Greeks accomplished at least five national feats for which everyone should be proud, National Economy and Finance Minister Kostis Hatzidakis told the 35th annual Greek Economic Summit of the American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce on Monday.
“These are not just the achievements of the government, but of the entire Greek people, and a success for Greece,” he said in his keynote speech in the two-day event that concludes on Tuesday and is themed “A fast-changing world: What’s next?”
The five Greek milestones the minister listed were the following: The greatest increase in investments in the European Union (by 63-64%) in the last five years; the greatest increase of exports in the EU in the last five years; the greatest drop in unemployment in the entire EU; Greece’s ranking as one of the top 10 tourism destinations globally, despite the coronavirus pandemic crisis; and attracting investments by Greek shipowners (in tourism, real estate, shipyards, and renewable energy sources).
“It is true that the inflation and continuous crises we have experienced have affected us,” Hatzidakis said. “We are surely not at the forefront in the EU, but neither are we lagging behind, as some insist on saying. Greece is healing its wounds from the unprecedented crisis and it is improving steadily due to the policies adopted by the government and by businesspeople, employees and society as a whole, through an ongoing national effort. This positive development is a result of a policy based on two pillars – fiscal responsibility and growth-friendly policy. Neither was a given.”