BALKAN STUDIES

Stella Kyvelou-Chiotini
(Professor in MSP and Sustainable Blue Economy at Panteion University (GR), advisor to the European Economic and Social Committee on policies concerning European islands)

Copyright: @ 2026 Research Institute for European and American Studies (www.rieas.gr) Publication date: 29 May 2026

Note: The article reflects the opinion of the author and not necessarily the views of the Research Institute for European and American Studies

The revision of the Special Spatial Planning Framework for Renewable Energy Sources (RES), recently released for public consultation in Greece, undoubtedly represents an important step toward modernizing the country's spatial policy. For the first time, among other developments, it clearly recognizes the need for offshore wind farm development, the importance of marine and island areas for the energy transition, and the connection between energy planning and Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP).... Read more

Athanasios Th. Kosmopoulos
(PhD Candidate in Hybrid Threats and Operations)

Copyright: @ 2026 Research Institute for European and American Studies (www.rieas.gr) Publication date: 24 May 2026

Note: The article reflects the opinion of the author and not necessarily the views of the Research Institute for European and American Studies

Turkey’s trajectory over the last two decades can be seen as a gradual slide from the ambition of becoming a regional power into a declining role that generates concern and uncertainty.
This development was not instantaneous; rather, it unfolds across three distinct chronological phases, reminiscent of the acts of a tragedy.
The term “tragedy in three acts” aptly captures this transition: from contested reliability to active destabilization, and finally to the perception of Turkey as a strategic threat. This trajectory from 2005 to the present can be interpreted as a process of gradual distancing from the Western security architecture and transformation into a source of uncertainty.... Read more

Dragan Petković, Ph.D.
(An Independent Analyst,former Defense Attaché of the Republic of Serbia in Athens.
Previously, he was directly involved in the area of international military cooperation during the long period of time – for more than ten years. He has acquired his doctoral degree in the area of military-technical sciences)

Copyright: @ 2025 Research Institute for European and American Studies (www.rieas.gr) Publication date: 28 October 2025

Note: The article reflects the opinion of the author and not necessarily the views of the Research Institute for European and American Studies

It is not easy to update and process all the happenings across the world – as the result of the global repositioning of the power – since the beginning of the war in Ukraine. Wherever one could look – ongoing processes are not promising at all – Gaza Strip, Syria, Far East, Africa…

Situation is not much better even in Europe, where European Union is struggling to confirm itself as the significant and decisive player – supporting Ukraine against Russia. In that spirit, the announced Turkish construction of new ammunition factory in "Kosovo" is just another piece in the puzzle of restructuring of the influences in the Western Balkans.... Read more

A solution to the Cyprus problem is long overdue and a stumbling block in the Eastern Mediterranean

Robert Ellis
( Turkey analyst and commentator. He is also an international advisor at RIEAS (Research Institute for European and American Studies) in Athens)

Copyright: @ 2024 Research Institute for European and American Studies (www.rieas.gr) Publication date: 9 December 2024

Note: The article reflects the opinion of the author and not necessarily the views of the Research Institute for European and American Studies

The armistice between North and South Korea is a frozen conflict that Kim Jong-un would like to unfreeze, and Northern Ireland and Eire have learned to cohabit. The Cyprus issue, on the other hand, which Lyndon B. Johnson called “one of the most complex problems on earth”, plays a major role in the turbulence in the Eastern Mediterranean. ...Read more

Siatou Olga
(Sociologist, specialized in Criminology, Msc in Psycholgoy in the University of Huddersfield, UK )

Copyright: @ 2024 Research Institute for European and American Studies (www.rieas.gr) Publication date: 17 November 2024

Note: The article reflects the opinion of the author and not necessarily the views of the Research Institute for European and American Studies

The growth of technological change in the 21st century has evolved into an integral part of contemporary life. Technological innovations have brought revolution in all aspects of human life, from agricultural production, to health and communications. (Bwoles et.al. (2014). Technological changes, during the last decade in particular, have brought the evolution of artificial intelligence with substantial social and psychological impact in the field of education. The educational sector has shifted in operating through distance learning through platforms, integrating smartphones, tablets and computers as primary tools of learning. ... Read more

Dragan Petković, Ph.D.
(An Independent Analyst, former Defense Attaché of the Republic of Serbia in Athens. Previously, he was directly involved in the area of international military cooperation during the long period of time – for more than ten years. He has acquired his doctoral degree in the area of military-technical sciences)

Copyright: @ 2024 Research Institute for European and American Studies (www.rieas.gr) Publication date: 29 January 2024

Note: The article reflects the opinion of the author and not necessarily the views of the Research Institute for European and American Studies

Current challenges for the peace are threatening the world probably more than ever before in the history of the humanity. The said challenges represents the consequences of the lack of the political will to resolve the conflicts and open issues in the best interest of all participating sides, which emerged because of the obvious neglecting of the basic postulates of diplomacy and international relations. Therefore, the rebuild of trust in the international relations as well as the necessity to restore the basic diplomacy postulates need to be reinforced.... Read more