The Center for International Strategic Analyses — KEDISA and the Armenian Institute of International and Security Affairs — AIISA successfully co-organized the closed online webinar entitled “Two Nations, One European Vision: Greece’s EU Experience and Armenia’s Road Ahead”, held on Wednesday, 27 May 2026, with the participation of more than 50 distinguished guests, officials, diplomats, policymakers, academics, experts, and representatives of civil society.
The webinar focused on Greece’s experience as a long-standing member of the European Union and on Armenia’s evolving European path, examining the opportunities, challenges, reforms, security dimensions, and institutional transformations linked to Armenia’s closer engagement with the European Union. The discussion also highlighted the historic friendship between Greece and Armenia, their shared values, cultural ties, and the strategic importance of deepening cooperation between the two countries.
The event was opened by Mr. Styopa Safaryan, Founder and Director of AIISA, and Dr. Andreas Banoutsos, Founder and President of KEDISA. In his remarks, Mr. Safaryan underlined the importance of Greece’s role as a partner for Armenia during a period of significant political and geopolitical developments, while Dr. Banoutsos emphasized that Greece’s 45-year experience in the European project offers valuable lessons for Armenia’s European aspirations.
The webinar was moderated by Mr. Tigran Ghalumyan, Economist-Researcher, who stressed that Greece and Armenia are connected by history, culture, friendship, and shared values, while both belong to a broader European political and civilizational space. He noted that the webinar aimed to bring together Greek and Armenian perspectives, reflect on Greece’s EU experience, and examine Armenia’s road ahead.
A written welcome message was delivered by H.E. Mr. Harry Theoharis, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Hellenic Republic, responsible for economic diplomacy and promoting Greece’s global outreach. In his message, he underlined Greece’s consistent support for the deepening of EU–Armenia relations, including the visa liberalization dialogue and the new Strategic Agenda guiding EU–Armenia cooperation. He also highlighted Armenia’s EU Integration Act and the first EU–Armenia Summit held in Yerevan on 5 May 2026 as important milestones in Armenia’s European path.
The webinar was honored by the participation of H.E. Mr. Tigran Mkrtchyan, Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to the Hellenic Republic, who emphasized the value-based nature of Greek-Armenian cooperation and referred to the strengthening of bilateral relations in political dialogue, defense cooperation, culture, education, economic cooperation, and decentralized cooperation between cities and regions. He also noted that relations between Armenia and Greece have increasingly acquired a strategic character.
Mr. Michalis Livanos, Member of the Hellenic Parliament (Governing New Democracy Party) and representative of the Greece-Armenia Parliamentary Friendship Group, highlighted the strong historical and cultural bonds between the two peoples and expressed Greece’s willingness to contribute its knowledge and experience in support of Armenia’s European perspective. He underlined that Greece remains a supporter and advocate of Armenia’s closer relationship with the European Union.
Representing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia, Ms. Lena Terzikyan, Head of the European Integration Department, presented the latest developments in Armenia–EU relations, including the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement, the Strategic Agenda for Armenia–EU partnership, the EU Mission in Armenia, the Resilience and Growth Plan, and the visa liberalization dialogue. She emphasized that Armenia–EU relations have gained strong momentum and that the recent EU–Armenia Summit marked an important new chapter in the partnership.
A written message was also delivered on behalf of H.E. Mr. Konstantinos P. Gioulekas, Deputy Minister of the Interior of the Hellenic Republic, Sector of Macedonia–Thrace. The message underlined that the discussion concerned not only geopolitics, but also the long-standing friendship between Greece and Armenia, and described Thessaloniki and the wider region of Macedonia as a living bridge of friendship due to their active Armenian community.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Armenia was represented by Ms. Haykanush Chobanyan, Deputy Head of the International Cooperation Department, who presented the importance of the EU–Armenia visa liberalization process. She emphasized that the process is not only about mobility, but also about comprehensive reforms in migration and border management, document security, public order, and fundamental rights.
The expert panel featured presentations by Dr. Panagiota Manoli, Associate Professor of Political Economy of International Relations at the University of the Peloponnese, and Dr. Ani Yeghiazaryan, PhD in Political Science from Friedrich Schiller University Jena and AIISA Associate Fellow. Their contributions offered academic and policy-oriented perspectives on Greece’s EU experience, Armenia’s European aspirations, regional challenges, institutional reforms, and the broader geopolitical environment.
The discussion concluded with an interactive Q&A session, reflections, and closing remarks. Participants emphasized the need for continued dialogue, institutional cooperation, policy exchange, and expert-level engagement between Greece and Armenia. The webinar confirmed the strong potential for further Greek Armenian cooperation within the broader framework of Armenia’s European path.
The event was supported by the resources of KEDISA and AIISA and marked an important step in strengthening dialogue between Greek and Armenian institutions, experts, and public stakeholders.
