B E YO ND

D IP LOM ACY
NOT JUST
DIPLOMACY
AS USUAL

THE FUTURE
OF STRATEGY
VOLUME 1/ ISSUE 1/ SUMMER 2018
 There’s
a whole lot to
experience out there.
Dress accordingly.
Never Stop
Learning.
 Real Estate Company Since 1989

Alexandros, Yiannis, Akis Revithis

www.revithis.com
info@revithis.com | +30 210 81 35 181
 ATHENS
EPIDAURUS
1.6-18.8 2018

FESTIVAL

Music at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus

29 June 13 July
ARMONIA ATENEA ATHENS STATE ORCHESTRA
THE FRIENDS OF MUSIC ORCHESTRA MARTHA ARGERICH
JOSEPH CALLEJA - RAMÓN TEBAR THEODOSIA NTOKOU
Special guest Dora Bakopoulou
2 July
PHILHARMONIA ORCHESTRA 16 July
ESA-PEKKA SALONEN THESSALONIKI
MICHELLE DEYOUNG STATE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
ZOI TSOKANOU
8 & 9 July DANIEL MÜLLER-SCHOTT
ARMONIA ATENEA
THE FRIENDS OF MUSIC ORCHESTRA
GEORGE PETROU Starting time 21:00
COMPANY by Steven Sondheim greekfestival.gr

Odeon οf Herodes Atticus Dionysiou Areopagitou pedestrian street (Akropoli metro station)
Tickets can be purchased at the Athens Festival box office, Panepistimiou 39 (Pesmazoglou Arcade) Monday – Friday 9:00 – 16:00, Saturday 10:00 – 15:00
Εισιτήρια στα
Atκεντρικά εκδοτήρια
the Odeon τουAtticus
of Herodes Φεστιβάλ Αθηνών,
Monday Πανεπιστημίου
– Sunday 39 (Στοά
10:00 – 14:00 Πεσμαζόγλου)
(and 18:00 – 21:00 for that day’s performance only)
Δευτέρα – Παρασκευή
Information9:00 – 16:00,
– Ticket Σάββατο
purchase 10:00
+30 210 – 15:00.greekfestival.gr,
3272000, Πληροφορίες www.viva.gr
και πώληση εισιτηρίων: 210 3272000, greekfestival.gr, www.viva.gr
 Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus

Cezaris Graužinis
AGAMEMNON by Aeschylus
6 & 7 July / 21:00
An iconic tragedy about the irrationality
of human fate and the inevitability
of punishment, featuring a stellar cast
and directed by the established
Cezaris Graužinis.
With English surtitles
Cast: Maria Protopappa,
Yannis Stankoglou, Argyris Pantazaras,
Ιovi Fragatou and
Thodoris Katsafados

Vangelis Theodoropoulos
THESMOPHORIAZUSAE by Aristophanes
27 & 28 July / 21:00
A hilarious performance about
the position of women, the claim to
personal identity, and equal civil rights.
A play about the crisis in values, nature,
and the law.
With English surtitles
Cast: Makis Papadimitriou,
Odysseas Papaspiliopoulos,
Giorgos Chrysostomou, Giorgos Papandreou,
Nantia Kontogeorgi et al.

Yannis Kokkos
OEDIPUS AT COLONUS by Sophocles
17 & 18 August / 21:00
Yannis Kokkos, one of the leading
theatre artists in Europe, presents
Sophocles’ classic tragedy, marking
an important collaboration between
Athens & Epidaurus Festival and
Festival del Teatro Greco di Siracusa.
With Greek and English surtitles
Cast: Massimo De Francovich,
Sebastiano Lo Monaco, Roberta Caronia,
Stefano Santospago, Fabrizio Falco,
Eleonora De Luca, Danilo Nigrelli,
Sergio Mancinelli, Davide Sbrogiò, and four
Choruses: elders, youths, soldiers, and women

Tickets can be purchased at the Athens Festival box office, Panepistimiou 39 (Pesmazoglou Arcade)
Monday – Friday 9:00 – 16:00, Saturday 10:00 – 15:00. Information – Ticket purchase: +30 210 3272000, greekfestival.gr, www.viva.gr
EVERYWHERE | CULTURAL CAPITALS
The Future of Diplomacy
Η
Henry Kissinger once said the art of
diplomacy is not to outsmart the other
side, but to convince them of either
common interests or disadvantages. In
the face of the many con-temporary changes in
international politics, must the fundamental prin-
ciples of the art of diplomacy be adjusted?
Diplomacy in the 21st century and its challenges
should also take into account the implications of
renationalization, populism and isolationism.
Diplomacy is facing a domestic challenge because
it finds itself in a legitimacy crisis, which stems
from societal elements. The core of diplomacy,
government and power, is changing. Facing the
prevailing trends of transnationality on the one
hand and “renationalisation” on the other, new
norms and rules are needed. Contrary to the
common perception, millennials are for the most
10 | BEYONDDIPLOMACY
Keith Haring. The Political Line
part not transnational at all, but in their major-
ity local and national. Taking this into account, it
would be helpful if the project transitioned into
an advisory stage that offers possible solution for
these issues. In search for a “new diplomacy”, in
the future the project should focus on the question:
What does diplomacy mean? Is it an assessment of
crises or a recipe for dealing with them? During a
crisis, governments lose control. Dealing with the
crisis, should classic diplomacy open up to increase
legitimacy, at the cost of losing control, or should
it remain closed and maintain control, but endure
a loss of legitimacy?
Above all, the job of diplomats is to advise the
government on its foreign policy and to execute
that policy.
Vangelis Chaniotakis
EVERYWHERE | CULTURAL CAPITALS
BE YO N D
D I P LO M ACY NOT JUST
A DIPLMACY
AS USUAL

id
Publisher-Director
Vangelis Chaniotakis
vangelis@vagmamd.com

Editor in Chief
Dr. Kyriakos Kouveliotis
International Telematic University
Uninettuno of Rome, Italy

Creative Director
Babis Melikidis, E6 creativedigitalspot

Business Development Director

Ariadni Nikaki
ariadni@vagmamd.com

Advertising Department
Efi Koutsonikoli
kefi@vagmamd.com

Contributors
Thanassis Diamantopoulos, Katerina Papapostolou,
Panagiotis Panagopoulos, Eleftheria Davatzi,
George Lambrou, George Panaritis, Dimitris Charalampous,
Dimitris Nanos, Emilios Hatzidakis, Antonis Theodorou

Copy Editors
Niki Stathia, Komninos Papakyriakou

Photographers
Kosmas Koumianos, Dimitris Karteris, Periclis Merakos

VAGMA MEDIA DEVELOPMENT This magazine is distributed free of charge. Nothing appearing in
the BEYOND DIPLOMACY may be reprinted, reproduced or trans-
23 Posidonos st, Metamorfosi, 14452 mitted, either in whole or in part by any electronic or mechanical
+30 210 2827823, info@vagmamd.com means, without prior written permission from the publisher. VAGMA
www.vagmamd.com MEDIA DEVELOPMENT do not necessarily share the opinions
expressed in the BEYOND DIPLOMACY MAGAZINE

12 | BEYONDDIPLOMACY
Contents//Politics, Bussines, Culture

52
The Futire
of Nato
in SE Europe
NATO’s post-Cold
War strategy of
enlargement, aims to
foster closer cooper-
ation among Europe-
an coun- tries, and to
promote democracy,
stability, and peace
in the region.

20 26 36 18. Infographics
34. Hot List
42. Inspirational Speeches
46. Great Diplomats
Fifty years European capital We the people
50. Thessaloniki International
after of culture It’s about elegance
Recall the events of Two new cities and style. The latest Fair
modern history that crowned European of diplomatic com- 56. United Europe?
proved to bring about Capitals of Culture in munity in Athens.
a massive change in the 2018. Leeuwarden in 58. European Defence
world. These are days the northern Neth- 62. Interview:
on which political revo- erlands and Malta’s
lutions and politicians, capital Valletta Elena Kountoura
technological and musical 68. SELONTA. The Greek
breakthroughs, unfore- Fish Farm
seen natural disasters and
sporting triumphs took 74. Bruno Barbey. May 1968
place, and whose effects 78. Politics and World Cup
were felt the world-over.

14 | BEYONDDIPLOMACY
Contents//Style & Attitude

84

Style & Attitude

86 90 106 92. Montblanc.

A Tribute to imagination
94. Golden Leaves
100. Big Boys Toys
104. Christakis. The definition
of Bespoke
110. CRN-Cloud 9. A State
of Bliss
Two is Company Laurent Ferrier. 114. The Super yacht Tender
The ultimate 120. Hydra. A Journey
Diana Karvouni Escapement to Porsche
and Vivian Philip- Victory restoration through a legend
pa founded Two is Ferrier is a watch-
Company, a world Singer Vehicle 126. Dining in Athens
maker by education, Design optimizes
where aesthetic and also by ‘DNA’ –
values, archi- tec- he’s the third gener-
the classic air-cooled 128. Books
ture, design and art Porsche 911 for 130. Last Page
ation of watchmak- the 21st Century.
co-exist in harmony. ers in his family.

16 | BEYONDDIPLOMACY
INFOGRAPHICS| CULTURAL
EVERYWHERE | COUNTRYCAPITALS
EXPORTS

Every country’s biggest export

Traveling is one way of getting to know the world. But sometimes we miss things
on the ground that would help us understand a bit better that place we’re in. One
example? Its largest import and export — what do they produce and provide the
world with? And what do they need from other countries the most?

18 | BEYONDDIPLOMACY
BEYONDDIPLOMACY | 19
ANNIVERSARY | 50 YEARS AFTER

Robert F.
Kennedy’s
Funeral Train
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the
death of Robert Kennedy, the senator and
former attorney general who was shot dead in
Los Angeles at the age of 42, less than five years
after his brother John was assassinated. The
Kennedy family continues to exert a fascination
over the American public.
One quote captures how Robert Kennedy accu-
rately predicted the election of Barack Obama,
decades later. Recalling in the 1960s how his
great-grandfather had arrived to a United States
where “the Irish were not wanted,” he reflected:
“Now an Irish catholic is president of the United
States. There is no question about it – in the
next forty years a Negro can achieve the same
position my brother did.” Bobby Kennedy may
not have lived long enough to fulfil his own pres-
idential ambitions, but he was one of the few
people who dared hope that one day an African-
American would be elected to the highest office,
against all odds.

BEYOND 20 DIPLOMACY
BEYOND 21 DIPLOMACY
ANNIVERSARY | 50 YEARS AFTER

BEYOND 22 DIPLOMACY
John Carlos and
Tommie Smith
‘black power
salute’ at 1968
Olympics.
On October 16, 1968 six months after Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr. was assassinated Olympic champi-
ons Tommie Smith and John Carlos each raised a
black-gloved fist during their medal ceremony for
the 200-meters running event, in which Smith won
the gold medal, in a then world record time of 19.83
seconds, and Carlos the bronze medal, clocking 20.10
seconds in Mexico City.
Wearing just black socks and no shoes on the medals
podium in Mexico City, Smith and Carlos were making
a clear statement to the world about the injustices
of America. Smith and Carlos received much dis-
approval from the audience erupting in boos. The
International Olympic Committee (IOC) rejected their
political statement and the U.S. Olympic Committee
expelled Smith and Carlos from the Mexico City
Games. In returning home to the United States Smith
and Carlos received death threats and constant
criticism. Speaking at a news conference in Mexico
City after the event, Smith said the black scarf rep-
resented black pride and the black socks with no
shoes symbolized black poverty in racist America.
In his autobiography, Silent Gesture, Smith said the
demonstration was not a “Black Power” salute, but
a “human rights” salute.

BEYOND 23 DIPLOMACY
ANNIVERSARY | 50 YEARS AFTER

The Sweet
Meaning Behind
The Beatles’
“Hey Jude”
“Hey Jude,” one of the Beatles’ most famous songs,
is an uplifting ballad that’s inspired the masses for
decades. The song, written by Paul McCartney and
also credited to John Lennon for some contributions,
has been long-used as a generally encouraging mes-
sage, and it was specifically inspired as an empathetic
message to Lennon’s son during a tough time for him.
McCartney originally wrote a rough version of the
song, called “Hey Jules,” when Lennon abandoned
the five-year old and his mother, Cynthia, when Yoko
Ono entered the picture. And McCartney, knowing
that things were hard for John’s former wife and son,
decided to pay a visit. On the way there, he wrote
a little song intended to cheer up the young Julian:

Hey Jules, don’t make it bad

Take a sad song and make it better

to cheer up Lennon’s then five-year old son, Julian,

during his parents’ divorce, and it eventually became
“Hey Jude.”

BEYOND 24 DIPLOMACY
BEYOND 25 DIPLOMACY
 EVERYWHERENEWS &NOTES FROM AROUND THEWORLD
Malta
INTRODUCING THE NEW EUROPEAN
CAPITALS OF CULTURE
Two new cities crowned European Capitals of Culture in 2018. Leeuwarden in the
northern Netherlands and Malta’s capital Valletta. PANAYIOTIS PANAGOPOULOS
T
he capital city of Malta which celebrated
its 450th anniversary last year was once
described as “a city built by gentlemen
for gentlemen”. While Valletta retains much of
the grandiose atmosphere and architecture from
its early days, today the city is enjoyed by all sorts
of travellers.
How to get there
Malta is served by regular airlines, with a few low-
cost carriers. Malta’s only airport is near the town
of Luqa, around 6km from Valletta, which is easy
to get to by bus. Valletta has good bus and boat
connections to the seaside resort of Sliema, which
is very popular with tourists.
BEYOND 26 DIPLOMACY
City walks
The peninsula Valletta is built on is only a few kilo-
metres long, making the city easy and rewarding
to explore on foot. Travellers looking for a well-ap-
pointed place to stay adore the Palazzo Consiglia,
which is just a short, scenic walk from the city
harbours.
History
Valletta played a vital part in the Allied defences
during World War Two and remnants of this time
are scattered throughout the city. The War HQ
Tunnel is an underground path that was built
in 1940 but was astonishingly kept secret until
2016. Visitors interested in travelling further back
EVERYWHERE |
MUZA
MUZA is the new Na-
tional Museum of Art
in Malta. It is Heritage
Malta’s flagship project
for Valletta’s capital city
of culture title in 2018.
BEYOND 28 DIPLOMACY
CULTURAL CAPITALS
in time can book a hotel overlooking St John’s
Co-Cathedral, the Knights’ Church. As the capital
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem and of JULY
13 – 22 Pope Joan
Rhodes, Saint John’s co-cathedral is where the 20 – 22 Malta International Jazz Festival
highestranking Knights of the Order are buried. 21 Joseph Calleja Concert
Every inch of the cathedrals interior is covered AUGUST
in dazzling baroque gold, paint and coloured 02 – 05 Wine Festival
13 – 15 Santa Marija
marble. The unique floor is covered in no fewer 23 – 25 Malta Mediterranean Literature Festival
than 374 marble tombstones.
SEPTEMBER
Don’t miss Caravaggio’s Beheading of St John 08 Great Siege
the Baptist in the oratory. Visit as a tourist then 21 Independence Day & Guard of Honour
23 & 24 Malta International Air Show
return for Mass or a concert to see it in candlelit 28 Science in the city
glory.
OCTOBER
06 Notte Bianca
Food 21 Rolex Middle Sea Race
Maltese food is a mouth-watering mix of
07 – 10 Malta Classic
13 & 14 Malta Military Tatoo
Mediterranean cuisines and they love their sea-
NOVEMBER
food. The Marsaxlokk fish market is where chefs 16 – 25 Ziguzajg
from all over Valletta go to select the freshest
DECEMBER
catch of the day for their menus. 15 Closing of Valletta 18
If anything symbolises new-look Valletta, it’s the remodelled
City Gate, which is the focus of much of the celebrations.
EVERYWHERE | CULTURAL CAPITALS

Leeuwarden

L eeuwarden is the capital city of the

States of Friesland and birthplace of
Mata Hari, the dancer who became an
infamous wartime spy. It may not be as well-
known as Valletta, but it still packs a cultural
punch. We asked international travellers what
they love about this new European Capital of
Culture.

Shopping
Kleine Kerkstraat was recently voted the best
shopping street in The Netherlands, thanks to
its combination of big name stores and artisan
boutiques. As Leeuwarden is only 90 minutes
from Amsterdam it’s a popular day trip among
North Hollanders, especially those on the lookout
for local crafts.

BEYOND 30 DIPLOMACY
www.apriati.com
EVERYWHERE | CULTURAL CAPITALS
Mata Hari, born into a prosperous Leeuwarden family in
1876. In 1917 she was convicted by the French of passing
secrets to the enemy and executed by firing squad.
Museums
Leeuwarden is also a great place to buy
ceramics, with pottery studios clus-
tered throughout the town and in the
impressive Dutch Ceramic Museum.
Housed in a 17th-century palace, the
museum has examples of pottery
dating back over two centuries. Stay
nearby at the stylish De Rozenboom.
Cafes
The restaurants and cafés of
Leeuwarden tend to favour seasonal
and locally sourced ingredients, which
makes autumn an especially good time
to visit. September and October see
the city. As terraced squares fill with
residents, hoping to soak up the last
Leeuwarden
is like Amsterdam of the summer sun. The Stenden Hotel
without the crowds. It
has survived since the is highly endorsed by travellers for its
early 10th century on culinary options and also offers amaz-
the dairy farms that
surround it. ing views of the city.
BEYOND 32 DIPLOMACY
CULTURAL EVENTS NOT TO BE MISSED
Escher’s Journey – from 28 April
in the Museum of Friesland
Reproductions of his work can be found gracing the walls of teenage
bedrooms, hair salons and apartments around the world. Escher’s
work is particularly iconic and part of the collective memory of
the world’s population. Who isn’t familiar with the birds and the
salamanders, the stairs and the cubes?
Eleven Fountains – from 18 May
in 11 cities in Friesland
Eleven Frisian cities and their residents welcome eleven inter-
nationally renowned artists to create a fountain in or around
their centre. Each artist designed a fountain that relates to their
particular city and history. These are not just fountains; they are
contemporary works of art that express the history and culture
of the Frisian cities in a unique way.
The Giants of Royal de Luxe 17-19 August
After staging productions in Buenos Aires, Montreal, Liverpool
and Barcelona, the Royal de Luxe street theatre company is
bringing their iconic, gigantic marionettes to Leeuwarden. The
parade of giants - some as tall as office buildings and apartment
blocks – will march through the streets of Leeuwarden telling
the story of the city’s history and folklore. The giants move with
the help hundreds of volunteers who animate them as the show
progresses. An awe-inspiring spectacle!
The Eagles Resort invites you to one of the most beautiful places in Halkidiki
for an unforgettable holiday experience.

Enjoy magnificent views, a private sandy beach,

relax with a personalized spa treatment
and taste flavors from around the world at one of our 6 restaurants.

www.eaglespalace.gr & www.eaglesvillas.gr,, +30 2377440060, info@eaglespalace.gr & info@eaglesvillas.gr

EVERYWHERE | CULTURAL CAPITALS

The Hot List

CHANEL - 2018 HANDBAG COLLECTION

What’s your Chanel handbag story? That’s the question being posed by the Maison on social
media, in association with new interpretations of three emblematic totes. In a series of vid-
eos called 3.55 Handbag Stories, Amanda Harlech (considered Karl Lagerfeld’s “outside pair
of eyes”), welcomed 10 influential women from the fashion world to Mademoiselle Chanel’s
apartment in Paris, to discuss their relationship with Chanel bags. The icy 2.55, pictured above,
is joined by reimaginings of the Boy Chanel and Gabrielle in the 2018 collection.

SOTHEBYS - MONACO 2018

The Monaco Historic Grand Prix takes place on the famous street circuit, which still uses the same roads as the very
first race in 1929. It serves as the perfect backdrop for RM Sotheby’s auction, which took place on 12 May – and as
ever, there is a line-up of coveted classics to salivate over, including this unique 1954 Mercedes- Benz 220 Cabriolet A.
The 1950s was a golden era for Mercedes-Benz, as the marque renewed its reputation for creating luxury vehicles. The
W187 line was designated as the 220, and these were the first post-war Mercedes-Benzes with six-cylinder engines.
The Cabriolet A was designed as an exclusive sporting vehicle, with a slightly raked windscreen and a folding third seat
configured to make way for extra luggage. The classic styling belied a technically advanced vehicle; press attention
focused on the uprated 2,195 cc engine which produced 80 bhp, making for a 90 mph top speed. When production
ended in 1955, there was no direct successor, making this model unique in the company’s history. The 1954 Mercedes-
Benz 220 Cabriolet A sold for €126.500

BEYOND 34 DIPLOMACY
EVERYWHERE | WE THE PEOPLE

Couture Zolotas
On Thursday, May 10, the ZOLOTAS House of jewelry presented its new jewelry
collection, COUTURE, at an event hosted at the Embassy of France in Athens.
The evening was inaugurated by the Ambassador of France in Athens Christophe
Chantepy who addressed an honorary speech about the importance of the Zolo-
tas House as “ambassador of Greek tradition in jewelry”, highlighting the artistic
and cultural values that France and Greece have in common.

BEYOND 36 DIPLOMACY
President of
the House,
Marianne Le Clere
Papalexis

BEYOND 37 DIPLOMACY
EVERYWHERE | WE THE PEOPLE
Τ
hroughout the night, the
President of the House,
Marianne Le Clere Papalexis,
had the honor and pleasure of
welcoming the House’s distinguished
guests and guiding them through the
philosophy behind the creation of the
new collection. The artistic direction
of ZOLOTAS House, which Georges
BEYOND 38 DIPLOMACY
1 2
Papalexis has been bringing in the last
ten years, has assumed the task of creat-
ing a unique collection in that it draws its
essence from all contemporary forms of
expression of modern women’s represen-
tations. Thus, the senior master jewelers
of our workshops have joined forces with
young visionary designers, carrying a cre-
ative freedom often inspired by the new
codes of fashion and photography. It is to
this passionate team that we owe the birth
of the COUTURE collection, the result
of a most certain technical and artistic
surpassment.
Natural female silhouettes, fragile
and free, dress with refined trimmings,
delicately chiseled, unique in time and
space. We are here in front of a true
 1. George Papalexis,
Olga Kefalogiani
2. Abdulaziz
Ali Al-Naama,
Ambassador Of
Qatar, with his
wife and Cristophe
Chantepy
Ambassador Of
France
3. George
Archimandritis,
Sofia Chiniadou-
Kambani, Mikis
Kambanis
4. The garden of
embassy of France

3 4

fashion designer’s work: The 18KT
yellow gold threads entangle to compose
cords, fringes and edgings, while the
delicate embroidery is embellished with
fine gems and stones of suave colors (a
yellow-honey citrine, a mild pink tourma-
line, a green-yellow peridot, a blue-purple
iolite) or shiny ones (a ruby scarlet, an
emerald green, a diamond translucent
pureness).
The COUTURE collection, with its
complete range of two necklaces, two
bracelets, two pairs of earrings and two
rings, embraces skin and body like a true
garment embroidered with fine gold.
The creative audacity of the «tie» style
for necklaces of different lengths, rivals
that of clip-on earrings placed on both
sides of the lobe. A ring matching with a
majestic pair of earrings and a necklace in
18KT gold set with rubies, emeralds and
diamonds make up the Haute Joaillerie
COUTURE collection.
ZOLOTAS offers you here the highly
demanding and utmost precious fruit of
the house’s contemporary artistic cre-
ation…its COUTURE collection!

1. Olivier Dovergne,
Marianne Le
Clere-Papalexis,
Cristophe Chantepy,
French Ambassador
to Greece
2. Takis Mavrotas,
Maria Doxiadi,
Irene Daifa,
Panayiotis Dritsakos
3. Enrique Viguera,
Ambassador of
Spain with his Wife,
George Papalexis,
Ambassador of
4 Cuba Zelmys Maria
Dominguez Cortina
4. Alexandra
Drakou, Antonis
Vasilokonstantakis,
Tania Kemou
5. Konstantinos
Sarantopoulos,
Emily Lanara,
Panos Nikolaou

BEYOND 39 DIPLOMACY
EVERYWHERE | WE THE PEOPLE

CHARITY Μ
ale and female timeless collection of the worldwide known
designer and director, member of the Academy of Paris,
Pierre Cardin, was presented at the Charity Fashion show

FASHION SHOW
Pierre Cardin and Ivory Coast
counselor for SOS Villages
organized by the general consulate of Ivory Coast in Athens,
Kesesioglou Mero, on the 27th of June at the Great Britain Hotel.
The event aimed to support the children’s villages of SOS in Vari
and included light dinner and the fashion show during which ev-
eryone who attended the event had the opportunity to see unique
creations stitched entirely by hand. The gold sponsors of the evening
was Argo Travel Group.

BEYOND 40 DIPLOMACY
1. Julien Balkany, Claude Balkany,
Charitomeni Thomoglou, Loukas
Kilikas 2. Beatrice Erga, Gener-
al Consulate of Ivory Coast in
Athens, Mero Kesesioglou, Lemi
Kontoni, Evripidis Koutsochristos,
Ioanna Euthimiou. 3. Mary and
Christos Kyroglou, Volvo Car
Hellas VIP & Diplomatic sales. 4.
General Consulate of Ivory Coast
in Athens, Mero Kesesioglou,
Claude Balkany, Maryse Gaspard.
5. Nikos Bazigos, General Consul-
ate of Ivory Coast in Athens Mero
Kesesioglou, Vena Bazigou, Vicky
Tsimara. 6. Vera Sekri, Akl Rima,
Leila Jallad. 7. Giannis Kazanidis,
Emy Livaniou, Nina Lotsari
1 2

3 4

6 7

BEYOND 41 DIPLOMACY
INSPIRATION | SPEECHES THAT CHANGED THE WORLD
I HAVE A DREAM
Speech by the Rev. MARTIN LUTHER KING at the «March on Washington»
I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in his-
tory as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history
of our nation. Five score years ago, a great American, in whose
symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation
Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon
light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in
the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak
to end the long night of their captivity.
But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One
hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by
the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination.
One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of
poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One
hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners
of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land.
So we have come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.
In a sense we have come to our nation’s capital to cash a
check. When the architects of our republic wrote the mag-
nificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of
Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which
every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that
| BEYONDDIPLOMACY
BEYOND
42 42 DIPLOMACY
all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guar-
anteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit
of happiness.
It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this
promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned.
Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given
the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back
marked “insufficient funds.” But we refuse to believe that the
bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there
are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this
nation. So we have come to cash this check — a check that will
give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security
of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind
America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage
in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug
of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of
democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate
valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is
the time to lift our nation from the quick sands of racial injus-
tice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make
justice a reality for all of God’s children.
BEYOND
BEYONDDIPLOMACY | 43
43 DIPLOMACY
INSPIRATION | SPEECHES THAT CHANGED THE WORLD

BEYOND 44 DIPLOMACY
 It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of
the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro’s legitimate
discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of
freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but
a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow
off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening
if the nation returns to business as usual. There will be neither
rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his
citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to
shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of
justice emerges.
But there is something that I must say to my people who
stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of
justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not
be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst
for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.
We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of
dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to
degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise
to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.
The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro
community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people,
for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence
here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up
with our destiny. They have come to realize that their freedom
is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.
As we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always
march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are
asking the devotees of civil rights, “When will you be satisfied?”
We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim
of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never
be satisfied, as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of
travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and
the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the
Negro’s basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one.
We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped
of their selfhood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating
“For Whites Only”. We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro
in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes
he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied,
and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters
and righteousness like a mighty stream.
I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of
great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from
narrow jail cells. Some of you have come from areas where your
quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution
and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been
the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the
faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.
Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to
South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go
back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing
that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us
not wallow in the valley of despair.
I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the
difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a
dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live
out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be
self-evident: that all men are created equal.”
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the
sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will
be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi,
a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with
the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of
freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live
in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their
skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its
vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with
the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there
in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to
join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and
brothers.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted,
every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will
be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight,
and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall
see it together.
This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South
with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain
of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to
transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful
symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to
work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to
jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that
we will be free one day.
This will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to
sing with a new meaning, “My country, ’tis of thee, sweet land
of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of
the pilgrim’s pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring.”
And if America is to be a great nation this must become
true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New
Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of
New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies
of Pennsylvania!
Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!
Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California!
But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain
of Georgia!
Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!
Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi.
From every mountainside, let freedom ring.
And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring,
when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from
every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day
when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and
Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands
and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, “Free at last!
free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!”
BEYOND 45 DIPLOMACY
EVERYWHERE
GREAT DIPLOMATS
| CULTURAL
| ANDREI
CAPITALS
GROMYKO

T he impression that Andrei Gromyko

made was of a very dour individual, very
professional, very correct, and that is
true. That’s what he was. But I would like to add to
that: highly intelligent, always prepared, never lost
his composure. He had a terrific sense of humor,
which was not obvious right away, but once one
got to know him, it was of extraordinary help in
conducting our dialogue.
Mr. Gromyko’s career was closely bound up
with the United States. In the spring of 1939, when
he was a researcher at the Academy of Sciences’
Institute of Economics in Moscow and learning
English, Molotov had him transferred to the
Foreign Ministry, most of whose experienced men
had been eliminated in Stalin’s purges.
He was put in charge of the American section,
and six months later found himself in Stalin’s
office, where the dictator announced that he was
sending him to the embassy in Washington as
second in command. In 1943, Stalin appointed
him Ambassador to the United States. After the C

war, he moved to New York for the first sessions of

the United Nations, living at first in a Plaza Hotel
M

suite. In 1952 Mr. Gromyko was sent to London Y

as Ambassador to the Court of St. James’s, and he CM

was there when Stalin died in March 1953. Named MY

by Khrushchev In the jockeying for power that

followed, Molotov again became Foreign Minister,
CY

and brought Mr. Gromyko back to Moscow as his CMY

First Deputy. As Khrushchev consolidated his K

power over the next few years, Molotov fell out of

favor, and in February 1957, Mr. Gromyko became
Foreign Minister.
In American eyes, Mr. Gromyko’s status sank
during the Presidency of John F. Kennedy. In the
Cuban missile crisis of October 1962, he appeared
to American officials to be either ignorant of the
facts or lying about them.
At the height of the confrontation, after the
United States had gathered photographic evidence
of Soviet construction of missile bases in Cuba,
Mr. Gromyko met with President Kennedy, on
Oct. 17, but acted as though he knew of no missile
emplacements.
Robert F. Kennedy later recounted the scene in
his memoir, ‘’Thirteen Days:’’ ‘’President Kennedy
listened, astonished, but also with some admira-
tion for the boldness of Gromyko’s position. To
avoid any misunderstanding, he read aloud his
statement of Sept. 4, which pointed out the seri-
ous consequences that would arise if the Soviet

Mr. IRON TEETH Union placed missiles or offensive weapons within

Cuba.’Gromyko assured him this would never be
The man with a nice smile and iron teeth. done, that the United States should not be con-
BY GEORGE LAMBROU cerned. After touching briefly on some other
matters, he said goodbye.’’

BEYOND 46 DIPLOMACY
 MUST BE NEXT CELEBRATION
MUST BE MOËT & CHANDON

www.apolafste.ypefthina.eneap.gr Aπολαύστε υπεύθυνα

EVERYWHERE
GREAT DIPLOMATS
| CULTURAL
| ANDREI
CAPITALS
GROMYKO
In his own memoirs, he insisted:
‘’Contrary to later assertions made in
the West, at no time in our conversation
did Kennedy raise the question of the
presence of Soviet rockets in Cuba; con-
sequently there was no need for me to
say whether there were any there or not.’’
The new collective leadership, with
Brezhnev and Aleksei N. Kosygin soon
emerging at the top, in his key position
at the Foreign Ministry. But the years
after 1964 saw the emergence of the
‘’new Gromyko’’ and of a foreign policy
of a different order from the bluster,
blunder and boast of the Khrushchev
years. Diplomats noticed that the usu-
ally dour Foreign Minister smiled more
often and even made a discreet joke. He
seemed to become more his own man.
Mr. Gromyko was entrusted with
the details, the negotiations, the treaty
texts and the technical agreements that
gave detente shape and life. Loyally as
always, he did the party’s bidding in
Gromyko was a diplomat’s diplomat. Whether by temperament or design,
or both, he was never linked with any particular set of policies or associated
with any particular faction in Soviet politics.
BEYOND 48 DIPLOMACY
(AP Archive)
this as in so much else, but he was also
acquiring stature and authority.
Gromyko played a direct role in
the Cuban Missile Crisis in his role as
the Soviet Foreign Minister. Gromyko
helped negotiate arms limitations
treaties such as the ABM Treaty, the
Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and SALT I
and II among others. Under Leonid
Brezhnev’s leadership Gromyko helped
build the policy of détente between the
US and the USSR. Secretary of State
Cyrus R. Vance startled the Russians
in March 1977 with new proposals to go
beyond the Vladivostok agreement. But
Mr. Gromyko called a televised news
conference March 31 and rejected the
proposals. His remarks were polished,
touched with anger and sarcasm, as
he accused the United States of seek-
ing unilateral advantage. But he also
said Moscow had ‘’enough patience
to continue negotiations on all these
problems.’’
(AP Archive)
President John F. Kennedy, meets
with Minister of Foreign Affairs of
the Soviet Union Andrei Gromyko, 27
March 1961
President John F. Kennedy, meets
with Minister of Foreign Affairs of
the Soviet Union Andrei Gromyko, 27
March 1961
The move into Afghanistan sent
American-Soviet relations into a deep
freeze at the beginning of 1980, and
thus began the third phase of Mr.
Gromyko’s diplomatic career. About
this time the leaders of the Soviet Union
began to be crippled by age and poor
health. First Brezhnev, in 1982, and
then his two immediate successors,
Yuri V. Andropov and Konstantin U.
Chernenko, died in office. Until 1985,
when Mr. Gorbachev came to power, the
United States and the rest of the outside
world had to go through Mr. Gromyko
to deal with the Kremlin.
He supported Mikhail Gorbachev’s
candidacy for General Secretary in 1985.
Gromyko lost his office as foreign min-
ister when Gorbachev became General
Secretary, and was instead appointed
to the largely ceremonial office of head
of state. Gromyko retired from political
life in 1988 and died the following year
in Moscow.
TIF | USA HONORED COUNTRY
GEOFFREY PYATT
INVESTORS ARE
FOLLOWING GROWTH
nvestors are following growth,» was the
response of US Ambassador in Greece,
Geoffrey Pyatt, when he was asked
about his optimism about the arrival
of US funds for investment in Greece’s
troubled years.
Perhaps this is the message we
should keep from the Press Conference
given on Thursday, July 12, at the New Hotel by
the Hellenic-American Chamber for the presen-
tation of the companies at stand 13 of the 83rd
Exhibition. That growth is really close and inves-
tors follow it. The exhibition begins on September
8th and the honored country is the US. Stand 13,
that extends in 6,000 sq. m., seems to be already
earning the impression since it will house 52 mis-
sions of big American companies and educational
institutions, from the pharmaceutical, technol-
ogy, defense, food and drink industries and also
consultancy companies.
Many of the companies in the US economy
such as Coca-Cola, Lockheed Martin Corporation,
Microsoft, Pfizer, Cisco, Hewlett-Packard
Enterprise, IBM Hellas, Facebook, Google and
many others have already secured their partici-
pation in the 83rd TIF.
BEYOND 50 DIPLOMACY
The United States will be
the honored country at the
upcoming 83rd Thessaloniki
International Fair (TIF) to
be held in the northern port
city on September 8-16,
at the TIF-Helexpo Center
marking the largest business,
industry, political and trade
event in the country.
Coca Cola promised something very innova-
tive and the announcement of Thessaloniki as the
first city in Greece with a zerowaste perspective!
IBM will move around emerging cutting-edge
technologies such as artificial intelligence and
cloud, the most recent example of which is the
recent announcement of the adoption of the IBM
Watson for Oncology platform by the HYGEIA
Group. Pfizer, who is already 60 years old in
Greece is expected to update, among other things,
how a pharmaceutical industry can offer to the
development of a country like Greece.
The technology, innovation and start-up com-
panies are also expected to focus on hosting a
large venue by enabling the link between new
entrepreneurs and investment funds.
The event was opened by Simos
Anastassopoulos, chairman of the Hellenic
American Chamber of Commerce, who stressed
the meritorious pace of honorable country in the
83rd TIF as the US, combining the fact of leav-
ing the country with the memorandums. Apart
from Mr. Anastasopoulos, the event was attended
by the Minister of Digital Telecommunication
and Information Policy, Nikos Pappas, the
American Ambassador to Greece, Geoffrey Pyatt,
the General Director of the Hellenic American
Chamber of Commerce Elias Spyrtonias and the
President of TIF HELEXPO, Tassos Tzikas.
The American Ambassador to Greece,
Geoffrey Pyatt, praised the good work that the
American-American Chamber of Commerce is
doing in the US Pavilion in the 83rd TIF, spoke
about the importance of leading US companies at
the specific time in the TIF, saying that American
investors are turning their eyes on Greece. He also
recalled the US government’s «strategic engage-
ment to help Greece move forward» which
creates even more expectations for investments.
The US Ambassador also referred to Avis’s
recent investment in Greece (the acquisition
of Avis Greece by the Avis Budget Group), the
intense activity of American companies in the
Geoffrey Ross Pyatt, United
tourism sector, and ExxonMobil’s participation States Ambassador to Greece,
in exploration for the hydrocarbon deposits Nikos Pappas, Ministry of
southwest of Crete. Digital Policy, Media and
Telecommunications, Simos
The goal of the TIF’s administration, as Mr. Anastasopoulos,President
Tzikas said, is to increase visitors significantly. of the American-Hellenic
To be more specific more than 290,000 vistiors Chamber of Commerce, Tasos
Tzikas, president of the board
are expected this year, which if achieved will make at Thessaloniki International
the 83rd exhibition the most successful for several Fair - Helexpo S.A
years now.
BEYOND 51 DIPLOMACY
ANALYSIS | NATO AND EUROPE IN THE 21ST CENTURY

THE FUTURE OF NATO IN

SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE
The European Union is divided over whether
to allow membership talks with Albania and
Macedonia as anti-immigration sentiment rises
in the block, but NATO is ready to welcome
Skopje into the Western military alliance.
BY GEORGE PANARITIS, STRATEGY ANALYST

52 | BEYONDDIPLOMACY
BEYONDDIPLOMACY | 53
 n 12 July 2018 the General Sec-
retary of NATO, Jens Stolten-
berg, formally invited FYROM
into the Alliance, following
the resolution of the country’s
long-standing naming dispute
with Greece. This move ad-
heres to NATO’s post-Cold War
strategy of enlargement, which aims to foster
closer cooperation among European coun-
tries, and to promote democracy, stability,
and peace in the region.
NATO leaders should therefore
take an unified stance against
Turkey, in order to discourage
the country’s association
with Russia, as well as its
aggressive foreign policy
in the Aegean.
With the forthcoming accession of FYROM
into NATO, Bosnia and Serbia will remain the
last two Southeastern European states outside
the Alliance, though both countries participate
in the Partnership for Peace (PfP) programme,
and Bosnia aspires for full membership. Since
the 1990s, most former Eastern Bloc countries
have sought to join NATO, due to a combi-
nation of security concerns, as well as their
gradual liberal democratic transformation and
increasing normative affinity to the West.
Russian involvement
Despite regular NATO affirmations that its
enlargement poses no threat to Russia, the
latter considers this eastward expansion as a
major security threat. In addition, there has
been a history of Russian subversive activities
in the West, including alleged involvement
in the Brexit referendum and the US presi-
dential election, as well as the Skripal affair.
The recent revelations that Russian diplomats
have been attempting to stir unrest by brib-
ing Greek state officials, businessmen, and
clergymen, in order to sabotage the resolution
of the Macedonia naming dispute, and thereby
prevent (or rather delay) the accession of FY-
ROM into NATO, should not therefore come
as a surprise.
Russian meddling in European affairs could
54 | BEYONDDIPLOMACY
be seen as an attempt to create a distraction
from domestic problems, but is also in line with
the country’s aggressive foreign policy. Russia
has long sought to expand its sphere of influ-
ence into post-Soviet space, as indicated by its
recent activity in Crimea and the Donbass. To
this end, Russia has employed a doctrine of
‘hybrid war’, or ‘guerrilla geopolitics’, according
to which a wide range of instruments, including
conventional military force, espionage, cyber
warfare, and social media channels, are used
synchronously to exploit multiple vulnerabil-
ities across the enemy’s societal spectrum. In
this light, any tension caused within NATO
could potentially hinder the organization’s
capability to react effectively, in the event of
another Russian-led crisis.
Turkey’s drift away from NATO
Turkey’s rising authoritarianism is cause for
much concern to the NATO. Following the
abortive coup attempt on 15 July 2016, a wave
of purges has taken place in Turkey. On 16
April 2017, a series of controversial constitu-
tional changes were approved by referendum,
enabling Turkish President Recep Tayyip
Erdoğan to assume new powers, including the
capacity to appoint government ministers and
senior judges without parliamentary over-
sight. In the general elections of 24 June 2018,
which according to Amnesty International
took place in a ‘climate of fear’, Erdoğan was
elected President for a five-year term, while
under the reformed constitution he is eligible
to run for a second term.
At the same time, there has been a shift in
Turkish foreign policy, and its relations with
the West have deteriorated, due in part to
conflicting interests in the Syrian Civil War,
and amid accusations of US involvement in
the 2016 coup attempt. In particular, rela-
tions with Greece have been damaged due to
renewed Turkish claims in the Aegean, while
Turkish authorities continue to detain two
Greek soldiers, captured after having mistak-
enly crossed into Turkish territory.
This state of affairs is problematic for
two reasons. First, the deterioration of
Greek-Turkish relations increases the likeli-
hood of a crisis between the two NATO mem-
bers states. Second, Turkey might consider
seeking allies elsewhere; indeed, following
a period of tense relations, there has been a
rapprochement between Russia and Turkey.
Temporary collusion is in the interest of both
countries, especially with regards to the Syrian

conflict; Russia is also given an opportunity
to weaken NATO, and to even potentially lure
Turkey out of the Alliance.
The Road Ahead
NATO should be expected to continue its
policy of enlargement in the near future.
While it seems unlikely Serbia will be seeking
closer cooperation with NATO, talks regard-
ing the membership of FYROM should soon
be underway, and an invitation to Bosnia
may soon be expected. On the other hand, it
is likely Russia will continue to interfere with
the membership talks. There may be further
Russian plans to incite nationalist unrest both
in Greece and FYROM; in the case of Bosnia,
future Russian efforts may focus on inciting
unrest among the country’s Serb population.
Vigilance is therefore in order, on the part of
both NATO and the states of Southeastern
Europe.
President Trump tweeted:
Turkey’s situation is more complicated. Its “What good is Nato if Ger-
critical strategic location makes it a valuable many is paying Russia billions
member of NATO, and the country’s possible of dollars for gas and energy?
Why are their only 5 out of 29
withdrawal could severely limit NATO’s reach countries that have met their
in the Caucasus, Black Sea, and Middle East re- commitment? The US is paying
gions, as well as set a dangerous precedent for for Europe’s protection, then
loses billions on Trade. Must
other member states. A Russo-Turkish alliance pay 2% of GDP IMMEDIATELY,
could further upset the regional balance of not by 2025.” Photo: REUTERS
power, by providing Russia with a foothold in
Southeastern Europe and easier access into the
Eastern Mediterranean. Fortunately, Erdoğan
has much to lose by forsaking his Western
allies, risking diplomatic isolation and further
economic downturn, while a Russo-Turkish
alliance would remain fragile, as the two coun-
tries have few shared values and little mutual
trust. NATO leaders should therefore take a
firm, proportionate, and unified stance against
Turkey, in order to discourage the country’s as-
sociation with Russia, as well as its aggressive
foreign policy in the Aegean.
BEYONDDIPLOMACY | 55
OPINION | UNITED EUROPE?

è
PROFESSOR
KYRIAKOS
KOUVELIOTIS
Dr. Kyriakos Kouveliotis
is a Professor at the
International Telematic
University Uninettuno of
Rome, Italy.

The
strengthening
of the deepening
process should
be the EUs
response to its
challenges

BEYOND 56 DIPLOMACY
T
he idea of the “United Europe”
has always been and contin-
ues to be a revolutionary and
innovative vision especially
if we take into consideration the first
moves towards the development of
European integration mechanisms that
took place into the turmoil that existed
in the European continent just after
the end of the Second World War. In
essence, when the six founding mem-
bers of the European Coal and Steel
Community created this Organization
in 1951, what they actually did was to
merge their industries of war. Just six
years ago they were enemies and took
part to the most catastrophic war that
the human race has ever encountered.
Gradually and with the creation of the
EEC, the Euratom, the EC and the
European Union at the end, huge mile-
stones regarding integration have been
achieved: the free movement of people,
capital and goods, the harmonization of
legislation, all big infrastructure proj-
ects to name of few. Above all stands
of course peace and security that
European citizens enjoy ever since.
Following this reference though, the
European Union is a victim of its suc-
cess. All these great achievements today
are to be taken for granted. It is very
difficult for young europeans to imagine
the situations and the living conditions
that their grandparents and great great
grandparents have encountered in the
previous century. Even the Cold War
sounds remote today.
Our current decade was full of global
challenges for European integration.
Especially the period 2010–2014 was
a highly eventful one, with the imple-
mentation of the new constitutional
framework established by the Treaty
of Lisbon, the European elections, the
affirmation of the European Council’s
role as a crisis-management institution,
the formation of the new European
Commission, the sovereign debt crisis,
1 https://www.cvce.eu/en/education/unit-content/-/unit/02bb76df-d066-4c08-a58a-d4686a3e68ff/4941fe5b-104e-4f4a-993d-b7c5fe78f687
2 http://www.ert.gr/eidiseis/diethni/evropi/k-koyveliotis-i-emvathynsi-kai-ochi-i-dieyrynsi-einai-i-lysi-gia-tin-ee-audio/
3 https://www.brookings.edu/articles/the-european-paradox-widening-and-deepening-in-the-european-union/
4 https://www.larazon.es/internacional/la-union-europea-asaltada-por-el-euroescepticismo-CN18512909
the Arab Spring, the Ukraine crisis,
the conflict in Syria, the migrant crisis,
etc. With each successive event, the
European Union’s capacity for adap-
tation and action was put to the test.
The dynamism and the very nature
of the integration process within the
EU were called into question1. If we
also consider the aftermath of the
global economic crisis in Europe the
whole perspective looked extremely
problematic.
In this framework, European
Integration has turned from a revo-
lutionary, innovative and, why not,
radical movement to a regime with
symptoms of a decline. Inevitably, it
has lost a huge percentage of its dyna-
mism and also of its popularity and
public acceptance. Additionally, its
inadequacies, eurozone problems and
the austerity measures that are imposed
on Member States, gave impetus to
enormous criticism. In this framework,
a lot of eurosceptic and antisystemic
movements have been developed. It is
very easy for them to find appeal and
support to the european citizens espe-
cially from south European Member
States that have suffered from the
hard-economic policies that they feel
are dictated by Brussels and Germany.
Nevertheless, it was a German,
Liverpool’s football club manager
Jurgen Klopp that has mentioned
something very true: “the EU is not
perfect, was not perfect, will not be
perfect. But it is the best idea we have
had so far.” Sometimes you do not need
an expert to see the reality.
The European Union has to face in
the near future, but also today, seven
very important challenges: immigra-
tion, energy, internal and external
security, banking and fiscal unifica-
tion, ethnicism, Brexit and the future
enlargement. The only viable solution
as a strategic plan but also as a remedy
to these challenges is a new route
towards the deepening process and
not just a new enlargement which will
further strengthen eurosceptic voices
very shortly2.
Pierre Moscovici, recently point
out: Europe is in a deplorable state
and doing little to right itself. And
this paralysis comes precisely at a
moment when huge challenges lie
ahead. Moscovici called it the unbear-
able European paradox: “On one hand,
Europe is stalling, is disenchanted even
disillusioned. On the other hand, the
need for Europe is as powerful as it is
unsatisfied.” Moscovici is right. For
years, the European Union has tried
to widen and deepen in parallel. But
since the Treaty of Maastricht took
effect in 1992, the deepening process
has stumbled, puttering ahead with
the Amsterdam and Nice treaties, but
making little real progress. The EU
will therefore have to quickly work out
the tensions between wider enlarge-
ment and deeper integration. To put it
simply, the enlarged EU has to answer
the question of whether it can be a
political union after this and subse-
quent enlargements3. However, the
EU has to solve its internal problems
and find again its momentum other-
wise if new members join in there will
be even more problems. More members
mean more opinions which inevitably
means more disagreements. There is
also another perspective which argues
that the European economic crisis will
spur the development of new gover-
nance mechanisms that will ultimately
deepen EU integration.
In any case, the European Union
needs definitely a reform towards inte-
gration. The Commission could initiate
a new intergovernmental conference
as in the past which, if productive, will
move things forward4.
Let us conclude by saying that the
Union is at a crossroad. This and the
following years are critical.
BEYOND 57 DIPLOMACY
OPINION | DEFENCE RELATIONSHIPS

The Future
of European
Defence

BEYOND 58 DIPLOMACY
Defence relationships in the West
appear to be becoming more
transactional and influenced not only
by shared political or cultural values
and strategic alignment, but by
financial and economic considerations.
CHRIS CRADOCK
he future of NATO, the UK’s
support to the EU in terms of
defence and security and the
barriers that exist to France
and Germany, as the EU’s
largest defence actors post-
Brexit, potentially forging the core of
an enhanced EU defence and security
pillar, are all likely to be influenced by
this element of transactional financial
and economic imperatives. This will
likely force changes within the western
European defence and security com-
munity and will be positive ultimately
for the defence and security industry
more generally.
The UK, while also contributing a
great deal to actual credibility of an
EU Defence and Security pillar, had
for many years attempted to obstruct
many aspects of further development
of defence cooperation suggested from
time to time. Does the exit of the UK
from the EU mean that the brakes are
now off and moves towards a deepening
EU-wide defence and security policy
will accelerate?
Before considering what has been
suggested and what may transpire, it
is worth remembering the threat envi-
ronment western Europe finds itself
in, as earlier mentioned. The EU faces
an increased terror threat both exac-
erbated and, alternately, facilitated
by the various effects of the Schengen
Agreement, the EU policy of open
borders. This in turn has served to
undermine the EU bloc’s credibility
in the eyes of many of its citizens as
they ask the legitimate question, “Are
you keeping us safe?”. At the same
time, an aggressive and obstreperous
Russia has heightened tensions signifi-
cantly through its undermining of the
Ukraine’s territorial integrity and the
entire Ukrainian government’s legit-
imacy, as well as increasing intrusive
military activity in the Baltic and the
North Atlantic. Lastly, the cohesion
of NATO, the most credible guarantor
of peace and security in Europe over
the past 50 years, has been called into
question by the alliance’s largest con-
tributor, the United States.
It would appear, therefore, that
something needs to change. The
question is, is it the EU itself, as the
preferred mechanism for institutional
innovation and coordinated European
collaboration or does the potential for
change lie with individual countries,
bi-lateral arrangements between ‘the
willing’ and ‘the capable’, ultimately,
perhaps, coalescing in a strengthened
NATO alliance?
Since Brexit, the EU has taken
some moves at strengthening the EU
in defence. EU High Representative
Frederica Mogherini proposed
Security and Defence Implementation
Programme (SDIP) proposes estab-
lishing a joint planning HQ for EU
operations, improving funding mecha-
nisms for EU joint operations (Athena),
strengthening the European Defence
Agency (EDA) which is designed to
help identify and coordinate opportu-
nities for joint equipment development
and improve equipment plan trans-
parency across member states. These
broad aims have been endorsed by the
BEYOND 59 DIPLOMACY
European Council.
However, these measures are very
meagre when put beside the scale of the
challenges European security faces and,
even then, these measures have already
been watered down. For example, the
joint planning and operations HQ
envisaged will only address ‘non-ex-
ecutive’ military missions, as opposed
to actual military operations. Some
further changes at the periphery of the
European defence market will attempt
to make EU defence procurement more
transparent within member states as
well as a modest budget increase for
the EDA.
However, none of this amounts
to a new departure for the EU nor a
threat to NATO, despite some of the
more fevered imaginings of Leave cam-
paigners during the referendum. For,
NATO, the most credible
guarantor of peace and security in
Europe over the past 50 years, has
been called into question by the
alliance’s largest contributor,
the United States.
at the highest levels of security strat-
egy within individual member states,
there remains substantial differences
as to whether Europe on its own can
meet its security and defence needs
or whether the US (and we may now
add in, the UK) are essential also. The
latter view was the consistent view
of the British government and led to
the UK blocking many of the modest
reforms proposed. But since Brexit, it
has become clear that other member
states share the view that NATO and
the US are critical aspects of Europe’s
security. No longer able to let the UK
do all the running, the Baltic states as
well as Poland and others have made
it clear that they do not see the EU as
an adequate replacement for NATO. It
is unlikely that Germany does either,
BEYOND 60 DIPLOMACY
when push comes to shove.
A further example of the EU’s
inability to develop a credible defence
policy is the attitude of what is now the
most capable EU member militarily
after the UK’s departure, France. For
many years, France pursued Germany
in particular to develop a credible EU
defence through innovations such as
the Euro Corps and others. Indeed, it
was France who suggested a European
Defence Community as far back as
1950 as part of the Pleven Plan. But
the French became increasingly frus-
trated with the unwillingness of the
German government to invest in
capability and the further reluctance
to actually deploy military personnel
and assets, something the French are
much more willing to do. Not only
does any deployment have to approved
by the Bundestag, but the Budgetary
Committee has to approve any defence
expenditure over €25 million! A 2014
German Parliamentary report on the
state of the German armed forces made
the disparity with France and the UK
in terms of actual capability stark.
It found, for example, only one of
Germany’s four submarines was opera-
tional and only about half of its military
transport aircraft. A mere seven of the
German navy’s fleet of 43 helicopters
were flight-worthy.
French frustration were expressed
more recently by Francois Hollande
when he said in October last year:
“There are countries that think
there will always be a cover that will
come and shelter them from every
influence. There are some that think
the conflicts…don’t concern them…So
those European countries must be told
– and I won’t stop doing so – that if
they don’t defend themselves they will
no longer be defended.”
Sound familiar? The accession of
France to NATO was, in some respects,
a comment simply on the practical
limits of EU military capability and
willingness to use force although there
remain French politicians and govern-
ment functionaries alike who would like
to see France withdraw from NATO,
including Mélanchon and Le Pen from
the cast of French Presidential hopefuls
for the last presidential election. In any
case, the experience with its European
partners was also instrumental in
moving the French to agree with the UK,
who also share a high level of capability
alongside a willingness to deploy force
when needed, the Lancaster House
Treaty of 2010. These accords are a
50 year bi-lateral treaty that enhance
defence cooperation between the coun-
tries including planning, training,
joint deployment, coordinated com-
mand structures, nuclear deterrence
and defence industrial cooperation.
It represents the singular expression
of European defence outside of NATO
structures and, for France, represents
a radical alternative following the frus-
trations of the previous 20 years.
Nevertheless, it is the Anglo-French
defence axis that has made most prog-
ress in aligning European capabilities
and joint action simply by virtue of the
fact that they are the two largest mili-
tary powers in Europe. Both countries
have been quick to renew their com-
mitment to each other in the area of
defence following the EU referendum
which means in effect the UK remains
a crucial partner of the EU in defence
and security post-Brexit.
But the UK is also likely to be
important in another critical aspect
of European security; keeping the US
engaged in NATO. Britain has already
started to use the language of ‘Special
Relationship’ with the EU in they same
way as it has wearyingly deployed it in
its relationship with the US. Whatever
the actual realities of the ‘Special
Relationship’ with the US, it remains
the case that the UK is best placed to
engage on behalf of NATO allies with
the US, especially in the era of Trump
and his insistence on NATO partners
paying their way. Already Theresa May
was able to modify Trump’s posture
towards NATO allies and it may well
be that there is a role for Britain as the
link between the US and the EU, a role
it attempted to play previously at times
but can perhaps now play with more
freedom and the conviction that comes
from necessity.
Brexit and a changed threat envi-
ronment have certainly set the pieces
in motion as far as European defence
and security is concerned. However
they coalesce, it seems reasonable that
both the UK and its partners on either
side of the Atlantic may begin to appre-
ciate the pivotal role the UK can now
potentially play, if they have not done
so already.[6]
Implications for the Defence
Industry in France, Germany and the
UK
Can we draw any conclusions from
all this as far as the prospects for the
British, French and German defence
markets are concerned? I think there
are some ways in which we can ten-
tatively point to potentially positive
developments.
For Germany and France, recent
terrorism, the threat from Russia and
pressure from the US will mean that
defence spending is likely to rise sig-
nificantly. This is especially the case
with France as almost all the leading
presidential candidates in the cur-
rent election have expressed a desire
to see the defence budget increase.
The incumbent CDU government in
Germany likewise pledged to increase
spending during the election in
September, although if the blueprint
for a coalition with the SPD remains
unchanged German defence spending
as a proportion of GDP will remain
unchanged over the next 4 year bud-
getary period.
As the two countries improve their
capabilities, it may also be likely that
they look to increase the number of
joint development programmes. The
two countries already have a shared
defence industrial base represented by
Airbus’ defence and security businesses
Brexit and a changed threat
environment have certainly set
the pieces in motion as far as
European defence and
security is concerned.
and more recently KMW and Nexter
have merged to become KMNS (Krauss
Maffei-Nexter Systems). This may
mean UK firms are more likely to be
excluded in some areas such as com-
munications, space and land vehicles,
especially after the Article 50 process
is completed.
However, in other areas the
increase in spending in France and
Germany may offer some opportuni-
ties that otherwise were not there. The
Franco-German defence industrial base
is limited in some respects and cannot
cover all aspects of military capabil-
ity that a modern military requires.
This means that they will need to look
abroad for some niche capabilities but
also for certain complete platforms.
This may mean that these markets will
not be a completely closed shop (not
that they were ever very open in the
past!) for the UK, especially given the
extensive number of UK-based subsid-
iaries of French and German defence
businesses. Defence support services
are another area where UK businesses
have long experience and the recent
win by Babcock in France to supply
flight training to the French Air Force
is perhaps a sign of a gradually more
open market for UK defence businesses
than previously.
As for the UK itself, although
spending has been maintained at 2%
of GDP, there is a possibility that the
logic of Brexit and Britain’s attempts
to find a new place in the world puts
upside pressure on the government to
increase spending. If the UK wants
to trade on its so-called ‘defence and
security surplus’ with the EU in the exit
negotiations and if it wants to renew its
close relationship with the US in order
to enhance its standing in the wider
world (as well as with European NATO
partners) a credible defence capability
is essential. Given the growing threat
environment, there is at least a fair
wind behind the defence and security
budget in the UK in the medium term.
It has been said that the impact of
the weak pound will diminish the UK’s
defence budget in real terms as it will
be less able to procure equipment and
systems from abroad, especially the
US. Most of these predictions extrap-
olate out the current value of the pound
over the course of the current MoD
Equipment Plan, some 10 years. It is
prudent to assume a weak pound will
continue over the course of the next two
years as the Article 50 negotiations take
their course. The MoD already has ade-
quate hedging mechanisms in place for
this period but, in any case, how pru-
dent it is to assume the pound will stay
at this level for the next 10 years is more
open to question.
Of course, one of the immediate
advantages of a weak pound is to make
UK defence exports more competitive
and in an era of rising defence budgets
not just in Europe but in the US, the
Middle East and Asia Pacific this can
only assist the UK defence industry as
it seeks to become more successful in
terms of exports. But their may also
be a domestic competitive advantage
for UK suppliers relative to their US
and EU counterparts; even if the overall
budget is constrained by the lower pur-
chasing power of the MoD, it makes it
all the more likely the share of defence
spending with domestic suppliers is
likely to rise.
BEYOND 61 DIPLOMACY
EVERYWHERE |
INTERVIEW CULTURAL CAPITALS

TOURISM
IS A DRIVING
FORCE OF
THE GREEK
ECONOMY
Elena Kountoura, Tourism
Minister of Greece, talks about
the tourism development in
Greece, the variety of the
coastline and its islands,
the culture and cuisine – …
and Greece as a year-round
destination.
BY ELEFTHERIA DAVATZI

62 | BEYONDDIPLOMACY
BEYONDDIPLOMACY | 63
 n 2015, we designed our
national and regional
tourism policy over a
four-year period, with
which we are strategical-
ly pursuing tourism 365
days a year. Three years
of continuous success
with recorded facts, certainly prove,
the effectiveness of our program.
We have increased our tourism
by 25%. We lengthened the summer
tourist period, following a specific
plan. In the three-year period 2015-
2017 we increased 27% the interna-
tional arrivals between March and
May, and 33% from September to
November.
We also boosted 20% each year
in winter tourism. We developed
thematic tourism and promoted
new Greek destinations so that the
economic and developmental bene-
fits spread throughout the country.
We opened new foreign markets for
high purchasing power visitors, and
in 2017 we recorded tourist revenue
records of all time.
We also created the framework for
attracting new investments of high
standards to meet the new needs cre-
ated by the growing tourist activity in
the coming years. With these actions
and through other more direct activi-
ties, we have overcome the challenges
of geopolitical developments that
have affected tourism in a negative
way. Last but not least we’ve achieved
for the first time a place among the
top 10 tourist destinations of the
world and among the to 5 European
destinations.
Is there anything that did not
have the success you wanted to?
I think we are in the middle of our
“journey”. Through our systematic
work, the industry of tourism has,
for the first time been upgraded to
a national priority. Greek tourism
is one of the most important pillars
of national strategic planning for
growth and is also a motivating force
for the economy. In 2017 the total
contribution (direct and indirect) of
tourism to Greece’s GDP amounted to
35 billion euros - 19.7% of the coun-
64 | BEYONDDIPLOMACY
try’s GDP. In 2018 the contribution of
tourism to GDP is about to increase
by 5.3%.
Still, we have plenty of things to
achieve. In August, the many-year cy-
cle of strict austerity and constraints
is closing. This is why we now have to
look out of our borders. We need to
deepen our co-operations, organize
ourselves and put in action dyamic
policies of development.
For example we can not talk about
the enhancement of tourism 365
days a year without asking support
from individuals and private compa-
nies. Greek tourism must be united.
It is a highly productive and a pure
export business, and the industry
that can provide immediate extra
income for the country, new job
positions and sustainable, fair and
balanced growth in local economies.
Greece participated for the
first time as an elected member
for 2018-2021 at the Executive
Council Meeting of the World
Tourism Organization, held in
San Sebastián in Spain. How
important is this for Greece?
Since the beginning of our mandate,
we wanted to strengthen the extro-
version of Greece. We have strength-
ened our institutional role in inter-
national organizations and global
decision-making centers for tourism,
where our positions are eventually
heard. We are actively reconcil-
ing policies for the future of global
tourism development so that our new
long-term strategic planning for the
next day of Greek tourism is in full
harmony with international trends
and priorities.
We have strengthened our coop-
eration and our relations with the
World Tourism Organization, the
OECD and the European institutions,
which recognize and push tourism
now high on the agenda of govern-
ments and politicians at national,
regional and international level, as
well as for the development of syner-
gies between the public and private
sectors.
We support the strategy of the
World Tourism Organization and
with our proposals we participate
in the five strategic priorities for
innovation and digital transition,
investment and entrepreneurship,
education and employment, security
and the uninterrupted development
of tourism and travel, social policies,
cultural and environmental sustain-
ability.
In addition, we call for the
strengthening of tourism in Europe-
an funding programs in the Multian-
nual Financial Framework for 2020
and after.
What are your expectations for
this summer?
In the first five months of 2018 the in-
crease in tourism was 20% over com-
paring to the same period in 2017. It
is a year of double-digit growth in ar-
rivals and bookings and the demand
continues to move dynamically in
last minute bookings. We have built a
relationship of trust with the leading
players in the international tourism
market, and with our negotiations
and agreements, the tourist packages
to our country have been strength-
ened for four consecutive year. 3 mil-
lion extra “seats” were added to flight
planning, an impressive 18% increase
over the previous year. Overall, we
expect an increase of more than 10%
compared to last year’s record of 30.1
million international visitors.
We have been prepares for our
tourism to continue to grow at high
rates in the years to come. Interna-
tional operators are publishing very
positive predictions for our country,
such as the World Travel and Tourism
Council (WTTC), which estimates
a further 5.3% increase in tourism’s
contribution to GDP in 2018, a 5.1%
increase in the cost of foreign visitors
to our country, but also a steady rein-
forcement of the income, investment
and employment for a decade.
One factor that may negatively
affect the number of arrivals is the
situation in Turkey that has become an
even more enticing destination after
the pound collapse. The geopolitical
developments of the past few years in
the wider region have led to the reclas-
sification of tourist shares from the
Eastern Mediterranean to other areas.
The most representative example is
the cruise sector since international
groups have changed their programs
to further destinations.
In 2017, a year of recovery for the
destinations of the Mediterranean
that had seen a decline in previous
years, Greece has not only main-
tained its positive momentum but
has boosted its tourist shares from
all over the world. This dynamic is
still strong in 2018, as evidenced by
official figures. Most importantly,
Greece is now a strategic choice for
international groups and investors,
which are launching large-scale and
long-term return investments. They
enhance their portfolio with new ho-
tel proprietary investments and move
into business steps beyond hospital-
ity, transport, cruise, services, and
even programs of Corporate Social
Responsibility. These developments
imply that the impressive growth
of our tourism is the result of a well
organized and successful plan.
National Account Tool of Tourism
and Tourism Observatory. Two tools
you had announced tell us about their
course. From the very first moment,
we noticed the need to link and
match international standards with
Greek tourist figures. That is why we
have worked with the EU Structural
Support Service, SRSS, and we have
processed all the statistics by activat-
ing satellite tourist accounts for 2015
figures.
Today, we are moving to the next
step and with the World Organization
guidelines we are processing the 2017
data. We work closely with the, EL-
STAT, national statistical authority,
to settle the technical details of the
process with a view to the full oper-
ation of Satellite Accounts and best
practices in the collection of reliable
data from all sources that will cap-
ture the true picture and evolution of
appropriate figures.
At the same time, we signed a
Memorandum of Understanding with
the Ministry of Digital Policy for an
extremely important project, a legacy
for Greek tourism. We are creat-
ing for the first time in Greece, an
In 2015, we designed our
national and regional tourism
policy over a four-year period,
with which we are strategically
pursuing tourism 365
days a year.
interactive digital ecosystem for the
Ministry of Tourism and the Greek
Tourism Organization. Among other
major changes in the upgrading of
services to citizens, businesses and
tourists and in digital tourism edu-
cation, we are introducing modern
methods for collecting and process-
ing quantitative and qualitative data
for Greek tourism, using new tech-
nologies that will be used on policy
making procedure.
What is definitely to be devel-
oped is the so-called thematic
tourism. Alternative, rural,
medical, turism related to reli-
gion ... what plans do you have
for this type of tourism?
We are actively promoting the de-
velopment of this kind of tourism, a
chapter unexploited in the past that
has an important place in our plans.
With drastic reforms and legislative
interventions, we have eliminated
the problems of the past, established
modern operating standards and cre-
ated a legislative framework, which
is in the process of consultation, that
encourages the development, promo-
tion of each kind of different types of
tourism.
History and culture with its global
radiation come always first. We
dynamically promote modern Greek
culture, cultural events and local
celebrations all over Greece. In close
cooperation with Church, we promote
religious and pilgrimage tourism.
We have finally dealt with the long
lasting problems in the legal status
of the licensing of thermal facilities,
and we are proceeding rapidly with
the process of recognizing healing
resources all over Greece for exploita-
tion. We have introduced modern
standards for thalassotherapy and
healing centers and spa units. We
are also completing a more effective
framework for the global promotion
of Greece as a destination for medical
tourism.
We are developing with great suc-
cess city trips, conference tourism,
rural tourism, agritourism that we
support with modern operating stan-
dards and special signal delivery. We
move on to linking tourism to prima-
ry production and agri-food, and we
promote our unique Greek gastrono-
my by supporting actions to integrate
Greek products and tastes into the
wider tourist chain. Our main goal
is also to strengthen cruise, yachting
and diving tourism, as well as winter
tourism, to our effort of having 365
days a year tourism in Greece.
Could you please tell us some
things about the “Western Silk
Road” and “Tourism on the Silk
Road”, which is actually the
international meeting of the
World Tourism Organization
and will take place in October
in Thessaloniki.
From the first moment we were
elected to the Executive Board of the
United Nations World Tourism Orga-
nization (UNWTO), we took advan-
BEYONDDIPLOMACY | 65
66 | BEYONDDIPLOMACY
tage of our international promotion
of «Western Silk Road» in tourism,
within the initiative of the Chinese
government, «One Belt, One Road
«and as you rightly said, we are orga-
nizing an International Meeting for
Tourism on Silk Road in Thessaloniki
in October, in cooperation with the
World Tourism Organization.
China is the largest market for
outgoing tourism worldwide. For
Greece the strategic opening of the
Chinese tourist market is a priority.
With a continuous presence in China’s
international tourism fairs through
the Greek Tourism Organization, the
dynamic promotion of Greece as a
world-renowned tourist destination
365 days a year and investing in the
development of strong partnerships
with leading travel groups in the
Chinese market, we aim to gradually
increase movement from China.
However, we think that high-level
international meetings such as the
one in Thessaloniki are conducive to
building in-depth bilateral relations
and enable agreements involving
the public and private sectors with
immediate and long-term results.
At the same time, we are sup-
porting the European Union-China
Tourism Year and take advantage of
the common European business co-
operation framework to promote new
Greek destinations, promote their
competitive advantages and promote
Greece as a top destination offering
unique travel experiences 365 days a
year, with a substantial boost to the
tourist flow from China to Greece.
Returning to the rapid growth
of tourism percentages, can
Greece respond to these high
growth rates of tourism? Both
on the infrastructure and on
the tourism education field.
The focus of our tourism policy is
sustainable and balanced devel-
opment, so that the economic and
development benefits to spread as
evenly as possible in all Regions,
to all destinations and local com-
munities. In close cooperation with
the Regions, the Municipalities, the
Chambers of Tourism and Develop-
For Greece the strategic
opening of the Chinese
tourist market is a priority.
ment Institutions and the private
sector, we exploit and highlight the
comparative tourist advantages of
each region.
We develop thematic tourism that
creates new investments, and new
job positions. We support small and
medium-sized tourism businesses
across Greece, with the two pro-
grams through “Operational Program
“Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship
and Innovation” for upgrading and
modernizing , with subsidy up to
50% for start-ups.
It is a governmental priority to
link tourism to primary production,
agri-food and processing. We en-
courage the inclusion of the unique
Greek products in the hotel and
tourism chain and the development
of synergies between these sectors to
strengthen producers, professionals,
family businesses and support local
communities.
It is very important to mention
that a high priority of ours is the up-
grading of public tourism education
that has been discarded in the past.
With the reforms that we are pro-
moting, we are pursuing lasting and
high-level education and training, so
as the graduates about to enter the
market will be skilled professionals.
We completed our commitment and
reopened the Athens Tourist Guards
School after 7 years.
Also, with a great effort, we have
secured the resources for implement-
ing the three-year 2018-2021 train-
ing programs for unemployed and
seasonal workers in tourism in the
13 Regions. We have to mention that
until recently the programms were
addressed to just 4 cities. We are very
pleased that the significant increase
in tourism over the last three years
has led to a direct increase in de-
mand for such professions.
Are there any new investments
in Greek tourism today?
We have created an attractive envi-
ronment for new investments in tour-
ism and have mobilized significant
domestic and international interest
throughout Greece in popular and
new destinations we are promoting.
We have invited international hotel
and investment groups to invest in
our country by promoting Greece as
a world-class investment destination
in tourism and are now launching
specific investment projects.
As far as we are concerned we
have simplified licensing procedures,
we have established modern operat-
ing criteria and standards. We have
codified tourism legislation for more
than 100 years in a single digital plat-
form for immediate and easy access
and we have legislated to fill in gaps
and eliminate pathogens of the past.
Investment in Greece has exceed-
ed 3.1 billion euros in 2017. In total
over three years, more than 25,000
new beds have been added by in-
vestments in existing and new 4 and
5-star hotels, of which 12,000 last
year. 254 hotel plans were submitted,
amounting to almost 1 billion euros.
The projects are in progress and are
gradually being completed in 2018
and 2019. Top foreign travel groups
are building and operating privately
owned hotels. At the same time we
accept a large amount of requests
from international groups and tourist
business chains.
BEYONDDIPLOMACY | 67
BRIGHT STORY

BEYOND 68 DIPLOMACY
 INTERNATIONAL MARKET
SELONDA
A GREEK FISH FARMING
Selonda operates 55 sea-cage fish farms
in Greece with an annual production
capacity of over 40.000 tons of
Mediterranean Sea Bream and Sea
Bass, 14 packing stations, 2 processing
plants and 6 hatcheries in Greece with
an annual production capacity of over
180 million fry. Selonda is the largest
restructuring sector in Greece
A discussion with Athanasios
Skordas* President of Selonda
*Athanasios Skordas is former Deputy Minister of
Development and President of SELONDA.
thanasios Skordas has been a
political executive and deputy
minister of Development for a
period that has not gone unno-
ticed since he tried to translate
into the Greek market exam-
ples that have successfully been
applied abroad, such as the modern working
hours of the shops, the expiring dates of the food-
products, the modernization of the markets and
consumer protection. As Selonta’s President
last year, he has made a significant contribution
to the succession of the Selondas fish farming
company. A company that has been troubled
for a long time by failures and omissions of the
previous administration, which has been under
the control of the banks, and which, following
a courageous restructuring program, went into
safe waters, achieved an increase in exports, won
its viability and achieved something even bigger:
not only got restructured, but the company also
BEYOND 69 DIPLOMACY
85%
Over

of the total volume

of fish produced by
Selonda is exported
fresh, by truck or
by air, to custom-
ers in more than 25
countries worldwide.
Selonda ships over
500 tons of fresh
Greek Sea Bass and
Sea Bream to all
the major Europe-
an markets such as
Italy, Spain, Portugal,
Germany, France,
the UK and the Neth-
erlands, as well as
to far-away desti-
nations such as the
USA and Canada.

BEYOND 70 DIPLOMACY
Experience in politics is
a benefit for the open market
and the market is for politics,
and that is not a form of speech.
hired over 100 people in conditions of unprec-
edented recession.
More than two years have passed since the
start of an unprecedented undertaking for the
Greek project, the completion of one of the
largest restructuring of listed companies by the
banks. The results show a vindication of this
model and are an example that the tortured
market can follow.
As Mr Skordas points out, “Indeed, almost
three years ago, equity control of the three larg-
est aquaculture companies passed to creditor
banks. At first a reorganization of the companies
was attempted with the participation of the old
administrators. When this effort did not produce
the results we had expected, we went through a
phase where administrative responsibilities in
Selonda were entrusted to people who were not
connected with the companies’ past.
And indeed! With a viable business plan,
the help from the banking sector and a hard
effort, Selonda managed to do a lot of things.
The beginning was made two years ago when
Selond absorbed the third similar largest com-
pany DIAS. It was a nodal action that mutated
Selonda and gave the company the foundations
for a better start. “This plan was embrased with
trust by the shareholders and creditors. It was
analyzed to the executives and employees of the
company, who in the overwhelming majority
embraced it and served it with dedication and
corporate conscience. Customers and suppliers
strengthened their belief in our goal and sup-
ported our efforts. Today, almost a year and a
half later, we can say that tranquility returns and
a renewed aura in methods and attitudes gives
the new pace. The company is growing again,
earning new customers daily, implementing new
investments. Seltona returned and will remain,
“says Mr. Skordas.
What Selonda has achieved in the past two
years has been to achieve sustainable growth
and growth in the value of the company. In
particular, biomass grew by 35%, turnover by
18%, from 148 million in 2015 to 175 million in
2017, production costs decreased by 13%, and
all this was done within a strict framework cor-
porate governance, an excellent development
stemming from very well-coordinated trade pol-
icies. And all these during a period when the fish
sales of subsidiary Perseus were not integrated.
Simultaneously, Selonda brand became
known in the markets, sales of the company’s
products to European supermarkets have more
than doubled. An investment program of €14
million was implemented to upgrade production
operations. In fact, over the past two years, two
companies have been unified in Selonda and
have entered a path of sustainable profitable
growth, the market shares were increased and
the costs were reduced. And this in an unfavor-
able international environment with fish prices
dropping 8% internationally due to the aggres-
sive policy of Turkish producers.
At the same time, the new management has
stimulated Selonda’s networks, significantly
reducing production costs, blocking unneces-
sary processes, with one single orientation: the
sustainability of the company. Clearly, therefore,
the path that was followed was not easy. Or, as
the President of Shelton himself points out, the
word “difficult” is not enough to describe the path.
Especially when fish populations are living
organisms that must be fed and grown safely.
“The sensitivity of aquaculture makes the solu-
tion of the problem extremely complex, but
yes! Once we succeed in aquaculture, we can
do it everywhere. In the economy, but also in
the country. It is enough to have a realistic and
workable plan, and a group of people who will
believe in it and implement the project with hard
work and sense of responsibility. This is because
when the life of even the last worker depends on
your decisions and actions, you are not allowed
to fail “he tells us.
Why, however, Selonda, who today presents
BEYOND 71 DIPLOMACY
 The sensitivity of aquaculture
makes the solution of the problem
extremely complex, but yes! Once
we succeed in aquaculture, we can
do it everywhere.
a totally different and positive image due to the
intervention of the banks and a new manage-
ment, was found three years ago in such a bad
condition? The explanation is simple: What
happened in the country happened to many
businesses and households. The same pathogens
are the cause of evil. Over-lending and wasting
of money in unproductive settings, complacency,
inability to predict combined with incomplete
operation of control mechanisms, is the explo-
sive mixture that led to the crisis. “But the issue
is not to stay one-dimensional in finding the
problems of yesterday, but to use this knowl-
edge so that businesses and society as a unity
not to repeat the mistakes that have brought us
here,” says mr. Skordas and continues: “We are
working the restructuring of Selonda, not only
without downsizing the number of our employ-
ees, but instead we have created more than 100
new job positions in a wounded Greek region.
The completion of the restructuring plan will
create new job positions not only in the company
but also in the environment of our suppliers and
satellite companies, transport, packaging, etc.
Everything depend on choice, because I firmly
believe that both politics and economy gain value
when they serve people. Therefore, at a time when
unemployment in our country is the largest in
Europe and threatens social cohesion, every new
job we create satisfies us twice. One of the main
reasons Greece has reached its current situation
is that its politicians, with few exceptions, have
exercise politics in the absence of citizens.”
For Mr Scorda and the placement of a politi-
cal person in the management of a company, the
bet was multiple. Some have considered the fact
that he was as Deputy Minister of Development
potentially as an inhibiting factor, ignoring that
he had a great experience in the market before
becoming a politician with experience in the
insurance industry and business consulting. But
he himself proved exactly the opposite, and he
BEYOND 72 DIPLOMACY
confirmed that international practice, political
people going to the market and vice versa, has
reached our country and has positive results.
«Experience in politics is a benefit for the
open market and the market is ---------- for pol-
itics, and that is not a form of speech. A human
is the amount of experiences gained during his
or her life. The bet for each and every one of
us is to be able to combine these experiences
harmoniously. My experience in these two fields
shows that policy produces better results when
the person in position , among other things, has
technocratic competence. On the other hand, the
market also works successfully when business
executives are employed by executives who have
a political ability, «he says. He also welcomes
his cooperation with the other members of the
Board of Directors.
However, the discussion of the next day of
the business has already begun, after complet-
ing the sale process with Nireas, as a result of
its consolidation, but in terms of benefit to all
parties. Two major funds, AmerraCapital and
MubadalaInvestment undertake to lead Greek
fish farming to the next phase.
Besides, we should not forget that the
aquaculture industry has excellent prospects.
Population growth worldwide, generates a cer-
tain increase in food demand in general but also
in fish. World fishing is already 2.5 times more
than the oceans worldwide can bare. And of
course, this Greek field will always have a future,
despite the sharp competition from countries
like neighboring Turkey.
The successful completion of the sale of the
two largest companies Sheldona and Nireas has
multiple and multipling benefits for both the
Greek economy and all the corelated companies:
positive climate and confidence in the interna-
tional markets for new investments, maintaining
and developing jobs, enhancing bank liquidity
and providing extroversion.
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 BRUNO BARBEY

IMAGES
NARRATE
A LONG
50 years after the
events of May ’68,
this special mo-
ment in time still

LASTING
has a strong impact
in the collective
visual memory and
the popular culture.

STORY
PANAGIOTIS PANAGOPOULOS

ay of ’68 has been a time, a series of events,
that formed a generation, offered a context
but also an alibi for political careers. Half
a century later, we are still discussing how
did this collective event influence young
people that were discovering themselves
and the world. The effect of May ’68 has
been powerful and enduring. It has affected
a whole generation of French filmmakers and then even more
European ones, writers, artists, even fashion designers.
On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of that particu-
lar May that produced tons of images that became icons, we
have contacted a person that defined that era. Bruno Barbey,
the world renowned photographer of Magnum Agency, has
published numerous books about that period alongside two
documentary films. His latest book, “Au Coeur de Mai ’68”
(In the Heart of May ‘68), revisits that period with photos that
were never published before. Barney had shot 240 reels of
film that were never edited and were kept in his archive. The
50th anniversary of the events gave him the chance to make
a new selection and his memories of those turbulent days,
“I started covering May ’68 from the first big demonstra-
tion on May 6th”, he remembers. “I was in Paris, I had no
orders, it was an event to photograph. The riot Police wasn’t
just attacking the demonstrators on the street. I remember
along Luxembourg the bourgeois, with the battle on the road
behind their windows, trying not to inhale the tear gas. A Riot
Police aimed a hand grenade to the window and crashing
the panel, it landed in the living room of the flat. Not just
the students but the locals were also shocked by the violence

BEYOND 74 DIPLOMACY
BEYOND 75 DIPLOMACY
The most astonishing
aspect of May ’68
for me is that I was
fascinated to see all
those open discussions
among every social
milieu
applied to the protestors and the passers-by as well. Pregnant
women were not spared and the inoffensive professors with
files under their arms were being trashed down. Naturally,
locals were on the students side. When they went inside to
hide at stairwells, the apartment doors were opening to rescue
them in from the bashings. Thus the movement spread and
became a popular uprising.”
Barbey remembers vividly the tension on the streets. “I
have never seen such violence in a western capital. Any time
you could have a cobble stone, or a truncheon, or a steel ball
thrown in your face. Next to me, a photographer received
a chimney on his head. So with the photographer Cartier-
Bresson we tried to take some precautions. We bought
motorcycle helmets from a shop on Grande Armee Avenue,
perfect ones that covered our ears. But after ten minutes, we
discovered they were not so practical, because we couldn’t
hear what was going on so well, or take pictures. The barri-
cades were being built with anything at hand. The easiest were
the portable cabins with wheels, cars, and even movie advert
boards. Once I came over a poster of the Henry Fonda film
“Madigan”. The French title was “Police sur la Ville” (Police in
the City). When it started burning it became totally surreal.”
As Barbey recalls, “The next day, very early in the morning,
BEYOND 76 DIPLOMACY
people in their dressing gowns and slippers were out, look-
ing for bread. They were totally frightened walking around
chopped trees and toppled cars. It seemed to me incredible
and miraculous that after such violence there were so few
victims.” So what was the essence of those days in May?
“From the beginning, this need to speak for everyone and
everybody was fascinating. People came out in the streets
and they were not just students. It was a rare social crowd
that needed to discuss, to reform the world, a search for
freedom. An explosion. The most astonishing aspect of May
’68 for me is that I was fascinated to see all those open dis-
cussions among every social milieu.”
History as a exhibit and a pop reference
The French National Library (BnF) celebrates the anni-
versary with an exhibition of pictures, files and posters
telling the story of May ’68. “Icônes de Mai ’68” (Icons
of May ’68), running until 26 August at the François-
Mitterrand space of the Library, consists of nearly two
hundred pieces, photographs, contact sheets, magazines,
audiovisual documents. The exhibition examines how
our collective visual memory of the events of May 68
was constructed. Two photos of that specific period are

centerpieces of their transformation into iconic status.
The portrait of Daniel Cohn-Bendit facing an officer of
the National Police by Gilles Caron and Jean Pierre Ray’s
“Marianne de 68”. The curators of the exhibition note that
the photograph of Daniel Cohn-Bendit by Gilles Caron
was not immediately distinguished it has been circulated
more widely since 1978 and on the occasion of decennial
anniversaries. Jean-Pierre Rey’s “Marianne de ’68” has
also evolved into an icon status. Originally published in
small format in 1968 in the French press, it was then
reused several times with a more tight frame, causing the
loss of its historicity. So, the exhibition projects questions
about the way a historic moment is covered and the pres-
ervation of authenticity.
May of ’68 is enjoying a moment on the 2018 catwalk in
a more controversial attribute of the anniversary. Is it con-
flicting and ironic the reference of May ’68 as a reference to
fashion shows and campaigns from luxury fashion houses, or
is it a sincere tribute to a moment in time? Gucci, the most
successful house in recent years, under the artistic direc-
tion of Alessandro Michele, has produced a series of videos
with the title “Gucci dans les Rues” (Gucci in the streets),
presenting students in classrooms exchanging poems
Daniel Cohn-Bendit
and messages about Egalité! Liberté! Sexualité! (Equality!
Freedom! Sexuality!), one of the prominent slogans of the
students uprising, and running in the streets, trying to escape
police violence. Dressed in Gucci of course. It might be sur-
prising, or even shocking to a more conservative audience,
however the youthful image Michele created for Gucci, has
invested consistently to art and a social dialogue with strong
political messages.
On a similar note, Dior and its creative director Maria
Grazia Chiuri, designed a hall covered in political posters for
the Fall-Winter 2018 show. Chiuri has projected a feminist
content in her collections and sent out models in a catwalk
papered with words and phrases including “protest” and
“women’s rights are human rights”. Political statements
for fashion houses are a way to remain relevant and reach a
younger clientele, as the younger generation is increasingly
interested in politics. The link between 1968 and today has
been noted even by fashion bible Vogue; “In little over a year
since Trump’s election, the subversive possibilities of visual
communication in clothing have unleashed an astonishing,
uplifting, do-it-yourselves level of creativity. The like hasn’t
been seen since the marches and protests of the youth upris-
ings of 1968.”
BEYOND 77 DIPLOMACY
THE
M O S T

POLITICAL
MATCHES

I N W O R L D C U P
HISTORY

Here are eight World Cup games that were fuelled by political tension.
BY DIMITRIS CHARALAMPOUS,

eople love to talk about how much they love rivalries. We gussy up the
bad feelings between schools or cities as though there’s real difference
there, or actual conflict, instead of just two similar demographics clash-
ing over one material difference. This isn’t a bad thing. It’s the theater
of the games, what gives them their Grecian pomp and spectacle, until
those tragic times when it does becomes too real. But there are other
times when sport becomes impressionistic, taking on the qualities of the
world around it. This most often happens in international play, where
the whole tenor of the competition can adopt jingoistic and sovereign implications, emo-
tional as they might be. The fiercest venue for this sort of geopolitical gamesmanship is the
World Cup, when two teams of countrymen are pitted against each other for nationalistic
glory in Earth’s most popular game.
78 | BEYONDDIPLOMACY
BEYOND 78 DIPLOMACY
PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

FRANCE, 1938: ITALY VS. FRANCE time in their history to wear black,” Goldblatt says.
“They gave a very self-conscious fascist salute to the
The first reaction to hearing about any year between
crowd, and then they beat the French.” It’s said that
1935 and 1950 is pretty much always, “That’s really
the decision to wear black came directly from Musso-
close to World War II!” This goes double for ’38, a year
lini, as did a rumored message sent to his players at
in which the final World Cup took place before normal-
the beginning of the tournament: “Win or die.”
cy was restored enough to play again in 1950. Musso-
lini’s Italians traveled to France as the reigning World
Cup champions, and Mussolini had recently made
remarks critical of the French and supportive of Gener-
al Franco in the Spanish Civil War.
In the quarterfinals, the French ran up against Vittorio Pozzo holds the Jules Rimet Trophy after Italy’s 4-2 vic-
tory over Hungary in the 1938 World Cup final. 
the Azzurri; both teams normally wore blue, so they Benito Mussolini, centre, in white, poses with the Italian team at
drew lots to determine which would wear white. Italy the Palazzo Venezia in Rome following their success at the 1938
World Cup.  Italy’s Alfredo Foni, left, launches himself at the ball
lost. Instead, “The Italians decided for the one and only during the 1938 World Cup final against Hungary. 

BEYOND 79 DIPLOMACY
CHILE, 1962 W.GERMANY, 1974
ITALY VS. CHILE WEST GERMANY VS.
Known as the “Battle of Santiago,” the meeting be-
tween Italy and hosts Chile in 1962 was one of many
EAST GERMANY
During the Cold War and the decades in which Ger-
violent games in the tournament, but it was the most
many was forcibly separated into two countries, the
egregious. Italian newspapers had criticized the deci-
democratic West Germany (three World Cup wins,
sion to play the World Cup in Chile, and the Chileans
three-time runners-up) was far more successful than
had a fanatic zeal for their national team. Tensions
the communist East. In fact, East Germany (GDR) only
were so high that FIFA flew in English referee Ken
managed to qualify for the World Cup once, in 1974,
Aston to avoid accusations of bias. It didn’t help.
when the tournament was held in — you guessed it —
Players literally boxed with each other on the field
West Germany.
and remained in the game, while an Italian who was
It was a peculiar tournament. The powers of Eng-
ejected stopped play for 10 minutes until armed police
land, France, Spain and Portugal all failed to qualify, so
removed him from the field. Chile won the game, but
the European spots were taken by communist coun-
nobody came out looking well. Many Chilean bars and
tries like Poland, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria and East Germa-
other businesses banned Italians afterward, while the
ny, which was naturally drawn in the same group as its
Italian papers raged back in Europe.
capitalist neighbor.
The BBC’s pre-broadcast note on the game’s replay
Both teams were already assured of a place in the
is legendary:
next round before the game, which was the last of
Good evening. The game you are about to see is the
the first group phase. However, it was still a symbolic
most stupid, appalling, disgusting, and disgraceful
occasion. In contrast to the professional atheletes from
exhibition of football in the history of the game. This is
West Germany, East Germans held regular jobs. Some
the first time these countries have met; we hope it will
East Germans supported the other side, and only 1,500
be the last. The national motto of chile reads, ‘by rea-
specially selected GDR fans were allowed to make the
son or by force.’ Today, the chileans weren’t prepared
train journey to Hamburg to watch the match. The re-
to be reasonable, the italians only used force, and the
sult was a shock 1-0 win for the East Germans, but the
result was a disaster for the world cup. If the world cup
West had the last laugh, defeating the Netherlands in
is going to survive in its present form, something has
the final to win its second World Cup.
got to be done about teams that play like this. Indeed,
after seeing the film tonight, you at home may well
think that teams that play in this manner ought to be
expelled immediately from the competition..
June 22, 1974 At a World Cup final tournament, the 28-year-old
captain of West Germany, FRANZ BECKENBAUER (5) of Bayern
Munich, shakes hands with the skipper of the East Germany,
BERND BRANSCH (3) of FC Carl Zeiss Jena, prior to the start
of the history-making 1974 World Cup First Round, Group One
game at the VOLKSPARKSTADION in HAMBURG. 

BEYOND 80 DIPLOMACY
ARGENTINA,1978:
ARGENTINA VS.
HOLLAND
In 1978, the World Cup was held in Ar-
gentina, which was then controlled by
a military dictatorship. The team, which
featured talismanic striker Mario Kempes,
reached the final to face the Netherlands
(which had considered boycotting the
tournament because of Argentina’s lead-
ership) after a campaign that included a
6-0 win over Peru, which has been the
subject of match-fixing speculation ever
since.
But the final was a hugely political
affair, and Argentina’s 3-1 win gave the
junta a huge propaganda victory, causing
a wave of nationalistic celebration across
the country. But it did much to cover up
some of the regime’s atrocities, and a
soccer game commemorating the junta’s
victims was played in 2008, 30 years after
the 1978 final.

BEYOND 81 DIPLOMACY
SPAIN, 1982
WEST GERMANY VS.
AUSTRIA
Algeria made its first trip to the World Cup  in 1982,
and in its first game there, the North Africans upset a
heavily favored West German side 2-1. After the rest of
the games in the group stage played out, Austria faced
West Germany with a very specific scenario in play. If
the West Germans won 1-0, both they and the Austri-
ans would advance. If either team won by any other
score, the Algerians would move on. Guess what the
score was?
“The Germans duly scored their goal after about
15 minutes, and the rest of the game was played at a
painful pace—not even a practice game,” Goldblatt
says. “The crowd, both Spanish and Algerian, went
completely bonkers, and by the end of it you’ve got
Algerians screaming from behind the fence, waving
money, waving bills and notes in their hands at the
Germans and the Austrians.” As a result of that con-
test, the last games in the group stage are now played
simultaneously.
Fans watching the “Shame of Gijón” in Spain in the
1982 World Cup made sure that the West German and
Austrian players heard their disgust.
BEYOND 82 DIPLOMACY
MEXICO, 1986
ARGENTINA VS.
ENGLAND
If you’re trying to determine the amount of bad feel-
ing in a match-up between two countries, there’s one
question you should ask first: Did they just fight a war?
In the case of Argentina’s quarterfinal against England,
the answer was a resounding yes—four years prior, two
nations had fought in the Falklands War, when British
troops reclaimed the Falkland Islands following an Ar-
gentinian invasion. “The game had the Malvinas written
all over it, certainly as far as the Argentinians were
concerned, as well as the small group of English fans
in the crowd in Mexico,” Goldblatt says. A win would
have been small revenge for the Argentians, but small
revenge is better than nothing.
The still-fresh bullet-holes of a recently fought war
would normally be enough to vault a game into history,
but Argentina’s 2-1 victory turned out to be a hell of a
soccer match. Diego Maradona scored both Argentin-
ian goals, each in opposite fashion: On the first, now
known as the Hand of God, he punched the ball into
the net, the use of his hand obvious to everyone in the
world but the referee; only four minutes later, the sec-
ond, now known as the Goal of the Century, saw him
dribble through five Englishmen and the goalkeeper
with only 11 touches. Maradona scored or assisted on
10 of Argentina’s 14 goals en route to defeating West
Germany in the finals in Mexico’s Estadio Azteca, where
a statue of him still stands.
FRANCE, 1998 GERMANY,2006
USA VS. IRAN ANGOLA VS. PORTUGAL
In 1979, the Iranians ousted the U.S.-backed Shah Before independence in 1975, Angolans had lived under
and installed the Ayatollah-led Islamist Republic. This Portuguese colonial rule for almost 500 years. The two
did not do wonders for the relationship between the countries have a difficult relationship, mixed with mutual
United States and Iran, and when the two were paired bitterness and resentment. These feelings boiled over
in the group stage in the 1998 tournament in France, during an insanely violent “friendly” in 2001. The match
meeting for the first time on a soccer field, it was, Gold- was abandoned in the 67th minute after Angola picked
blatt says, “all set up to be the tensest game in World up its fourth red card, with the score 5-1, Portugal.
Cup history.” Five years later, they were drawn in the same group
Because of how the draw played out, the Iranians at the 2006 World Cup, and the Angolans had the
were supposed to walk toward the Americans for the chance to bring their former masters down with the
pre-game handshake; after protests by the Ayatollah, it whole world watching. But an early goal from Pedro
was decided that the Americans would make the walk, Pauleta took the sting out of Angola, and the game
but that didn’t do anything to help the fact that an Iraqi stayed at 1-0. Both teams managed to finish with 11
terrorist organization purchased 7,000 tickets in order players.
to protest at the game. French riot police entered the
stadium to help keep the peace. It all ended in ... flow-
ers. The Iranians presented the Americans with white
roses as a gift, the two sides posed for pictures, and
then Iran triumphed 2-1, eliminating the U.S. from com-
petition. It was Iran’s first-ever World Cup victory, and
despite the loss, American defender Jeff Agoos has
said, “We did more in 90 minutes than the politicians
did in 20 years.”
Both sets of players line up for a photograph ahead
of the game starting

BEYOND 83 DIPLOMACY
attitude
style &

BEYOND 84 DIPLOMACY
CURVE
APPEAL

W
ith a sinu-
ous body
deserving
of double
takes, the
Essence of Strength
Chaise Longue (start-
ing at $69,000 ) first
appears as a stun-
ning if not elegantly
bonkers scribble that
leapt straight from
concept to construc-
tion, sidestepping
the typical design
checkpoints. It also
gives the rest of the
furniture in the house
an inferiority complex.
Conceived by indus-
trial designer Kristian
Arens, who cofound-
ed the British furni-
ture brand with engi-
neer Clive Johnson,
the dynamic piece
owes nearly every-
thing to carbon fiber.
The company’s use of
the lightweight but
durable material is in
keeping with its de-
sign manifesto: “We
aim always to push
design and structural
tolerances in
order to produce
pieces of furniture
that would simply
not be possible using
more traditional ma-
terials.”
Inspired by Arens’s
passion for the sea,
the limited-edition
chaise longue—fin-
ished with hand-
stitched leather—re-
sembles rolling waves.
Achieving such a fluid
shape is a highly tech-
nical proposition.
It takes more than 2
months to create one
chaise. Each example
is customizable, from
leather options to the
weave pattern seen in
the finished, undulat-
ing design.

BEYOND 85 DIPLOMACY
we love shapes

BEYOND 86 DIPLOMACY
 Aesthetics & sensitivity
Diana Karvouni and Vivian Philippa founded Two
is Company, a world where aesthetic values, archi-
tecture, design and art co-exist in harmony.
BY ELEFTHERIA DAVATZI

What drove you to form Two How would you define

In 2018, the moment had
come to rebrand our growing
company. Our increasingly
international portfolio
and expansion strategy called
for a new name that better
expressed our brand values
and global outlook.
A name that distilled our Greek
heritage but spoke to the rich
scope and scale of our work.
ANAKTAE derives from the
ancient Greek word anaktor,
meaning “palace”.
is Company?
Two is Company was the natural
evolution of our friendship. As tes-
tified by the name of our company,
we believe in the mastermind con-
cept: the best decisions are made
when at least two people deliberate
together. Two is Company is a true
partnership that does not catalyse
individuality. We are two very dif-
ferent people who nonetheless share
deep, primal characteristics –each
of us inspires and guides the other
to paths and spaces we couldn’t
imagine on our own. We have been
creating together since 2009, united
by an additional aesthetic, common
goals, creative clarity and openness.
“inspiration”?
A driving power to create, one
that is instinctive and impetuous.
Inspiration is a bold vision that
only you can see, and it draws you,
it magnetises you while everything
else disappears. It is a one-way
street that doesn’t end until you
reach the destination.
Do you believe that aesthet-
ics begin the moment that
our basic needs are covered?
Could it be that art is aimed
at people who have the time
to deal with it?
Aesthetics aren’t a matter of luxury,
but a mater of priorities, a culture

BEYOND 87 DIPLOMACY

rather than free time and money. Aesthetics are
a component of life, a connective tissue that links
building blocks and allows them to stand strong,
with courage and optimism. Aesthetics encom-
pass the way you talk and think, are evident in
your intentions, attitude and are everywhere
in the immaterial world like an aura, even in
material: in the pens Aris Konstantinidis used to
sketch, in the simple houses on the Cyclades, in
African woodwork, in haiku poetry…
Is there a distance between architecture
and art? What is the difference?
In terms of architecture and design, we believe
that there is a kind of misunderstanding: this is
because people either live in it (architecture) or
next to it (design) in the literal sense, its use and
utility. Because we live in a house and it offers us
1. Kion, candle holders shelter, from the rain for example, we don’t con-
2. The Lychnos Series,
candle holders sider it art but see it is a necessity and practicality.
3. Ilios, table lamp Conversely, because a painting doesn’t have an
obvious use other than being a feast for the eyes,
36 Loukianou St.
106 75 Athens, Greece it is perceived as being more of an art form than a
Tel.: +30 210 72 54 844 house… The usefulness of architecture and design
www.anaktae.com doesn’t bring them either closer to or more dis-
contact@anaktae.com
tant from art. For us, a painting, a sculpture, a
BEYOND 88 DIPLOMACY
1
musical theme are all equally necessary and vital
and aren’t any more of an art form than a house
designed by Adolf Loos, for example.
What are your primary concerns when
faced with a new design?
For it toexist, to be born. We have a rich archive
of ideas in our minds that are eager to “move”
into material existence. Our jobs involve inter-
acting with matter, and we feel like explorers, like
intermediaries between the physical and virtual
worlds. It is exciting to observe the realisation of
the central idea of a project, when the spaces and
furniture we design take on a life of their own,
are “inhabited” or used. We are proud when we
discover a new application for our inspiration in
different scales and levels of production.
Every artist or even every person tries to
pass on a message through their work.
What is the message of Two is Company?
Our production design on a whole, on every level,
moves between archaic geometry and modern-
ism, local and international style. It combines
stringent elements with harmonious ones with a
simple yet sensual luxury.
2

3 4

BEYOND 89 DIPLOMACY
the purity of a classic
Escapement to Victory
To acquire a Laurent Ferrier is to own a timepiece steeped in Swiss watchmaking tradition.
But against a tide of ostentation, how does an independent watchmaker stay true to its
classic codes? BY KATERINA PAPAPOSTOLOU
WITH ITS CLEAN DESIGN, legibility and
ease of use, the Laurent Ferrier Galet Annual
Calendar was the darling of Salon Interna-
tional de la Haute Horlogerie Genève (SIHH
2018), capturing the imagination and resonat-
ing with an industry.
The man behind the eponymous Swiss
house is accustomed to such plaudits. When
Laurent Ferrier debuted his first timepiece in
March 2010 (the Galet Classic Tourbillon), a
mere eight months later it scooped an award
at Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève – the
‘Oscars’ of watchmaking. This was not a brand
emerging from the wilderness, though. Ferrier
is a watchmaker by education, and also by
‘DNA’ – he’s the third generation of watch-
BEYOND 90 DIPLOMACY
makers in his family. Father and grandfather
were also not the only prominent ‘family’ in
his life; a decision to join watchmaking nobil-
ity at the ranks of Patek Philippe also proved
invaluable.
In the 1970s, Ferrier had another passion
– motor racing – and competed at 24 hours
of Le Mans with co-pilot François Servanin.
They worked so well as a duo they promised,
‘one day we will make a watch’. Cut to 30
years later: “Servanin came to Laurent with
a serious proposition: ‘I have some money to
invest in a new venture, are you in or not?’ It
was a once in a lifetime opportunity to create
his own watches from scratch.” The idea was
to create ‘creatively classic’ pieces – “because

there is always a modern touch to every single
creation, but we are heavily grounded in
watchmaking tradition.”
The business model requires further con-
text. At present, the company comprises just
10 people in total – Ferrier and his son, four in
logistics, and four watchmakers. “Many watch
brands release limited editions of 1,000
pieces; our boutique brand has crafted just
800 watches in our existence, since 2010,”
Monestel discloses.
At Laurent Ferrier the ratio is one watch-
maker to one movement, right until the final
phase. “In the wider industry it’s something
that has been lost over time,” the CEO puts
into context, “but as a small watchmaking
outfit creating just 120 pieces per year, our Ferrier is a
spirit is to have one person focused on his or watchmaker by
education, and also
her ‘baby.’” by ‘DNA’ – he’s the
What they accomplish is outstanding; a third generation of
Laurent Ferrier watch is beautiful from every watchmakers in
his family.
single angle. “It must be a pleasure in every laurentferrier.ch
sense; It’s a question of weight, comfort, and
of daily interaction,” she reinforces. “For
instance, a driver has their wrist at an angle,
and looking at the watch profileon, sees all the
reflections – even this engagement has to be
beautiful. We resisted putting anti-reflection
coating, otherwise it looks completely flat.”
Sound plays a crucial part too; for instance,
the salmon-dialled Galet Minute Repeater has
a case made of steel, ‘to accentuate the chime
and endow it with a clear, light tone’. These
are among the many reasons that connois-
seurs are drawn to Laurent Ferrier. “They are
acquiring a movement designed by Laurent
himself, with internal craftsmanship and
decoration that is far above standard,” says
Monestel. “They seek us out, knowing that
we are going to enhance their watch-owning
experience.”
BEYOND 91 DIPLOMACY
elegant writing

Montblanc
A Tribute to imagination
An interview with Frank Juhel, Μontblanc’s president for Middle East,
India and Africa. ELEFTHERIA DAVATZI

FRANCK JUHEL is the president of

Montblanc across the Middle East, India and
Africa. Based in Dubai, Juhel is responsible for
33 markets, with a focus on strengthening key
partnerships and accelerating the development
of Montblanc in the region.

What do you think about the Greek

market? 
It is my first time in Greece. I am very
impressed by the quality of the Malls and of the
stores. I am convinced there is a lot of potential
for the years to come in Greece especially thanks
to the growing market of tourism. Turism is
a big part of Greek’s GDP percent and it is
growing every year. But I don’t think it is the
only option for the country and neither the only
opportunity for Montblanc or for the industry
in general. The local clients are very aware. I
met a lot of people last night and the knowledge
they have about Montblanc and the writing
instruments is impressive. 

92 | BEYONDDIPLOMACY
What is your Montblanc favourite
product?
It’s the limited edition we are doing for the Little
Prince, and it was the first book I got. There is
a product and the product behind the product.
This writing instrument presents the great story
of the Little Prince and this is a story we should
all read again. Moreover this model is based on
the meisterstück and once again we can see the
pioneering spirit. It is the first time we are not
doing a meisterstück that is black. I could talk
hours about this product because it talks to me
at a personal level and professional one too.

Which Montblanc product would you

give for a present to a woman?
I would choose a 1857 wathch, on a Milanese
Bracelet, it is a steel bracelet. It is a men’s watch,
kind of bold. I love this watch and I love women
with bold watches. I love the design and the look
of it on a lady.

How does Montblanc remain modern

and yet hold true to tradition?
Montblanc as a maison since its creation
1906 has the spirit of pioneer and it’s thanks
to that spirit that the writing instruments
meisterstück collection was created. In anything
we do, product or the concept of the boutique
stores we try to stay true to our dna. To the dna
of our founders and we are looking to add the
pioneer spirit. And thanks to the pioneer spirit
we are always trying to reach new ideas and to
push the frontiers of what was seen impossible
and what we can make possible.
This is what makes Montblanc products
so special or there are some other factors
too.
I think in Montblanc we have o product and
you have o product behind a product. When
you purchase a writing instrument or a watch,
you obviously buy it for its intrasect qualities
because you know that MontBlanc is widely
known for its quality and for its finesse and at
the same time you buy the product behind it.
This is something coming from the art and you
ensure good memory, good moment when you
are going to offer that product as a gift to your
husband, to your boyfriend, to your father and
yet it’s a whole thing together. It talks to your
brain and to your heart at the same time.  our clients to get the same service and the
Was it difficult to introduce products
except from witting instruments?
I don’t think it was difficult I think it was more
of a challenge. And when I say challenge, more
an internal challenge than an external one to
our clients. I say that because Montblanc is
seen as a universe. And it’s the same way I was
talking about art before more people identify
our Maison as a representation of Luxury, a
representation of  “know how” of quality, of
history and when we decided to go , many years
ago, to lauch our leather category, we did the We are always trying
to reach new ideas
same thing we did with the writing instruments. and to push the
We decided to do it the right way. Therefore we frontiers of what was
decided to go to Florence in Italy, to do it. We seen impossible and
opened our own manufacture there in Florence what we can make
possible.
because we come back to what we were saying 7 Kriezotou St.,
at the beginning its part of the dna that we have 106 71 Athens
and we have to keep it.  Its a whole world that T: +30 210 3253610
Montblanc represents and allows us, gives us montblanc.com
the freedom to reveal a new dimension in this
universe. 
You became Montblanc’s president for
Middle East, India and Africa about
6 months ago, what is your greatest
challenge?
I think the main challenge is that we want
same quality globally. In term of products our
writing instruments come from Homburg,
our leather goods come from Florence, our
watches come from Switzerland where we have
2 manufactures. Globally we are sure the quality
is the same because the origin is the same.
In term of service, in our boutiques it can be
different from one culture to another and when
one of customer enters a boutique in Dubai for
example or in India or in New York, once he or
she is in the Boutique he has to know that he or
she is in Dubai, New York or India. 

BEYONDDIPLOMACY | 93
 timepieces

GOLDEN
LEAVES
PHOTOS: DIMITRIS KARTERIS
STYLING: MARGARITA PINIOTI

Golden choker with round green

tourmaline and gold earrings with
green tourmaline (Ilias Lalaounis).

94 | BEYONDDIPLOMACY
Golden necklace from
the couture collection
with tourmaline and
iolite gemstones with
bracelet from the same
collection (Zolotas).

BEYONDDIPLOMACY | 95
 timepieces

Gemstone pendant with

diamonds and gold ring
with diamonds (Lito).

96 | BEYONDDIPLOMACY
Starfish neck pendants with
diamond and blue diamonds
with matching rings (Poniros).

BEYONDDIPLOMACY | 97
 timepieces

Gold bracelet with

precious stones and
pearls (Marco Bicego).

98 | BEYONDDIPLOMACY
Gemstone pendant with
diamonds and gold
earrings with diamonds
and gemstones (Lito).

BEYONDDIPLOMACY | 99
essential

BIG
Whether a reward
for hard work,
a reckless
indulgence, or even
an investment, these
luxury toys are for
the select few.

BOYS
TOYS BEYOND 100 DIPLOMACY
1962, TROJAN 200
Britain enjoyed a long history as a bastion of tiny motor vehicles. Peter Agg, the Lambretta
distributor for Britain since 1950, had purchased the long-lived commercial vehicle firm of
Trojan, of Croydon in Surrey, in 1959. Originally built by Leyland Motors, the first Trojan was a
utilitarian, almost agricultural car designed by Leslie Hounsfield. It enjoyed a brief vogue upon
its introduction in 1922, but by the late-1920s, it had been sidelined by the Austin Seven. From
1928, Trojan Ltd. manufactured a wide range of commercial vans and pickups, and even some
light buses.
Agg negotiated the deal for manufacturing the Heinkel-I by Trojan and received the supply of Manufacturer: Trojan Cars Ltd.
motors from Heinkel themselves. Essentially similar to the German Heinkel and Irish Heinkel-I, Origin: Croydon, Surrey, England
the Trojan was built with some British-sourced components, such as Armstrong shock Motor: Heinkel 1-cyl., 4-stroke
absorbers, Wilmot-Breeden latches, and Wipac or Miller lamps. Vent windows were Plexiglas. Displacement: 198 cc
Power: 10 hp
A right-hand drive version was built, but the door was still hinged on the left. Three- and four- Length: 8 ft. 10 in.
wheel versions were made. BEYOND 101 DIPLOMACY
 SO SPARVIERE
PREMIUM SIDELOCK UPLAND SHOTGUN
The SO Sparviere (Italian for “hawk”) is a premium sidelock
over-under shotgun conceived for the upland hunter and
shooter wanting a heirloom-quality work of art. The action
features upward of 100 hours of engraving by masters carrying a
centuries-old tradition, while the total absence of visible screws
gives the engraving an uninterrupted blank canvas to express its
full beauty.
beretta.com

BEYOND 102 DIPLOMACY

HEDONIST
Hedon approaches design with an eye for raw beauty and
innovation. Each luxury Hedon helmet designed in London
has its own unique handcrafted signature. A fine blend of the
old and the new – vintage and retro inspired designs forged
with modern technology, making helmets light weight and low
profile. Our creations to date, are the Hedonist, the Heroine,
the Epicurist, the Cortex, Visors and other motorcycle accesso-
ries. We believe that when form and function come together
seamlessly, style is effortless.
hedon.com

BEYOND 103 DIPLOMACY

making the cut
Christakis. The definition of bespoke
The shirt is the hallmark of the male wardrobe, and Christakis store is synonymous with
tailor-made shirts in Athens. KATERINA PAPAPOSTOLOU
A visit to Kriezotou Street disproves the
popular believe that the fashion and clothing
industry is geared exclusively towards women.
Christakis tailor shop has remained faithful to
the creation of tailor-made shirts and night-
wear since 1947. Over the years, the business
expanded to include two more shops in Kifissia
and Crete. Although they don’t cater to women,
the history and tradition of Christakis ensured
that the shops were to become favourite des-
tinations for men. Some wandered in on their
own accord while others were taken by the hand
and led there as children, to have their first shirt
made for them. In both cases, they remained
loyal, having been won over by the quality, the
CHRISTAKIS, atmosphere and the personal relationship with
5, Kriezotou str., Athens
the proprietors.
BEYOND 104 DIPLOMACY
Today, brothers Christos and Antonis
Nyflis carry on the tradition of their grandfa-
ther with the same energy and inventiveness.
They retain all the elements of the past that
make the creation of their shirts unique, while
infusing the business with the technology of
the present. They have changed nothing in
the cutting and sewing of the garments and
remain steady in their preference for Swiss
and Italian textiles. They remain apprised of
new designs in collars, cuffs and fabrics, visit
exhibitions in Florence, Milan and Paris, and
retain an online presence, introducing their
brand to younger generations.
And yes, young people do visit the shops.
Most are influenced by period TV series and
films. Without knowing it, they request vintage
styles in collars, and they are fortunate enough
to find everything they need at the tailor shop
– even sought after accessories like silk hand-
kerchiefs, tie pins, cravats and original buttons.
Christos and Antonis are always there to share
their knowledge in the proper built of the perfect
shirt, for the jacket or the three-piece suit.
The shop isn’t the ideal place for a quick
purchase. It is a shopping experience for men
that has a beginning, middle and end. First the
fabric, buttons, collar and cuffs must be chosen. Christos and Antonis
Nyflis carry on the
The records of the tailor shop are then updated tradition of their
with the measurements and body proportions grandfather with the
of the customer. The process is completed when same energy and
inventiveness.
he is handed a one-of-a-kind shirt, personalised
with a discreet monogram.
The passage of time has proved that a
Christakis shirt lasts for many years, sometimes
forever. Even when damaged, the staff will be
pleased to undertake any repairs.
BEYOND 105 DIPLOMACY
bespoke
timepieces
luxury car

THE ULTIMATE
PORSCHE
RESTORATION
Singer Vehicle Design optimizes
the classic air-cooled Porsche
911 for the 21st Century.
BY DIMITRIS NANOS

BEYOND 106 DIPLOMACY

BEYOND 107 DIPLOMACY
 W
hen Rob Dickinson, the lead singer
for ’90s British rock band Catherine
Wheel, moved to Hollywood in
the early aughts, he drove a 1969
Porsche 911 that he lovingly dubbed the “Brown
Bomber”—a classic car he restored to serve as
a lightweight daily driver. Before long he was
approached all over town—not for his auto-
graph—rather to field questions about and
receive offers for his car. One especially appre-
ciative motorist even handed him a glass of
Champagne at a stoplight. Now his nine-year-
old company, Singer Vehicle Design, is charging
up to seven figures to restore models from the
nameplate’s air-cooled golden period of the late
1980s to early 1990s and turn them into the
“ultimate 911.” After contracting with Singer,
customers turn over their “964”-model Porsche
BEYOND 108 DIPLOMACY
911 (built between 1989 and 1994) and a sizable
deposit before the company puts 4,000 hours
into restoring, tuning, and customizing it.
Founded in 2009, Singer Vehicle Design’s
vision involves taking a customer’s exist-
ing 964 model Porsche 911 (from 1990-1994)
vehicle and performing both restorative work
and cutting–edge modifications to update the
cars’ performance, aesthetics and modern
day use-ability in an attempt to optimize its
strengths, while preserving the essence and
magic of the original.
The Singer brand is a celebration of Porsche’s
genius and each restoration begins with a cus-
tomer’s car and repatriates the 911 chassis of the
early ‘90’s with the most beautiful Ferdinand
“Butzi” Porsche coachwork from 1964. The goal
is to preserve a moment in time for the owner
and capture a snapshot of the air-cooled period
of the Porsche 911. The final restoration, a work
of pure craftsmanship, takes more than 4,000
hours to complete.
Singer’s philosophy – blending tradition
with modernity to re-create bespoke, one-of-a-
kind masterpieces to each customer’s desires
within perfectly optimized air-cooled Porsche
911s – continues to move forward with each new
bespoke order. With limited availability and
an 8-10 month restoration cycle, vehicles have
more recently been commissioned by Porsche
owners in Hong Kong, Moscow, Canada,
England, Germany, New Zealand, Norway and
the UK.
“Our company’s heritage is based on utilizing
the ultimate in automotive design, engineering
and industry standards to meet and exceed the
vision of our fine clientele,” said Rob Dickinson, SINGER
creator and founder of Singer. VEHICLE
Singer Vehicle Design’s basic restoration ser-
vices begin at $395,000 but average $600,000,
DESIGN’S
The Singer brand is
“which is still way too cheap,” says Dickinson, a celebration of Porsche’s
“for the assiduous labor and hand-built parts genius and each restoration
begins with a customer’s car
required.” In 2009, Dickinson charged one
of his first customers $300,000 and ended
up spending $800,000 on the restoration. “I
picked a number out of thin air and of course it
was nowhere near, and we’ve spent the last eight
years really understanding how astronomically
expensive it is to do this,” he says. The former
rock star restoring six-figure Porsches recalls a
car-­obsessed childhood underpinned by a curi-
osity about mechanical objects, heritage brands,
and the trappings of the retro international man
of mystery: sunglasses, cigarettes, and watches.
BEYOND 109 DIPLOMACY
dream on

BEYOND 110 DIPLOMACY

 Cloud 9
A State of Bliss
Timeless styling, beautiful furnish-
ings and sumptuous seating feature
throughout to create an elegant and
comfortable atmosphere. Cloud 9
could induce, as its name suggests,
a long-term state of bliss.
BY EMILIOS HATZIDAKIS

BEYOND 111 DIPLOMACY

 T imeless styling, beautiful furnish-
ings and sumptuous seating feature
throughout to create an elegant
and comfortable atmosphere. Cloud 9 could
induce, as its name suggests, a long-term state
of bliss. The second largest yacht to ever leave
the CRN yard, the 74m Cloud 9 features a pala-
tial interior, along with exterior living spaces by
Winch Design, and exterior styling by Zuccon
International Project. The impressive leisure and
entertainment facilities make it the ideal yacht
for socializing and entertaining with family and
friends.The sub lower deck is crucial: it is the
engine that drives every sailing boat on a day-
to-day basis, which is why this is where our tour
of the Cloud 9 is kicking off. This deck rises to
the challenge of representing this boat; both in
terms of its location and its function. However,
the holiday begins on the lower deck, with its
more than 60 square meters of blue area and
beach club, where you can relax with a drink
on blue-and-white deckchairs or bar stools, or
have fun using the nautical sports equipment
and toys that you can find in their storage areas
behind the beach club. Two garages along both
sides contain two different tenders and have a
hatch for access to the sea, one of which can
be turned into a 25-square-metre platform for
playing sport or having fun with the toys without
getting in the way of the blue area. Each of the
areas is decorated according to its use but still
in keeping with the style of the boat, meaning
that the garage with the large terrace over the sea
can be used as an extension to the beach club.
Higher up, we come to the main deck, which on
Cloud 9 is the guest deck with six cabins each
with its own features and finishes. As elsewhere
SPECIFICATION on the ship, various types of oak are used here
Length 242.78ft /74m for decoration, in various contrasting combina-
Builder CRN tions: natural oak is used for the wide decking
Exterior Designer boards, matched with soft white carpeting, and
Zuccon for the runners on the stairs, while whitened oak
Interior Design is mostly used for the walls and furniture. The
Winch Design
doors are in dark oak carved with motifs also
Built | Refit 2017
Model Custom
reprised on some of the windows, while the same
Beam 44.29ft /13.5m wood is hammered to resemble leather, as in the
Gross Tonnage sides of the television. In the lounge, everything
2200 Tonnes has an aesthetic role to play; even the columns
Draft 10.50ft /3.2m look like sculptures. The couches, cushions and
Cruising Speed niche backdrops are in a striking ultramarine
12 Knots
blue, with bar stools, sofas and carpets in ivory
Top Speed
16.5 Knots white. This bright environment creates a sense
of calm and can be used as a cinema, complete
BEYOND 112 DIPLOMACY
with a 120”-screen hidden in the ceiling and a 4K
video projector, both of which are operated using
an automated system. On the upper deck there
is a lounge subtly finished in mother of pearl
and steel, with niches for objects and artwork
evocative of the sea. Stunning painted panels
portray the sky and clouds on the walls of the
dining room and the lounge. This space opens
out to the exterior astern, through a circular
stained glass sliding door that can be opened
to 120°, so you can dine al fresco around a
large round table that can be removed easily,
transforming the whole area into a single large
indoor and outdoor space for parties. Moving
forward, we come to the gym, where the equip-
ment can be stowed away in custom spaces to
create a games room or classroom. Flooded by
the light from a large window that overlooks the
side deck, stands the masterful suite, where the
mood is set by a play of leathers ranging from
ivory to white, interrupted by the natural color
of wood and the blue of the bedhead, cushions
and drawers. The outer bow area is huge and
all to be enjoyed; it is furnished with enormous
sofas, the largest of which has a sunbathing area
facing the sea behind it.  At the far end of the
bow there is a dining corner shaded by a raised
canopy, which can be rolled back, with a large
divided oak table that can be removed easily and
placed elsewhere to create an amazing space for
parties, including karaoke facilities. The owner’s
deck has 400 square meters of floor space cov-
ered in a single piece of custom soft white wool
and silk carpet reminiscent of the waves of the
sea. The sun deck is a space for relaxation and
enjoyment on the forward deck, with a hydro
massage tub surrounded by sun pads and for-
ward-facing seating which can enjoy a unique
view, plus a central bar that comes with all the
equipment you need. Cloud 9’s glass-bottom
pool is the yacht’s natural gathering point, with
a Jacuzzi and memory-foam sofas nearby to pro-
mote relaxation. There is also a round table that
seats twelve persons, for informal dinners, and a
U-shaped couch that takes up almost the entire
width of the deck. Behind this is a large sun pad
facing the ship’s wake. The sense of being in an
oasis of relaxation, inside and out, is reinforced
at every turn, with calming choices in furniture,
lighting, and the entertainment system. Despite
its cavernous spaces and overall size, Cloud 9 is at
heart an intimate family yacht that pays homage
to formality without being imprisoned by it.
 1

2 3

1. The magnificent beach club of CRN Cloud 9

2. The owners cabin
3. Cloud 9’s interior impresses from every angle.
4. A cloud fresco surrounds the formal dining area, reminding
one that on Cloud 9 you are somewhere between heaven and
4 earth. Marine life and corals are the yacht’s leitmotif.

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love me tender
Buehler Turbocraft Silverfin
Silverfin is a new type of craft never seen
before in the market and developed for
owners expecting the best possible mix
of design, comfort and experience. Half-
way between a traditional lobster boat
and a small explorer yacht, it offers the
benefit of both types. Designed by a tal-
ented designer of super-yachts, Silverfin
has an unmistakable and elegant silhou-
ette that will turn heads wherever you
sail. The minimalist superstructures, large
glass surfaces and attention to detail
deliver the same exclusiveness, feel and
touch as a custom yacht.
http://buehler-turbocraft.com

The Super Yacht Tender

Often considered the most important piece
of kit on board, superyacht tenders are
invaluable for their ability to whisk guests
ashore in the utmost comfort
BY EMILIOS HATZIDAKIS

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Aeroboat S6
At 65ft, the Aeroboat S6 combines ele-
gant outdoor living, easy access to the
water’s edge, and the thrill of high-perfor-
mance cruising in a yacht underpinned by
exemplary design, naval architecture and
engineering. With a collection of distinc-
tive features combined with the perfor-
mance and control expected of a vessel
powered by Rolls-Royce, the S6 sits in
a class of its own. A profusion of care-
fully considered design and engineering
solutions have gone into the Aeroboat S6
to produce a truly unique and captivat-
ing yacht. These key features create the
ultimate user-focused experience.

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 timepieces
PIRELLI TECNORIB 1900
Italian watercraft builder Tecnorib has un-
veiled its latest collaboration with Pirelli,
the PIRELLI 1900. It’s the biggest Pirelli
boat so far – this will be the third release
from the duo – and will be powered by
twin 800 hp MAN engines and boast a
lightweight carbon fiber roof. Combined,
these two traits help the inflatable boat
to hit speeds upwards of 53 mph on the
open water. It also features an automat-
ic trim setting and resin-infused hull for
smoother sailing and a roomy region
below deck with two cabins, two bath-
rooms, and a sizable living area. In addi-
tion, both bathrooms are finished with
mosaic tiles while wood and plush fabrics
make up the remaining interior design – a
nice juxtaposition to the more industrial
exterior. www.pirellidesign.com

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Foiler
Raise your standards and sail above
the waves at 40 knots in full comfort.
With an avant-garde propulsion system
combining two diesel and electric 320HP
engines, and ENATA’s custom electric
torpedoes, the FOILER is redefining
sailing and day cruising.The hydro-foil-
ing system, enabling the boat to fly 1.5m
above the water, provides an unmatched
experience, where speed and reactivity
are the centre-pieces. Anchored in the
water by four powerful foils, the FOILER
is both extremely stable and immune to
wave interference. Driving the FOILER is
surprisingly easy and effortless, and the
subtle luxury will make any sailing session
a relaxing and memorable experience.
www.foiler.com

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 timepieces

Riva Aquarama Special

A small number of Riva Aquaramas have
been produced over the years, and each
one has been a true work of art. Like its
land-roving brother the Ferrari, the Aquar-
ama has always signified a certain sleek el-
egance. Iconic Italian actress Sophia Loren
once owned one of these luxury wooden
runabouts, and James Bond drove one in
the 1995 film GoldenEye, which should give
you some idea as to the general aura that
the Aquarama exudes.
www.riva-yacht.com

Mazu 38
Mazu Yachts has been designing, produc-
ing and marketing luxury ‘hard-top and
open’ motor yachts since 2011. The Mazu
38 offers fully customizable deck and
interior layouts. The unit on display at the
show has an open plan layout with dining
space “al-fresco” in the aft deck, an en-
suite bathroom with separate full stand-
ing shower and additional crew cabin. To
maximize guests comfort, boat has two
galleys with Gaggenau appliances both
inside and outside, equipped with cooker,
grill, microwave and oven, along with sink,
fridge, deep freezer and ample storage
for crockery and provisions. A bimini, aft
deck shower and swim platform with a
retractable swim ladder on the transom,
provide added cruising benefits.
www.mazuyachts.com

BEYOND 118 DIPLOMACY

 timepieces

H
Y
D
A JOURNEY
THROUGH
A LEGEND

R
A
BEYOND 120 DIPLOMACY
Surrounded with rocks, drenched with the golden
sunlight and with the Argosaronikos gulf embracing
its bays, this island, where not even a single sound of
an engine is heard, is the ideal destination for short
gateways from Athens
BY ANTONIS THEODOROU, PHOTO:PERICLIS MERAKOS

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BEYOND 122 DIPLOMACY

T
he classical and jazz melodies that gush
from the speakers of the beach bars
mingle with the “remains” of Sophia
Loren’s unrivalled charm, defining this island
of the Argosaronikos gulf as an ultimately classy
destination. The picturesque port, the impressive
mansions, the paved alleys, the waterborne taxis
and the residents’ little boats remind us of Venice’s
magical images, but the absence of motor-driven
vehicles is what ensures the heavenly tranquility
and the calm pace of life which define the island
and which seem to be lost in time. The fact that
Hydra’s lovers maintain their loyalty to the island
throughout the whole year is not a coincidence.
The island’s uniqueness is perceptible from
the very first moment that the ship enters the
port: The image of the mansions –most of which
are the Captains’ traditional residences–, which
spread amphitheatrically on the hills surrounding
the port, outdo in beauty even the most inspired
painting. No ugly innovations have managed to
damage the architectural profile of the whilom
vigorous marine nation, which is a remarkable
achievement if one takes into account the island’s
fast tourist development, which begun in the ’50s.
The island attracts many excursionists from
early on in the spring and onwards. Easter here
has a special tincture, since the sweet melancholy
of the days matches perfectly the fairy-like aura of
the island. On Holy Friday, the Epitaph procession
Hydra is now at the Kamini district confirms the first impres-
a stop-off on the
glittery international sion. According to a special custom which, every
art circuit and yet the year, lures masses of visitors, the residents of the
boho, go-slow Greek Kamini first carry out the Epitaph procession and
island will always then, the men who carry the Epitaph on their
sway gently to shoulders enter the sea, in order to sanctify the
its own rhythm.
water for the seamen. In the end, all the Epitaphs
of the island meet at the port. On Easter Sunday,
among an uproar of fireworks, the burning of the
Judas takes place, as is accustomed in many areas
of the country. Somewhere within the walks and
the Easter customs, it’s worth finding some time
to do a little bit of sight-seeing.
The trademark of the island is the cannon
which looms on the left side of the port, a proof of
the island’s decisive contribution in the Revolution
of 1821. For those who want to learn more about
the history of the island, a visit to the Museum of
Modern History is a must. The Museum is housed
in the impressive Mansion of the Koundouriotis
family, in an area smothered with pines –a rarity
for a place dominated by the wild beauty of the
rocks–, which can allure even those who are not
“thirsty” for historical knowledge.
The tour includes more stately mansions, such
as the Tsamados mansion (it housed the School of
Sea Captains straight after the Revolution) and the
Kriezis mansion, the four-storey Tompazis man-
sion which has been a property of the School of
Fine Arts since 1935 and is currently functioning
as a branch of the School, as well as the Zourva
Abbey, at the island’s edge, with the breathtak-
ing view. No one can resist the arty shops which
embrace the port, nor the cute bars and cafes
which are lined one after the other and are ideal
for loitering about and looking at the passers-by.
These became renowned throughout the whole
world, being featured in international movies
which were filmed on the island. The sea breeze
will literally act as a breath of fresh air to your
being, and the cobbled alleys will invite you to
vanish in their maze and intoxicate your senses
with the scent of the flowers blossoming in the
yards. All the areas on the inland are very pic-
turesque, featuring colorful wooden doors and
bougainvilleas which pour all over the stone fences
and culminate onto the paved surfaces, magne-
tizing the looks and making the mind travel into
a different dimension. And then summer comes
and, like a Siren, tempts the visitor with the water
element. The beaches which used to be remote
and deserted now have deck chairs and a regular
public transportation operating between them and
the port, giving the bathers further choices than
just diving from the steep rocks. One of the best
beach choices is Agios Nikolas, with its crystal
waters, and Vlihos. The beach which is closest to
the town, and which is easily accessible without
a sea-taxi, is Kaminia. It can be reached on foot,
by a short fifteen-minute walk along the coast.
Hydra is here, loyal to the principals and values
which made it a legend of the Argosaronikos gulf.
Beautiful as ever, it is ready to seduce all its visi-
tors. Can you resist its charm?
BEYOND 123 DIPLOMACY
infinity

Ο ne might wonder if the Maldives is

running out of islands by now. In the
last year alone, the island nation in
the middle of the Indian Ocean has
seen the opening of dozens of resorts— from
St. Regis’s ultra-luxurious Vommuli property to
the Four Seasons’ first-of-its-kind private island
retreat on Voavah—each aiming to top the last.
But the debut of Soneva Jani (soneva.
com) might just have ended that competition.
Opened above the aquamarine waters of the
Medhufaru lagoon, the 25-villa retreat is the
floating fancy of British entrepreneur Sonu
Shivdasani and his Swedish wife, the former
model Eva Malmström Shivdasani.
The duo—known for matching over-the-
top luxury with significant sustainability
practices at properties like Soneva Fushi and
Thailand’s Soneva Kiri—has delivered with
their latest endeavor a true overwater oasis.
Each of the one- to four-bedroom villas
is as sleek as it is smart, featuring pale wood
paneling, minimalist rattan furnishings,
and hand-dyed textiles, as

ISLE OF PLENTY
well as a retractable roof, a
waterslide, and a 100-foot-
long infinity-edge pool.
The Shivdasanis have
ensured that all the requisite amenities are
readily available, but they have also added a
few meaningful extras of their own. There’s
an overwater observatory, an outdoor
cinema, and, for guests whose Maldivian
dreams know no bounds, a collection of pri-
vate residences priced from $3 million.

BEYOND 124 DIPLOMACY

BEYOND 125 DIPLOMACY
THE DISH | DINING

By the Glass

Dining in Athens BY THE GLASS is

a hidden treasure
delights on a platter,
elegant brunch and
Glass designs over
the historic main
The restaurant scene in for those seeking imaginative reci- square dedicated
elegant flavours in pes inspired by the to Rallou Manou,
Athens has never been downtown. Lo- Greek cuisine, per- Greek choreog-
as good as it is right now. cated inside the fectly accompanied rapher, who even
Wondering where to start? Ralli porch, it has by a glass or a bottle founded the Greek
Here are some of our current a stunning exterior of a fine wine. Every Chorodrama.
area with a great spring season till the
favorites of where to eat view over the old end of the summer,
in Athens with pictures, Russian church. you can enjoy com-
reviews, and details from all Fromm noon till late fort food dining at 3 Souri st, &
Filelinon, Athens,
around the city. night, By the Glass the unique exterior T:+30 210 323 2560
is ideal for gourmet space that By the www.bytheglass.gr

126 | BEYONDDIPLOMACY
BEYOND 126 DIPLOMACY
Katsourbos
“KATSOURBOS” tan gastronomy in island of Crete.
is named after Athens. All products Our emblematic
the homonymous used in Katsour- plates are among
comedy by George bos Cuisine(which others, the lamb
Hortatsis. Kat- is included in the with stamnagathi
sourbos Cuisine “European choice” or the handmade
was established in of the Internation- pies with cheese and
January 2005. It has al Gastronomical herbs. Everything is
been described as Catalogue Zagat and accompanied with
the “Renaissance of Monocle Maga- bread and our raki.
Cretan Cuisine” by zine) are delivered
2 Aminta st, Proskopon Square, Pagrati,
the Athenian press, once per week from 116 34, Athens, Τ: +30 210 722 2167
since it introduced individual produc- Email: info@katsourbos.com,
the original Cre- tion units at the www.katsourbos.gr

BEYOND 127 DIPLOMACY

books

The reading club

These are the political books who Beyond
Diplomacy magazine suggest to read during this
time in politics. ‘Russian Roulette : The Inside Story of
Putin’s War on America and the Elec-
tion of Donald Trump’
by Michael Isikoff & David Corn.

Written by Michael Isikoff and

David Corn, the book explores
the account of how Vladimir
Putin allegedly hacked the
American election of Donald
Trump. A covert operation to
subvert the United State’s de-
mocracy, this book claims that
Putin helped Trump gain the
presidency. Informative, and
written by two reputable jour-
nalists, it is an incredible read. 

New Female Tribes

by Rachel Pashley

How do you see women? And how do they see

themselves?
As women become more and more empowered,
politically and economically, it is clear that their
lot is changing across the globe. This book will
prove essential reading to all those who seek to
better understand women’s dreams, ambitions
and goals.

The People versus Democracy: Why Our Free- The Dawn of Eurasia: On the Trail of
dom is in Danger and How to Save it the New World Order,
by Yascha Mounk, Harvard University Press. by Bruno Maçães, Allen Lane

The central theme of An intriguing and very

this book is that the rise readable argument for
of populism means that the re-emergence of
liberalism and democracy Eurasia as a single land-
are no longer naturally mass that will be central
complementary. Mounk to both the economics
makes telling use of and the power politics
survey data to chart the of the 21st century.
decline in support for Maçães’s book combines
democratic ideas in the analysis with on-the-
west. ground reporting.

128 | BEYONDDIPLOMACY
BEYOND 128 DIPLOMACY
 Why ancient Greece?
THE BIRTH AND DEVELOPMENT
OF DEMOCRACY

W hy Ancient Greece is written for

the general reader who wishes to under-
stand the birth and development of democracy,
and its influence on modern government. It pre­
sents a fresh, innovative and often unorthodox
view, using new economic and political theory
and methodology to explain how and why de-
mocracy emerged when it did, the conditions
that shaped it, and the values it inspired.
From the birth of the city-state and the evo-
lution of the hoplite soldier and the phalanx, to
the rise of Athenian democracy, the author tra-
ces the origins of such essential issues as public
choice, civic and human rights, and the world’s
first social contract.
Taking the reader on a tour of democracy as
reinvented by medieval Switzerland, the mari-
time Dutch Republic, 17th century England, and
America and France in the throes of revolution,
Nicholas Kyriazis ends with a short guide to to-
day’s Greece for visitors who wish to experience
its enduring democratic history.

NIcholas KyrIazIs has

a Ph. D. in Economics. he
has been a visiting profes-
sor at both harvard and
Trier Universities and is
currently professor of Eco-
nomics at the University of Thessaly. he has
contributed numerous papers to international
academic journals, and over 300 press articles.
3rd reprint In 2005 the President of the French republic
named him a Knight of the legion of honor
for his contribution to European ideals.

READ MORE
last page

190 Years
of diplomatic
relations between
Russia and
Greece

Prime Minister of Greece Konstantinos Karamanlis at the Tomb of (Vyacheslav Runov/ SPUTNIK)
the Unknown Soldier in Moscow during his official visit to the Soviet
Union. October 2, 1979

Greece and Russia reach 190 years of

diplomatic relations this year. Over the course
of two centuries and through the historical
changes experienced by both countries
and our peoples, our relations have evolved
and have been established. Today, mutual
respect and multi-level co-operation are the
pillars on which we build our future relations.
Initiatives such as the Greece-Russia Year,
as well as this year’s Greek-Russian Tourism
Year (2017-2018), with various events in the
two countries bring together our peoples,
strengthen our common actions and seal the
very good level of our bilateral relations .

BEYOND 130 DIPLOMACY