“We don’t need to prove that Greece and Cyprus are close. What we need to examine is how this closeness can be translated into better public policy.” With this message from the Executive Chairman of the Cyprus Forum, Dr. Nikolaos Kyriakides, the Cyprus Forum Athens 2026 opened today, taking place for the second year in Athens, with ELIAMEP as a content partner. Policy makers, diplomats, academics, and representatives of the business community engaged in discussions three days after the U.S. midterm elections, at a time when Europe is reevaluating its competitiveness and the Eastern Mediterranean is once again at the center of geopolitical developments.
The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Hellenic Republic, Tasos Hatzivassiliou, emphasized that “the key word that everyone in Europe must understand is interconnectivity.” He highlighted the Great Sea Interconnector, the trilateral mechanisms, and the 3+1 framework as proof that the region can become a hub for energy interconnectivity. He described cooperation between Greece and Cyprus as essential for the stability and security of the Eastern Mediterranean during a period of geopolitical uncertainty. He also presented the priorities of the Greek Presidency of the Council of the EU in 2027: security and defense, competitiveness, resilience, enlargement, migration, and an integrated maritime policy.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
ELIAMEP’s Director General, Dr. Elena Lazarou, emphasized that the recent Cypriot Presidency and the upcoming Greek Presidency of the Council of the EU provide a framework for closer coordination and shared priorities, and noted that cooperation betweenresearch centers and think tanks in the two countries is both a necessity and a shared asset for promoting the interests and values of Greece and Cyprus.
The forum’s panel discussions covered:
- Europe’s competitiveness: why European savings are not being converted into investments, the obstacles to implementing the Draghi and Letta reports, and the need for regulatory stability and predictability for businesses.
- Geopolitics from the region’s perspective: the need for Greece and Cyprus to shape developments rather than merely react to them, hybrid threats, uncertainty regarding U.S. policy, and the role of Turkey and China in the region.
- Energy, technology, and transportation: the targeted use of artificial intelligence in sectors where the two countries have a comparative advantage, such as shipping, skills development, and the need for Greece and Cyprus to operate in international markets as a single team.
In closing the proceedings, Dr. Kyriakides noted the increased participation compared to last year. He emphasized that the Cyprus Forum Athens is an ongoing process rather than a one-off event, with the goal of fostering cooperation between the two countries to generate ideas, policies, and initiatives with greater impact.
The Cyprus Forum Athens was organized by Oxygen for Democracy, with ELIAMEP as Content Partner, UNIC Athens as Event Partner, the European University of Cyprus as a Supporter, Action Global Communications as a Communications Partner, and the Athens Capital Hotel – MGallery Collection as a Hospitality Partner.
