“We do not need to prove that Greece and Cyprus are close. What we need to consider is how that closeness can be translated into better public policy.” With this message from Cyprus Forum Executive Chairman Nicolas Kyriakides, the Cyprus Forum Athens 2026 opened. Held in Athens for the second year running, the event had ELIAMEP as its content partner.
Policymakers, diplomats, academics and representatives of the business community met three days after the US midterm elections, at a time when Europe is reassessing its competitiveness and the Eastern Mediterranean is once again at the centre of geopolitical developments.
Tasos Chatzivasileiou, Greece’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, stressed that “the key word everyone in Europe needs to understand is connectivity”.
He pointed to the Great Sea Interconnector, trilateral mechanisms and the 3+1 format as evidence that the region can become a hub for energy connectivity.
He described cooperation between Greece and Cyprus as essential to stability and security in the Eastern Mediterranean at a time of geopolitical uncertainty.
He also set out the priorities for Greece’s 2027 presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU): security and defence, competitiveness, resilience, enlargement, migration and an integrated maritime policy.
ELIAMEP Director General Elena Lazarou said the recent Cypriot presidency and Greece’s upcoming presidency of the Council of the EU offer a framework for closer coordination and shared priorities.
She also noted that cooperation between research centres and think tanks in the two countries is both a necessity and a shared asset in advancing the interests and values of Greece and Cyprus.
The forum’s panels covered:
Europe’s competitiveness: why European savings are not being channelled into investment, obstacles to implementing the Draghi and Letta reports, and the need for regulatory stability and predictability for businesses.
Geopolitics through a regional lens: the need for Greece and Cyprus to shape developments rather than simply react, hybrid threats, uncertainty over US policy, and the role of Turkey and China in the region.
Energy, technology and transport: the targeted use of artificial intelligence in areas where the two countries have a comparative advantage, such as shipping; skills development; and the need for Greece and Cyprus to act as one team in international markets.
Closing the proceedings, Nicolas Kyriakides noted that participation had increased compared with last year.
He stressed that Cyprus Forum Athens is an ongoing process, not a one-off event, aiming to ensure cooperation between the two countries produces ideas, policies and initiatives with greater impact.
Cyprus Forum Athens was organised by Oxygen for Democracy, with ELIAMEP as Content Partner, UNIC Athens as Event Partner, European University Cyprus as Supporter, Action Global Communications as Communications Partner, and Athens Capital Hotel – MGallery Collection as Hospitality Partner.