On November 5th, 2018 the conference “Promoting Liberal Democracy in the Eastern Mediterranean” took place at the Netanya Academic College. At the conference, held in partnership with the S. Daniel Abraham Center for Strategic Dialogue at the Netanya Academic College, researchers of a joint Israeli-Greek-Cypriot research project presented their findings and recommendations dealing with challenges to liberal democracy in the Eastern Mediterranean region.
The Cypriot perspective was presented by George Chr. Pelaghias, Executive Director, European Rim Policy and Investment Council (ERPIC). His presentation was followed by Dr. John Nomikos, Director, Research Institute for European and American Studies (RIEAS) who gave his insights from a Greek perspective. Dr. Ehud (Udi) Eiran, School of Political Science, University of Haifa presented the Israeli Perspective. Finally, Dr. Christodoulos G. Pelaghias, Chair, European Rim Policy and Investment Council (ERPIC) gave an overview of the joint recommendations of the research team.
The presentation was followed by a panel discussion with diplomatic representatives and experts including Thessalia-Salina Shambos, Ambassador of Cyprus to the State of Israel, Konstantinos Bikas, Ambassador of Greece to the State of Israel, Iris Ambor, Director of Southern Europe Department, Dr. Frédéric Joergens, First Secretary, Political Department, Embassy of Germany to Israel, and Eran Etzion, former Head of Policy Planning at Israel´s Ministry Foreign Affairs. The speakers mainly focused on the question, how the three countries can leverage the initiative and on the role of the European Union in enhancing the initiative.
Finally, Dr. David Altman, Vice Chair of S. Daniel Abraham Center for Strategic Dialogue made some concluding remarks to a successful conference including plenty of new findings and fruitful debates.
