The President of the Hellenic Republic, Konstantinos Tasoulas, welcomed the participants at the “Athens Policy Dialogues – The Eastern Mediterranean in flux” two-day Mediterranean Conference in Athens.
“We must read the risks and the opportunities that appear on the horizon,” the Greek President stated during his opening remarks.
“The Eastern Mediterranean is changing rapidly, and it is of great importance that we correctly interpret the current circumstances. That we read the risks and the opportunities that are emerging on the horizon.”
The Greek President went on to make a brief historical review of the region up to the present day. “Greece, due to its position on the front line of developments — even if it had wanted to, it could not remain outside the storms that shook the region.”
The President of the Republic also broached the Cyprus issue, stressing: “The promotion of cooperation and prosperity in the region of the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East passes through the finding of just and sustainable solutions to long-standing problems that continue to create instability and undermine any effort at cooperation.
First and foremost, the Cyprus issue. Fifty-one years after the illegal invasion, the continuing occupation of a large part of Cyprus violates international law and the principles of the European Union.”
Delphi Economic Forum President Symeon Tsomokos
The Founder and President of the Delphi Economic Forum Symeon Tsomokos, also greeted the attendees from the podium. “I consider that our meeting today is taking place at an important moment for our region. It is a fact that the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East are currently at the crossroads of major challenges and major opportunities.
In an environment where geopolitical and geoeconomic balances are shifting at truly great speed, and the countries of the region are seeking new ways of security, cooperation and understanding, dialogue has never been more important.”
To TO BHMA International Publisher Ioannis K. Pretenteris
The Publisher of TO BHMA International Edition, Ioannis K. Pretenteris, opened the conference, welcoming all the participants.
Among other things, he outlined the topics to be discussed over the two-day Mediterranean Conference, including the Greek-Turkish relations and the Cyprus issue, Gaza and the Middle East, Israel and Palestine, conflicts, and axes of convergence.
“Energy agreements and explorations — a sector of growing importance — maritime zones and exploitation rights, international powers and superpowers active in the region.”
These are only some of the issues we will try to discuss without the illusion that we will exhaust them within this two-day dialogue.
Our common ground is our belief that our region is changing without us always having the ease, the time, or the foresight to absorb these changes.
Full Schedule – Thursday, December 4, 2025:
- 12:00 – Arrival of guests
- 13:00 – Welcome
- Simeon Tsomokos, Delphi Economic Forum
- Giannis Pretenteris, Publisher, To Vima
- Athanasios Platias, President, Council on International Relations
- 13:25 – Keynote Opening Speech
- Konstantinos Tasoulas, President of Greece
- 13:45 – Gaza Peace Plan: Challenges of the Next Day
- Dora Bakoyannis, Member of Greek Parliament; Former Foreign Minister
- Amre Moussa, Former Arab League Secretary-General and Egyptian Foreign Minister
- Thanos Dokos, Secretary General of National Security, Greece
- Volker Perthes, Senior Fellow, Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (Germany)
- Yoel Guzansky, Institute for National Security Studies, Israel
- Konstantina Botsiou, Council on International Relations, Greece
- Moderator: Tania Bozaninou, International Affairs Editor, To Vima
- 15:15 – Break
- 15:45 – Resolving the Cyprus Issue as a Prerequisite for Stability in the Eastern Mediterranean
- Prokopios Pavlopoulos, Former President of Greece
- Moderator: Dimitra Kroustalli, Editor-in-Chief, To Vima
- 16:15 – Middle East: Seeking a New Security Architecture Post-Peace Agreement
- Emile Hokayem, INSS
- Maria Damanaki, Former EU Commissioner for Environment, Oceans & Fisheries
- Galip Dalay, Chatham House, Middle East & North Africa Program
- Konstantinos Filis, Director, ACG Institute of Global Affairs
- Spyros N. Litsas, Professor, University of Macedonia
- Moderator: Stratis Aggelis, International Affairs, To Vima
- 17:15 – The New Era for the Abraham Accords after the Sharm El-Sheikh Summit
- Gregoire Roos, Chatham House
- Faisal Abbas, Editor-in-Chief, Arab News
- Mustafa Aydın, President, International Relations Council, Turkey
- Sotiris Roussos, Professor, University of Peloponnese
- Moderator: Odin Linardatos, Head of English Edition, To Vima
- 18:10 – Discussion
- Nikos Androulakis, Opposition Leader, PASOK-KINAL
- Moderators: Simeon Tsomokos, Delphi Economic Forum & Grigoris Tziovaras, Political Editor, To Vima
- 18:40 – Geopolitical Competition in the Eastern Mediterranean: EU – Russia – China – US
- Dimitris Avramopoulos, Former EU Commissioner
- Giannis Valinakis, Former Deputy Foreign Minister
- Konstantinos Arvanitopoulos, Former Education Minister
- Giannis Maniatis, MEP; Former Environment & Energy Minister
- Elena Lazarou, General Director, ELIAMEP
- Sean Mathews, Journalist, Middle East Eye
- Moderator: Marilia Papathanasiou, International Affairs, To Vima
- 19:45 – End of First Day
