Tag: Mediterranean Sea

Since its birth after the 1821 war against the Ottoman Empire, the Modern Greek state has always been linked to the then three major powers: France, the U.K., and Russia, with the U.K. being substituted by the U.S. during the 20th century to contain the Soviet threat. This dependency is still a reality in Greek politics and foreign affairs. Athens remains a bone of contention for those powers fighting for a strategic position in the Mediterranean Sea.

The geostrategic importance that the Mediterranean Sea has assumed in recent years can be traced back to the political-strategic priorities defined by Russia, the United States and some of its allies (Italy, Spain, France), identifiable as the states most militarily active within some regions of this geo-maritime space.

The Libyan crisis directly interests Italy which in the last days tried to manage the escalation inviting in Rome Khalifa Haftar and Fayez al-Serraj without any success. In fact, the Italian attempt to conduct its personal diplomacy resulted in a disaster when al-Serraj refused to come to Rome as a sign of protest against the Italian government that since 2014 have supported Tripoli government and now with a late desperate move wants to protect its interests in North Africa creating a network of contact with the different Libyan local key actors as Haftar.