Panagiotis (Panos) Giannakoulias

Panagiotis is a Greek career diplomat with 18 years of experience in international affairs, security, and defense policy. Before joining SPIA, he served six years at the European External Action Service (EEAS) in Brussels, where he headed the team responsible for security and defense dialogue and cooperation with key partner countries and international organizations, including the United Nations and NATO. Since 2021, he has coordinated the EEAS Task Force on EU-NATO relations and co-chaired the EU-NATO Core Group. His previous diplomatic assignments included postings in Belgrade and at the Greek Permanent Representation to the EU, where he served as national delegate to the Council’s Politico-Military Group and contributed to new EU defense initiatives, including the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO). These experiences shaped his policy interests at the intersection of European security and transatlantic relations, increasingly focusing on digital diplomacy, innovation, and emerging technologies – particularly artificial intelligence – in defense cooperation. Before entering the Foreign Service, he served as a reserve infantry officer and held traineeships at international organizations in Strasbourg, Paris, and Brussels, including the European Commission, focusing on energy security. He is a graduate of the Hellenic Diplomatic Academy and holds a bachelor’s in philosophy from the University of Athens and a master’s in the history of international relations and European integration from the University of Strasbourg. In his free time, he enjoys traveling, photography, and reading history. Upon graduation, he plans to return to the Greek Foreign Service with a sharpened focus on public diplomacy, peace, security, and defense.