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Golan: Israel "Needs a Week or Two" Without Netanyahu; Iran: No Impasse At Nuclear Talks, But Issues Remain; Naomi Osaka Drops Out of the French Open; Italy to Open Quarantine-Free Travel to UAE Visitors; British Paralympian Speaks to CNN Ahead of Games; Fierce Feud Shines Light on Dark Side of the Art World. Aired 11a-12p ET

Aired June 01, 2021 - 11:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[11:00:00]

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST: We're going to have an action packed hour for you here on "Connect the World" right here.

So let's get going with it. The CEO of Dubai Airports will join us. We're going to hear about the support for Naomi Osaka, we're going to take you to

Tokyo as the Olympic athletes begin to arrive. First up though let's get to our top news story of the day.

In any moment now we could get the official word of the newest coalition in Israel's government. Eight parties have come together with widely diverse

political ideologies to achieve one thing, and that is to ouster this man, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Man on the left centrist politician Yair Lapid had four weeks to build a coalition and if Right Wing Leader Naftali Bennett, on the right here

officially signs on he may have done it after a formal agreement is signed, parliament has a week to approve it that a new Prime Minister would be

sworn in. Lapid explain how this government would be different?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

YAIR LAPID, ISRAELI KNESSET MEMBER: If this government is formed, the key word will be responsibility to take responsibility to restore in our - not

to blame others not to look for enemies, not to brand anyone who thinks differently than us a traitor who should be killed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Meanwhile, Mr. Netanyahu got a show of support from Republican U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham; the two are set to talk to the press soon.

Graham is of course a close ally of the Former U.S. President Donald Trump.

Well, my next guest says "It's hard to overestimate the degree to which Netanyahu is leaving will help ameliorate U.S./Israeli tensions and hard to

underestimate the degree to which underlying dynamic.

Israel moves right while Democrats move left him adds it will maintain that tension. CNN's Global Affairs Analyst and Former Middle East Negotiator

Aaron David Miller joining me now from Washington just explain what you mean, if you will.

AARON DAVID MILLER, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: I mean, I hate personality and politics, particularly in Israel - is critically important. Benjamin

Netanyahu has been Prime Minister for 12 years 10 consecutively add a couple from his first incarnation in 96.

He's dominated in a way few Israeli Prime Ministers have Israeli politics for a very long time. He's tethered his own legal travails. He's indicted

for bribery, breach of trust and fraud, and kept the Israeli political system hostage through for elections.

If he couldn't form a government, he was determined to prevent anyone else from forming a government. He's meddling in, in American politics. To the

degree that he - I would argue with a lot of help from our previous president, undermine the - a sense of bipartisanship in the adhesive that

has kept the U.S./Israeli relationship so resilient all these years.

So you take Benjamin Netanyahu out of the equation, and I suspect much of what Lapid said to you right now what we heard. At the same time, he is

only one guy, and Israel has moved increasingly to the right over the years, both internally and with respect to his foreign policy.

So I think you're - we're due for a quieter period, in the sense that maybe Israelis will focus internally. They'll get a budget. They'll take care of

some needed reforms with respect to the United States I think Biden's got a break.

You're going to see less resistance to the Iran deal. Less provocative acts, I would argue on the West Bank and in the Jerusalem area, because

nobody in this hodgepodge of a coalition wants to crack it up.

How long it'll last Becky is unclear, it's unwieldy. He doesn't have the really - only four or five previous Israeli governments since the inception

of the state had that characteristic. So I think there's a sort of a collective sigh of relief. Call it Netanyahu or Bibi fatigue. That's an

important ingredient here.

ANDERSON: Yes, this is by no means a done deal yet. I spoke to a member of the left leaning Meretz Party in the Knesset who supports the so called

change coalition between the very Right Wing Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid. Have a listen to what he told me yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

YAIR GOLAN, ISRAELI PARLIAMENT MEMBER: What Israel is needed right now more than anything else, is to you know, to experience a week or two without

Benjamin Netanyahu, without the shadow of this, you know, poisoning person, which really ruin the publicity of the Israeli society.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: He also admitted that his camp is giving up many of them principles in order to remove Netanyahu from his throne.

[11:05:00]

ANDERSON: As I said, this is by no means a done deal yet and there's a reason why many people look to Benjamin Netanyahu as a magician. But you

talked about whether this would be a sustainable coalition.

And I think that many of our viewers will be questioning what happens next, given this most recent escalation in violence and the position of Naftali

Bennett, who is potentially the next Prime Minister, his position when it comes to a two state solution no, his position as far as rights for

Palestinians, no? How does this - what does this mean, for Israel, in region and around the world?

MILLER: I mean, look, let's be clear. The right wing tendencies of this punitive government, particularly Bennett's hard line views, I mean, the

paradox here is he's further to the right than Netanyahu on issues like let's annex the West Bank. We need to oppose a Palestinian state at all

costs.

The question is you've got a mutually assured destructive characteristic built into this particular government. Nobody wants a fifth the election.

And people are going to be reluctant to clash and to take on the most controversial issue of all, which is what to do about the Palestinian issue

and the comatose Israeli Palestinian peace process.

Paradoxically, that might serve for a while to constrain Israeli behavior. When it comes to what are we going to do about the Sheik Jarrah

convictions? Or should we really accord empower Israeli police to be as heavy handed as they've been on the Haram al Sharif Temple Mount?

The question is, how long will the Palestinians in this regard, remain relatively restrained? Hamas scored major political points. They've linked

the West Bank and Gaza and even Israel proper in their recent campaign.

Mahmoud Abbas is weak in the 16th of four year term; he recently canceled elections, which further diminished his credibility. So you're quite right,

all of that Becky is still very fraught, and in very uncertain.

There is logic though perhaps I wish; maybe it's the triumph of hope, over experience that Israelis, to some degree have to make peace among them.

Before in essence, they're going to find a way to make peace with the Palestinians.

We're a long way away from either of those things happening. But I still would argue, I'm not an Israeli, but based on what I've observed over the

last decade or so. This at least gives the country a chance to breathe, and creates perhaps some opportunities that never existed, at least in the last

decade.

ANDERSON: Finally, it has been a - I guess you could describe it as a strong show of support. Senator Lindsey Graham in Israel met with the

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, even as the specter of this new government looms, and how would you describe the support for

Israel, certainly under the Benjamin Netanyahu government back home in Washington?

And the sort of support that this new coalition government might get it is no secret that we have seen some very, very loud voices over the past

couple of weeks showing that are to discuss with the way the Israeli government has been acting.

MILLER: Different constituencies in Washington, looking out my window now, of this very bizarre but remarkable city are going to relate to this in

different ways. The Biden Administration, the president in particular has made a judgment that he's a busy guy.

The next three months will be transformative or potentially determinant for the success of his presidency with a number of very important domestic

pieces of legislation at play. He's decided he doesn't want to fight with the Israeli government.

And frankly, if Mr. Netanyahu was removed from the equation, I don't think he will fight with the new government. They're going to be too busy

fighting with them frankly. Congress, however, has shown a different reaction.

In many respects, I've worked for Republicans and Democrats and voted for them. Usually the tension is between the administration and the Israeli

government in the past, with Congress, providing wall to wall support.

[11:10:00]

MILLER: Although our support has begun to crack, the values and an interest affinity that drove the relationship is showing signs of great stress. You

have more outspoken Democrats, with the Republican Party Lindsey Graham is an example of wanting to establish itself as the go to party when it comes

to Israel, in the approaching midterms in the general election that come. So I think support for Israel is much more complex and nuanced now than

it's ever been before.

ANDERSON: Fascinating. It's always a pleasure, sir. Thank you very much indeed. Well, Benjamin Netanyahu has always been staunchly opposed to

Iran's nuclear ambitions and indeed, of course, the 2015 nuclear deal.

Well, now the Israeli Prime Minister has he is still of course until that deal is done if indeed it is done. He's saying that his opposition is so

strong; that it could even come in the way of Israel's relationship with the United States have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: If we need to choose, and I hope it will not happen between friction with our great friend who - and

getting rid of the existential threat, getting rid of an existential threat will prevail.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well, those are strong words and they come even as talks are underway in Vienna to revive that agreement. Iran says the talks are

complicated but haven't reached an impasse. Washington pulled out of the deal, of course under President Donald Trump and re imposed tough sanctions

against Tehran but this new Biden Administration open to returning to the pact under certain conditions.

Meanwhile, a new report by the UN's nuclear watchdog could complicate matters. The IAEA says Teheran has failed to explain the traces of uranium

found at several undeclared sites. I want to get you to Vali Nasr now to talk about all of this. He's a Professor of Middle East Studies and

International Affairs at Johns Hopkins University, a regular guest on this show.

Your thoughts or analysis, always so important, neither the Biden Administration nor Iran's government wants to be accused of giving too

much. But they both - it seems do want an agreement or at least that's the headline, where do you think this deal stands at present? And is the

likelihood of a deal imminent?

VALI NASR, PROFESSOR, JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY: Well, it could be imminent, just because both sides have said that they're exhausting the Vienna

process. So either there has to be something else, or that this particular process in Vienna has to come to some kind of a resolution. I think we're

in the last mile.

In other words, a lot of the other easier sets of issues, the lower hanging fruits have been discussed have been resolved. They've now reached the sort

of the last thorny sets of issues. And that's what's holding him up so that both sides are correct.

They've made enormous amount of progress, maybe 90 percent of the work is done. But if that's lasted, that could make it or break it as we go

forward.

ANDERSON: The man who ultimately matters in all of this is on the Iranian side, the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. He would like the

negotiations in Vienna to end Iran's economic isolation. There are, of course, crucial presidential elections coming up mid June, and we'll

discuss those in a moment.

But it is widely accepted that there will be a hard line president - will take over from Rouhani. If that is the likely case, is there a concern

that's an end to Iran's economic isolation could strengthen Khamenei's hand at home? And further, how does the prospect of a "Hardliner" change the

calculus for Washington in these talks?

NASR: Well, you know, on this particular process, clearly, Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has given a green light to the negotiating team to

negotiate in Vienna. It doesn't mean that he's going to accept anything that comes out of Vienna. But so far, he has provided a political cover for

them to go.

He has supported conversations. But he has basically said that, that there are certain red lines for Iran that have to be observed. I think what he

would have in mind generally, which is protection of the Iranian regime and system, particularly as it might be going through a succession to the

Supreme Leader soon is stability.

It would like to see economic stability and predictability for Iran, enough flow of bonds, oil, revenue, trade, et cetera, to stabilize the regime. In

other words, he doesn't want to bow to the United States. He clearly refused to surrender to President Trump.

[11:15:00]

NASR: But at the same time he's he does not want to continue on a process where Iran gets more and more impoverished. And it becomes more and more

fragile. So I think his interest is for some kind of a deal. That's within the parameters that it doesn't look like Iran completely caved in and

didn't get anything.

And one other desire he had was that the talks in Vienna would not impact Iran's presidential election. And I think he has achieved that, that in a

sense that the news out of Vienna is not likely to come soon enough to have a material impact on who gets elected on June 18th.

And yes, you're correct that Washington will be dealing with a much more hard line nationalistic government that is was skeptical of the origin of

the let alone of this deal and that's exactly why it's better for Washington to arrive at that new government with at least a baseline deal

already achieved and not start from scratch without much more hard line government, it makes life much easier than trying to negotiate from scratch

with that government.

So I think Washington is motivated to get something done before the Rouhani government leaves office.

ANDERSON: Nearly 600 people registered as candidates for president, they have to register with the Guardian Council in Iran. The council then

decides and decided only seven men who all happened to be "Hardliners" would be listed as qualified to run for president. A selection, rather than

an election is what many around watches are calling this.

This has prompted controversy and predictions of low voter turnout. I just want our viewers to hear what the Supreme Leader had to say on that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go to the ballot boxes and vote, do not pay attention to the words of those who spread things from both inside and outside of the

country. That is useless. We won't go to vote, don't go. Do not pay any attention to what they say. They do not care for the people. Even if they

claim they speak for the people, they are talking nonsense. They're lying.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Will, people get out and vote?

NASR: Well, nobody knows. I mean, the Iranian electorate is very dejected and very frustrated. And originally, even before the Guardian Council,

announced its roster of candidates, they already didn't think that the election was going to materially change anything.

And now they basically are seeing a set of candidates that that is almost created to guarantee the victory of hardliners. So they're facing two

choices, either they boycott and keep a low turnout, or they fight like, for instance, gravitate towards the head of Iran Central Bank, which is the

only sort of technocratic moderate in the in the pack.

And basically try to frustrate the plans of the Supreme Leader and the Guardian Council for dominating these elections. So we have to see, but I

think the likelihood is that we're going to have a low turnout election; the Supreme Leader wanted a unified conservative government as Iran goes

into a succession period for the next eight years, because he's like - there's likely to be a change of supreme leader during that time period.

And also they have - they're looking in the rear view mirror and are very mindful of not just 2009 uprisings in Iran, but also 2015 and other sets of

uprising, which we've seen, and they did not want the voting itself and the outcome of the ballot to create a pretext for street demonstrations or

disruptions, while they're negotiating with the U.S.

So they want to run a very tight ship, total deep state control, and try to sort of make sure that as they enter a very critical phase for Iran in the

next five, six years, that there is not much political discussion in the country and things are under control.

ANDERSON: June 18th, is that Presidential Election meantime, those talks behind the scenes in Vienna, about the JCPOA the Iran deal as it's known

continue. It's always a pleasure Vali Nasr, thank you.

NASR: Thank you.

ANDERSON: Folks, you're watching "Connect the World". The relationship between the media and athletes can be tense. That's part of the reason one

tennis champ is bowing out of a major championship we want to hear her side of the story coming up.

And the travel plans are slowly becoming easier to meet. We'll speak with the CEO of Dubai Airports, Paul Griffiths about Italy's plan to welcome

visitors from the UAE without quarantine. And "Paradise Lost but Soon" to be found again after a devastating year for tourism Greece pushing ahead

with plans to get visitors back.

[11:20:00]

ANDERSON: Stay with us as we whisk you away to Mykonos.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: Well, everyone from sponsors to fellow athletes are expressing support for Naomi Osaka, the world's number two tennis player dropped out

with a French Open refusing to talk to the media after matches and was fined for that. Osaka says she experiences anxiety at the news conferences

and rather than cause a distraction, she bowed out. Fellow Tennis Champ Serena Williams says she's been there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SERENA WILLIAMS, 23-TIME GRAND SLAM CHAMPION: I feel for Naomi. I feel like I wish I could give her a hug because I know what it's like.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well, as Osaka's sponsors including Nike, MasterCard and Nissin Foods all made statements of support for her. Let's bring in our Andy

Scholes for his perspective on Naomi Osaka's decision. What's the back story to all of this?

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Well, Becky so a week ago, you know, Naomi Osaka posted on social media that she wasn't going to be doing any post

match press media sessions because when she does them, she gets the same exact questions. And it really just was not good for her mental health is

what she said.

So she played her first match in the opening round. She won she did an interview right there on the court, but she did not do a post match media

session and for that she was fine $15,000. And then the four Grand Slams the French Open, US Open, Australian Open and Wimbledon they came together

in a joint statement and said that if she didn't start participating in media sessions, she would receive further fines and be kicked out of the

tournament's altogether.

So once they released that statement Osaka decided to withdraw from the French Open. And she then released a more, I guess lengthy statement and

post on social media where she really explained her feelings and said after winning the 2018 US Open, she's dealt with depression.

She really doesn't enjoy public speaking it gives her anxiety. It's something she doesn't look forward to doing at all. And she really said

that those were her reasons why she didn't want to speak with the media. And she said she wished she would have been clearer in that first statement

that she released.

And she said the timing of it was also poor on her part. But Becky Osaka added that she would like to work with the tour and come up with a

resolution in the future to make these situations. You know, players are uneasy about these things about speaking with the media.

She wants to make things better. So she wants to open a dialog and start that. It is very powerful stance from you know, the highest paid female

athlete in the world Osaka made $55 million last year. She's won the last two Grand Slam Tournaments. So it's really a sad ending to how this all

went down Becky where she's not going to be competing now in the French Open.

ANDERSON: Yes. Pat Cash Former Wimbledon Champion, of course, speaking to CNN earlier about bouts of depression that he faced and about how

exhausting these tournament's are especially with these COVID bubbles. When he says he's been on the tour for five odd months, you know and it's tough.

[11:25:00]

ANDERSON: He's currently in Paris training other athletes and he says he's not surprised about what happened? Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAT CASH, 1987 WIMBLEDON CHAMPION: In what insane world did I think young girl has come out and said, I've got mental issues I don't want to do press

conferences, and then they fine a $15,000 because instead of going and talking to her and saying, hey, listen, we will do the press conferences

the way that you want to do it.

Well, let's get - how can we help you? Instead, they find her forcing her hand and said, oh, well, I'm not. I'm not going to be playing this

tournament again. So it's a tragedy. It's really a - but it's not for me being on the tour, as I said, but almost six months now, it's no surprise

that this has happened. And it'll probably happen again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Yes, Pat Cash in support. An outpouring of support, as I said, for many players, and sponsors but there are also voices not least that of,

Rafael Nadal and Billie Jean King, who say that the media does have an important role to play Andy in the sport in all sports, of course.

SCHOLES: Yes, it's true Becky. You know, in tennis wouldn't be you know where it is right now. If it wasn't for the past champions, you know,

speaking with the media and growing the sport like Serena and Venus Williams, imagine if they wouldn't have done any, you know, media

availability, you know, during their great championship runs.

They really did so much for the sport. So there's that side of the argument where you know, it by speaking into media, and telling your story, you

know, you grow the sport. You help yourself in terms of sponsorship deals and growing your own brand. But then, you know, there's the other side of

the argument, Becky that you know; it's just not good for Naomi Osaka.

She is telling us that. She's telling us that by doing these media sessions, it causes her to have you know, anxiety and she's had depression

before. So there's got to be some sort of mental ground Becky where we can find a situation like Pat Cash said.

You talk it out. You find out how does Naomi Osaka want to handle these things moving forward? She's too good of a player to not have in Grand Slam

tournaments and competing in general. So that's what has to happen.

Now the Federation's have to come together with Naomi Osaka and her camp and figure out a way to come to a solution with this. Because like I said,

Naomi Osaka needs to be playing tennis and we all want to watch her competing in these tournaments.

ANDERSON: What an exciting talent she is certainly? Andy, thank you. Well, for those hoping to watch tennis tournaments and other major events in

person travel are slowly getting a bit easier. Ahead on the show, we will speak to the CEO of Dubai Airports about a new travel corridor, opening up

with Italy.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:30:00]

ANDERSON: Well, slowly parts of the world are opening back up to travelers but with off times confusing and fast changing rules and quarantine,

testing and border closures coordinating travel plans this summer has not and may not be easy.

Thankfully, new travel corridors are opening up welcome news for one of the world's busiest airports in Dubai. Italy reportedly about to open

quarantine free travel for visitors from the UAE rather negative COVID tests and it is joining several other countries signing these travel deals

with the UAE.

Well, the CEO of Dubai Airport Paul Griffiths poses an important step towards recovery for the travel industry. And he joins me now. Welcome

Paul, you've said this demonstrates the confidence that both countries UAE and Italy have in their approach to overcoming the pandemic, just take us

through how this came about?

PAUL GRIFFITHS, CEO, DUBAI AIRPORTS: Well, we had a series of conference calls last week Becky with the management of various Italian airports. And

one thing that was evident right from the beginning is that we were entirely aligned in our desire to kick start travel. And of course as the

northern hemisphere summer starts to get going of course it gets very hot here in the UAE.

And in 2019 something likes 660,000 points or point journeys happened between Italy and the UAE. And more than 2.2 million transit and point to

point journeys happened between the two countries. So it's a very important development.

And I'm so pleased that we're celebrating Italian National Day tomorrow with services starting to Milan Malpensa-Rome Fiumicino and then in July to

Venice. It's a simple procedure; you just have a PCR test before you join your flight in Dubai or Abu Dhabi.

And then on arrival in Italy, there's a very quick antigen test on arrival, then for whatever travel reason you're good to go and roam around those

wonderful sites throughout Italy.

ANDERSON: Well, one of the big remaining questions is when the UAE might be taken off the UK's red list of banned countries for international travel.

The UK is a huge market for travelers to Dubai. The next update on its traffic light system is Thursday this week. Do you have any confidence the

UK will take the UAE off that red list?

GRIFFITHS: I think the problem of course is that in the UK, the situation is not looking great. They were doing so well in containing the spread of

COVID-19. But of course recently that situation seems to be rather more challenging. So I am not sure that the UK is going to change the status of

the UAE. We're obviously anticipating something happening at some stage in the future.

But I think for the time being I think the corridor that we've agreed with Italy is a very positive step. And if further steps in merge, perhaps with

the EU as a whole, and with the USA over the next few weeks, perhaps that'll give the UK government the courage and conviction actually to allow

flights to restart between the UAE and the UK.

As you've said, Becky, the UK is an incredibly important market with London, the biggest air travel route between the UAE and the UK. So we're

all very, very keen to get those discussions underway.

ANDERSON: You talk about the EU and the U.S. you have been urging other countries to follow the lead of the Italians and the UAE in getting this

travel corridor together. So who do you expect to be next Paul?

GRIFFITHS: Well, I think the encouraging news from the UAE is they are moving on a UAE wide vaccine passport system, which I think is probably the

long term solution to travel corridors opening up again. And if that's the case, then those that have got inoculated with the approved vaccines for

Europe will be allowed to enter EU countries.

And I know this is similar system underway in the U.S. And those digital systems should enable people to travel without having any problems at the

airport because of course, testing works but it does require quite a lot of capacity for testing at the arrival airport.

The vaccine passport system doesn't require a physical check. So it's a more efficient way of traveling. And if we're going to move towards that

personal mobility we've all been missing for more than a year now, the vaccine passport in my view is the only way to get there.

[11:35:00]

ANDERSON: Nearly 26 million passengers traveled through Dubai Airport in 2020. That was a 70 percent decrease compared to 2019 levels. You are I

know seeing a gradual steady recovery in customer numbers and cargo volumes by the end of quarter 2021. So what is your forecast?

And where do you expect to see passengers from? Is there a pivot you're talking about, for example, the UAE being on this red list still? Are you

seeing passengers from different places at this point? And do you expect to see that continue?

GRIFFITHS: Well, I think the thing is if you want the demonstration, that the pandemic has affected travel globally, even with a 69 percent drop in

traffic, Dubai International is still the busiest international airport in the world. So that does put it in perspective.

And of course, with most of our major markets either closed or under severe restriction at this point in time, we are seeing markets such as Ethiopia,

Croatia, Greece all surged to the front. So it's unusual times and unusual traffic patterns.

But we're hopeful that as soon as some of these major markets open up again, rather than being a trickle of a recovery, there will be a flooded

demand because 4 billion people having been under lockdown over the last year are desperate to travel and the social and economic suffering that

we've had as a result of reduced mobility, I think everyone's felt the effect of.

ANDERSON: You previously said global travel will recover to pre pandemic levels by 2024. So has your outlook changed?

GRIFFITHS: Now I think that's as good a guess as anyone has got. But unfortunately, it is a guess there is absolutely no reliable forecast data

for anything like this.

So whether it's 2024 or sooner, the next few months and the progress with different governments taking a more proactive and risk management view of

the current pandemic is exactly what's needed to make those predictions come to life.

We think it will be sooner rather than later. And we are gearing up to be ready for a flood of demand over the next few months which we believe will

happen.

ANDERSON: CEO of Dubai Airport so it was a pleasure. Thank you very much indeed Sir. Well, as borders do begin to gradually reopen one country is in

a race to save some of Greece wants to ensure people on all of its islands are vaccinated by the end of the month that could bring crowds back to the

beaches. What about the nightclubs, Sam Kiley reports from the Party Mecca of Mykonos?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Not exactly the modern temple to Aphrodite that Mykonos has a reputation for. The party

island is barely waking up two weeks after the official tourist season was declared open. Museums are still locked up, many shops shuttered, but

others are getting a makeover while plans to create more than 80 COVID free islands get underway.

It's the centerpiece of operation blue freedom, the Greek plan for economic recovery driven by tourism. Before the pandemic a fifth of the population

was employed in the industry, which generated 18 percent of GDP.

With U.S. visitors being Greece's biggest spenders, Athens is banking on a summer surge and American visitors and U.S. airlines are increasing flights

to Greece this year from New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Newark and Washington D.C.

The key is an aggressive vaccination campaign to jab every island resident by the end of June. So visitors can come if they've been vaccinated

themselves, survived infection or have a negative PCR test.

IRENE ASIMOMITIS, RECEIVED COVID-19 VACCINE: The COVID free island, it's a COVID free island, and we wait all the tourists to arrive in Mykonos to

enjoy the beaches to enjoy the life.

KILEY (voice over): Getting that done may rest on ending nationwide regulations that ban music and crowds. Iraklis Zisimopoulos is a Heart

Doctor. He also owns several Mykonos nightclubs and hotels. His clients call in with two questions, especially from America.

IRAKLIS ZISIMOPOULOS, SEMELI HOSPITALITY GROUP CEO: First of all, we asked if we are all vaccinated and secondly, if they can really partake in the

island like they used to.

KILEY (on camera): It's a vaccine party.

ZISIMOPOULOS: Yes, that's the magic recipe.

KILEY (voice over): Around 18 percent of Greeks have been fully vaccinated. New COVID cases are falling and deaths are about 40 a day. But now though

the clubs are empty. Only cocktail shakers generate any rhythm - to soften the blues.

[11:40:00]

KILEY (voice over): Tourists are trickling back and they're doing their best to enjoy a beach without decibels of dance music. That with more than

half the residents population vaccinated, all eyes are turning to Athens to unleash diagnosis and let the fun begin in July.

VANGELIS SIAFIDAS, ALEMAGOU BEACH BAR AND RESTAURANT CO-OWNER: It is not necessarily that the tourists need to feel that safe in order to come and

party and feel safe. You know because for example, last year, people were ready to party it was hard for us to enforce the rules on them. But I think

we're all trained now as the - everyone so I think yes, this is going to be a better summer.

KILEY (voice over): There is a lot of talk in Mykonos about how the vibe won't get going until the loud music starts? But for the more mature

traveler that can only be a relief. Sam Kiley, CNN, Mykonos.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Is it safe for Japan to host the Olympics in the midst of a pandemic? Well, that's the big question as athletes start to arrive in

Tokyo ahead of the games. Hear from one Paralympian who is heading.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: Despite COVID related setbacks organizers for the Olympics and Paralympics games are pushing ahead with their plans. One - Australia's

softball team for example, touchdown earlier today just outside of Tokyo. They are among the first international athletes to arrive for training.

Meanwhile Japan continues to battle a fourth wave of COVID infections with several prefectures under an extended state of emergency. I want to get a

bit more perspective view on all of this. Ali Jawad is a British Paralympics Powerlifter who is planning to compete in the games. He joins

us via Skype from Loughborough in England. You are planning as long as you get in right I mean, what's the deal at this point? Tell me.

ALI JAWAD, BRITISH PARALYMPIC POWERLIFTER: Well at the moment, a way to find out if I've qualified or not the next kind of six weeks and hopefully

flying to Tokyo in August, yes, if I qualify.

ANDERSON: Amazing. Well listen, best of luck from all of us. You were born without legs and later in life you were diagnosed with Crohn's disease. But

you are best known as World Champion Paralympic Powerlifter and a Rio 2016 Silver Medalist. Just tell us about your personal journey and why competing

is so important for you?

[11:45:00]

JAWAD: I think my kind of parenting dream starts when I was about six when I watched Michael Johnson win his gold medals in Atlanta. And in all my

life, I've kind of been chasing that Paralympic goal. And I've been lucky enough to have competed at three Paralympic games and hopefully, my fourth

one this year, I guess we'll find out this summer.

ANDERSON: Well and as long as you do qualify, you will be competing, which is amazing. This will though be very different, won't it? Athletes will be

traveling in bubbles there will be an active debate going on from now until the beginning of these games about whether it's actually safe to hold these

games. How do you feel about competing?

JAWAD: I think as you see in sport has been very versatile for the pandemic in terms of staging events and making sure that athlete can compete and

qualify. I feel like the games can go ahead safely. But obviously, like that's their decisions are out of my hands and - to the IOC and the IPC to

make sure that the playbooks are as good as possible.

But also athletes have a responsibility to make sure that their actions you know, kind of reflect everybody around them too. So I guess as athletes,

we're there to adapt and make sure we're ready.

ANDERSON: Listen, following the news of Naomi Osaka withdrawing from Roland-Garros, which is the French Open Tennis Tournament that was after

she faced fines and penalties for avoiding press obligations due to what she described as mental health issues.

You tweeted the following the #frenchopen organizers need a long hard look at themselves, you said utterly disturbing that an athlete is chosen to

withdraw who will hold the organizers accountable?

And you said as athletes were asked to conduct us with integrity. But what happens when the organizers lack it? Look, what you've written and what

many other people have written are sparking what is it an incredibly important conversation about mental health and well being particularly of

athletes? Where do you hope this will lead?

JAWAD: I feel like discussion needs to be had now in terms of how organizers treat athletes? I think event organizers need to understand that

without athletes, there will be no event at all.

And therefore organizers have to put things in place to make sure that athletes are looked after and are comfortable to compete at the best they

can be.

And I feel like this now won't be just an isolated event. I think you'll see more athletes coming out and potentially putting out other events

because the organizers are lacking them procedures in place.

ANDERSON: I wouldn't normally do this; I wouldn't normally have a guest on whom - given the opportunity to plug something. But I do want to talk about

some of the work that you are doing to help other athletes fulfill their potential. So I will let the viewers know that you have developed a new

disability fitness app, Ali tell us what it's designed to do, if you will.

JAWAD: For some context, I've been very lucky as a solo person to have access to the top facilities and coaches that money can buy being a parent.

But the disabled community still lacks access to exercise and kind of guidance when it comes to being fit and healthy themselves.

We know that disabled people don't want to be Paralympians; they just want to be healthy and fit. So I wanted to create a fitness app that kind of

gives access to exercise that we've never seen before. And I'm hoping that we can definitely give something back to the community and I think they

deserve it because I think they've been neglected and I think it's about time that somebody created something just for the disabled community.

ANDERSON: Listen, the very best of luck we will be rooting for you. We know you'll make it and as long as these games go ahead, the very, very best of

luck. Thank you, sir.

JAWAD: Thank you.

ANDERSON: Coming up after the break. Find out why this painting has shaken the world of art to it's very far, that after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:50:00]

ANDERSON: Art turned ugly. And it's down to a fight between a Russian Oligarch claiming he was ripped off. And a Swiss Art Dealer who says it's

just business. Their legal wrangling center on this portrayed, once presumed lost and now the world's most expensive painting, it is believed

to be the work of Leonardo da Vinci.

Well, now though there are quarrels into the biggest legal feud that the art world has ever seen. After six years of lawsuits the drama doesn't stop

there. The expert, who first put the famous artwork back on the map, speaks exclusively to CNN's Nina dos Santos with this side of the story.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NINA DOS SANTOS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): During billion dollar lawsuits and claims of subterfuge surrounding what is now

the most expensive painting, "The Bouvier Affair", as has been dubbed is the fiercest feud ever witnessed in the art world, an industry that has

developed a rocky reputation for its way of doing business.

BEN LEWIS, AUTHOR, THE LAST LEONARDO: Opacity, lack of transparency, greed, tax evasion, money laundering, art, historical dishonesty, dissembling,

disingenuousness, corruption, where does it end?

SANTOS (voice over): On one side this Russian oligarch Dmitry Rybolovlev, who made his money in fertilizer during the country's violent transition to

a market economy, the so called era of gangster capitalism.

He claims he's been swindled on a $2 billion collection he built up since including the Salvator Mundi bought by some to be by the hand of Leonardo

da Vinci himself, while others believe it's not entirely original.

On the other side is former Swiss Dealer Yves Bouvier who admits to making money on hefty markups, but says it was all aboveboard and claims his life

has since been ruined.

YVES BOUVIER, ART DEALER AND BUSINESSMAN: I was blacklisted by the auction houses, banks wouldn't transact with me my artworks, I couldn't sell them.

My business was destroyed. In the future when this is all over, I don't know what I'll do, but I'll certainly see the world differently.

SANTOS (voice over): Fire Representative Rybolovlev declined to be interviewed for this story. A spokesman for his family entities told CNN

these matters are being fought in the courts where we expect to prove what happened and that Bouviers' fanciful story is false.

For now, what is most notable is what Bouvier does not dispute? As an art advisor, he pretended to help his clients assemble an art collection at a

cost of $2 billion or secretly reaping half of that price for him.

Yet Bouvier does dispute that he was ever an art advisor, a matter that has been at the heart of the litigation and allegations by Rybolovlev have led

a breach of trust. I am an art dealer, he told CNN. All my invoices explicitly described me as the seller. The six year drama has prompted

lawsuits from Monaco to Manhattan and Switzerland to Singapore.

In a letter submitted to prosecutors Bouvier claims he's been followed and spied upon by private investigators, Rybolovlev declined to comment on

those allegations. All of this lifts the veil experts say on the ugly side of a market for the most beautiful items in ways seldom seen.

LEWIS: You know it's a very good way to hide your true wealth, right? It's difficult to evaluate it. It's easy to move it around, right?

SANTOS (voice over): Also highlights the vast sums stashed away in priceless works. Take the Salvador Mundi, Rybolovlev bought it for more

than $127 million from Bouvier. But the dealer paid much less than that himself.

BOUVIER: My company made 40 million I turned it around and sold it in two days. That's a very good deal for my company. I'm not going to complain.

ANTOINE VITKINE, FILMMAKER, "THE SAVIOR FOR SALE": So this level art is very opaque secret and anonymous because people don't want others to know

how big their fortune is.

[11:55:00]

VITKINE: Just look at the case of the Salvador Mundi when it was sold at Christie's in 2017. All the buyers on the phone were bidding anonymously.

SANTOS (voice over): Countries around the world are cracking down on the sale of art in general with the UK and the EU requiring more transparency.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Senate report in 2020 said art could be used to evade sanctions.

VITKINE: Salvador Mundi at 400 million.

SANTOS (voice over): Salvador Mundi hasn't been seen since it was last sold in 2017, reportedly to Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for

record $450 million. However, the legal wrangling between its former owners continues Nina dos Santos, CNN London.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well, it's of such magnificent beauty and it's hard to forget, isn't it? You can just picture it in your mind's eye and here's something

else you won't forget soon. Starting footage from a drone diving headfirst into some lava erupting volcano is in Iceland.

The droned coast towards the crater then, straight into the bubbling hot lava, the volcano is about 25 miles outside Iceland's capital and it's been

spewing lava since March. Wow! Even more incredible, this is the first eruption the area has seen in hundreds of years and here we are able to see

it by drone the world really is a remarkable place.

Well that is it for this edition of "Connect the World". Thank you for being with us today. Wherever you are watching in the world, I do hope you

stay safe and you stay well. We will see you back here same time tomorrow.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ZAIN ASHER, CNN HOST: A wave of support Naomi Osaka after she quits the French Open.

END