The Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met in Bucharest with the President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, in the context of his official visit to Romania.
During the meeting, which took place in the Cotroceni Palace in Bucharest, they discussed the joint will of both sides to further expand and deepen bilateral relations, with an emphasis on the economy and energy, where the two leaders agreed that there is great potential to strengthen cooperation.
They ascertained their common views on major European and international issues.
They also exchanged views on the latest, alarming developments in Ukraine.
Right after, in the Embassy of Greece in Bucharest, Kyriakos Mitsotakis met with the Board of Directors of the Bilateral Hellenic Romanian Chamber of Commerce.
“I am really happy to be here once again, in this crucial, difficult geopolitical circumstance. It was my deliberate intention to complete this trip, because I have the opportunity to discuss with our friends in Romania, with the President and the new Prime Minister the way in which we will react jointly to the Russian provocation in Ukraine,” said the Prime Minister.
“This is an issue that obviously concerns us all, especially Romania, a country that borders Ukraine. It particularly concerns our homeland too, to the extent that we have many of our fellow citizens of Greek origin who reside in the disputed area, especially in the Mariupol zone. Nevertheless, it concerns the whole world, because no change of borders by force can be tolerated, let alone by a country that has put international law at the center of its foreign policy”, stressed Kyriakos Mitsotakis, while talking to the members of the Chamber.
In the discussion he had with Greek businessmen operating in Romania, the Prime Minister focused on ways to strengthen and expand the Greek business presence in Romania, but also in ways to promote bilateral economic and trade relations between the two countries.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis underlined that Greece has historical, political and cultural ties with Romania, maintains a strong economic presence, and holds an important position among its trade and investment partners. Lately, the Greek business presence is constantly strengthening, while at the same time there is an increased Romanian business presence in Greece.
“We are also interested in supporting the extroversion of Greek businesses, Greek capital, Greek entrepreneurs who operate outside our country. And of course the Balkans and especially a very large market, the largest country in the Balkans, Romania, is a market that interests us a lot” said Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
The Prime Minister reassured the members of the Chamber of the full support of the Greek state in all the efforts of extroversion of Greek companies, emphasizing that Romania is one of the most important markets in the region.
It is pointed out that in 2021 the volume of bilateral trade between Greece and Romania reported a further rise and for the first time exceeded 2 billion euros, reaching 2.2 billion euros. Greek capital invested in Romania exceeds 3.5 billion euros in important sectors of the economy: telecommunications, infrastructure, banks, food and beverage industry, construction materials.
On his part, the Chairman of the Hellenic Romanian Chamber of Trade Christodoulos Seferis thanked the Prime Minister and referred to the major prospects of the Greek – Romanian economic ties.
Before his meeting with the Greek businessmen in Bucharest, the Prime Minister visited the Church of the Annunciation, which is the chapel of the Greek Embassy. The church dates back to 1899 and has been named a historic monument of the city of Bucharest.
During his official visit to Romania, the Prime Minister was accompanied by the Minister of Energy Kostas Skrekas, the Minister of Tourism Vassilis Kikilias, the Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Christos Stylianides, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Miltiadis Varvitsiotis and the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for Economic Diplomacy and Openness Costas Fragogiannis.
