ekathimerini the Greek Letter, 11 February 2024 :The near and far of Greek diplomacy and more ....

 

FORWARD TO A FRIEND > The near and far of Greek diplomacy[X/@GreeceMFA] Constantine CapsaskisNewsletter Editor Welcome to the weekly round-up of news by Kathimerini English Edition. Foreign Minister Georgios Gerapetritis travelled to Washington D.C. to meet with Secretary of State Antony Blinken for the fifth round of Greek-US Strategic dialogue. The dialogue, a reflection of the deepening strategic relationship between the two countries, touched upon several issues including regional developments, defense and security co-operation, disaster preparedness, law enforcement and counterterrorism, and trade and investment. “We’re bolstering transatlantic defense and security through our Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreement, our work to strengthen NATO, the sale of F-35 jets to Greece,” noted Sec. Blinken following the meeting. Greece also became the 35th signatory of the US-drafted Artemis Accords on space cooperation in a ceremony on Friday. “Our strategic dialogue is a means to set vision and enhance policy based on shared values, and it is important that today we’re signing the Artemis Accords,” said Gerapetritis. The dialogue also focused on Greece’s bilateral relationship with Turkey, with the Greek delegation underlining recent diplomatic efforts including the visit by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Athens in December 2023. The issue has become more pressing this week as Turkey has signalled a return to its view that Greek sovereignty over the islands of the eastern Aegean is linked to their demilitarization. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, in an interview last Sunday, noted that “there are issues between us that take time. Mainly the status of the Aegean islands, demilitarization, and airspace” while Turkey also issued three successive notices to airmen (NOTAMs) on the issue. Overall, there is an expectation in Athens that the next two months will mark a return to rhetorical outbursts from Ankara. Both the upcoming local elections in Turkey and the agreement for the purchase of F-35s by Greece may have created internal pressure on Erdogan’s government to avoid alienating its more conservative audience. Spotlight A police operation targeting organized crime led to the arrest of four suspects this weekend. Notably, two of the suspects are members of the Greek Navy’s special forces (Underwater Demolition Command, DYK). While searching their homes, police officers found explosives, flash-bang grenades, and dozens of bullets. The two men will be court martialled. They are accused of attempting to provide a former leading member of a terrorist group with explosives. One of the Navy special forces operators allegedly claimed that he had forgotten his explosives in his rucksack following military training, but the Defense Ministry has stated that the Navy does not use this type of explosives and that there have been no reports of missing materiel.   Maria Angela Holguin Cuellar, the personal envoy for Cyprus of United Nations Secretary-General Antion Guterres, visited Athens this week and met with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. At the meeting, also attended by Foreign Minister Georgios Gerapetritis, Mitsotakis reiterated Greece’s support for renewed talks on the basis of a bizonal, bicommunal federation per the framework set out by UN Security Council resolutions despite the many difficulties facing such an endeavor. Gerapetritis also brought up the issue of Cyprus in his meeting with Sec. Blinken, noting that “there is an opportunity to once again raise the Cyprus issue in order to finally have a sustainable solution.” MUST READS The qualitative advantageGo to article > The US nod to the prodigal sonGo to article > From great expectations to a great trilemmaGo to article > OPINION Tom EllisEditor-in-Chief, Kathimerini English Edition Bringing Greece’s role in its region to Washington As Greece, steadily becomes a crucial part of the geopolitical puzzle in the East Med and the Balkans, with tangible contributions in the political, military and energy developments in the region, a presentation and analysis of its role to the decision makers of Washington can only prove useful to all. It is in that spirit that Kathimerini English Edition, along with Delphi Economic Forum and the Hellenic American Leadership Council, are organizing the Southeast Europe & East Med Forum in Washington, on February 12-13. The conference, which is taking place for the 5th consecutive year, will be attended by government officials, business leaders and academics, from the US and Greece as well as other countries in the Balkans and the Eastern Mediterranean There will be discussions by a number of think tanks, among them the Jewish Institute for National Security of America, the American Enterprise Institute, the Center for European Policy Analysis and the Foundation for Defence of Democracies. As this year marks the 50th anniversary of Turkey’s invasion of Cyprus, one of the meetings will focus on the present impasse and the prospects for another UN effort for a solution. The exchanges during the two-day conference will be wide ranging covering geopolitical developments in the context of US-Greek strategic cooperation, efforts to strengthen stability in the Balkan region, European energy and interconnectivity infrastructure, and also the global impact of Greek shipping. Last but not least, a first of its kind public survey on Greek-American relations, carried out by Kathimerini, will also be presented and discussed.   CHART OF THE WEEK Average gross monthly salaries for private sector workers saw a 6.38% rise in 2023, primarily driven by the increase to the country’s minimum salary. Additionally, significant staff shortages across several sectors pressured several employers into offering higher salaries to attract employees or convert part-time contracts into full-time agreements. This upgrade partly has offset the erosion of the purchasing power of private sector employees caused by the high rates of inflation. Yet, it is worth noting that a large percentage of salaried private sector workers, approximately 30.9%, had a gross monthly salary of up to 800 euros (near the minimum wage limit).   ESCAPADE A Bright New Home for Aigai’s Royal Splendors A new state-of-the-art museum at Aigai, the capital of ancient Macedonia, explores the remarkable history of Philip II and the dawn of the Hellenistic age. Go to article > ECONOMY IN A NUTSHELL “The Athens Exchange (ATHEX) general index closed at 1,401.01 points this week, up 1.16% from last week. This marked its third consecutive week of growth.” “The government is mulling plans to considerably increase the threshold for the ‘Golden Visa’ real estate investment scheme in an effort to mitigate its impact on domestic buyers. Speaking in parliament, the prime minister noted that the investment threshold could be raised up to 800,000 euros in urban centers and the islands.” “The debut of Athens International Airport (AIA) stock on the Athens Stock Exchange saw it rise by 15% in a single day. On its first day of trading, the stock closed at a price of 9.20 euros from an initial offering price of 8.20 euros.” WHAT'S ON THE AGENDA 12/02/2024Southeast Europe and EastMed Forum: Kathimerini English Edition, the Delphi Economic Forum and the Hellenic American Leadership Council (HALC) are jointly organizing the 5th Southeast Europe & East Med Forum scheduled for February 12-13 in Washington, DC. 13/02/2024Farmer protests: Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is set to meet with representatives of Greece’s protesting farmers at the Maximos Mansion. 13/02/2024Tempe Inquiry: Former Transport and Infrastructure Minister Konstantinos Ach. Karamanlis will testify before the parliamentary inquiry investigating the Tempe rail disaster. Karamanlis was minister when the head-on collision occurred. 14/02/2024Same-sex marriage: The parliamentary discussion on the government’s bill proposing the legalization of same-sex marriage will most likely take place in a two-day plenary session, with the vote on the legislation expected on the 15th of February. Editor's PickAccording to the Greek government, its performance on the rule of law and freedom of the press has been judged at the ballot box.Xenia KounalakiRead the article PODCAST 08/02/2024 • 11:45Greece’s housing crisis and the Golden Visa schemeOver the past years Greece has seen a sharp increase in home prices and rents, with many talking about a housing crisis as Greeks are being priced out of the property market. This has put the spotlight on the Golden Visa scheme. Yiannis Mouzakis, the co-founder and editor of Macropolis.gr, a political and economic analysis site that focuses on Greece, joins Thanos Davelis to look into Greece’s housing crisis and the Golden Visa scheme. We also explore whether it’s time, now that the Greek economy has returned to a much more stable path, for Greece to rethink this scheme and take bold steps to address this crisis. We’d like to hear from youShare your feedback at newsletters@ekathimerini.com Did you receive this email from a friend?Subscribe to our newsletters here NEWS ECONOMY OPINION SOCIETY CULTURE SPORTS IN DEPTH Kathimerini English Edition is published as a single paper with the International Edition of NYTimes