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 Below are excerpts from a speech by Deputy Foreign Minister Spyros Kouvelis presenting the programme for Economic Diplomacy actions in 2010:
Athens , 11 February 2010
Economic diplomacy is very topical, much more so today than at times when there is no economic crisis. Greece needs this tool now. But it is not only useful in order to address the current crisis; at the Foreign Ministry, we also see it as an important tool for the country’s foreign policy.
What I mean by that is that when Greece is able to build serious, longstanding cooperation with countries that are either already important from an economic and geopolitical point of view or their economies are now emerging, we will be forging partnerships with countries that care and communicate more easily with us in terms of political diplomacy and with regard to political matters.
In particular, Greece could claim an international role and its own position in a series of fields that are geopolitically important such as energy, new technologies – green technologies – and environmental know-how, that is, markets and sectors in which it could make the most of its comparative advantages, in terms of its geographical position, know-how and production.
The programme that I want to describe is a modern, targeted, multi-faceted programme which essentially sets the objectives and the guidelines for the things we want to implement within 2010, and also paves the way for what will follow in the coming years.
The main objective is pointing out the country's comparative advantages by effectively promoting exports of goods and services, as well as investments, and here, we prioritise economic diplomacy with an emphasis on green development.
Planning targeted actions for specific sectors of products and services in specific countries and geographical areas is an important aspect of this effort, and this is why we want to achieve tangible and quantifiable results, in order to make sure that externalisation goes through efforts made towards a specific target or, to put it simply, to know what it is we are trying to sell, which sectors are of interest to us. There is no point in entering an international market or the market of a specific country – a major market, to put it that way – to sell whatever comes easiest. We need to know what our objective is in that market: is it technologies, is it tourism, or is it something else? And of course, we need to have specific targets, we need to know what it is we are trying to achieve.
I also wanted to say that vital to this programme’s implementation is the mobilisation of the network of Greek authorities in about 90 countries around the world, that is, the Foreign Ministry’s missions, Embassies, Consulates General, Consulates, liaison offices, and 61 Economic and Trade Affairs Offices.
What we are trying to achieve on this particular front goes beyond the obvious need for mobilisation: it is their better coordination. That is, the Economic and Trade Affairs Offices, as well as the Consulates and Embassies need to know and let us know too - i.e., there should be mutual exchanges between the Ministry and these offices – what it is we are pursuing in each particular country or group of countries.
Of course, we also want to make the most of the Greek diaspora’s distinguished businesspeople and scientists. Furthermore, this planning will go through cooperation and coordination with all the co-competent Ministries because, as you realize, many matters need to be clarified in cooperation with – depending on the sector – the Energy Ministry for the promotion of renewable sources of energy, the Tourism Ministry for tourism matters, the Agriculture Ministry for agricultural produce, etc.
The first is interstate cooperation through political activity and tools at our disposal. The first category has to do with visits by the Foreign Ministry’s political leadership and officials, which have become a tool that the Foreign Ministry is in any event very interested in.
Through these visits, we are trying to regain Greece’s role in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf and also deepen economic and trade relations with major partners; indicatively, I would like to mention certain countries that are included in our planning for 2010 – and perhaps even through to 2011, if we don’t have the time to implement everything – the European Union of course, the United States, Russia, but also Japan, China, India, South Korea and many other Asian countries, as well as some Latin American countries, where there is great interest in economic cooperation.
A second political cooperation tool at our disposal in order to promote economic diplomacy are Joint Interministerial Committees.
Another political cooperation tool for economic diplomacy is the opportunity given to us through the Greek Chairmanship of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization (BSEC).
Another important political cooperation tool is the Hellenic Plan for the Economic Reconstruction of the Balkans (HiPERB), the implementation of which is moving forward; it is mostly the implementation of mature projects that is moving ahead in order for their funding and construction to continue.
One tool that we consider particularly important, provided it is used in the right manner, are business missions. What is most important to us with regard to business missions is correct planning and preparation for these missions. We need to know what business it is we are seeking, what exactly it is we are trying to promote in each country and, of course, in very good coordination with our consulates, Embassies, and other offices in these countries and with the co-competent state agencies such as the Hellenic Foreign Trade Board, the Hellenic Center for Investment – Invest in Greece, agencies where our forces are joined and not wasted.
Greeks abroad, the Diaspora, are a great asset to Greece; they are, as we have often said, Greece’s best ambassadors abroad, whether they are émigrés or people active in business and therefore have business and economic relations on a local level. This is a resource that I think we need to develop further. We haven’t capitalized on it as much as we need to.
A second move that is important is the events that are held in honor of economic partners. These events held by Embassies and other Missions are essential, but they, too, have to be targeted, and not be just social events, but targeted, so that we can try to achieve the promotion of specific sectors, products, etc.
I think there are two more sectors. There is business information, with the market research I referred to earlier, and sector studies. These are – as those of you who participate and get information from these will know – research that has been carried out for some time now and that is still being carried out, with all of the data available – on the agora.gr portal – to anyone interested.
Regarding the agora.gr portal, we think it is a very useful tool, but one that will benefit from an upgrading that we are planning. And this upgrading will make it more user-friendly and more attractive to those who use it. We are going to install a web TV component for presenting corporate videos that can be used to promote important Greek products and enterprises, video on demand, live streaming; some modern tools for promoting the image of Greek products.
I will close by referring to the Commercial Sections. Beyond what I have already said, they support and collaborate on the implementation of actions carried out with collaborating agencies. That is, with other Ministries, on exhibitions, promotional and informational events, etc., and in cooperation with Invest in Greece, with chambers of commerce and industry, etc.
I will close by saying that the major shift we are trying to make is not that we consider ourselves to be starting from zero, because real efforts have been made by the Ministry’s departments and by businesspersons themselves and by the Chambers and collaborating agencies. What we are trying to do is increase the value added by this effort and to increase the efficiency of the Services and cooperation.
It is very important – and I think that you, as entrepreneurs, understand this more than others – that in such a time of crisis, a major parameter in Greece’s emerging from the crisis is the extent to which we achieve our goals beyond our borders.
And this means that first of all we have to set goals, and set them together. And second, we have to work together as closely as we can, as well as intra-governmentally amongst ourselves, and amongst intermediate tools, institutional agencies and the government, in order to achieve these goals.
I am optimistic, but it will take a lot of work.
Complete text available in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website link. |
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