ELIAMEP

The Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP) organized on 22 March 2016 a roundtable discussion with Mr. Ditmir Bushati, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Albania, on the theme of: “The role of Albanian – Greek relations in a challenging European context”.

Comments were made by Mr. Alexandros Mallias, Ambassador (ad hon); the discussion was moderated by Dr. Thanos Dokos, Director General, ELIAMEP.

The discussion was held at the premises of the European Commission Representation in Greece, with the participation of researchers, diplomats, and journalists.

You can watch the interview with Mr. Ditmir Bushati here.

Research Fellow of ELIAMEP Dr Filippa Chatzistavrou and Director of XERFI Olivier Passet wrote a paper for German Council on Foreign Relations (Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Auswaertige Politik (DGAP) on the role of France during the Greek crisis. This paper is available here.

Dr. Thanos Dokos, Director General of ELIAMEP, contributed in the study ‘Defence Budgets and Cooperation in Europe: Developments, Trends and Drivers’. The study was produced in the framework of the project ‘Permanent Monitoring and Analysis of military capabilities and defence sector trends’, managed by a consortium of European think tanks, including ELIAMEP, and funded by the European Defence Agency (EDA).

You can here download the study.

The White Book of ELIAMEP on Foreign Policy, Defence and Security is now available by ‘I.Sideris‘ publications (in Greek). On this occasion, a public event took place on Tuesday 15 March 2016, at 18:30 at the Old Parliament Building (Kolokotroni Square, 13 Stadiou Street, Athens). You can find more information on the Greek version of ELIAMEP website.

The Hellenic Foundation for European & Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP) and the Hellenic American Leadership Council (HALC) issued a joint paper proposing measures to better deal with the refugee crisis. This paper is available here.

The 18th issue of the Middle East-Mediterranean Report deals with the re-integration of non-Muslim societies in the Turkish society. In particular, it explores the role of social media and their impact on multiculturalism.

Director General of ELIAMEP Dr Thanos Dokos wrote an article in Journal of International Politics and Society (Internationale Politik und Gesellschaft Journal) analysing the refugee crisis and presenting five proposals for an effiicent management of the problem. The article is available here.

In an article published in Kathimerini on 13 March 2016 journalist Yannis Palaiologos reports on ELIAMEP’s White Book. The article is available here (in Greek).

Director General of ELIAMEP Dr Thanos Dokos wrote the article ‘Energy Geopolitics in the Eastern Mediterranean: The Role of Greece’ in the study: Energy Cooperation and Security in the Eastern Mediterranean: A Seismic Shift towards Peace or Conflict? This study was published by Tel Aviv University and the S. Daniel Abrahan Center for International and Regional Studies. You can find here more information.

The Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP) in cooperation with the European Stability Initiative organized on 3rd of March 2016 a roundtable discussion with Mr. Κnaus Gerald, Chairman of European Stability Initiative (ESI) on the theme of “Houdini” Greece? Reflections on Greek options -seen from Berlin, Vienna and Ankara- on the eve of Brussels meeting with Davutoglu.

The discussion was held at ELIAMEP’s offices with the participation of researchers, technocrats and journalists.

The report is available here.

You can read here the article on the EU and the refugee crisis, which was written by Director General of ELIAMEP Dr Thanos Dokos. This commentary was published in the Greek daily Kathimerini on 9 March 2016.

Postdoctoral Fellow of ELIAMEP Dr Dimitris Skleparis commented on the cooperation between the EU and Turkey in the context of the refugee crisis in an interview with TRT World. The interview was given on 8 March 2016. The video is available here.

You can read here the article on the relationship between Greece and the EU, which was written by Professor George Pagoulatos. The commentary was published on 21 February 2016  in the Sunday edition of Kathimerini and is available in Greek.

You can read here the article on choices for Greek foreign policy, which was written by Professor Emeritus and Member of the Board of Trustees of ELIAMEP Theodore Couloumbis. This commentary was published on 21 February 2016 in the Sunday edition of Kathimerini.

The’ Crossing the Mediterranean Sea by Boat’  research team presented the first results of the project in a workshop organised in Brussels on 16 February 2016. Having analysed the case of Kos Dr Angeliki Dimitriadi contributed to the dissemination of findings in front of a policy audience.

You can find here more information.

The most recent issue of Southeast European and Black Sea Studies is now available online. The issue includes a special section on the 20th Anniversary of the Dayton Accords, which ended the war in Bosnia in 1995, and all of these articles are free to access. Also included in the issue are timely pieces on the Common European Asylum System, Islam in the Balkans, and Religiosity in Turkey. You can also find articles on military reform in Albania, Greek-Turkish reconciliation projects, Cyprus in Turkish foreign policy and informal economy in Southeast Europe. A number of these articles are free to access.

Click here to see the whole issue.

The journal is also running an ongoing promotion where all articles related to Bosnia-Herzegovina are free to access through the end of March, through this link only.

Director General of ELIAMEP Dr Thanos Dokos gave an interview on Deutsche Welle focusing on Greece and the refugee crisis. The interview was given on 16 February 2016 and is available here.

In an interview he gave on the Greek newspaper Athens Voice, Director General of ELIAMEP Dr Thanos Dokos discusses whether Greece could be expelled from Schengen Zone. The interview was given on 10 February 2016 and is available here (in Greek).

ELIAMEP participates in a new research project on EU-Turkey relations (FEUTURE) as part of a consortium of 14 universities and think tanks from the EU, Turkey and the neighbourhood. FEUTURE is a three year project funded by Horizon 2020, scientifically coordinated by the IAI and administratively coordinated by the University of Cologne. FEUTURE aims to 1) map dynamics of EU-Turkey relations in terms of underlying narratives and thematic drivers, 2) substantiate a most likely future scenario(s) and assess its implications, 3) draw policy recommendations for EU and Turkey.

ELIAMEP will be leading Work Package 6 on Migration Drivers and it will be engaged in research in WPs on Economic Drivers, Security, Energy and Climate Change.

FEUTURE provides excellence by pursuing an ambitious, inspiring and innovative programme in a three-phased structure of elaboration, exploration and extrapolation. It applies an inter-temporal, inter-disciplinary and international approach by analyzing drivers within six thematic dimensions (politics, security, economics, energy, migration, identity) and across four levels of analysis (EU, Turkey, neighbourhood, global). The elaboration and exploration phases of the project culminate in an extrapolation phase in which FEUTURE integrates new knowledge by substantiating and testing the implications of three ideal-type future scenarios for EU-Turkey relations: conflict, cooperation and convergence.

Funding: European Union – Horizon 2020

Period of Implementation: 2016-2018

Researchers: Angeliki Dimitriadi, Thanos Dokos, Panagiota Manoli, Theodoros Tsakiris

On 5 February, Dr Ioannis Armakolas, ‘Stavros Costopoulos’ Research Fellow & Head of the South-East Europe Programme, travelled to Sofia, Bulgaria to speak on the “Duality of the crisis in Europe: Solidarity and foreign policy to a test.’ Dr Armakolas spoke in the panel that addressed ‘The crisis in the Mediterranean and the European response.’

During the two hour discussion, the panellists examined both the internal and external dimensions of the refugee crisis in Europe, bringing perspectives from Bulgaria, Germany, Greece and Turkey, but also looking more closely at the root causes of the crisis and what actions, or perhaps more appropriately, inactions brought us to where we are today.

Dr Armakolas’ presentation focused on the current state of refugee problem and how the situation has become what it is, the Greek position, both in terms of deficiencies and grievances, as well as the EU shortcomings. He also discussed the implications for the Western Balkans. While discussing possible solutions, he argued that the EU should play a central role but stressed that the current political constellation, both domestic and European, will complicate the possibilities. Additionally, there is a significant risk of Greece being marginalised in an attempt to isolate the problem. However, it is highly likely that potential exclusion of Greece from the Schengen zone will feed fuel to the fire of populism and euro-scepticism, without necessarily addressing the core dimensions of the refugee problem. To move past this, consistent trust building will be necessary among all relevant and responsible actors, including EU institutions, key member states and Turkey.

The event itself was hosted by The European Council on Foreign Relations, Sofia Office and European Debates, an Initiative of the Deputy Prime Minister for European Policies Coordination and Institutional Affairs Ms Meglena Kuneva.

In addition to Dr Armakolas, other speaker analysts were Sinan Ülgen, chairman of the Center for Economics and Foreign Policy Studies (EDAM) in Istanbul, Mattia Toaldo, policy fellow for ECFR’s Middle East & North Africa, and Vessela Tcherneva, ECFR’s Programme Director and Head of ECFR Sofia Office. The European political perspective was presented by Michael Roth, Minister of State for Europe at the German Federal Foreign Office, and Meglena Kuneva, Deputy Prime Minister for European Policies Coordination and Institutional Affairs of Bulgaria.

More information on the event can be found here.