“There is a will of both countries, to deepen economic co -operation and build stronger links between Greek and Turkish businessmen,” said Deputy Foreign Minister, responsible for financial diplomacy and extroversion, Mr. Tasos Hatzivasiliouspeaking to the Greek -Turkish business forum, held in Constantinople.
Mr. Hadjivasiliou is in Turkey as part of his two -day visit, head of numerous delegation by Greek businessmen and representatives of trade and industrial chambers. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs was responsible for the organization of the Forum, in collaboration with Enterprise Greece, BSE, SEVE, EBEA and the Constantinople Chamber of Commerce, with the support of the Consulate General of Greece in Constantinople. There were dozens of Greek and Turkish businessmen active in areas such as shipping, transport, construction, pharmaceutical industry, nutrition, tourism, information systems and more.
Mr Hatzivasiliou, after conveying the greetings of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis, emphasized that “Greece -Turkey’s economic relations went through fluctuations, periods of divergence. Today’s conference proves that economic and commercial relations at the moment can be re -dynamic. ” As he said, the collaboration of Greek and Turkish businesses has a long history.
Addressing the Turkish language, he noted that strengthening trade ties is an opportunity for both countries to move forward, always based on respect for good neighborly relations and international law.
Referring to the commercial dimension, the deputy minister noted that “the bilateral volume of trade is steadily rising and amounted to € 4.75 billion in 2024. However, there is still great room for growth.” He recalled that according to the US -Turkey, which took place in Athens in December 2023, the Greek prime minister and the Turkish president set a common goal of reaching a commercial volume of 10 billion euros. “I am sure that this goal is possible in the coming years,” Mr Hadjivasiliou noted.
Particular emphasis was placed on the field of investment synergies, considering that there are serious expansion potential in areas such as retailing, medicinal products, food, structural materials, energy, research and innovation.
In closing, Mr. Hadjivasiliou expressed confidence that “with mutual trust, respect and understanding can create fruitful synergies”, adding that “the economy can and should be the foundation of a new, positive approach to Greek -Turkish relations.”