7th Meeting of the National Council for Extroversion of Enterprise Greece 2025

Athens, February 18, 2025 | The 7th meeting of the National Council for Extroversion of Enterprise Greece took place in Kavala on Saturday, February 15, 2025.

Τhe President of the Extroversion Council, Secretary General for International Economic Relations and Extroversion, Mr. Dimitris Skalkos, opened the session with the presence of the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, responsible for Economic Diplomacy, Mr. Tassos Hadjivassiliou, the Regional Governor of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, Mr. Christodoulos Topsidis, the CEO of Enterprise Greece, Dr. Marinos Giannopoulos, and the Council members, who are representatives of organizations/professional associations.

The meeting was attended by: a) Sofia Kounenaki Efraimoglou, First Vice President and Extroversion Officer of the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry (EBEA), Dimitris Dimitriou, General Secretary of EBEA, and Eleni Foti, Director of International Trade Relations at EBEA (Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry – EBEA), b) Vassilis Korkidis, President of the Piraeus Chamber of Commerce and Industry (EBEP), c) Panagiotis Menexopoulos, General Secretary of the Thessaloniki Chamber of Commerce and Industry (EBETH), d) Efi Deli, President of the Hellenic Export Credit Society (EEEP), e) Evangelos Nikas, Member of the Assembly of the Economic Chamber of Greece (OEE), f) Alkiviadis Kalambokis, President of the Panhellenic Exporters’ Association (PSE) and President of the Exporters’ Association of Crete (SEK), g) Maria Gatsou, General Director of the Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises (SETE), h) Panos Lolos, Member of the Board and President of the Extroversion Committee, and Vicky Makrygianni, Director of the International Relations & Regional Development Sector (SEV), i) Simeon Diamantidis, President, and Panagiotis Hassapis, Executive Vice President of the Exporters’ Association (SEVE).

The topics of the meeting included the following:

1. Statement by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs
2. Review of Extroversion Actions 2024
3. Planning and initiatives of the General Secretariat for International Economic Relations and Extroversion
4. Extroversion Actions 2025 • ESSE 2025 • Actions of the Foreign Trade Sector of Enterprise Greece
5. New international economic environment – challenges and prospects
6. Positions of Council members
7. Other issues

The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Tassos Hadjivassiliou, announced the upgrade of the Extroversion Council, with the creation of a Government Extroversion Committee, with the aim of better reflecting the needs of businesses and promoting the necessary interventions to enhance their extroversion.

The Secretary General for International Economic Relations & Extroversion and President of Enterprise Greece, Mr. Dimitris Skalkos, in the context of reviewing Extroversion actions, referred to current global economic challenges, emphasizing the resilience and record rates of Greek exports, which reached €50 billion this year, reflecting the continuous extroversion of the Greek economy. Additionally, the Secretary General for Extroversion referred to the planning for 2025, which includes the development of a three-year strategic plan for extroversion, the upgrading of the Council, the creation of Regional Extroversion Offices, and the development of new business support tools, such as the myOEYlive service. Finally, he presented the assessment of actions for 2024, focusing on the promotion of bilateral economic relations, strengthening the country’s image, attracting investments, and facilitating trade.

The National Strategic Plan for Extroversion (ESSE) 2025 and the foreign trade actions of Enterprise Greece were also presented.

In the subsequent discussion, Council members highlighted the steady growth of Greek exports despite difficulties, submitted proposals for facilitating businesses, and discussed challenges in international trade.

It is noted that before the meeting, a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between the Deputy Minister and the Regional Governor for the operation of an Extroversion Office in the Eastern Macedonia & Thrace Region.

The CEO of Enterprise Greece, Dr. Marinos Giannopoulos, referring to Enterprise Greece’s Business Plan 2025, said that it is a modern and dynamic strategy aligned with the national development and sustainability goals. The main goals for the company in 2025 include attracting investments in priority sectors, increasing exports by 10% in key target markets, enhancing Greece’s international image as an attractive investment and business destination, and supporting Greek regions. The plan includes participation in 90 international exhibitions, supporting 300+ SMEs, upgrading the Export Helpdesk, and implementing the Enterprise Greece Exports Academy. In the investment sector, it provides for the approval of 17 strategic projects worth €2.3 billion, creating 10,000 new jobs, and promoting investments through 32 international actions. The Actions 2025 brochure, distributed to the members of the Extroversion Council, included detailed actions by month and sector. Finally, he emphasized that Enterprise Greece remains open to partnerships and synergies to further strengthen the Greek economy.