6th Thessaloniki International Symporium in World Affairs
Event Reports
For 6th year in a row, the Navarino Network, the Cultural Association of Northern Greek Entrepreneurs, and the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, Office Greece organized the Thessaloniki International Symposium in World Affairs. The focus of the Symposium this year shifted to the situation in Greece and Cyprus, the threat of Islamism, the relations to Russia and Turkey, as well as the further deepening of the project of the European integration. Prominent representatives from politics and the academia from around the world analyzed crucial questions in fields like economy, growth and security on regional, European and global level.
The event took place at Olympion, in the center of Thessaloniki. More than 400 guests, especially excellent young students and professionals from the region attended the conference and had the opportunity to exchange views with experts from Greece and abroad.
Welcome Remarks
Dimitris Keridis, Director of Navarino Network
Stavros Andreadis, Head of Cultural Association of Northern Greek Entrepreneurs
Yiannis Boutaris, Mayor of Thessaloniki
Norbert Beckmann-Dierkes, Acting Head of KAS Greece
The main part of the Symposium opened with the speech of Haris Georgiades, Minister of Finance of the Republic of Cyprus, who presented the lessons taught throughout the crisis in the island, as well as the measures taken by the authorities in response to the severe financial situation. The case of Greece in all its complexity was the topic of Joan Hoey, The Economist Intelligence Unit, who among others made the connection to the European and global challenges. The next issue on the table was the threat of Islamism, Alia Brahimi, Legatus Strategic Intelligence and Advisory, and James Renton, Edge Hill University analysed different aspects of it using practical and actual examples. Bhaskar Chakravorti, Tufts University shared his thoughts with the audience on how growth can be achieved through technological evolution, whereas Andreas Drymiotis, Kathimerini, elaborated on how Greece can find its way to growth in a new, digitalized era.
The next panel focused on security matters. Jamie Shea, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), presented which role NATO can play nowadays, especially in relation to its cooperation with the EU, but also towards Russia. Whether the latter can indeed be a threat to Europe, was the main point of the presentation of Laza Kekic. Wolfango Piccolli focused on the role Turkey in Southeast Europe, whereas Denis MacShane, former Minister of State for Europe of the Labour Party showed in his speech how complicated the Brexit can be and which consequences it can have both on the EU and the UK. Dr. Heribert Dieter, Free University of Berlin, analysed the scenario of a continent of more speeds and the role of the IMF was the topic of Wolfango Piccolli's second presentation. The Symposium closed with Philipp McCann, Sheffield University, in regards to the regional crises in Europe and the problems that could arise for the EU.
Topics
Provided by
Foundation Office Greece and Cyprus
About this series
The Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, its educational institutions, centres and foreign offices, offer several thousand events on various subjects each year. We provide up to date and exclusive reports on selected conferences, events and symposia at www.kas.de. In addition to a summary of the contents, you can also find additional material such as pictures, speeches, videos or audio clips.