The dynamics of Greek-German relations, in the context of the European Union, was referred to by the Minister of State, Makis Voridis, at today’s anniversary event for the 100 years of the Greek-German Chamber “Greece-Germany fellow travelers in the economy”, held in a central hotel in Athens, after the after the annual regular general assembly of its members.

The minister, in his initial greeting at the event, representing the Prime Minister, K. Mitsotakis, conveyed his wishes and then noted that Greek-German relations are historic and today are at a very good level, while praising the activity of the Greek-German Chamber for deepening and broadening these relationships in the future.

“Greece and Germany have before them many and important opportunities to deepen and further expand their investment horizons. They, of course, also have challenges to face” noted the minister, while noting the participation that Germany has in direct foreign investments in our country, with the increase reaching 7.7 billion euros in 2022, compared to 7.1 billion euros in 2021, while as he underlined, investment interest will continue in many sectors such as shipping, medicine, tourism, RES, agri-food and energy.

In addition, he characterized the course of Greek exports to Germany as important, with their value set at 3.12 billion euros in 2023.

In a taped message, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for Economic Diplomacy and External Affairs, Costas Fragogiannis, referred to examples of Greek-German business partnerships and German investments in the country, which create new fields of dynamic cooperation in the fields of energy, RES, the environment, of innovation and digitization, while adding that the two countries have cultivated deep and efficient relations of economic cooperation, which will continue.

For his part, SYRIZA’s Head of Finance, Nikos Pappas, in his greeting underlined that the efficient cooperation of the chamber must continue for the benefit of both peoples and added that the evidence proves the crucial role of this interconnection. The course of investments, the exchange of know-how and tourism, show the possibility of further strengthening of relations and this should continue “for the deepening of our common home – Europe – as we live in a world with strong turbulence” as he noted, while he added that Greece can “copy” Germany in some matters, such as the pluralism of the banking system and the support of small and medium enterprises.

The president of the chamber, Vassilis Gounaris, noted that the closing of a century of activity makes the chamber able to support the business and economic community, offering Greek and German society significant surplus values.

The goal, he continued, is not only to keep business interest high, but to stimulate it year after year. Germany is a national investor for Greece, he added, and as a traditional investment partner invests high capital in the most important sectors of the Greek economy and a significant presence in the country.

The agency, he added, will continue to play a key role in increasing German investment in Greece, but also in the extroversion of Greek businesses, in favor of Germany, while keeping open the channels of communication with the government, so that funding reaches and SMEs. Emphasis will also be placed on further strengthening the network of members of the chamber, as well as on synergies with third countries.

The general manager and board member of the Hellenic-German Chamber, Dr. Athanasios Kelemis, noted: “As of today, one hundred years ago, the organization’s activity began as it was recognized by the competent authorities of Germany. In the intervening century, bilateral relations of reciprocal economic interest were formed as a result of group, well-coordinated initiatives. With collective efforts, Greek-German cooperation will continue and we will intensify efforts for bilateral relations.”

The event was followed by a panel discussion on the findings of the IOBE research on the footprint of German business in the Greek economy, where it was pointed out that the sectors with strong growth potential are the agri-food sector, as it stands out for innovative actions, metals, electrical equipment and the battery sector, where our country stands out for its innovation in this sector as well.