«Nisyros Dialogues 2025»: Nisyros became the reference point of the dialogue about the Eastern Mediterranean
29 top officials and experts participated in the 4th edition of the «Nisyros Dialogues»®
From Syria to the GSI cable, the delineation of energy blocks, and domestic agendas — all current Eastern Mediterranean issues were brought to the table.
The «Nisyros Dialogues 2025» concluded on Sunday, July 6 marking great success with the participation of 29 high-level speakers from across the political, diplomatic, academic, and business spheres. Top ministers, MPs, diplomats, academics, and journalists convened in Nisyros and contributed to this year’s discussions.
Among the speakers joining the Dialogues were the President of PASOK and Leader of the Opposition, Nikos Androulakis; Vice President of the Greek Government Kostis Hatzidakis, Cyprus’s Minister of Energy George Papanastasiou, Greece’s Minister of Energy Stavros Papastavrou, MEP and Vice President of the S&D Group Yannis Maniatis and Greek Minister of Digital Governance and AI, Dimitris Papastergiou. Also noteworthy were the online contribution from Greek-American entrepreneur John Catsimatidis, a speech by MP and former Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff Evangelos Apostolakis, and a presentation by Greek National Tourism Organization President Angela Gerekou.
The discussions were moderated by the experienced journalists Sia Kosioni, Athanasios Ellis, Fanis Papathanassiou, Alexia Tasouli, Maria Sarafoglou and Manolis Kostidis. With the support of Kathimerini, SKAI, Kathimerini English Edition, the Athens-Macedonian News Agency, and Kerkyra Publications as media sponsors, the «Nisyros Dialogues 2025» received wide media coverage across Greece.
For three days, the akritic island of Nisyros became a reference point of the dialogue about the developments in the Eastern Mediterranean, hosting a dialogue that examined the region’s most pressing geopolitical, energy, development, and regional issues.
Staying true to their mission, the «Nisyros Dialogues 2025» not only highlighted challenges and problems but went a step further to assess risks and propose strategies and actions.
Once again, the event served as a platform for key announcements, notably from Cyprus’s Minister of Energy, Mr. George Papanastasiou, who revealed that Cyprus’s Regulatory Authority for Energy (RAEK) would soon address pending financial issues concerning the GSI electric interconnection cable linking Israel, Cyprus, and Greece.
Mr. Papanastasiou also announced that ExxonMobil’s recent drilling at Block 10 led to the discovery of a new significant natural gas deposit. Cyprus and the company are now in talks with Egyptian firms utilizing Egyptian gas fields to explore shared infrastructure for transporting the Cypriot gas to European markets.
Additionally, Greece and Cyprus expressed a joint intention to align their positions regarding Turkey at the upcoming Energy Ministers’ summit.
Greek Minister of Energy and Environment Stavros Papastavrou announced the imminent launch of a European Task Force — involving states and regulatory authorities — that will seek coordinated solutions to address electricity pricing.
Beyond announcements, the «Nisyros Dialogues 2025» achieved one of the key goals set by the organizers: fostering a meaningful, open conversation that analyzes issues in depth from multiple angles.
The participation of top-level speakers from both the government and opposition allowed for a full range of views to be expressed and led to the emergence of actionable proposals — the core purpose of the «Nisyros Dialogues».
For another consecutive year, the «Nisyros Dialogues» were held under the permanent auspices of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and the annual auspices of H.E. the President of the Hellenic Republic, Mr. Constantine An. Tassoulas.
Mr. Panagiotis G. Mihalos, President of the Georgios M. Mihalos Foundation — the organization that created the «Nisyros Dialogues».— stated:
“It is deeply gratifying to witness the Dialogues evolve into a recognized institution for the Eastern Mediterranean and Insularity. The quality of the interventions, the international stature of the participants, and the substantive discussions on the region’s critical challenges attest to the initiative’s success.”
He added:
“The «Dialogues» success is made even more special by the fact that it all takes place on the akritic island of Nisyros, far from urban centers. It is a tangible testament to our commitment to showcasing the value and potential of Greece’s islands and border regions.”
The «Nisyros Dialogues 2025».were held with the support of:
PPC, DEPA, DEPA INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS, IGI POSEIDON, Piraeus Bank, GNTO, OFYPEKA, Bank of Greece, Hellenic Development Bank, Inspiring Earth, AVIS, Aegean, and Attica Group.
