ekathimerini The Greek Letter -7 January 2024 : secretary Blinken visits Greece and more...

 

Secretary of State visits Greece[InTime News] Constantine CapsaskisNewsletter Editor Welcome to the weekly round-up of news by Kathimerini English Edition. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met with United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Crete this Saturday as part of the latter’s fourth tour of the region in the three months since October 7 and the outbreak of war. The meeting, attended by Greek Foreign Minister Georgios Gerapetritis and United States Ambassador to Athens George Tsunis among others, focused on the developing situation in the Middle East, Ukraine, bilateral relations between Greece and Turkey, as well as defensive co-operation between Greece and the United States. “We are standing together facing some of the most acute challenges that we’ve seen”, stated Blinken after the meeting, noting that this was “a tremendous source of strength and reassurance for the United States.” “Greece-US bilateral relations are at their best,” said Mitsotakis. The prime minister reiterated Greece’s position in favor of a humanitarian corridor to Gaza, expressing his concern that the current situation could escalate, and noted Greece’s support for a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict. Greece’s hope to acquire the fifth-generation F-35 fighter jet remains high on the agenda, with government sources noting after the meeting that Greece “will receive what has been agreed upon”. Additionally, there are several other possible defensive procurement agreements that could be signed utilizing the Pentagon’s Foreign Military Financing (FMF) program. The next important step in US-Greek relations is the fifth round of Strategic Dialogue set to take place in Washington D.C. in mid-February. Spotlight Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis ousted Minister for Citizen Protection Giannis Oikonomou in a mini-reshuffle of his cabinet, prompted by polls indicating that public opinion was unhappy with increased incidents of violence. Oikonomou, the second Citizen Protection Minister to have left the post since the government was elected in late June, likely shouldered the burden of recent policing failures. These include the many lapses that allowed the murder of an AEK football fan by Croatian supporters of Dinamo Zagreb in the summer, the death of a police officer in clashes that broke out during a volleyball match, as well as a general surge in crime (including the shooting of three people outside a nightclub and the attempted bombing of Greece’s riot police headquarters earlier in December). In his stead, Mitsotakis turned to Michalis Chrysochoidis, who was serving as Health Minister in the cabinet. A veteran of the Citizen Protection ministry, Chrysochoidis served as minister on several occasions over the last 25 years, including between 1999 and 2003 when he oversaw the dismantling of the 17th of November terrorist group.   There has been a sharp uptick in the number of Covid-19, flu, and flu-like cases in recent weeks, particularly in the run-up to the festive season. Wastewater testing reveals a very large increase in viral load, with experts pointing to an 85-90% increase of the viruses. This has led to an increase in Covid-19 patients being admitted for hospital care and has increased pressure on the National Health System. “We have more than tripled the number of patients with coronavirus and the hospitals are under a lot of pressure,” said Gikas Magiorkinis, a professor of epidemiology and a member of the expert committee advising the Ministry of Health”. This surge has caused alarm for the government, particularly as schools are set to re-open on Monday, with Deputy Health Minister Irini Agapidaki advising parents to not send their children to school if they exhibit any symptoms of respiratory infection.

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OPINION Tom EllisEditor-in-Chief, Kathimerini English Edition Blinken in Crete[Reuters] US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s brief visit to Crete highlighted the increasingly valuable role Greece plays in its wider region, as it is rightly viewed as a credible member of NATO and the European Union and a pillar of stability in a geopolitically critical, but volatile, area. The bilateral strategic alliance with the US continues to deepen and to manifest itself in so many ways. Souda Bay remains an important component of any US planning in the East Med. At the same time the contribution of Alexandroupolis is proving crucial for the stability of the Balkans as well as promoting Europe’s energy diversification, not to mention the hugely important role it plays in the present military operations in Ukraine. With respect to the further strengthening of the Hellenic Airforce with F-35’s, this is a process that should proceed on its merits, regardless of the ups and downs in the relationship between the US and Turkey. If the latter does not fulfil its obligations or respect its commitments, this has nothing to do with Greece which has proven itself, with deeds not just words, to be a reliable ally it can be counted on and deserves to be adequately armed. Last, and obviously not least, with respect to energy cooperation, Greece is ready to be part of any rules based regional energy scheme, provided it is founded on the provisions of the Law of the Sea and respects the sovereignty of all participants.

CHART OF THE WEEK

The fourth quarter of 2023 saw an acceleration of asking prices in Attica for both property sales and rentals, as owners continue to have high expectations, even as analysts and brokers point out that the demand has begun to show signs of fatigue in recent months. The primary winners of this recent surge are the port of Piraeus and its suburbs, which recorded a 23.2% and 25.2% increased in asking prices respectively, as the area has become the primary investment target for foreign nationals seeking to participate in the “Golden Visa” residency program. This is because, unlike the majority of Athens and its suburbs, the reforms to the residency program did not raise the investment limit in Piraeus and it remains at 250,000 euros.”

ESCAPADE 12 Must-Visit Greek Museums for 2024 Here we explore some of Greece’s top museums, one for each month of year, showcasing the very best of Hellenic heritage and culture, ancient and modern. Go to article >

ECONOMY IN A NUTSHELL

“The Athens Exchange (ATHEX) general index closed at 1,311.67 points this week, marking a positive start to the year for the stock exchange. The index was up 1.43% on a weekly basis.”

“The Public Investment Program, which includes the Recovery and Resilience Fund, disbursed a total of 11.2 billion euros in 2023. The total funds disbursed were higher than 2022 by a total of 176 million euros.”

“Athens International Airport recorded an all-time record in 2023 with passenger traffic breaking the 28-million threshold, with a total of 28.2 million passengers. At the same time, the cruise terminal of Piraeus also broke a record with a total of 1.5 million cruise passengers, up from 880,000 in 2022.”

WHAT'S ON THE AGENDA

08/01/2024Back to School: Schools across Greece will re-open on Monday after the festive season against a backdrop of a surge in viral diseases (including Covid-19 and the flu). 09/01/2024Same-sex marriage: Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is reportedly set on opening the discussion on a proposed same-sex marriage bill during Tuesday’s cabinet meeting. 11/01/2024Student Demonstrations: Several student unions across Greece have announced that they will hold panhellenic rallies and demonstrations against government proposals to allow the founding of private universities.

Editor's PickI could not help thinking, with a tinge of anger, that while these compliments and praises are nice, perhaps an apology would be more appropriate.Alexis PapachelasRead the article

PODCAST

04/01/2024 • 13:49The increasingly volatile crisis unfolding in the Red SeaBradley Bowman, the senior director of the Center on Military and Political Power at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, joins Thanos Davelis to look at the big picture amid escalating tensions in the Red Sea, including what this could mean for the Eastern Mediterranean.

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