Military report highlights region’s complex issues

A report published recently by a high-ranking Greek military academy, believed to echo classified information, notes that the role of the military, among other factors, amid a competitive southeast Mediterranean environment possessing hydrocarbon deposits needs to be defined.

It also makes a note of the ongoing political turmoil in the wider region, including the emergence of fragile states, problems of dysfunctional and failed states, possible de facto border revisions, the role of political Islam, the refugee problem, ambitions of regional countries and competition for energy sources.

The report reminds that the southeast Mediterranean region represents a crucial energy supply corridor for Europe while adding that the EU is heavily dependent on oil and gas imports as 35 percent of these supplies hail from Russia.

This lack of diversification in energy supply also poses a threat for Greece, the military report pointed out.