Cooperation with Piraeus Bank
Christos Megalou, CEO of Piraeus Bank, and Elias Athanassiou, CEO of Enterprise Greece, today signed a Cooperation Agreement between the two entities.
The goal of the cooperation between Piraeus Bank and Enterprise Greece is to identify and build constructive ways to support Greek businesses. The focus will be on strengthening Greek exports further and supporting investment opportunities.
The year 2017 was a record year for Greek exports, which reached €28.8 billion, a 13.2% increase over 2016. Foreign Direct Investment grew by 30%, while 30 million tourist arrivals set another record, for the fifth consecutive year. The initiative of Enterprise Greece to develop cooperation with the banking sector aims to build on these gains to achieve sustainable growth in the Greek economy.
As Christos Megalou, CEO of Piraeus Bank, said: “Supporting healthy entrepreneurship, especially that focused on export, is a priority for Piraeus Bank. We see entrepreneurs as the future of the economy and the country and we support them with funding, but also with guidance to help them open new avenues and new markets. Piraeus Bank has been strategically committed to playing a leading role in restarting and developing the Greek economy, supporting real-time and complete economic activity through specialized and personalized solutions and high-level services.”
In his statement Elias Athanassiou, CEO of Enterprise Greece, noted: “This Cooperation Agreement is the first tangible result of an initiative by Enterprise Greece to call on the country’s systemic banks to join with us in assisting Greek companies to better access existing and new markets. We are very pleased that Piraeus Bank responded immediately and we hope that other institutions will follow. Through this Agreement, we aim to consolidate and develop a dynamic and fruitful collaboration to support Greek exports and strengthen investment. Our cooperation will be based on the principles of complementarity and the development of synergies. Together we will take innovative steps to promote extroversion and entrepreneurship, which will contribute to sustainable growth in the Greek economy.”
The cooperation of Piraeus Bank, the leading bank in Greece, with Enterprise Greece, the official trade and investment promotion agency of the Greek state, will focus on:
- • Financing export businesses with Trade Finance Solutions and targeted products to meet their financing needs and increase their effectiveness in a competitive international environment
- • Attracting foreign investments to Greece, in key business areas (energy, infrastructure, manufacturing) with multiple benefits for the Greek economy
- • Development of a consortium of banks and other financial institutions for the co-financing of strategic projects, a field in which Piraeus Bank has extensive experience and a dynamic presence
- • Strengthening the extroversion of Greek companies through specialized information and market guidance, a legal framework for exports and investments, while enhancing their presence and visibility in international exhibitions and organizations
- • Financing of export-oriented start-ups with working capital needs or for investment purposes, using tools such as Cosme, TEPIC, Extroversion Program or InnovFin
- • Serving foreign nationals, who are part of the Golden Visa program, through the creation of a one-stop package of services and products.
![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi_webp/<p>Christos Megalou, CEO of Piraeus Bank, and Elias Athanassiou, CEO of Enterprise Greece, today signed a Cooperation Agreement between the two entities.</p>
<p>The goal of the cooperation between Piraeus Bank and Enterprise Greece is to identify and build constructive ways to support Greek businesses. The focus will be on strengthening Greek exports further and supporting investment opportunities.</p>
<p>The year 2017 was a record year for Greek exports, which reached €28.8 billion, a 13.2% increase over 2016. Foreign Direct Investment grew by 30%, while 30 million tourist arrivals set another record, for the fifth consecutive year. The initiative of Enterprise Greece to develop cooperation with the banking sector aims to build on these gains to achieve sustainable growth in the Greek economy.</p>
<p>As Christos Megalou, CEO of Piraeus Bank, said: "Supporting healthy entrepreneurship, especially that focused on export, is a priority for Piraeus Bank. We see entrepreneurs as the future of the economy and the country and we support them with funding, but also with guidance to help them open new avenues and new markets. Piraeus Bank has been strategically committed to playing a leading role in restarting and developing the Greek economy, supporting real-time and complete economic activity through specialized and personalized solutions and high-level services."</p>
<p>In his statement Elias Athanassiou, CEO of Enterprise Greece, noted: "This Cooperation Agreement is the first tangible result of an initiative by Enterprise Greece to call on the country's systemic banks to join with us in assisting Greek companies to better access existing and new markets. We are very pleased that Piraeus Bank responded immediately and we hope that other institutions will follow. Through this Agreement, we aim to consolidate and develop a dynamic and fruitful collaboration to support Greek exports and strengthen investment. Our cooperation will be based on the principles of complementarity and the development of synergies. Together we will take innovative steps to promote extroversion and entrepreneurship, which will contribute to sustainable growth in the Greek economy."</p>
<p>The cooperation of Piraeus Bank, the leading bank in Greece, with Enterprise Greece, the official trade and investment promotion agency of the Greek state, will focus on:</p>
<ul>
<li>• Financing export businesses with Trade Finance Solutions and targeted products to meet their financing needs and increase their effectiveness in a competitive international environment</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>• Attracting foreign investments to Greece, in key business areas (energy, infrastructure, manufacturing) with multiple benefits for the Greek economy</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>• Development of a consortium of banks and other financial institutions for the co-financing of strategic projects, a field in which Piraeus Bank has extensive experience and a dynamic presence</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>• Strengthening the extroversion of Greek companies through specialized information and market guidance, a legal framework for exports and investments, while enhancing their presence and visibility in international exhibitions and organizations</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>• Financing of export-oriented start-ups with working capital needs or for investment purposes, using tools such as Cosme, TEPIC, Extroversion Program or InnovFin</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>• Serving foreign nationals, who are part of the Golden Visa program, through the creation of a one-stop package of services and products.</li>
</ul>/sddefault.webp)