 |
With an eye on the Middle East [Reuters]
Welcome to the weekly round-up of news by Kathimerini English Edition. The rapid collapse of the Assad regime in Syria was closely monitored by Greece’s diplomatic and military leadership this week, as continued instability in the Middle East directly impacts the country. “Greece welcomes the downfall of the authoritarian Assad regime in Syria”, read a statement released by the Foreign Ministry when news of Bashar al-Assad’s flight to Moscow was confirmed, adding that “peace in the country must be immediately ensured, as well as an orderly transition to a democratically legitimized government” and that the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the country must be respected. Refugee and migratory flows, resulting from the current round of violence in the war-torn country, are high on the agenda. The Governmental National Security Council (KYSEA), the committee tasked with overseeing foreign affairs and defense, held an emergency meeting on Friday and announced that it will be putting asylum applications from Syrian nationals on hold. The second issue arising is the prominent role of Turkish-backed fighters, specifically the Syrian National Army, in the coalition that ousted Assad. Athens is closely monitoring the complex regional interrelations and how they may shape power balances in the Eastern Mediterranean, with Turkey’s influence extending from Ukraine and Azerbaijan down to Syria. It is also self-evident that a possible new extensive round of violence between Turkish-backed forces and Syria’s Kurdish forces will create further instability in the region. Furthermore, some experts warn that a potential deal delimiting Exclusive Economic Zones between Turkey and a new Syrian government, similar to the null Turkey-Libya Memorandum, could impinge on Cypriot rights in the area. These developments were the focus of a briefing between Foreign Minister Georgos Gerapetritis and the leaders of Greece’s parliamentary parties. Finally, Greece has strong ties to many of the region’s Orthodox Christian communities. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who is set to visit Lebanon next week, spoke with Patriarch John X of Antioch on the developing situation in Syria. The Hellenic Armed Forces are on standby to assist in evacuating any Greek or European nationals from the country if the situation escalates, something they are increasingly experienced in accomplishing. According to information available to Kathimerini, a potential evacuation would utilize both aerial and naval units. Spotlight
|
MUST READS
|
 [AP]Putting aside the hyperboles and simplistic comments, let alone the sexist ones, concerning the newly designated US Ambassador to Athens, Kimberly Guilfoyle, the informed observer who follows Greek American relations over the years knows that what’s important in an ambassador in a post like Athens is the ability to influence policy at the highest levels. It is true that as Mrs. Guilfoyle is not part of the State Department bureaucracy, she will not have the same access to and impact on the formulation of regional policy as other Ambassadors might have as a result of their professional knowledge of a country or region, as well as their personal relationships with colleagues in Washington who are responsible for policy planning. But that is only part of the story and a misleading one, as Mrs Guilfoyle, being a known vocal political advocate and supporter of the president, not to mention having a personal relationship with his family, will have direct access to Donald Trump himself, a fact that creates an array of opportunities. Through that prism one expects her to be very energetic and successful in promoting bilateral trade and US investments in Greece. As she herself, has recently declared, her aim would be “to deliver on an agenda committed to innovation, energy security, and robust economic growth.” Of course, there is another, extremely important, dimension which is the existential threat Greece is experiencing from its neighbour to the East. Hence, we would look for the new Ambassador to use her access to ensure that Greece – which along with being the celebrated birthplace of democracy, is also America’s reliable ally in an important but volatile region – is adequately protected, and at the same time appropriately assisted in order to play its stabilizing role in Southeastern Europe and, more importantly, in the East Med. Career diplomats are understandably not thrilled to be led by political appointees of either party. Still, they too, realize the advantages that come with having at the top of their embassy someone with unfiltered access to the White House. In that context, Greece looks forward to a close relationship and a results-oriented cooperation with the US; one that promotes the many common goals, while treating with respect the few issues where the two allies might disagree. |
 Internet users in Greece are the most exposed among 20 countries to malware according to data released this week by software security firm Kaspersky. Kaspersky software, which represents only a share of the market in the country, reportedly blocked more than 15.2 million online threats and identified 25,650 cases of ransomware. There were also 117,300 attacks on the banking and financial systems, more than 30 times more than in 2023. Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) exploitation attempts also rose by 21.5% from the year before to 1.6 million attempts. This last form of cyberattack is particularly important as remote work continues to proliferate in recent years. |
|
| “The Athens Exchange (ATHEX) general index closed at 1,469.32 points, up 0.88% from last week.” |
| “The submitted state budget foresees the additional distribution of more than two billion euros to retirees, employees, and the unemployed in 2025. Additionally, the budget of the Labor Ministry is set to rise by 168 million euros to 18.215 billion euros.” |
| “The Hellenic Confederation of Commerce and Entrepreneurship has claimed that the banking system in Greece does not fulfil its essential role and does not offer enough access to financing, something highlighted by the European Investment Fund in its latest report on European small businesses.” |
|
Editor's Pick Common sense appears to be gaining the upper hand on Greece’s central political stageRead the article |
| We’d like to hear from youShare your feedback at newsletters@ekathimerini.com |
No comments:
Post a Comment