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Multilateralism has yet to improve in inter-state cooperation on pandemic, other challenges

Multilateralism has yet to improve when it comes to inter-state cooperation in cases of serious global challenges like the current COVID-19 pandemic, a Greek expert has said.

From a systemic point of view, multilateralism is a normative repercussion of the rise of multipolarism after the end of the incomplete period of unipolarity that arrived immediately after the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union, Spyros Litsas, professor of international relations theory at the University of Macedonia in northern Greece, told Xinhua in a recent interview.

From an economic point of view, multilateralism is a positive result that is offering an opportunity to the global economy to be more competitive and effective, said the expert, who is also visiting professor of international relations and strategy at the Supreme Joint War College of the Greek Armed Forces.

“However, I strongly believe that multilateralism has yet to improve in the area related to inter-state cooperation to face grave global situations, such as the current COVID-19 pandemic,” he noted.

If multilateralism may function as a procedure that will enhance inter-state collaboration against rogue elements, state and non-state actors, then the 21st century may prove to be more stable than the previous one, according to Litsas.

“If this inter-state collaboration may move to other areas too, such as technology, global infrastructure, or green policies, then humanity has a chance to survive the challenges ahead,” he said.

For the Greek expert, the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road Initiative is a positive step toward adding to multilateralism.

“Any kind of an economic initiative that has the capacity to create new jobs and can contribute to the economic growth of a region is beneficial. The Silk Road Initiative, especially after the beginning of the Greek economic crisis, proves to be a positive step,” he said.

“However, it is important to see hi-tech investments instead of low-productivity investments in order for the Greek economy to meet its full potential. As long as the Maritime Silk Road Initiative preserves its economic and cultural character, then it adds to the region’s multilateralism,” he said.

China’s major investment into Greece’s largest port, Piraeus, by COSCO Shipping coincided with the outbreak of the Greek economic crisis. In 2009, COSCO’s subsidiary Piraeus Container Terminal S.A. took over the management of the port’s container terminal, while in 2016, COSCO acquired a majority stake in the port’s operator, Piraeus Port Authority S.A., in an international tender.

Many third-party observers say China-Greek win-win collaboration over the past decade has produced remarkable results, with the Piraeus port project, for example, massively improving the port’s image and serving as a “Dragon’s Head” for the new Maritime Silk Road in Europe.

“I think there are more things that can be done in Piraeus to increase the economic performance of container handling. It has to be said that the port has the capacity to be further developed, while it must also be modernized in many aspects, with the production of a technologically advanced infrastructure to be a necessity,” the professor said.
Source: Xinhua

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