The last week has seen Greece take important steps in exercising its rights in its maritime space south and southwest of Crete. First, Athens and Cairo signed a deal on search and rescue missions across the Mediterranean - a move that follows up on their 2020 deal to delimit their exclusive economic zones. It also strikes at the heart of Turkey’s Blue Homeland doctrine. Second, Greece is expanding the area of seismic surveys for oil and gas in this area, a project underway with the US firm ExxonMobil. Expert Constantinos Filis, the Director of the Institute of Global Affairs and an associate professor of international relations at the American College of Greece, joins Thanos Davelis to break down the significance of these moves for Greece, and look at the messages they send. 

You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:

Greece and Egypt sign MoU on aeronautics, maritime search & rescue

Greek Navtex is a message to Libya

Greece issues Navtex expanding area of seismic surveys south of Crete

US-backed force in Syria wants 'stronger' warnings from Washington amid Turkey threats

Syrian Kurdish commander slams US response to Turkish attacks as US diplomats evacuated from Syria

US tries to break EU deadlock over Russian oil price cap