DIM Diplomatic Evenings

On Monday, October 20, 2025, the Centre for the Study of International Development and Migration (DIM) launched the first edition of its Diplomatic Evenings series, featuring Her Excellency Evangelia Grammatika, Ambassador of Greece to Romania, as the keynote speaker. The event, moderated by Lect. Dr. Claudiu Crăciun, brought together students, professors, and members of the diplomatic community for an engaging discussion on Greece’s foreign policy, regional security, and migration.

In her lecture, Ambassador Grammatika emphasized the guiding principles of Greek diplomacy: dialogue, democracy, and diplomacy. Her Excellency described Greece as “a pillar of stability at the crossroads of three continents.” She underlined the importance of multilateralism and the rules-based international order, noting that “predictability is essential for security”.

Addressing the issue of migration, the Ambassador spoke about Greece’s experience in managing large migration flows and the lessons learned from the EU-Turkey agreement. She emphasized the need for shared responsibility among EU member states, stressing that first-entry countries cannot bear the burden alone. Referring to the New EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, she highlighted the balance between solidarity and responsibility, while warning that “implementation remains a challenge, and voluntary returns have produced limited results”.

The discussion also covered regional partnerships and security, with Greece maintaining strong ties with Cyprus, Israel, Egypt, and the Gulf states, while supporting the European aspirations of the Western Balkans, Moldova, and Ukraine. Ambassador Grammatika reiterated Greece’s firm support for Ukraine and its belief that “a stronger EU means a stronger NATO”.

At the bilateral level, the Ambassador praised the close relations between Greece and Romania, based on shared democratic values and a vision for regional connectivity, from joint energy projects to transport corridors linking the two countries through Bulgaria.

In conclusion, Ambassador Grammatika reflected on Greece’s democratic resilience, highlighting the importance of strong institutions and civic commitment to democratic values. The event ended with a discussion on the future of European cooperation and Greece’s upcoming Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2027.

The event reaffirmed the value of DIM’s Diplomatic Evenings as a platform for meaningful dialogue between academia and diplomacy, strengthening students’ understanding of contemporary global challenges and European foreign policy.