With Greece's full integration into the European Community, it was only natural that academic and research interest in this institution and Europe in general increased. Recently, a series of remarkable studies have been published that analyze aspects of the Community and its politics. A significant number of studies are dedicated to the country's integration into the Community and its consequences.
However, one aspect of Community activity that has not - at least so far - engaged Greek researchers is that of 'external relations and policy.' This aspect, however, is particularly important for both the Community and Greece. As is well known, the Community has developed a complex network of external relations, while member countries have established the Political Cooperation mechanism aimed at the formation of a unified European foreign policy.
This book attempts, for the first time in our country, a concise presentation and analysis of the Community's external relations as well as the Political Cooperation mechanism of the ten member countries. The book therefore aims to serve as a guide for understanding the external relations and politics of the Community.
The largest part of the book was written within the framework of the author's activities as a special advisor in the Directorate of European Communities of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The author must acknowledge that the head of this Directorate, Ambassador K. Lyberopoulos, created working and dialogue conditions that can, without exaggeration, be described as 'ideal', which is not so common for a public service. Without these conditions, this book would not have been written.
