Dear Ministers,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is a great pleasure and honour for me to be in Paris today to officiate the opening of the “Cooperation between Greece and France – Investing in the Future” Business Forum.
I would like to thank the Hellenic-French Chamber of Commerce and Industry for organizing this event, as a follow -up of the equally successful forum held in January 2020.
I firmly believe that although this event takes place at such a difficult time of global energy and economic crises, it will contribute to addressing issues of mutual concern in the field of trade and investment.
The current challenges should not hinder the development of our bilateral cooperation. On the contrary, they should be an incentive to bring our countries closer together.
The Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs was an official partner of the Forum of the Hellenic-French Chamber of Commerce in Paris in 2020 as well. This fact confirms the importance we attach to our relationship with France and we hope that this Forum will also offer new trade and investment opportunities for the benefit of Greek and French enterprises.
In 2021, Greek exports to France climbed by 4.4%, while imports increased by 16.7%, resulting in an 11.2% increase in total trade volume.
Furthermore, imports from France increased significantly by 32.3% in the first 8 months of 2022, compared to the same period in 2021.
It is also worth noting that simultaneously, the total direct French investments in our country for 2021 amounted to 229 million euros.
In the energy sector, synergies are being developed with French enterprises for the transition of Greek islands to full energy autonomy.
In tourism, Greece has long been one of the most popular destinations for the French, and a strong recovery is projected in the coming years, as data from 2021 suggest.
Following the signing of a Joint Letter of Intent between France and Greece in Paris in January 2020, bilateral relations have been revitalized and are moving towards joint investment initiatives, promoting technical assistance programs, as well as expanding cooperation on ecological transition, administrative cooperation, waste management, infrastructure, and the agri-food sector.
During the meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the two countries on July 29, 2022, the strategic partnership and the excellent level of bilateral relations were discussed, culminating in the conclusion of the Strategic Partnership Agreement on September 27, 2021, which upgrades our country’s cooperation with France.
There are currently around 120 subsidiaries and joint ventures of French enterprises operating in Greece, employing approximately 13,000 people in the industrial, energy, basic transport infrastructure, insurance, tourism, consumer products, distribution networks, and pharmaceutical sectors.
All of the above is the positive outcome of the multi-faceted relationship that binds the two countries, a relationship that has proven to be durable over time and covers a range of issues, including EU decisions to encourage investment.
In conclusion, I would like to emphasize that Greece’s remarkable growth in all sectors over the last 3 years has also led to its GDP growth in 2022 with projections for further growth in 2023 and it is now a stronger and more reliable partner. Reforms have accelerated, the foundations for greater prospects in various sectors of the economy have been laid and our country is becoming an increasingly attractive destination for foreign investment.
In this regard, today’s conference is an excellent opportunity to further strengthen ties and cooperation between the two countries in all fields.
Thank you.