The Eastern Mediterranean: Between Power Struggles and Regionalist Aspirations

The document examines the Eastern Mediterranean's transition from a strategic space used by great powers to a distinct geopolitical region. It analyzes the shift toward multipolarity and the emergence of 'proto-regionalism' through trilateral partnerships involving Greece, Cyprus, Israel, and Egypt. While identifying potential for an Eastern Mediterranean Cooperation Council (EMCC) based on the Gulf Cooperation Council model, the author highlights significant obstacles, including the role of Turkey, the Cyprus conflict, and energy disputes.

• The Eastern Mediterranean is conceptualized as a regional subsystem with moderate cohesion and economic interdependence that serves as a border between East and West and possesses substantial security significance.
• Historically, the Eastern Mediterranean was viewed by imperial and superpower entities, such as Great Britain and the US, as a strategic means to achieve interests in the Middle East rather than a region with its own geopolitical identity.
• The discovery of hydrocarbons has fundamentally changed the region's security reality, acting as a catalyst for new inter-state relations and a shift in how the region is analyzed.
• Current 'diplomacy of trilateral partnerships'—specifically those involving Greece, Cyprus, Israel, and Egypt—is viewed as 'proto-regionalism' that could potentially evolve into a formal Eastern Mediterranean Cooperation Council (EMCC).
• Cooperation within these trilateral partnerships spans five overarching sectors: military-hard security, economic, energy, environmental, and cultural-social-political.
• The absence of Turkey is a primary obstacle to sustainable regionalism; while current cooperation acts as a counter-balance to Turkey, a long-term project would require the socialization and inclusion of Turkey.
• Several critical geopolitical conflicts hinder regional integration, including the unresolved Cyprus problem, the EEZ boundary dispute between Israel and Lebanon, the Syrian war, and the Palestinian issue.
• To build trust and avoid the sensitivities of 'hard power' or energy disputes, the report recommends a 'low-politics' entry point for regionalism, focusing on non-threatening areas like the environment and human security.

APA

Tziarras, Z. (2018). The Eastern Mediterranean: Between Power Struggles and Regionalist Aspirations. Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/631d7aa4-1c8f-4507-abce-b97b5007d2b5/ZTziarras EastMed Between Power Struggles and Regionalist Aspirations.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Tziarras, Zenonas. The Eastern Mediterranean: Between Power Struggles and Regionalist Aspirations. Peace Research Institute Oslo, 2018. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/631d7aa4-1c8f-4507-abce-b97b5007d2b5/ZTziarras EastMed Between Power Struggles and Regionalist Aspirations.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Tziarras |first1=Zenonas |title=The Eastern Mediterranean: Between Power Struggles and Regionalist Aspirations |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |date=2018 |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/631d7aa4-1c8f-4507-abce-b97b5007d2b5/ZTziarras EastMed Between Power Struggles and Regionalist Aspirations.pdf?inline=true |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{tziarras2018eastern, author = {Tziarras, Zenonas}, title = {{The Eastern Mediterranean: Between Power Struggles and Regionalist Aspirations}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, year = {2018}, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/631d7aa4-1c8f-4507-abce-b97b5007d2b5/ZTziarras EastMed Between Power Struggles and Regionalist Aspirations.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }