EDITORIAL

Dimitrios Tsailas (ret) Admiral)
(He has taught for many years, operational planning, strategy, and security, to senior officers at the Supreme Joint War College. He is a member and researcher of the Institute for National and International Security)

Copyright: @ 2025 Research Institute for European and American Studies (www.rieas.gr) Publication date: 9 February 2025

Note: The article reflects the opinion of the author and not necessarily the views of the Research Institute for European and American Studies

The lesson from ancient Greece is clear in competition, especially of a strategic nature, avoiding catastrophic blunders often matters more than sheer brilliance. Greek government can take this historical perspective as it navigates the modern-day rivalry with Turkey, particularly in areas of diplomacy, military posturing, and regional influence. Both Greece and Turkey have long-standing disputes, especially over territorial waters in the Aegean Sea, energy exploration rights in the Eastern Mediterranean, and military tensions that arise from their respective NATO memberships. .. Read more

Shaul Shay
(Senior research fellow at the International Institute for Counter-terrorism (ICT) at the Interdisciplinary Centre Herzliya and former deputy head of Israel’s National Security Council)

Copyright: @ 2025 Research Institute for European and American Studies (www.rieas.gr) Publication date: 1 February 2025

Note: The article reflects the opinion of the author and not necessarily the views of the Research Institute for European and American Studies

Ethiopia and Somalia have agreed to end their dispute over Ethiopia's plans to build a port in Somaliland which Somalia considers as part of its territory. Somalia and Ethiopia announced on January 11, 2025, they would restore full diplomatic relations following a visit by Somalia’s president to Addis Ababa. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed “agreed to restore and enhance their bilateral relations through full diplomatic relations in their respective capitals,” they said in a joint statement.... Read more

Khatuna Chapichadze
(Khatuna Chapichadze is a Ph.D. in Social Sciences, political scientist, Associate Professor and a Supervisor of the Bachelor's Educational Program in European Studies at the Department of Politics and International Relations, Faculty of Engineering Economics, Media Technologies and Social Sciences, Georgian Technical University (GTU, Georgia). She has also been an Adjunct Faculty Member at the Department of Political Science, San Diego State University (SDSU), San Diego (CA, United States) and a Politics Professor at San Diego State University Georgia (SDSU-G) since 2017. Prof. Chapichadze is an Expert of the Central-European Institute of Research and Strategic Analysis CIRSA, Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, Poland (since 2017) and has been a Visiting Professor at the Faculty of Humanities, AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow (Poland) (since 2015), as well as a Lecturer at the Józef Gołuchowski University of Applied Sciences, Ostrowiec Św., Poland (since 2021). Since 2015, she also serves as a Member of the Editorial Board and a Reviewer of the Scientific Journal “Ante Portas - Security Studies”, indexed in Index Copernicus and ERIH PLUS and issued by the Józef Gołuchowski University of Applied Sciences (Poland).

Copyright: @ 2025 Research Institute for European and American Studies (www.rieas.gr) Publication date: 25 January January 2025

Note: The article reflects the opinion of the author and not necessarily the views of the Research Institute for European and American Studies

The parliamentary elections of October 26, 2024 have been broadly regarded in Georgia, as well as outside of the country, as a de facto referendum, the most crucial one, - between the revitalization of the traditional pro-Western path of the post-Soviet Georgia towards joining the EU and NATO, and or turning the country closer to the major threat to its independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the overall security – Russia and the sphere of the influence of the latter. ... Read more

John A. Calabrese
(Dr. John Calabrese teaches international relations at American University in Washington, DC. He is the book review editor of The Middle East Journal and a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Middle East Institute (MEI). He previously served as director of MEI's Middle East-Asia Project (MAP).

Copyright: @ 2025 Research Institute for European and American Studies (www.rieas.gr) Publication date: 19 January 2025

Note: The article reflects the opinion of the author and not necessarily the views of the Research Institute for European and American Studies

While grappling with inflation shocks and the aftermath of natural disasters, Morocco has maintained steady economic progress. As its economy rebounds, Morocco's ambitions extend beyond mere growth; it seeks to position itself as a bridge between Africa and Europe while maintaining balanced relationships with global powers from both the East and West.... Read more

Shaul Shay
(Senior research fellow at the International Institute for Counter-terrorism (ICT) at the Interdisciplinary Centre Herzliya and former deputy head of Israel’s National Security Council)
Jacob Rosen Koenigsbuch
(Former Ambassador of Israel in Jordan)

Copyright: @ 2025 Research Institute for European and American Studies (www.rieas.gr) Publication date: 1 January 2025

Note: The article reflects the opinion of the author and not necessarily the views of the Research Institute for European and American Studies

After the swift collapse of Assad’s regime, like all the players on the international and regional arenas, Jordan too was surprised and observes the shifting scene in Syria with caution and great concern and adopts the necessary security measures to prevent threats to its security and sovereignty. The collapse of the Assad regime also illuminated at once both the strategic importance of Jordan but also some of its vulnerabilities. Read more

John A. Calabrese
(Dr. John Calabrese teaches international relations at American University in Washington, DC. He is the book review editor of The Middle East Journal and a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Middle East Institute (MEI). He previously served as director of MEI's Middle East-Asia Project (MAP).

Copyright: @ 2024 Research Institute for European and American Studies (www.rieas.gr) Publication date: 22 December 2024

Note: The article reflects the opinion of the author and not necessarily the views of the Research Institute for European and American Studies

The sudden fall of Bashar al-Assad has forced Gulf Arab states to confront a power vacuum and reassess their strategic priorities. This unexpected development has raised questions about the future of Syria and the Gulf’s role in shaping its trajectory.

The Legacy of Intervention in Syria

The toppling of the Assad regime marked the failure of the Gulf states’ normalization strategy with the regime. It is also a reminder that the Gulf Arab countries’ involvement in the Syrian civil war has left a mixed legacy, marked by strategic missteps, costly consequences, and a tarnished record of intervention. At the onset of the conflict, states such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE funneled substantial financial and military resources to opposition groups, aiming to undermine the Assad regime and counter Iran’s growing influence in Syria. However, these efforts often lacked coordination and coherence, leading to unintended outcomes that exacerbated the chaos.... Read more