The Greek-German Chamber organized tonight the traditional New Year’s dinner in Athens in honor of its members, partners and friends and in the presence of high-ranking representatives of the political, diplomatic, business and banking world.

The event was welcomed by the president of the Hellenic-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry Vassilios Gounaris, the general manager Athanasios Kelemis, the Minister of Education Mrs. N. Kerameos who praised the cooperation with the Chamber especially in matters of dual education and the Minister of Development Adonis Georgiadis who emphasized the contribution of Germany during the Greek crisis. As part of the event, honorary awards were presented to former members of the Board of Directors of the Chamber.

In his greeting at the New Year’s event of the Hellenic-German Chamber of Industry and Commerce, the new representative for the Hellenic-German Assembly, Mr. Geren Bartol, wished for a healthy, successful and above all peaceful year, because a violent war is still raging in the heart of Europe. “My wishes are all the more timely as the pictures of the devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria have caused us deep sadness. The solidarity shown by Greece is impressive, while it was also recognized in Germany”, he said characteristically.

Referring to the work of the Hellenic-German Assembly, he said: “As EGS we support the development of partnerships between municipalities, provinces and regions and deal with urgent issues that arise in everyday life in the local community in Germany and Greece. In the EGS network, issues such as civil protection, digitization of local government, training and further education, recycling and water management are discussed equally between the parties. It is a special honor for me to take on this project and give it life.”

Afterwards, he referred to the excellent cooperation between the Hellenic-German Assembly and the Chamber for several years, which is based on mutual trust. As Deputy Minister of the Federal Ministry of Housing, Urban Development and Construction, he emphasized that the issues that concern his portfolio such as “demographic change, urban development, climate-friendly and sustainable constructions, as well as the active participation of citizens do not concern only municipalities and the provinces of Germany, but also the municipalities and regions of Greece”.

At the end of his greeting, Mr. Bartol pointed out the importance of local development and social participation for the further deepening of cooperation. “The implementation of joint projects is rarely achieved without financially strong partners. Therefore, strengthening the local economy and promoting social participation is an important concern of the EGS. With all of the above in mind, I look forward to future exchanges and collaborations,” he said.

The main speaker of the event was the governor of the Bank of Greece G. Stournaras who in his speech referred to the “Challenges for the Greek and European economy”:

Regarding the Greek economy, he said: “I would like to formulate an optimistic thought. The Greek economy is now on a positive, albeit difficult, course. Although he faces several and significant challenges, he seems to have the drive to overcome obstacles. The assessment of European integration is similar. Here too, the road will be long, but not impassable. It is up to us, the citizens of a united Europe, to fight for the achievement of our goals and to act in advance, not in hindsight, as Providers and not as Recipients”.

For the eurozone he said “the biggest risk we face collectively in the eurozone is that we do too few reforms and too late. We need to act in time and in advance (ie before a new major crisis breaks out), with decisive, balanced and well-planned reforms at the level of the Eurozone, in a spirit of cooperation and mutual concessions, in the context of what was said before. These changes will make our economies more resilient, give the euro greater acceptance as a global reserve currency and lay the foundations for sustainable and lasting prosperity for all eurozone citizens. The adoption of the euro constitutes a federal form of government in Europe. And even more, the European Central Bank and the Eurosystem constitute the most advanced form of unified governance within the eurozone, which can be a guide for dealing with the rest of the European Union’s major challenges. The road to full European integration is still long and difficult. But anything less than this will lead to the gradual marginalization of Europe and the loss of prosperity for its citizens. So we must focus on our goal: a united Europe of freedom, security, prosperity and democracy.”