Spanish companies interested in investing in Greece

Strong investment interest from Spanish companies for cooperation in the fields of infrastructure, transport, energy, as well as Renewable Energy Sources, was recorded at the Spain-Greece Business Forum, which took place recently in Athens.

According to today’s announcement, the event was organized by the Spanish Embassy in Athens and the National Investment and Export Agency of Spain – ICEX, in cooperation with the Hellenic Investment and Foreign Trade Company (Enterprise Greece) and with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Secretariat for International Economic Relations and Extroversion.

Senior executives, representing 17 Spanish companies and 55 Greek ones, had the opportunity to be informed about the latest developments in the course of bilateral, business cooperation, new investment incentives, as well as the possibilities of raising funds from the new Development Law, the Fund Sustainability and Recovery, Strategic Investments and PPPs. They were also informed about the possibilities of financing similar projects by representatives of Hellenic Banks, as well as the European Bank for Reconstruction and Recovery (EBRD).

The Deputy Foreign Minister, in charge of Economic Diplomacy and Extroversion, Costas Frangogiannis, pointed out: “Events such as the one of the Greek-Spanish Forum, further strengthen the economic ties between the two countries, especially in the current exceptional situation in Greece.” Mr. Frangogiannis referred to the comparative advantages that the country presents as an investment destination and answered questions that were asked for specific sectors, within the framework of the Forum.

The event was honored by the presence of the Deputy Minister of Commerce of Spain and President of ICEX, Xiana Mendeth, who in her statements stressed that: “The positive image that exists in Greece for Spain, in relation to geographical proximity and “Common culture, make Greece an ideal destination for investment by Spanish companies. Spanish investments have been made in Greece for decades, in areas such as tourism infrastructure, energy – mainly gas and RES – and tourism.”

The Secretary General of International Economic Relations and Extroversion of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and President of Enterprise Greece, Ioannis Smyrlis, noted that there is significant room for further strengthening of economic and trade relations between the two countries.

Mr. Smyrlis briefly presented the investment opportunities in various sectors of the Greek economy and invited Spanish entrepreneurs to take advantage of them, noting that: “Apart from the traditional sectors of tourism and real estate, new sectors such as RES and technology can “form the basis for further deepening of our bilateral economic relations.”

For his part, the Spanish Ambassador to Greece, Carl Maria Casahuana, said: “Greece and Spain share much in common, adopt a common line in economic policy in relation to their European partners, both export Mediterranean products and are distinguished Both countries face challenges such as immigration and the complexity of relations with neighboring countries, but despite the common features, there is a significant gap in the level of trade between the two countries. today, to improve and strengthen our trade relations, with new business synergies and collaborations “.

During the Business Forum, extensive reference was made to the existing, but mainly to the new investment opportunities, which are presented in various sectors of the economy. This was the main subject of discussions between Greek and Spanish businessmen who participated in 130 B2B meetings that took place on the two days 24 and 25 May 2022.