Kathimerini’s 5th SouthEast Europe and EastMed Forum starts on Monday

Kathimerini English Edition, the Delphi Economic Forum and the Hellenic American Leadership Council (HALC) are jointly organizing the 5th Southeast Europe & East Med Forum scheduled for February 12-13 in Washington, DC.

US Senator Chris Van Hollen will be among the US legislators participating, while Congressman John Sarbanes will be honoured in a special dinner as an outstanding member of the diaspora.

Monday will feature a series of engagements at prominent think tanks in Washington, DC, culminating in the presentation of the “Leader” award to John Sarbanes during the gala dinner hosted by “Hellas and Diaspora – The Future Initiative.”

The development of the Western Balkans and the role of the US will be at the center of a session at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) featuring Greek Migration Minister Dimitris Kairidis, Bulgarian Finance Minister Asen Vasilev, and Evan Kalpadakis, diplomatic adviser to Greece’s main opposition SYRIZA party.

A roundtable discussion on the “Foundation for Defense of Democracies” will take place with the participation of Deputy Foreign Minister Alexandra Papadopoulou and Assistant Secretary at the US State Department Geoffrey Pyatt.

At the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA), US Ambassador in Athens George Tsunis will discuss the potential for cooperation between Greece and Middle Eastern countries alongside JINSA President Michael Makovsky, international relations professor Constantinos Filis, and New Democracy MP Tasos Hatzivasiliou.

The American Enterprise Institute will host a conversation on the 50th anniversary of Turkey’s invasion of Cyprus with Nicolas Kyriakides, founder of the Cyprus Forum, Evangelos Savva, ambassador of Cyprus to the US, and Michael Rubin, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin will address the audience during the gala dinner.

On Tuesday, the second day of the forum, Alexandra Papadopoulou, alongside Jason Isaacson, chief policy officer of the American Jewish Committee, will delve into the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor. 

US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Joshua Huck will engage in a discussion on US-Greek economic relations with HALC Executive Director Endy Zemenides. 

Additionally, a panel discussion will explore US-Greek strategic relations, efforts to strengthen stability in the Balkan region, European energy and interconnectivity infrastructure, and the global impact of Greek shipping. A public survey on Greek-American relations carried out by Kathimerini will also be presented.