Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs K. Fragogiannis’ interview in the newspaper “Eleftheros Typos tis Kyriakis” with journalist A. Chondropoulos (04.07.2021)

JOURNALIST: Mr. Fragogiannis, Greece looks ahead to exiting from the health crisis successfully. How can this momentum be used to attract foreign investment?

K. FRAGOGIANNIS: Addressing the pandemic through initiatives to protect employees and public health, ensure adequate number of vaccines and create digital solutions has in fact demonstrated the Government’s ability to respond reliably, quickly, efficiently and to lead rather than follow. Such an environment where the government earns the appreciation of the citizens in these difficult times, cannot but earn the appreciation of investors seeking a politically secure environment, which opens up prospects for economic growth based on human talent, social cohesion and mechanisms that support foreign investment.

JOURNALIST: How are the discussions on the positive agenda with Turkey developing so far and what will the next steps be?

K. FRAGOGIANNIS: We have met twice with my Turkish counterpart Sedat Onal, the first time in Kavala and the second time in Antalya, Turkey. In thοse meetings we had the opportunity to initially raise the 25 issues to be dealt with and the sectors they concern and during the second meeting to overview the progress made by both sides. There has been great progress on all issues, on some obviously a little more than on others. Τhis is actually the real meaning of these meetings, that is to consider where we need to focus our attention in order to finalize an action plan for each of these initiatives in due course. The climate is positive, both sides demonstrate willingness while each side has organized working groups, which are called upon to have this action plan be reflected on concrete actions, timetables and deliverables.

JOURNALIST: What is the purpose of the Foreign Ministry’s bill on extroversion strategy?

K. FRAGOGIANNIS: I would like to note that when we are referring to extroversion, we are not talking only about exports but also about multiple actions concerning the internationalization of Greek companies through subsidiaries, participations, joint ventures and all kinds of business schemes abroad. We have planned, therefore, specific actions that support the extroversion of the Greek economy in order to highlight the economic and trade position of the country at regional and international level, through new structures we have created and through the strengthening of the country’s multilateral economic relations. In this context, we have developed a new integrated strategy in target countries, where Greek products could reach new markets, while we have not overlooked large countries with which we have traditionally developed trade relations. This is a plan that has been submitted to the Prime Minister and will be announced soon.

JOURNALIST: What does your upcoming visit to Iraq accompanying Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis mean in the economic field?

K. FRAGOGIANNIS: There is a strong trade relationship between our country and Iraq. It is not widely known but Greece buys 48.5% of its oil needs from this country, which is now under reconstruction. There is a great need for medicines, food supplies but also infrastructure projects and production of electricity through RES. So, having methodically built a very good political relationship with Iraq, we are travelling with the Prime Minister to Baghdad and Erbil, where we have a good relationship with the authorities, accompanying a group of businessmen from relevant sectors that I mentioned above, and who are interested in investing in the country. We hope to be able to offer them the opportunity to grow their business in this promising market.

JOURNALIST: What is the significance of the project that was launched together with Volkswagen in Astypalaia? Is there a prospect of it being implemented on a larger scale in other places of Greece?

K. FRAGOGIANNIS: It is a pilot program that could be transferred on a larger scale anywhere else in Greece or abroad. It is, in fact, an emblematic project whose value does not result from the size of financial investment or the new jobs created but from its novelty and uniqueness throughout the world. That is why it has attracted global interest. The best way to describe this project is to say that it is a glimpse into the future before it arrives. Such projects show the international community that Greece is changing and that it is an attractive destination both for capital-intensive and labor-intensive investments as well as for research and technology investments.

JOURNALIST: What is the purpose of your trip to Libya?

K. FRAGOGIANNIS: Economic co-operation in international relations usually follows the results of diplomacy, while sometimes, as in the case of a positive agenda with Turkey, political diplomacy can follow a good economic co-operation. In Libya, therefore, for the last 12 months we have intensively aimed at building a political relationship with the country, and with regards to this positive approach, we want to restore our economic and trade cooperation. Libya is a large country in our neighborhood, it plays an important geopolitical role in our general policy and it is in great need of infrastructure projects as well as of trade and financial transactions. We intend to travel to Libya following in the footsteps of the Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs in order to explore the opportunities so as to organize a trade mission soon.