JOURNALIST: What is the purpose of your visit to the US?
G. KOTSIRAS: I am visiting the United States in order to meet with the Greeks in America, as part of our broader effort to develop a meaningful, two-way communication with the Greeks Abroad. I will be visiting New York, Philadelphia and Boston, cities with historical ties to Greece and strong Greek communities. I will be having a series of meetings with Diaspora associations and Greek-Americans who excel in different fields, making us proud. The Greek-American community constitutes a prominent part of Hellenism, whose contribution to the friendship and strategic cooperation between Greece and the US has been decisive.
Among the main objectives of my visit is the promotion of scientific diplomacy. The Greek scientists who live and work here in the US are considered among the best in the world. I will visit leading American Universities and Greek studies chairs and meet with researchers and businesspeople who are active in the field of high technology. Our aim is to bring this invaluable human capital closer to Greece, facilitating their connection with research centers, academic institutions and businesses in our country. This cooperation can be mutually beneficial and give a further boost to Greek innovation and the relations between the two countries, while it contributes to addressing common challenges.
JOURNALIST: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has set as a priority the strengthening of ties between the motherland and the Greeks Abroad. To what extent do you think that the Strategic Plan for Greeks Abroad will contribute to this direction?
G. KOTSIRAS: I am convinced that the Strategic Plan for Greeks Abroad 2024-2027, which we have prepared with Minister for Foreign Affairs, George Gerapetritis, will make a decisive contribution to strengthening Greece’s ties with Greeks Abroad. It is a modern, comprehensive and coherent plan that seeks to respond to the complex needs of the Diaspora. We use digital tools, seek synergies and focus on the younger generation. The plan includes more than 100 actions which aim to improve the providing of services to the Greeks Abroad, promote Greek language and culture, develop and support Diaspora networks, stem brain drain and collaborate with Greeks Abroad to promote the image of our country across the world.
Prime Minister Kyriaskos Mitsotakis’ presence at the presentation of the Strategic Plan last week in Athens is indicative of the priority that the government, and personally the Prime Minister, gives to the Hellenism of the Diaspora. We will continue to support Greeks around the world with consistency and a sense of responsibility. It is our patriotic duty.
JOURNALIST: As the Prime Minister himself noted during the recent presentation of the Strategic Plan for Greeks Abroad, the consular services are synonymous with “inconvenience”. Can this situation be reversed?
G. KOTSIRAS: Greece has made huge steps towards the digitalization of the state. Leveraging technology can contribute significantly to upgrading the services directed to Greeks Abroad, which is one of the central objectives of the Strategic Plan for Greeks Abroad.
Important steps have already been taken, with the creation of a special section on gov.gr for Greeks Abroad, the MyConsulLive service and the Virtual Assistant, which has been integrated into the websites of all our Missions abroad. The electronic processing of applications by consulates is constantly expanding, while a recent legislative provision has paved the way for the digitalization of passport issuance. At the same time, we have secured the recruitment of a significant number of administrative staff next year in order to strengthen the human resources of our consular authorities.
We must offer quality services to Greeks Abroad, as that is what is expected by a modern state. That is a prerequisite for building the relationship of trust that we envisage. We will strive to make lengthy bureaucratic procedures a thing of the past.
JOURNALIST: Has the brain drain of the past years started to become a brain gain? Is there concrete and tangible data? Apart from the recent collaboration with DYPA, what else do you intend to do in this direction?
G. KOTSIRAS: Based on Eurostat data, of the 680,000 Greeks who left our country during the crisis, more than 350,000 have returned, i.e. more than half. And according to a recent survey by the National Documentation Center, the Greeks who have returned have a high average salary and the majority of them are optimistic about their future in Greece.
The return of this valuable national capital to our country is the result of the political stability and reforms implemented by the government over the last five years. The high growth rates, the improvement of the working and business environment, the provision of tax incentives to Greeks who want to return, create positive prospects for stemming the brain drain.
We contribute to this national effort with actions that we have included in the Strategic Plan for Greeks Abroad. One of them is our collaboration with the Greek Public Employment Service (DYPA) to inform Greeks Abroad about employment opportunities in Greece. In the framework of this collaboration the first "Career Day" outside Greece will take place next month in Düsseldorf, Germany. Supporting the internationalization of Greek universities and the networking between scientists and professionals from the Diaspora, as well as the internship and hospitality programs we organize, are further actions to attract young people of the Diaspora to Greece.
We offer Greeks working abroad opportunities to work with Greece as well as the prospect of a return to those who wish to do so.
JOURNALIST: The Strategic Plan for Greeks Abroad includes, among other things, the creation of a Registry of Diaspora Organizations. Once the register is completed, how do you plan to use it?
G. KOTSIRAS: Mapping the Greeks Abroad and their activities is important for policy making. The Registry of Diaspora Organizations will facilitate the two-way communication between the organizations and the entire Diaspora and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, while it will give us the opportunity to develop targeted initiatives and actions making the best use of existing resources. At the same time, we encourage our fellow citizens abroad to be in contact with the consular authorities so that they can be informed about events of Greek interest and actions that concern them.
JOURNALIST: Will Greeks around the world be able to vote in the next national elections from their place of residence as they did in the last European elections?
G. KOTSIRAS: The introduction of postal voting in the European elections was a great democratic reform, another practical proof of our will to facilitate the Greeks Abroad and strengthen their participation in the public life of our country.
Following the successful implementation of postal voting in the European elections, we aim to extend it to the national elections and a relative legislative initiative is planned by the government. In order to be enacted, a broader consensus of at least 200 Members of Parliament will be needed. We hope that this time, the opposition parties will rise to the occasion and unite to send a message to our fellow citizens that their opinion counts, whether they live in Greece or in America. For a strong Greece, with a strong voice from all Greeks around the world.
November 17, 2024