https://arab.news/9pwgp
The Athens Policy Dialogues held recently in the Greek capital featured engaging and candid discussions with policymakers, think-tankers, and leading journalists from Greece, other European countries and the wider Middle East, including Egypt, Israel, and Turkiye.
Notably missing were speakers (apart from yours truly) from the Gulf, or the US for that matter. Of course, neither Saudi Arabia or the US are part of the Eastern Mediterranean. Still there was barely a session that did not mention both or either country one way or another.
I say this as an eye-opener for politicians across Europe, the Eastern Mediterranean, and the Gulf; a reminder of where paths have always been and will continue to be intertwined — now more than ever.
A major theme during the two-day event was the recent events in Gaza, and the subsequent Sharm El-Sheikh Peace Summit. This is unsurprising given that what happens in the Middle East affects Greece perhaps sooner than it does other European countries. Previous crises in Egypt, Libya, Syria, and Lebanon are evidence of this.
