CF2026

Cyprus Forum Athens

Agenda
Interpretation

 

Cyprus Forum Athens serves as a platform for dialogue between Cyprus and Greece on regional developments, public policy, and shared strategic priorities in the Eastern Mediterranean.

The forum convenes policymakers, academics, civil society representatives, and industry leaders to discuss issues including regional cooperation, energy, education, governance, security, culture, and economic development.

Reflecting the close political, cultural, and historical relationship between Cyprus and Greece, Cyprus Forum Athens aims to encourage collaboration and policy exchange on challenges and opportunities affecting the wider region.

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Speakers

Location

Cyprus Forum Athens 2025

CONSTANTINOS ADAMIDES

Dr. Constantinos Adamides is Associate Professor of International Relations and the Head of the Department of Politics and Governance at the University of Nicosia (UNIC).

He is also the Director of the Institute of Studies for Politics and Democracy, and a visiting professor at the University of Malta’s Center for Conflict Resolution. He currently serves on the Executive Academic Board of the European Security and Defense College (ESDC) and he was a member of the Republic of Cyprus’ first Geostrategic Council (2014–2018). His current research is on conflicts, Eastern Mediterranean geopolitics and how AI affects disinformation and cognitive warfare.

INO-DESPOINA AFENTOULI

Ino-Despoina Afentouli is Senior Policy Advisor and Head of the Observatory of Geopolitics and Diplomacy at the Hellenic Foundation for Foreign and European Policy (ELIAMEP). She has a multiyear experience in international relations, defense and security as well as Public Diplomacy and Strategic Communications.

She served as Executive Director at the Institute of International Relations (2022-2025) and during 2002-2022, she served as Program Manager at NATO’s Public Diplomacy Division. In this capacity, she was responsible for the design and implementation of the communication strategy of the Organization towards the member states of the Southern flank as well as towards the partner countries in the Caucasus and Central Asia.

Prior to joining NATO, she was a journalist specialized in foreign and European affairs and she worked for Greek media outlets (Kathimerini daily, Sky Radio, Star Channel, Athens News Agency) as well as the Economist Intelligence Unit-Greek edition.

For her work, she was awarded in 2001 with the Calligas prize attributed by the European Journalists Association. She studied Law at the University of Athens and holds a Master on Political Science and Political Communication at the University of Paris I – Sorbonne and Paris II.

She is the author of five books and numerous articles on transatlantic relations, Greek foreign policy, European affairs and regional cooperation in SE Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean, including:

The world in 2035, Pedion Publications, 2025

Public Diplomacy, Eurasia Publications, 2023

A journey in Greek Foreign Policy, Potamos Publications, 2005

The Europe We Want, Sideris Publications, 1997

May ’68,Twenty years after, Ulysses Publications, 1988

She has a bi-weekly column on foreigns affairs at the Greek daily TA NEA (The News), and she is a frequent commentator on audiovisual media outlets.

EVDOKIA BAKALOU

Evdokia Bakalou is an International Relations expert specializing in public policy, strategic social planning, child protection, human rights, and institutional capacity-building, with professional experience at both national and European levels.

She has extensive professional experience in child protection, mental health promotion, social integration, and the development of comprehensive child protection systems, including guardianship schemes, accompaniment services, and accommodation centres for unaccompanied children.

She holds a degree in International and European Studies and postgraduate degrees in Planning for Developing Countries and Project Management. She has also participated in voluntary initiatives focused on urban reconstruction and community empowerment in India and several African countries, including Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Uganda, and Tanzania, with a particular focus on children’s education and sustainable development in local communities.

DANAE BEZANTAKOU

Danae Bezantakou is the CEO of NAVIGATOR SHIPPING CONSULTANTS (www.navigatorltd.gr) in the shipping industry and is also involved in the family businesses in the tourism sector (KEFI S.A. www.kefitours.gr — a travel agency in the center of Kifissia and the MATILDA Hotel www.matildahotel.gr in Zakynthos).

She is the Concept Founder of Young Executives Shipping (YES) FORUM – the platform of open dialogue among principals, executives, school & university students, recent graduates and young executives in Shipping and Sea Tourism Sectors. She is also the author of “Destination Sea,” the first shipping guidebook for children aged 8 and up. 

She also serves as the 1st Vice President of International Propeller Club (Port of Piraeus) and Director at Large of The International Propeller Club. She is the President of iforU-Greek Mentoring Network, which empowers small and medium women entrepreneurs through mentoring & networking since 2012, Member of the Maritime Committee of French – Hellenic Chamber, Board Member of the Hellenic Entrepreneurs Association and President of the Hellenic U.S. Alumni Association of State Department Programs.

She was selected as a European Young Leader in 2013 and as a Young Global Leader in 2015 by the World Economic Forum.

She actively participates as a speaker at shipping conferences, entrepreneurship events, and career days at schools and universities.

She studied International Hospitality and Tourism Management at the University of Surrey and is the mother of a 17-year-old daughter.

SPYROS BLAVOUKOS

Spyros Blavoukos is Professor at the Department of International and European Economic Studies, at the Athens University of Economics and Business (AUEB) and a Senior Research Fellow at ELIAMEP, where he is the Head of the ‘Ariane Condellis’ European Programme. He is the Director of the Jean Monnet Network on EU-UN Relations (EUN-NET) and a Senior Researcher of the Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence on the Multilateral Diplomacy of the European Union. His research and publications focus on the EU foreign and security policy and more specifically on the EU international interactions with other international and regional organizations, most notably the UN. He has (co)authored and (co)edited six books on various aspects of European integration and EU external relations and more than forty journal articles and contributions to other academic publications.

ANNA KOUKKIDES-PROCOPIOU

Anna Koukkides-Procopiou is an inclusive security, foreign policy and peacebuilding expert. A Fellow at the Jackson School of Global Affairs at Yale University, she currently serves as the President of Politeia Centre for Socio-Political Thinking, based in Cyprus. Anna is also a member of the EMI-Eastern Mediterranean Initiative run jointly by the Geneva Centre for Security and Swisspeace and the founder of the Women Act-Cyprus network empowering women in the public sphere.

She has extensive experience in the corporate sector and in government. Between 2023-2024, she served as Minister of Justice and Public Order of the Republic of Cyprus, where she spearheaded an initiative on the implementation of UNSCR2467 on sexual violence during conflict, focusing on restitution and rehabilitation of survivors of such crimes committed in Cyprus.

A well-known public figure, commentator and activist, she has consistently worked on active citizen engagement, democracy, transparency and gender equality, Anna has co-founded and currently serves on the steering committee of CWBC (Cyprus Women Bicommunal Coalition) campaigning for the implementation of UNSCR1325 and the meaningful participation of women in the Cyprus Peace process- the work of CWBC has been recently commended for by UNSG Guterres. A former consultant with International Crisis Group and Senior Fellow of the Cyprus Centre for European and International Affairs-University of Nicosia, she is also a member of the UN Senior Women Talent Pipeline and a World Bank expert on Women, Business and the Law in the context of Cyprus. She has collaborated in various capacities with many international organisations, including the OSCE, Interpeace and CMI.

Anna read Economics and History at UCL and continued her postgraduate studies in International Relations at LSE. She also holds a certificate in Religion and Politics from MacMillan Center for International and Area Studies, Yale University and a professional certificate in Political Risk Analysis awarded by Teneo Intelligence.

DR. ELENA LAZAROU

Dr. Elena Lazarou is the Director General at the Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP), Greece.

She previously headed the External Policies Unit of the European Parliament’s in house think tank; the Center for International Relations of the Getulio Vargas Foundation (FGV), Brazil; and the Euro-Mediterranean Observatory of the Hellenic Center for European Studies, Athens.

From 2010-2015 she was Assistant Professor of International Relations and European Studies at FGV.

She received a Ph.D. in International Relations from the University of Cambridge in 2008 and subsequently held postdoctoral research positions at the University of Cambridge, the University of Sheffield and the London School of Economics (LSE), as well as various visiting positions in think tanks and universities in Europe and the United States.

She has published edited volumes, articles and policy briefs in English, Portuguese and Greek on EU foreign, security and defence policy; transatlantic relations and on the future of multilateralism.

Dr. Lazarou is an Associate Fellow with the US and Americas Programme at Chatham House and an International Invited Professor at FGV’s Centre of Excellence on EU-South America Global Governance.

FAY MAKANTASI

Dr. Fay Makantasi is the Research Director at diaNEOsis, one of Greece’s most distinguished think tanks.

She holds extensive academic experience, having taught Microeconomic Theory and Game Theory at the Athens University of Economics and Business (AUEB) and Principles of Economics at the Hellenic Open University (HOU). She completed her PhD at AUEB, focusing on a game-theoretic approach to international trade. As a Postdoctoral Fellow, her research focused on critical issues such as public sector reform in Greece, export performance, and the measurement of human capital.

Her academic excellence has been recognized through prestigious grants and awards, including those from the Greek State Scholarships Foundation (IKY), the Bank of Cyprus, the Georgios and Victoria Karelia Foundation, and the European Research Funding Program “Heracleitus II.” Most recently, she received a research grant from the Hellenic Observatory of the London School of Economics (LSE) to conduct advanced research on intelligent modeling of e-Government initiatives in Greece.

Her research has been published in international academic journals, and she has presented her research at prominent national and international conferences.

She has also co-authored and edited significant socio-economic studies, focusing on Greece’s path to recovery from the economic crisis and its broader modernization efforts. Her contributions to applied research and policy analysis continue to influence critical debates on Greece’s development trajectory and institutional reform.

YANNIS MASTROCOSTAS

Yannis Mastrocostas serves as Director Government Affairs at Papastratos. He brings more than 20 years of professional experience in senior roles spanning corporate affairs, fiscal affairs, economic diplomacy, trade, operations and institutional relations management, in Greece and internationally. Since joining Papastratos in 2005, he has held successive Corporate Affairs positions from 2016 onwards, with responsibilities at national, European and international levels. His experience includes assignments at the Philip Morris International Operations Center in Switzerland during 2017–2019 and 2023–2024. Prior to assuming his current position in Greece, he served as Manager Corporate Affairs at Papastratos and as Head of Corporate Affairs and a member of the management team at Philip Morris Cyprus. He began his professional career in the UK and Northern Ireland, holding positions in the consumer goods, beverages, food and pharmaceutical sectors. He has also served as Chairman of the Intellectual Property Protection Committee of the American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce.

AGATHI PAFILI

Agathi Pafili is Senior Vice President at Capital Group and head of Europe government and regulatory affaits. She has 22 years of policy and industry experience and has been with Capital Group for over 6 years. Prior to joining Capital, Agathi was a senior policy advisor at the European Funds and Asset Management Association. Before that, she worked in the European Parliament as policy advisor and head of office for Members of the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee. She holds a master’s degree in international and European law and is a member of the Athens Bar Association. Agathi is based in Brussels.

PANAYOTIS TSAKONAS

Professor of International Relations, Security Studies and Foreign Policy Analysis at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA). He is also Director of the Institute of Migration and Diaspora Studies and Head of the Programme on Security and Foreign Policy at the Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP). Professor Tsakonas has held research positions at several leading academic institutions, including Harvard University (1998–1999), Yale University (2003), and the University of Oxford (2015). He has also served as an Advisor to the Greek Ministry of National Defence (1996–1998) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1999–2003), as well as President of the Board of Directors of the Center for Security Studies (KE.ME.A.) (2016–2019). His research and publications—including books, monographs, chapters in edited volumes, and articles in peer-reviewed academic journals—have appeared in Greek, English, German, French, and Italian. His research interests focus on the evolution of international cooperation, regional security, crisis management, the management and resolution of interstate disputes, with particular focus on the Greek-Turkish conflict, and Greece’s grand strategy.

LUCAS VELIDAKIS

Experienced journalist and senior editor with a background in Political Science and International Relations and more than three decades in Greek media. I cover politics, geopolitics, technology and artificial intelligence, with a particular focus on the intersection of technology, power and society. My work spans reporting, long-form journalism, interviews, editorial strategy and live events.