12th Greek-Chinese Joint Interministerial Committee convenes (Athens, 20.09.2017)

“The relations between Greece and China, two of the most ancient and important civilizations in human history, are excellent on a political and economic level, but there is significant room for development of further strategic cooperation between the two countries in a number of vital sectors.”

Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs Giorgos Katrougalos, heading the Greek delegation, stressed this in addressing the 12th Meeting of the Greek-Chinese Joint Interministerial Committee, which convened five years after the previous meeting (November 2012). This will be the first part of the Meeting, with the second scheduled to take place early in 2018, in China.

“We want to capitalize on our country’s geostrategic advantage”, Mr. Katrougalos added, “turning Greece into a bridge between Asia, Africa and Europe. We also want to exploit our comparative advantages in agricultural products, given that, due to its biodiversity and tradition, our country produces over 100 protected designation of origin (PDO) and protected geographical indication (PGI) products, including feta, Chios mastiha and a number of Greek wines.”

Mr. Katrougalos noted that Greece supports the Chinese initiative for linking Asia with Europe via the land and sea “silk road” and will be a main gateway for Chinese products to the European continent. In fact, there is significant room for enhancing cooperation in sectors such as trade, transport, road and rail links, energy, telecommunications and digital networks, shipping, the shipbuilding sector, and tourism.

The Secretary General for International Economic Relations, Giorgos Tsipras, stressed that our country attaches great importance to Chinese investments in Greece, adding that there is significant room for increasing exports of Greek agricultural products to China.

The Chinese side was also asked to protect the PDO and PGI status of Greek products on the Chinese market.

In addition, the setting up of three committees of experts from the two countries, in the sectors of investments, shipping products and agricultural products was decided, in order to elaborate the specifics of cooperation and promotion of trade ahead of the second phase of the 12th Meeting, in China.

Also participating in the JIC for the Greek side were the Deputy Economy and Development Minister, Stergios Pitsiorlas, the Deputy Minister for Agricultural Development and Food, Vasilis Kokkalis, and ministry officials.

The Chinese delegation was headed by the Deputy Minister for Trade of the People’s Republic of China, Ms. Gao Yan.