finally moved to refer Fredi Beleri’s case to trial. The ethnic Greek elected mayor of Himare has been in pre-trial detention for months, and as a result has been unable to take the oath of office. His case has now become central to Greek-Albanian relations, with implications for other issues in the relationship - from efforts to resolve maritime disputes at the ICJ to the broader rights of the Greek minority. It is also impacting Albania’s path to EU membership, and respecting Beleri’s right to a fair trial is crucial if Tirana hopes to make progress on this front. Vassilis Nedos, Kathimerini’s diplomatic and defense editor, joins Thanos Davelis to look at how this case is testing Greek-Albanian relations, and look at why it matters if Albania hopes to move its EU membership bid forward.You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:Athens: Tirana violating Beleri’s right to fair trialGreece offers free holiday to tourists who fled Rhodes firesGreece offers free vacation on Rhodes to tourists affected by wildfiresUS Representative Grace Meng applauds inclusion of amendment supporting Greece in defense policy billTenth upgraded F-16 Viper jet delivered to Greece

On March 11, 2023, the night before municipal elections in Albania, the then candidate for mayor of Himare, the ethnic Greek Fredi Beleri, and his aide, Pantelis Kokavesis, were arrested by the police for allegedly attempting to buy votes. Months later, and while he has already been elected mayor, Beleri remains in pre-trial detention. Greece has monitored this case closely, stressing to Albania that, as a candidate for EU membership it must strictly respect Beleri’s right to a fair trial. This was even brought up during a recent meeting between Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and his Albanian counterpart Edi Rama on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Vilnius. Yiannis Souliotis, a journalist with Kathimerini who spoke with Fredi Beleri from prison, joins Thanos Davelis to discuss his exclusive interview with the imprisoned mayor of Himare and look at the latest developments in his case.Read Yannis Souliotis’ interview with the imprisoned ethnic Greek mayor-elect of Himare: ‘For us, freedom is not self-evident’You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:Greece’s government is planning tougher penalties for arson following a spate of wildfiresEthnic Albanian party in North Macedonia offers deal to clear the way to join EU

Climate change is exacerbating weather extremes, making heat waves more frequent and more severe worldwide, and this summer has been the hottest on record. Heat waves are also causing yet another devastating wildfire season, and with data showing that the Eastern Mediterranean is warming twice as fast as the rest of the world, this is a particularly acute problem for countries like Greece. Professor Costas Synolakis joins Thanos Davelis to break down his latest op-ed in Kathimerini that explores how Greece is handling this double whammy of heat waves and wildfires. Costas Synolakis is a professor at the University of Southern California and a member of the Academy of Athens and the US National Academy of Engineering. In 2019 he was elected Chairman of the newly established Special Scientific Committee on Climate Change in Greece.Read Costas Synolakis’ latest piece in Kathimerini: Heatwaves and wildfires: How Greece is handling the double whammyYou can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:First investment grade decisionGreece and Cyprus reaffirm commitment to pursue peace settlement for Mediterranean islandGreece and Cyprus welcome EU bid to re-engage with Turkey, but urge caution