Τζ. Payat: ‘When the United States and Greece work together, we all benefit’

“When the United States and Greece work together, we all benefit,” said US Ambassador to our country Jeffrey Payat, speaking at the GREEK ECONOMIC SUMMIT 2021 conference in Athens, organized by the Hellenic-American Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with the Athens Stock Exchange, with the strategic support of the US Chamber of Commerce and the Atlantic Council.

The US Ambassador noted, among other things, that the close bilateral cooperation contributes to the increase of American investments in Greece and to the acceleration of the growth of the Greek economy, characteristically saying that “our countries’ cooperation in the digital space, our investments in GDP and infrastructure create new jobs while ensuring greater security, stability and prosperity in the wider region “.

He cited the investments of various American companies as an example, pointing out their contribution to the acceleration of the digital revolution in Greece and noting that the fact that the US investment position in Greece is increasing shows that America considers our country a regional leader in digital technologies. “These investments will have a multiplier factor for more investments, opening the gates for greater economic cooperation and opportunities throughout the region,” Payat said.

Regarding the continuation of bilateral cooperation, answering a relevant question from the President of the Hellenic-American Chamber Nikolaos Bakatselos, the American Ambassador assured that he will continue to grow and that this momentum will be strengthened and accelerated. “We are not done,” said Payat. “We are committed to bringing this cooperation to an even higher level in the coming years.”

In this context, he characteristically stated that from 2018 (and the presence of the USA as an honored country at the TIF) “we have built a reality behind the vision we presented there so that Greece is not just a market of 11 million consumers, but a a gateway to a much wider market throughout SE Europe “.

Referring to the Recovery Fund and the 32 billion euros earmarked for Greece, Mr. Payat suggested digital technology and the green economy as priority areas for the utilization of a significant part of this amount, noting that “all this matches its priorities. US Government “.

He assured that the USA will continue to cooperate with Greece in clean energy projects, expressing his satisfaction for the possibilities that this cooperation gives for combining the best that American and Greek technology has to offer. “These energy projects and investments in GDP complement the many infrastructure projects that are helping to de-lignify,” he said, noting his country’s support for regional energy projects and other initiatives.

The American ambassador made special mention of the very fast, as he stressed, reaction of the government regarding the vaccination of the general population but also its pioneer regarding the issuance of digital vaccination certificates, which contributed to a “surprising success of the tourist sector this year “, as he characteristically said, by attracting millions of American tourists.

He also praised the “leading position” of Greece in the field of telecommunications, the efforts made by the Greek government to bring back to the country the best Greek minds who had gone abroad in the previous period, while he also referred to the role of Thessaloniki as a constant growing hub for start-ups and innovation.

Source: AMPE