Tabla de contenidos para July/August 2017 en Foreign Policy

When it comes to conflict, culinary traditions and cultural passions are considered lighter fare—often ignored in coverage of war andthe communities it displaces. But journalists ANNIA CIEZADLO and DALIA MORTADA use food as an entry point for their reporting on the violent upheavals of the Middle East and the people they affect. Ciezadlo moved to the region in 2003 and covered wars in Beirut and Baghdad. Her memoir, Day of Honey: A Memoir of Food, Love, and War, raises the kind of civilian concerns that are “almost always erased” in conventional narratives about the Middle East. Mortada, an American journalist of Syrian heritage, uses her connection to the culture to tell stories through the lens of cooking. As the Syrian refugee diaspora has grown in recent years, she has focused…

BEIRUT—“You can’t be a real country,” celebrated political scientist Frank Zappa once wrote, “unless you have a beer and an airline.” Lebanon achieved its independence in 1943 and founded its national airline in 1945. But anticipating Zappa’s dictum, the fledgling nation’s first brewery was founded more than a decade earlier. The Grande Brasserie du Levant opened its doors in the 1930s, serving for decades as the beating heart of the local beer brand Laziza. A hulking white building, the Grand Brasserie looms over the Mar Mikhael neighborhood. It transformed Laziza into one of the most popular beers in the country during its heyday in the 1960s and 1970s but was eventually forced to close after being hit with stray shells in 1990 during Lebanon’s civil war. Having remained unused for…

FP How is the Greek economy performing? ET It’s very promising, especially at the micro level. Industrial production rose in March by 8.7% year-on-year, the sixth consecutive month of positive growth. Manufacturing is particularly strong, retail sales are up 4.6%, car registrations by 22% and unemployment is beginning to fall. Exports rose by 6% in 2016. FP What actions should take priority to unlock the economy? ET It’s not going to be one big idea, “invest in infrastructure” or “invest in agriculture.” We want a differentiated development strategy with a coherent framework, where small- and medium- sized enterprizes have a crucial role to play in creating jobs. That could mean, for instance, new financing tools, or creating production clusters. We need to sell our strengths better – very few people…

‘ I think that the markets are closely monitoring the Greek economy. It’s worth noting that once the legislative requirements for the second bailout review were passed in our parliament, the yield on the Greek 10-year benchmark fell below 6%, from above 8%, a level similar to 2014 when the country and the banks last accessed the markets successfully. I believe that now the second review is behind us, things will look more favorable, especially if a viable debt restructuring deal and quantitative easing participation are agreed. In any case, under current conditions, banks tcountry and the banks last accessed the markets successfully. I believe that now the second review is behind us, things will look more favorable, especially if a viable debt restructuring deal and quantitative easing participation are…

Jobs have been hard to come by in Greece. 22.5% of the population is out of work and there is 48% youth unemployment. But beyond their skillset and talent, Greece’s young people aren’t willing to sit idly by and thanks to a ‘make it happen’ attitude, many have been moving abroad to seize opportunities where they are readily available. As part of its corporate social responsibility program, it’s ‘Business Growth by OPAP’ scheme is providing mentoring and financing to twenty fast-growing SMEs. OPAP wants to enable them to reach their full potential and generate employment. “What we are trying to do is prove that it is possible for young people to stay As part of its corporate social responsibility program, it’s ‘Business Growth by OPAP’ scheme is providing mentoring and…

FP Could you tell us about Forthnet and your priorities looking forward? PP We are one of the leading companies in Greece’s media and communications sector and a pioneer in internet and pay-TV services. Right now, we are investing in content, customer experience and new generation access networks. However, our long-term priority is to keep providing users with an ever-improving experience and innovative high-quality services, such as mobile telephony using the Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) model, or other over-the-top services. FP What investments are you making in NGAs? PP We’ve developed a business plan with ZTE, the Chinese technology giant, to create a Greek fiber-optic network providing gigabit connection. We also have a cooperation agreement with Shanghai Gongbao Business Consulting Co. and KaiXinRong Group Co. to explore a partnership…

The government’s strategic growth plan, Greece 2021, is based on changing the economic model to one of high value-added products with export potential. Given that the country is already a leading international exporter of refined petroleum products, with over 27% of Greece’s export revenue in 2016 generated from them, the energy sector is set to lead the way with this strategy. “It’s important to be a leader rather than a mere observer, especially in a highly competitive sector such as energy.” Grigoris S. Stergioulis, CEO, Hellenic Petroleum Hellenic Petroleum is the sole petrochemicals producer in Greece with a domestic market share exceeding 50%. The group’s domestic refineries in Aspropyrgos, Elefsina and Thessaloniki cover approximately 65% of the country’s total refining capacity. It is a stellar example of a company that…

Elena Kountoura, Minister of Tourism, calls the current government and private sector’s joint effort to diversify Greek tourism a “365-days tourism” approach. A whole host of sub-sectors are being developed, from medical tourism to business travel. The Ministry has launched a program subsidizing small- and medium-size tourism businesses by up to 50% in their efforts to modernize, deploying a total budget of €90 million. Yiannis A. Retsos, President of SETE – the Greek Tourism Confederation – says “We have packaged destinations like Rhodes, Crete, Santorini and Mykonos, which are well-known worldwide and have their own brand name, but also thematic products like MICE, religious tourism and adventure tourism.” Massive investments in hotels will help raise the quality of all offers. Andreas A. Andreadis, CEO of Sani/Ikos Resorts, says “we need…

САНТА БАРБАРА ФОРЕВА!—SANTA BARBARA FOREVAH!—was stenciled boldly in tall purple-chalk lettering on the side of my parents’ apartment building in the southwestern part of St. Petersburg, Russia, when I returned to the re-renamed city of my childhood and youth—Leningthewall café called Santa Barbara here, a Santa Barbara strip joint there. On several occasions I was asked, typically by women, whether I’d been to Santa Barbara myself and, if so, what it was like. I hadn’t, unfortunately. “You should go. That’d be the first place I would go if I could ever make it to America,” a middle- aged salesclerk at the grocery store said to me with mild reproach. Santa Barbara certainly sounded nice. In Santa Barbara, people had manners. They had their self-respect about them. The men didn’t urinate…

Jordan has managed to flourish and create a robust environment for investors according to Hamad Kasasbeh. The Chairman of Develop Jordan continues, “Jordan is among the most open economies in the Arab region, with a total of 20 trade agreements in force covering a total of 53 markets. Looking at that by trade as a percentage of GDP, it averaged at 81% during the period 2010- 2016.” Kasasbeh explains that structural reforms have been undertaken to address the imbalances in the economy and that there are several investment opportunities worth billions of dollars available within areas managed by Jordan Free and Development Zones Group. Many such opportunities exist in the renewable energy (RE) and energy efficiency (EE) sectors. Furthermore, they include opportunities sprouting from the Iraq-Jordan pipeline and the solar…

MY BRITISH LUNCHMATES on a recent Sunday in Edinburgh, Scotland, were exceedingly polite when my order arrived. Amid their tableau of salads and artfully filleted fish, my plate held Welsh rarebit, the venerable dish that assembles melted cheese, ale, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce atop a slice of bread. I sensed that my companions’ eyes were averted from my selection. Then, someone decided to be more direct and asked, “Do you like British food?” I always answer this question with an emphatic “Yes!” While this sometimes incites gobsmacked silence, when I interviewed Anthony Bourdain a few years back, he sanctioned my unfashionable palate. “To eat a nicely aged grouse with bread sauce followed by a nice Stilton—there’s nothing better than that,” he said. Yet even his approval didn’t banish a twinge…

THERE IS A SPECIAL BASEMENT ROOM at a clinic in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, where shaman master Bai Aolao goes to contact the spirit world. Enclosed spaces are preferable to the outdoors because in rooms like this one, he can more easily contain the spirits he summons to heal the patients. Bai Aolao is one of the many shaman healers still practicing in northeastern China. Patients seek out care to help ease their physical ailments or mental demons. This ritual healing involves dancing, chanting, and spitting rice wine. For centuries, Mongols hailed shamans as sages and sorcerers of medicine, nature, and religion—some even claim they can speak to the dead. In Mongolian culture they always have played a unique leadership role. In fact, many Mongolians believe Genghis Khan possessed shamanic capabilities.…

WHERE TO RELAX ON THE WEEKEND The cash-strapped middle class can’t afford nice restaurants anymore, so they drive to MEREKI instead. It’s a large, open space where someone will bring juicy cuts of beef or chicken and grill them to order. Other vendors will bring vegetables, beer, cheap CDs, and even herbal aphrodisiacs. Tailgating, Zimbabwe-style. WHERE TO EAT Head to GARWE for traditional Zimbabwean food served under a thatched roof. Garwe means crocodile in Shona, although that isn’t on the menu. Try the excellent goat stew with unrefined sadza (maize porridge) instead. WHERE TO HEAR LIVE MUSIC Oliver Mtukudzi, the Afro-jazz icon and Zimbabwe’s most famous musician, established the PAKARE PAYE ARTS CENTRE at his home on the outskirts of the city. Expect live performances from up-and-coming Zimbabwean musicians and…

Attracting foreign investment is vital for sustainable growth in Greece and so the government has prioritized reforms to provide the perfect business climate. These are already having an effect – inflows were almost €2.8 billion in 2016, the highest since 2010, and Dimitrios Liakos, Deputy Minister to the Prime Minister, is “receiving signals that there is great interest in investing.” But what’s in it for investors? Perhaps foremost is its location, which Liakos describes as “at the crossroads of three continents, fully interconnected with the major European ports and the gateway to Europe for Asian economies.” As a member of the EU and Eurozone as well, Greece offers barrier-free access to over 140 million people. The highly skilled workforce and competitive labor costs are also major assets. Other advantages Liakos…

The Greek government has devised a five-year action plan for sustainable economic growth called Greece 2021. It represents the fundamental changes that are being made to the Greek economy, which was historically inefficient and consumption driven. The plan is based on promoting exports and developing high value- added sectors, such as real estate, information and communication technologies, energy, food, agriculture, logistics and life sciences. It aims to achieve fair economic growth, by building a productive and specialized economy, widening production range and steering entrepreneurship to create sustainable jobs, according to Christos Staikos, Chairman of Enterprise Greece, the investment and trade promotion body responsible for driving Greece 2021. He says that attracting investments, leveraged by the country’s competitive advantages like its skilled workforce, geographic location and infrastructure, is an important pillar…

Vodafone Greece, part of international heavyweight Vodafone Group Plc, is a telecommunications provider for individuals and businesses, also engaged in spurring on economic and social development. Haris Broumidis, Chairman and CEO of Vodafone Greece, says: “The commitment of the Vodafone Group to Greece is evident by the €1.5 billion investment made in recent years and the 5-year investment plan for €500 million by 2020.” Vodafone’s confidence in Greece aids the country’s equal participation in the European Commission’s vision of a European Gigabit society: widespread connectivity delivered by robust technologies. Broumidis says, “I see Vodafone as a catalyst for moving Greece into the digital era, from copper to fiber, and from ADSL to NGA; moving the country to a Gigabit society through the creation of next generation fixed and mobile networks.”…

The Greek government has earmarked railways as top priority. Seen in the context of intermodal projects linking railways, ports and logistics centers, the mode of transport will act as a key cog in international supply chains. Major projects pending completion include the railway network connecting logistics centers in ports serving as logistics hubs, such as the Port of Volos. Also, work on logistics centers is gaining international interest with Thriassio Pedio, set to be the largest freight railway station in the Balkans. A breakthrough in the tender at the end of 2016 ended ten years of deadlock. The joint venture of Goldair and ETVA Industrial Parks has seen €250 million euros pledged as part of a binding offer for the construction and management of the hub. Kostas N. Petrakis, CEO…

Greece lies at the crossroads of several complex energy projects that are vital for increased EU energy security. Primarily, the Southern Gas Corridor, bringing natural gas from the Caspian region to Europe; the EastMed project, connecting Eastern Mediterranean gas with the mainland; and the Greece-Bulgaria Interconnector linking Greece to Central Europe through Bulgaria. This, coupled with its geostrategic position, lends Greece a great opportunity to be an energy hub. With ample possibilities for renewable energy too, its potential to be a core ingredient of Western Europe’s energy mix is clear. The sector is in transition. Minister of Environment and Energy George Stathakis explains, “Greece is moving towards privatizing certain energy sectors and unbundling companies, to establish a rigid regulatory framework for the energy market.” The shift presents opportunities for international…

Point of view Grigoris S. Stergioulis FP What role is renewable energy going to have in Hellenic Petroleum’s ambition to diversify its energy mix in terms of supply? GS Greece has a unique problem and a unique opportunity. The issue is that we have around 500 islands and we need to find a way to make them energy sufficient, but investments in renewables present a huge opportunity. We want to grab this opportunity and our plan is to do so either alone or though joint ventures with other companies on the islands. What could be better for tourism than having an island that is totally free of diesel and that has solar, geothermal, wind or wave energy? Our dream is for about 32 islands to be totally independent of fossils…

“Agribusiness is a top priority in our development plan: Greece 2021,” states Minister of Rural Development and Food, Evangelos Apostolou. It’s not hard to understand why. Agribusiness has long been a major export sector and, as the world moves towards the Mediterranean diet, the country has maintained a positive trade gap in a wide range of products, many of which have stable prices and rising demand. This success is attributed in part to the uniqueness of Greek products or, as Dodoni’s Chairman, Michael A. O’Neill puts it “the added advantage of real taste”. Managing Director of Nikas, Aggeliki Oikonomou, believes a traditional approach to its recipes will prove to be advantageous in foreign markets, stating “we are committed to maintaining that traditional Greek taste.” “We are committed to maintaining that…

As global demand for food continues to increase due to soaring population growth, so too does the importance of the Jordanian potash industry. Potash is a necessary ingredient for providing balanced fertilization for soils. This, coupled with dwindling agricultural space translates into higher demand for fertilizers. Strategically positioned at the convergence of three continents, Jordan produces about 4% of the world’s demand for potash, according to the President of Arab Potash, Brent E. Heimann. Employing 2,000 people, Arab Potash places an admirable emphasis on social responsibility and employee personal safety - utilizing their North American style of management. As a company, “giving back is extremely important for us” explains Heimann. “We operate in Ghor Al-Safi, one of the poorest areas in Jordan and about 40% of our workforce comes from…

SOME CRITICS SPECULATED that George Orwell’s relevance would fade after the year 1984. Harold Bloom wrote in 1987 that Orwell’s great novel of totalitarianism, 1984, threatened to become a period piece, such as Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Even the literary critic Irving Howe, a longtime supporter of Orwell, had thought it possible that 1984 would have “little more than ‘historic interest” for future generations. Yet instead of fading away, Orwell has enjoyed a new surge of global popularity. The passing of the historical context of 1984 seems to have liberated the novel, its message speaking to a universal problem of modern humankind. In recent years, a new post-Cold War generation has found resonance in his words. “I’m sure George Orwell didn’t think: ‘I must write an instructive tale for a boy…

WASHINGTON—Marie Jana Korbelova was born in Prague in 1937. Her father, Josef Korbel, was a supporter of a newly independent Czechoslovakia and its nascent democracy. During World War II, like many Jewish families and others who strongly supported the country’s leading democrats, the Korbel family fled to England, where Josef converted from Judaism to Catholicism and worked for Czechoslovakia’s government in exile. The family moved home after the war, but a 1948 Communist coup forced them out again, and Korbel and his family left their native Europe and immigrated to the United States. Nearly 70 years later, Marie Jana Korbelova—now a tack-sharp octogenarian in a deep red dress—was back in Czech diplomatic territory. On a balmy spring evening, the Czech Embassy, tucked away from the grinding hustle of Washington just…

FP Greece is now recognized as a regional “pillar of stability”. How are you redefining foreign relations? NK We find ourselves in a triangle resulting from instability. Its corners are defined by Ukraine, Libya and Syria. Our duty is to find ways to transmit waves of stability along this triangle. We have created very specific relations with some countries which are very important for the security of the whole region. As an example, a cause of concern of mine is Egypt, a country of 97 million people. South of Egypt are Sudan, South Sudan and Somalia. If Egypt were destabilized, millions of refugees or immigrants would have easier access to Greece. Human rights are extremely important, but we also need stability and security in that whole region. Another example is…

The Greek banking sector has totally transformed as a result of the financial crisis. Legislation, restructuring and recapitalization have led to a sector that is now internationally recognized for its high capitalization levels and for substantial improvements in stability, governance and transparency. As Professor Nikolaos Karamouzis, Chairman of EFG Eurobank and Chairman of the Hellenic Bank Association, states, “we have been through four stress tests – no other system has been stressed as much.” Consolidation from about 60 banks has resulted in four systemic banks – National Bank of Greece (NBG), Alpha Bank, Eurobank and Piraeus Bank – and a few non-systemic ones, the biggest being Attica Bank. Despite the disruption, George Handjinicolaou, Chairman of Piraeus Bank, says that “the banks have managed to sustain themselves, stand on their feet…

FP How do you see Greece’s digital future? NP Greece can become a regional hub in many areas, including transport, energy and communications. How? We have to build credible networks. The major initiative on which most applications will be built is new generation access networks (NGAs), such as fiber optics. Already, we have €400 million available from the EU to start working on this. Greece is near the bottom of the EU in development of these networks. Our administration has faced this reality with actions and numerous initiatives. We have brought in cost-reduction legislation. This obliges every company developing a network to allow other networks, such as fiber optics, to pass through. This ultimately reduces the total cost of NGAs by around 60-80%. Using fiber optics, we are going to…

After years of delays, the construction works on the Metro of Thessaloniki, Greece’s second-largest city, resumed in 2016, and are set for completion in 2020. Theodoros Papadopoulos, Managing Director of Attiko Metro, which is responsible for driving forward its construction, says “it is a key infrastructure project for the city and will serve all the citizens of Thessaloniki.” It is expected to serve more than 65,000 passengers on a daily basis. It will also render Thessaloniki more attractive for tourists for obvious logistical reasons but also because during the project, major archeological remains have been uncovered. “Many of the findings will be exhibited within the Metro stations in order to become part of the modern city,” explains Papadopoulos. “This is an example of embodying the ancient civilization and history of…

Landmark privatization deals in the infrastructure sphere are being concluded. Conspicuous among them is Chinese conglomerate COSCO’s acquisition of a 67% majority stake in Piraeus Port in April 2016, seeing the port climb from 93rd to 38th biggest in the world. Captain Fu Cheng Qiu, its Managing Director, credits the government saying “it was not easy. But when COSCO moved all its business-after-transit containers from Venice to the port, the Greek government was very supportive. It gave us stable policies favoring investments and we thank them for that.” The management of 14 regional airports by German-Greek consortium Fraport/Slentel will step up the competitiveness of logistics. Vice Chairman of Aegean Airlines, Eftichios Vassilakis, says “It means the airports are going to be developed positively. Fraport has specific standards to adhere to.”…

The liberalization of the Greek energy market is an integral part of its commitments to creditors. Public Power Corporation (PPC) is the largest power producer and electricity supply company in Greece with 87.5% of the electricity market, yet by 2020 its share, both in terms of production and retail, will drop to 49%. PPC is committed to pushing liberal- ization forward by turning this change of affairs into an opportunity to reshape the company. PPC’s Chairman and CEO, Emmanouil M. Panagiotakis, explains “we are obliged to become a different company; smaller in electricity in Greece yet stronger and bigger.” It will diversify its activities and expand to other markets through collaborations. Panagiotakis says PPC “has a dual role to play: to act as a regulator and guarantor of the energy market’s…

The region of Attica, a multi-functional key area of Greece with a unique landscape, rich culture and a wealth of industrial, financial and commercial activities makes up approximately 40% of the Greek population and contributes over 47% to Greece’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In recent years, it has become one of the key centers of economic and developmental activity thanks to the paradigm shift operated by the current Administration of Governor Rena Dourou. Establishing the proper ecosystem for new forms of entrepreneurship, smart specialization, digital policy and innovation, through synergies with important stake holders, such as the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), and innovative new business entities from the Athens Startup Business, is the main goal of the Attica Administration. In order to achieve this goal, the current…

WHEN MAÍRA MUTTI ARAÚJO speaks, she draws out her vowels and pronounces them with a distinctively sharp tone. Her accent is immediately recognizable to Brazilians as typical of Salvador, a coastal city in the country’s northeast that is as famous for its beaches as its rich African heritage. Araújo grew up in Salvador, just like her mom. Her dad, who grew up in a rural town eight hours away, has lived there since college. She has her mom’s features—a broad nose, full lips—and her dad’s nut-brown complexion. Araújo comes from a bookish family. Her parents met when they were both chemistry majors at a local university— they now work as middle school chemistry teachers. She got her law degree at the Federal University of Bahia, one of the country’s most…

“HOW WILL AMERICA HELP FIX THIS?” During our time in the Obama administration, this was a common refrain, one we heard over and over from our foreign counterparts about global problems. They saw the United States as the leader on a broad range of issues—from combating terrorism to combating climate change—not just because of its tremendous economic and military strength (though that certainly helped). They believed in American “soft power”—the ability to set the agenda, bring others to the table, draw up a game plan, and take the lead in implementing that plan. In a world of unrelenting challenges, this expectation can be exhausting, and it can often seem like a burden. But the fact that so many countries look to the United States to provide the answers should be viewed as…