Ladies and gentlemen,
First of all, it is a great pleasure to welcome you to the event for the presentation of the National Plan for Extroversion.
I would like to start by pointing out that the event coincides with the tragic developments in Sudan. With the anguish of our fellow Greeks there. We must attempt in any way possible, as our top priority, to ensure the safety and evacuation of our compatriots in light of the resumption of the civil war, centered around Khartoum.
And to this end, we are implementing an extremely difficult plan due to the unprecedented conditions prevailing on the ground. A considerable number of Greeks have already been evacuated from Khartoum with the assistance of our partners and allies. The number exceeds 50 and the first group of them has already landed in our country just a few minutes ago. Of course, we will continue to do everything we can to ensure their health, life and their return back at home.
Getting back to the context of today's event, which takes place at the end of the current government's term, I believe, a general reference to this government's reform work should be made. The main pillar of Ministry of Foreign Affairs' reform initiatives was, first and foremost, the modernization of its structures, the upgrading of diplomatic services, and the integration of economic diplomacy into the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The goal is for Greece to respond to the times' complex challenges.
The effort to promote the country to traditional as well as new friends, partners, and allies continued unabated in 2022, through bilateral and trilateral cooperation schemes, the establishment of new Diplomatic and Consular Authorities, and participation in international fora. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs' endeavor in the area of economic diplomacy began the day after this government was sworn in, by including economic diplomacy in the Ministry’s fields of responsibility.
This effort continued by adopting the Ministry’s new Organizational statute in February 2021. And since then, it has been carried on consistently and continuously. I would like to tell you that it serves a broader goal, the Greek economy, and a more medium-term but easily perceptible goal, the improvement of our trade balance. Allow me to consider this an essential goal for national survival. Such features are not usually associated to economic figures, but this is an objective reality.
The National Strategic Plan for Extroversion presented today is a proof of strategic targeting, a targeting that is consistently served and this is demonstrated by the fact that it is being drawn up for the third consecutive year.
I will not tell you anything new if I emphasize that continuity and consistency do not primarily characterize our country. However, allow me to state that a very significant tradition is being created. Thus, this plan has begun to establish itself in the consciousness of all involved public bodies, but allow me to say even more importantly, in the private sector.
It is therefore a clear roadmap aiming to:
- promote our homeland's economic and commercial interests,
- promote our products,
- enhance our exports, and,
- attract direct foreign investments. This is also absolutely essential for our survival, especially considering the disinvestment our country suffered during the years of the great crisis.
The 2022 Plan included 670 actions in over 45 countries. As it matured this year, the actions reached 770.
The National Strategic Plan for Extroversion is, of course, an integral part and the third pillar of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Strategic Plan 2022-2025.
We are proud that the MFA is the first Ministry to implement such a plan, considering that strategic planning is an essential tool for the 21st century.
Political, economic, and public diplomacy interact through 5 strategic pillars, 39 strategic goals, and thousands of actions.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs exercises, and I hope it will continue to exercise, a strategically targeted economic diplomacy. A diplomacy that will decisively contribute to shaping and promoting a new, modern, and dynamic Greece.
Thank you very much.
April 25, 2023