High -ranking political officials, businessmen and analysts from Greece, Cyprus, Israel and the United States gathered the 6th Eastern Mediterranean Business Conference of the Economist that took place on Thursday in New York, with special references to the role of Cyprus and Greece and Greece.
The conference, including, among other things, by the Deputy Minister of Migration and International Protection, Nikolas Ioannides, and the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Haris Georgiadis, focused on exploiting the geostrategic potential of the area through cooperatives.
The Deputy Minister of Migration, Nikolas Ioannidis, referred to Figure 3+1 as a flexible strategic tool "responding to realities on the field". He emphasized the role of Cyprus as a gateway to Europe and reminded that "Cyprus, Greece and Israel can function as critical pillars". He also underlined the importance of the law "Eastern Mediterranean Security and Energy Partnership Act" for the deepening of cooperation.
"It should be emphasized that Cyprus is in a unique position to become a gateway to Europe. The country's strategic infrastructure can offer a dominant passage to Europe through the eastern Mediterranean. Cyprus is ready to welcome traditional regional and international investment, as well as related projects."
He also stressed that "the Republic of Cyprus will take over the presidency of the Council of the European Union in January 2026 and is ready to play the role of the regional mediator, offering solutions and enhancing humanitarian efforts in the Middle East and in general."
"Given that Turkey's current policies are creating tensions, the utilization of this alliance should aim to end tensions and create a environmental and consensus environment. Cyprus remains consistently committed to this partnership.
The Chairman of the House of Foreign Affairs and European Affairs Committee, Haris Georgiadis, spoke extensively about the strategy of the Eastern Mediterranean.
He stressed that the Eastern Mediterranean is at a crucial crossroads. It can evolve either into a zone of opportunities and cooperation, or in the outbreak of conflict, migratory pressures and threats to international security, he said. Its evolution, he noted, depends largely on the strategic cooperation of the Liberal Republics of the region - Greece, Cyprus, Israel and the US.
He recalled that the area is at the same time a hub of commercial and energy corridors, but also a space of volatility: from the failed state entities (Libya, Yemen, Syria) to Hamas' terrorism and the attacks of Houthi. He emphasized that there is no room for strategic inactivity and called on the West to avoid repetitions of the "strategic blindness" he has shown to Russia, Turkey and extremist organizations.
He was positively referring to Donald Trump's renewed support in Abraham's agreements, considering that a possible involvement of Saudi Arabia and Syria is a strategic depth. He said, however, volatility insists - with Hamas and Houtha attacks on Israel continuing.
Mr Georgiadis stressed that Cyprus has proven its contribution to the collective security of the region, supporting the US and Israel with military infrastructure and facilities, despite not being a member of NATO due to Turkish objections. At the same time, he underlined the need for promoting energy projects such as the Israel -Cyprus -Greece axis and noted that they should not be blocked.
Concluding, he said that if cooperation on a political, strategic and energy level continues, the Eastern Mediterranean can be converted from a danger zone into a hotbed of growth and stability for the whole West.
Greece's Deputy Foreign Minister Tasos Hatzivasiliou developed the country's national strategy in the energy sector and regional interconnection.
"Our goal is clear: to find a sustainable alternative to reduce Europe's dependence on Russian fossil fuels. We have to be honest in this regard, it is the European goal and Greece is really serving this mission, "he said.
He presented energy projects such as Gregy and Great Sea Interconnector, as well as the LNG terminal in Alexandroupolis. He also referred to the India -Eastern -Europe Economic Cooperation corridor (IMEC), saying that "Greece can be the natural gateway to Europe".
"Do not forget that beyond all of them, we are also a strong shipping force. For example, almost a quarter of the world trade fleet belongs to Greek shipowners. Consequently, Greece is always willing, through platforms such as Figure 3+1, to work with countries that share our own countries that share our own countries and Challenges of the future, ”he said.
Regarding Turkey, Mr Hadjivasiliou noted that "when we are talking about a figure like 3+1, we refer to similar democratic countries that share the same values." He added that "no one has ruled out Turkey, but must accept reality. We must always remember that it holds the northern part of Cyprus, ”he said.
The Chairman of the Capital Market Commission (CYSEC), George Theocharidis, pointed out that the Cyprus financial market is dynamic, supervised by the Securities and Exchange Commission. One of its main sectors is investment services, which operate within the OECD EFIT framework and are intense cross -border, with about 250 companies, mainly Fintech (60%) serving private investors across Europe, he said.
The collective investment sector includes € 10 billion in funds, by a majority in alternative investment schemes (AIFS), which direct about 30% of their funds within Cyprus. There is also the Cyprus Stock Exchange in the privatization process, as well as a small but important area of administrative and corporate services providers, he said. He made special mention in the pop -up sector of Crypto Assets, which from 1/1/2025 belongs to the European Regulation.
Michalis Fekkas, the first vice -chairman of the Hellenic Capital Market Committee, underlined the importance of trust and regional cooperation in the Eastern Mediterranean as the foundation for building a common financial future.
He said that the Eastern Mediterranean, in addition to its historical burden, could turn into a core of financial innovation. He referred to the vision of a unified regional ecosystem in which businessmen, investors and markets from Greece, Cyprus and Israel will work with common regulatory standards and technological interoperability.
He pointed out that technology - artificial intelligence, blockchain and algorithms - bring opportunities and challenges. Innovation, he said, must be accompanied by human values. The Hellenic Securities and Exchange Commission, he stressed, seeks responsible use of technology, with the aim of enhancing the transparency, access and confidence of citizens.
Christos Marafatsos, president of the "Greeks for Trump", pointed out the geopolitical and commercial value of Greece and Cyprus.
He emphasized the strategic importance of US-Greece-Cyprus-Israel relations and praised the essential work done to strengthen them. He pointed out that the Trump Presidency emphasizes the implementation of business opportunities and investment, citing recent trillion dollars in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE.
Referring to Greece, he noted that, despite its smaller GDP, it has significant advantages, such as its geostrategic position and its dynamic business, with US $ 2.8 billion in commercial flows. He emphasized the need for targeted communication of the country's investment potential and proposed to strengthen flows, especially in the LNG sector, proposing a shift to US imports.
He made a special reference to IMEC, which he described as the greatest opportunity in foreign policy in recent years.
"Greece is strategically positioned. So is Israel. So does Cyprus. We have a lot to offer. And of course we have IMEC. IMEC is probably the biggest opportunity we have in foreign policy in recent years, which can really change the game." He stressed.
At the same time, he expressed doubts about the consequence of Turkey as an ally in NATO. He said that the Turks "have done a great job to connect their economy with the United States. They have a defense industry, agricultural industry, service industry. They operate in many sectors - and you can't overthrow it from day to day. It's a problem. And if you ask me, I don't think it is the most reliable."
He pointed out that economic cooperation is the common denominator of all discussions and that it is now time for Greece to claim a role of protagonist.
Businessman John Katsimatidis, commenting on the image of US President Donald Trump on the international stage, said, although he is causing reactions, he acts effectively and quickly and that he will ensure that he will protect Greece, Cyprus and Israel, and will boost the US. He said he was convinced that the next four years, chaired by Trump, would be a period of financial security and cooperation for the Eastern Mediterranean.
