1. The document discusses a variety of geopolitical topics in 29 questions posed to candidates for the English language examination for the Greek foreign ministry. Questions cover issues like the Iran nuclear deal, authoritarian regimes, US foreign policy in Asia and the Middle East, climate change, great power rivalry between the US and China, the COVID-19 pandemic, and migration. Definitions are also requested for various words used in the questions.
1. The document discusses a variety of geopolitical topics in 29 questions posed to candidates for the English language examination for the Greek foreign ministry. Questions cover issues like the Iran nuclear deal, authoritarian regimes, US foreign policy in Asia and the Middle East, climate change, great power rivalry between the US and China, the COVID-19 pandemic, and migration. Definitions are also requested for various words used in the questions.
1. The document discusses a variety of geopolitical topics in 29 questions posed to candidates for the English language examination for the Greek foreign ministry. Questions cover issues like the Iran nuclear deal, authoritarian regimes, US foreign policy in Asia and the Middle East, climate change, great power rivalry between the US and China, the COVID-19 pandemic, and migration. Definitions are also requested for various words used in the questions.
Αγγλική Γλώσσα (εξεταστές, σύμβουλοι πρεσβείας: Κατσαρέας Αλέξης ΣΠΒ’,
Παππά Ποθητή)
1. Middle East- Iran/Saudi Arabia/ UAE and the US
What in your view is the situation in the Arab world and the Middle East after the change in US administration and the withdrawal from Afghanistan? What about the Iranian nuclear deal? (Vienna talks) Words: “enmity” synonym. “cast in stone” meaning 2. Managed/ guided democracy. What does the term “autocrat democracy” mean? Authoritarian leaders around the world. How would you explain the term “rigged systems”? The word “stark” (stark repression) 3. Consumerism – the behaviour of consumers has changed – Explain the phrases “stuff-accumulating shopaholics” and “political clout” 4. Nord Stream (as part of Russo-German relations). + leaving Afghanistan means all US attention to China. Words: “wooing” European allies, “detrimental” and “irritate”. 5. Europe/ US relations: still strong? + Personal Question: What is your background and what actually brings you here? (also, repeatedly asked: “Why have you decided to enter the ministry?” 6. Climate Change/ global warming– “The human species will either become extinct or evolve” discuss 7. Cold war/ secret diplomacy: how did it evolve, what was it about, and what have we learnt? Do you see future power rivalries, with new forces rising? balance of power coming back again? 8. History- WWII Italian telegram to Metaxas (the text was from W. Churchill) Who was king of UK back then? How did the UK assist Greece in the war? 9. Agriculture/ Irrigation/ Creation of the US What is your knowledge of the US? Experience from the US? – the US mentality and culture 10.Shipping Routes – blockade: Suez Canal / Evergreen incident – Implications on world trade? Describe the word “idle” 11.Population growth and climate toxicity – words: “tangible” (threats) meaning, and opposite 12.Can a country serve as a brand? 13.Future of work/ Tele-working – the positive aspects of digitalisation Definition of bottleneck 14.Board games/ Rising international powers: China (the emerging power challenging the established one) – Taiwan: discuss: “China’s credibility depends on retaking Taiwan”; how do you define “credibility”? 15.China/ South East China Sea territorial claims – geopolitics is back US ‘pivot to Asia’ Where was the main focus of the US before Asia? 16.COVID-19/ health crisis – the parameter of vaccination 17.Climate change – Words: meaning of “undisputed”, “mitigate” and “spoiler alert” 18.Internet/ censorship in Chinese social media platforms (“using the users to actually police the Internet?”) If you were a diplomat in Beijing how would you react? What would you report back to the ministry? 19.Balance of nature/ Intervening in nature/ ‘Control of the control of nature’ our actions have created problems to nature, and we must be less intervening. Gun hole meaning? 20.Afghanistan/Iran (the Taliban takeover) 21.Migration/ Asylum Seekers in Pakistan 22.Qatar, UAE, Yemen/ investments in Africa 23.US-Iran Nuclear Deal – US withdrawal during the Trump administration What is the object of the recent Vienna talks? 24.Belarus state hijacking, ryanair incident – Migrants and asylum seekers in Belarus-Poland border weaponization/instrumentalization of migrants 25.Weaponization of outer space – do we have the right? – space race competition 26.Decarbonization of heavy industry – how to mitigate climate change effects? 27.Turkey-relations with Middle East – Trump’s “laissez faire” approach. Meaning of the phrase “papered over” 28.Turkey- EU. Turkey’s revisionism. Words meaning: trajectory, corrosive 29.Privatization of foreign policy idea being that multinational companies should import many aspects from inter-State diplomacy. Words meaning: “Statecraft” “conducive to”