1st Symposium Nisyros Dialogues 2022 Day 2

The establishment of annual scholarships for three students of Nisyros who succeed in their admission to higher education was announced from the stage of the 1st «Nisyros Dialogues», by Mr. Panagiotis G. Mihalos, Founder and President of the "Georgios M. Mihalos Foundation Sustainability of Nisyros" NPO, during the second day of work at the open theater of the island, a breath from the crater of the volcano. "One of the important axes of the Foundation is Education and the new generation. We need to help the children to study, return to the island and stay here in order to give the life this island deserves. From this year, we are establishing 3 scholarships for the three first who succeed in the entrance exams for entrance into higher education Universities, and to be helpful, we are also giving to all (5), who managed to get into higher education in last year's exams. The amount of the scholarships reaches 10,000 euros. I hope this will be a motivation for the children to continue their studies", said Mr. Mihalos, with the Director of the school Mr. Yiannis Koulakis welcoming the excellent initiative.

Despite his absence abroad, the Minister of Development and Investments, Mr. Adonis Georgiadis - through a video message - noted that he will be aware of the findings and conclusions of the 1st «Nisyros Dialogues» and committed to consider the proposals that the Ministry may adopt in the future to the direction of dealing with the ecological crisis.

The geopolitical importance of the transition to green energy was mentioned, among others, by Professor and former Minister of Environment, Energy and Climate Change, Mr. Yiannis Maniatis, the Dialogue Rapporteur, emphasizing the challenge of de-dependence of Europe from Russian oil and natural gas. “Countries like Lithuania and Finland are 100% dependent on Russian oil or natural gas. These countries are unlikely to agree to sanctions against Russian exports, fearing severe consequences for their economies. In these cases, however, smart and effective solutions are needed. Even if we don't import energy from Russia, the same result however is reached if we can get it from China or India. That is, from the countries to which Russian exports are redirected. At the same time, it is appropriate for Europe to see how it can utilize its own wealth, its own raw materials", he said and reminded that "Greece now looks in the eyes of its partners, as a country that can supply energy to other countries, through the electric cables from Israel or Egypt".

The big bet that Greece is called on to solve in terms of energy, is whether it will choose to be supplied by a few and large or by many and decentralized producers. Mr. Maniatis brought to the "Dialogue" table the fitting example of Germany, where 31.5% of green energy is produced by small, decentralized private individuals and an additional 10%, by farmers. "We can follow this example, since 2014, our country has been in 6th place worldwide, in the per capita production of photovoltaic energy."

In his extremely interesting presentation, Mr. Maniatis emphasized the need to open the debate on energy saving immediately in Greece. "Nearly 3 million houses remain unarmored (without double glazing) and need to be upgraded energy-wise in the next 20 years. However, the "Save" program can only serve 40,000 homes per year. So, the only solution is to find a way to increase the GDP by 1.5 billion euros, with a simultaneous increase in jobs. This is the real sustainable development", emphasized Mr. Maniatis, while talking about the solar water heater solution that can bring a 20% reduction in electricity costs to an average household. "In fact, three Greek water heater manufacturing companies are among the 20 best worldwide". Concluding his speech, Mr. Maniatis proposed the implementation of practices such as sustainable agriculture and nutrition in small islands, in order to turn them into an example for the entire country.

In the first panel of the "Dialogue Perpetuators", NTUA Professor and former Secretary General of the Ministry of Energy and Climate Change, Mr. Konstantinos Mathioudakis, the Vice-Chancellor for Research and Lifelong Education at NTUA and Professor at the School of Shipbuilding and Mechanical Engineering, Mr. Ioannis K. Hatzigeorgiou, the Senior General Manager at the Piraeus Bank Group and Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors of Piraeus Bank Real Estate, Mr. Giorgos Kormas, and the former Minister, Mr. Yiannis Maniatis, focused on the green development of the small islands.

"On the small islands, the scale of consumption and production is small and these islands can be an example, regarding the use of RES, but also its storage", noted Mr. Mathioudakis, while Mr. Hatzigeorgiou emphasized that the Mediterranean does not indicated for floating wind turbines - due to the depth of the waters and the muddy bottom - in order to avoid visual pollution. For his part, Mr. Kormas spoke about the need to make "zero the beginning of the new era, i.e. the era of zero based pollution. Nisyros can become a testing laboratory. Now is the time for Greece to come forward through Greek Polynesia and with a development model that it will have in its own hands, sure and tested".

"Small islands should not become energy independent, but be interconnected for autonomous RES development", is the solution and the answer to today's energy issue, after the dramatic developments in Ukraine, according to pr. Minister of Environment and Energy, but also Professor at the University of Crete, Mr. Giorgos Stathakis, while he noted that the energy replacement of Russia by the USA is currently unfeasible (natural gas production: Russia 25%, USA 25% and Qatar 6%). "Europe's dependence on the East is, for now, irreplaceable," he said characteristically. In the second panel of the Symposium, the Ambassador e.t. and pr. Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Dimitris Paraskevopoulos, complementing Mr. Stathakis, pointed out the crucial importance of the "fair" transition to green energy, as it is certain that jobs will be lost. "A second problem focuses mainly on the imbalance between north and south. The north will be more ready for the transition. But if the transition is not global and inclusive, it is not going to succeed."

"There is no meaningful dialogue between Greece and Turkey, but it must be done", in order not to reach a similar crisis, like that of Imia, was the main message conveyed in his video intervention, the Vice President of the US Council for International Business, pr. Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Canada, pr. US Ambassador to Greece and Honorary President of the Foundation, Ambassador (Ret.) Thomas M.T. Niles.

The ground-breaking initiative of Mr. Mihalos for the drawing up of a strategy for the sustainable development of Nisyros was welcomed on their part - through a videotaped interview - by the former Ambassador, Senior Fellow Rand Corporation, former US Ambassador to Greece, Ambassador (Ret.) Charles Ries, as well as the Ambassador, former Acting Secretary of State of the USA and former US Ambassador to Greece, Ambassador (Ret.) Daniel B. Smith. The central axis of their speeches was the Ukrainian crisis, Putin's underestimation of NATO unity, the "flirt" of Finland and Sweden with the NATO alliance, the energy crisis, but also the need to find ways to distribute Ukrainian agricultural products globally. Ambassador Smith made particular reference to the need to convince OPEC producers to produce more LNG in order to cover Europe's deficit, while Ambassador Ries pointed to the need for developed countries to invest in non-fossil fuels and other forms of energy, such as wind and solar. He also sounded the "bell" of danger for a possible "accident" in the eastern Aegean due to Turkey.

It is noted that the Key Note Speaker, the former Prime Minister of Greece, Mr. Antonis K. Samaras, spoke in Nikia, regarding the global demand for sustainability today, and pointed out that the Western strategy in the Eastern Mediterranean cannot "integrate" Turkey. Mr. Antonis K. Samaras' entire speach, follows in a separate dedicated Press Release.

At the closing dinner, which took place in the unique and UNESCO recognised central square of the village, "Porta", which is also Mr. Mihalos' hometown, Mr. Mihalos had the opportunity to give commemorative gifts to all the speakers, MoB, to friends and supporters of the «Nisyros Dialogues» initiative.

Mr. Panagiotis Mihalos committed himself to the continuation of the «Nisyros Dialogues». It is recalled that the initiative for the «Nisyros Dialogues» belongs to the "Georgios M. Mihalos Foundation - Sustainability of Nisyros" NPO, and was implemented in collaboration with the Natural Environment & Climate Change Organization (N.E.C.C.A.)