The appointment this spring of Greece’s former Syrian ambassador as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ new special envoy for Syria is being viewed as a sign of Greece’s renewed geopolitical interest in its southern neighbor and of its desire to establish a greater role in a country to which it has deep historic ties, al-monitor.com reports.
According to Ioannis Grigoriadis, chief of the Turkey Program at the Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy in Athens, the decision is part of a wider attempt to refocus on the region brought about by the escalation of tensions between Greece and Turkey.
Speaking with Al-Monitor, Grigoriadis noted, “The Libyan-Turkish maritime agreement prompted a reaction leading to a complete reconsideration of Greek policy in the Middle East. As Greece’s economy continues to recover post-COVID-19, the Levant will be a new area of regional ambition for Greece.”
As Greece looks for countries where it can increase its footprint while pressuring Turkey, Syria is a logical choice. Dimitrios Katsoudas, Greece’s secretary general for European affairs from 2007-2009 and a previous policy adviser who has held various positions within the country’s current ruling New Democracy Party, told Al-Monitor, “Greece has a strong will to participate both in Syria’s permanent pacification and to its reconstruction,” adding, “Greece, for historic, geopolitical and economic reasons, needs to hold a strong position in Syria, and our allies need to understand this”.
Read the full report here.
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