Geopolitics Magazine March - April 2016 | Page 76

Written by Alexandros Niklan Sr. Security Consultant Greece isolation could create Global geopolitical instability. Greece is the main subject in news all over the world as the epicenter of immigration flows along with state’s financial crisis. A possible Grexit, seems to be more possible than ever while Greece is still in an economic turmoil along with closed borders at the North and West. Economic implications are obvious and while this article is being written, stock markets are facing some mediocre turmoil on euro currency, however not as big as it was supposed to be. No one though is able to predict what will happen on the geopolitical chessboard since Greece is more valuable than ever today, contrary to what most people believe. Geographical location of Greece is very important. It is a country located at the Southern Eastern of Europe and is considered to be a sea/land communication node that connects Middle East, Asia, Africa and Balkans/Russia to the Mediterranean Sea. By itself this shows that as a simple piece of land , Greece can either be a portal for improving things for NATO and EU , or convert to a physical barrier that will push European borders even further back. Taking under consideration that already Russia has open channels with Greek government (Russia and Greece already have agreements on multiple sectors) and has leased its main port (Pireaus) to COSCO (logistics company of Chinese interest), a possible turn by desperate Greece to Russia, China and Middle East could potentially become something that will turn into a boomerang for ECB and West in general. What is more interesting despite the differences between the two (although offer is something not to be taken seriously) is the offer placed by Turkish government in the past to pay the loan payment of Greece to IMF because according to Turkish politicians, Greece stability is a main concern for them. Of course it is obvious that this move was to put another nail in the coffin to the subject of EEZ that has drawn hostile actions by both sides, on top of immigration issues. Another point is that Greece, with its bad and good points as a country, was a place that was a stabilizing pole for the Balkan peninsula and despite the conflict with FYROM on the name dispute, Athens was a "blood donor" to economies of Albania, Bulgaria and FYROM which now also loose a big percentage of their GDP and received a blow to their logistics pathway. If Greece exits Eurozone, then Geopolitics.com.gr all rights reserved 2016 Page 74