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Once more taking stock of Greek-US relations [InTime News]
Welcome to the weekly news round-up by Kathimerini English Edition. The visit of United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken this week confirmed the heightened role of Greece in US strategic planning. Over two days of meetings, Blinken covered a lot of ground from Turkey to Ukraine, and from energy to European integration. Having arrived in Athens directly after visiting Turkey, Blinken’s visit sought to capitalize on the positive momentum in the state of Greek-Turkish relations following the devastating earthquakes. “If there can be anything positive coming from this catastrophe, maybe it is improved relations with these countries,” he said referring to Greece, Armenia and Israel, and would later add that “it is in the interest of both Greece and Turkey to find ways to resolve longstanding differences, to do it through dialogue, through diplomacy.” On their part, both Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias confirmed that Greece is open to dialogue, but would not do so unconditionally as Greece cannot accept any discussions on issues of sovereignty. Blinken’s visit also highlighted the close defensive ties between Greece and the US. Discussions during the 4th Strategic Dialogue touched upon the US bases in Greece, primarily those of Souda Bay and Alexandroupolis, the procurement of F-35 fighter jets by Greece, joint military exercises, and industrial cooperation in the defense industry. Blinken also praised Greece’s early and unequivocal support for Ukraine in the aftermath of the Russian invasion. However, Greece made it clear that it was unable to transfer any of its Russian-made S-300 missile defense systems to Ukraine. Finally, Blinken requested a meeting with the Greek search-and-rescue teams that operated in Turkey, expressing his gratitude for their contribution in saving lives. Spotlight
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OPINION
 The first pre-election debate between the spokespersons of the government and the main opposition took place last Thursday. It gave viewers a preview of the approach the two major parties plan to follow during the upcoming campaign. In the discussion, hosted by public television, government spokesman Yannis Economou defended the policies of the past four years declaring that the numerous crises the country faced were successfully handled, while arguing that this would not have been the case with the previous government. He noted that things have improved in all areas of the economy, putting special emphasis on the rapid digitisation of many parts of the public sector. As for New Democracy’s election goal, he reiterated that it is not simply scoring a clear victory, but doing do with a percentage high enough to ensure it will be able to form the next government by itself. That would mean obtaining at least 37% of the vote; not an easy task, albeit not impossible. For her part, the new SYRIZA spokesperson, well known TV anchorwoman Popi Tsapanidou, attacked the government for the wiretapping cases and emphasized the need for transparency. She noted that the previous government led by her party, was constrained by the strict perimeters enforced by the so-called Troika (IMF, ECB, European Commission), but managed to successfully get the country out of the crisis and left the economy in a healthier state and growing. She went on to argue that the present New Democracy government is able to borrow with low interest rates and attract foreign investment exactly because of what the SYRIZA government had achieved. As for the election goal SYRIZA aims to create a “progressive coalition” along with centrist PASOK; a seemingly even more difficult task. This is the context – main campaign arguments and strategy goals – in which the upcoming campaign will be fought. |
| CHART OF THE WEEK |
 Even though travel receipts in 2022 did not end up exceeding those of 2019, takings from three of Greece’s critical tourism markets (France, UK, Germany) all saw double-digit increases. These countries, along with the United States, accounted for almost 50% of total receipts by the Greek tourism sector this year. Overall, the Bank of Greece’s latest released figures that break down this year’s performance by the sector are thought to be very promising, particularly considering that it almost matched that of the last pre-pandemic tourist season without a significant presence from the Russian, Ukrainian, and Chinese markets (due to the Russian invasion and the pandemic). Indicatively, traffic from Russia this year was reduced by 94% while receipts were down by 64%. These markets contributed more than one million travelers in previous years. |
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| ECONOMY IN A NUTSHELL |
| “The Athens Exchange (ATHEX) general index grew for a tenth consecutive week and closed at 1,113.36 points, up 0.96% from last week. The Greek stock market has not seen a sequence of growth like this for more than 18 years.” |
| “The Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE) is introducing measures to reduce the bureaucratic red tape involved in property transfers, including the examination and abolition of certificates and attestations required. However, some elements within Greece’s municipalities and tax offices are alleged to be resisting the changes.” |
| “The short-term letting sector in Greece saw significant growth in 2022, with the average price for an overnight stay increasing from 113 euros in 2021 to 139 this year. However, the upcoming election period has paused any moves to further regulate the sector with any developments and changes in its operating regime postponed to the end of 2023.” |
| WHAT'S ON THE AGENDA |
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Editor's Pick It is Ankara that must take practical steps to demonstrate what it understands by a thaw in tiesConstantinos FilisRead the article |
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