IT WAS WITH A HEAVY HEART that I left NATO in January 2004 to assume my responsibilities as Greece’s Permanent Representative to the European Union. While I was honored to be chosen for yet another critical post in an institution whose decisions have an immediate and decisive impact on both Greek and European affairs, it was a bittersweet move. I was leaving behind a daily round of historic intensity that had practically become second nature. The four years I spent at NATO were among the most critical and definitive in its history, a turning point not only for the Alliance but also for the entire world. My colleagues and I lived through events that horrified and stunned the world, events that ushered in an era of new challenges, requiring us to reassess many of the things we took for granted. At the end of these four years, I was coming away having gained a unique perspective into history and international relations, having participated in the daily decision shaping, and making process, a demanding and laborious task with far-reaching implications for many countries and people.

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While you, the reader, may consider my views pessimistic, my more than 35 years in the diplomatic service have taught me that none of us can afford not to look truth and facts in the eye. It is the only path towards understanding the world and resolving its issues.