UAE-Greece Strategic Partnership

Abstract

The geostrategic importance of the eastern Mediterranean region increased with the discovery of natural resources. This, in turn, led to escalating tensions between historic rivals Greece and Turkey. These tensions have also escalated due to Turkey's expansionist agenda and projection of power affecting a neighborhood shared by European and Arab countries. Arab and European countries who view Turkey's behavior as threating aligned in their efforts to combat Turkey's destabilizing regional policies. These efforts have manifested in different ways, including the UAE-Greece Strategic Partnership, formed on 18 November 2020. This strategic partnership creates new opportunities for regional actors to showcase different types of cooperative arrangements in order to enhance stability and security in certain regions in the face of illegal or threatening actions. Examining the strategic partnership between the UAE and Greece is essential for several reasons. First, it is important to explore what drove the UAE and Greece to be strategic partners and find their shared priorities that made them work together to influence these issues. Second, examining the UAE-Greece case will lead to a greater understanding of the roles and functions strategic partnerships may play in shaping outcomes related to common security threats. Third, it has academic implications in that this research will fill a critical gap in the literature, as there is a lack of coverage of UAE-Greece bilateral relations. This thesis will utilize Wilkins (2008) framework of analysis to deconstruct the strategic partnership between the two states and understand the purpose of formation, the methods of implementation in countering both countries common adversary, Turkey. The UAE and Greece Strategic Partnership was clearly prompted as a reaction to counter Turkey's growing influence in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East, and an act to balance its power in the region. The implementation methods and the defense element mainly were utilized to deter Turkey's military provocations in the East Med and showcase the power of Greece and its partners, like the UAE, in comparison to Turkey. However, a diplomatic breakthrough in August 2021 between the UAE and Turkey may test the UAE's commitment to Greece's security.

Date of Award	Dec 2021
Original language	American English