Συνέντευξη του Πρέσβη κ. Κ. Οικονομίδη στο περιοδικό CorD

Tο αγγλόφωνο περιοδικό CorD, πολιτικής-διπλωματικής και επιχειρηματικής ύλης, δημοσιεύει στο τρέχον τεύχος Απριλίου ειδικό ένθετο, με τίτλο «Greece 2014: Fostering and Backing a European Serbia», στο οποίο φιλοξενείται συνέντευξη του Πρέσβη κ. Κωνσταντίνου Οικονομίδη.

Στη συνέντευξη επισημαίνονται «οι στενές και εγκάρδιες σχέσεις» της Ελλάδος με τη Σερβία, ενώ ο Πρέσβης κ. Οικονομίδης περιγράφει τους φιλικούς και στενούς μακροχρόνιους δεσμούς των δύο χωρών, οι οποίοι εξελίσσονται και γίνονται πιο ισχυροί, τονίζοντας ταυτόχρονα την ισχυρή παρουσία των Ελλήνων επενδυτών στη Σερβία και περιγράφοντας τις παραμέτρους που εξηγούν γιατί, παρά την οικονομική κρίση, «οι ελληνικές επενδύσεις στη Σερβία μπορούν να χαρακτηριστούν χωρίς υπερβολή ως success story». Ακολουθεί το δημοσιευθέν κείμενο στα αγγλικά:

H.E. Mr. CONSTANTINE ECONOMIDES, Ambassador of the Hellenic Republic to Serbia

“Close and Cordial Relations”

Friendly and neighborly ties between Serbia and Greece date back many centuries, but over recent years that bond has grown even stronger and stood the test of time. Greek investors have flocked to Serbia in the past decade and a half and relations between the two nations have never been stronger

Greece continues to support Serbia, regardless of adverse circumstances. Despite the deep economic crisis in Greece, Greek companies continue operating successfully in Serbia and it is under the Greek Presidency of the EU that Serbia has begun the process of its EU accession negotiations. According to Ambassador Constantine Economides, “Our bilateral relations are excellent, spanning the entire spectrum of economic, financial, commercial, cultural, educational and military relations.”

Greece’s first embassy in Belgrade opened in 1880. Could you summarize the most important periods in diplomatic relations between Serbia and Greece since that time?

Close and cordial relations between Greece and Serbia existed even before the opening of the Greek Embassy in Belgrade in 1880, in fact since the period before, during and after the Greek Revolution of 1821. One must always remember that our two countries fought side by side in both the two Balkan Wars of 1912 -1913 and the two World Wars. The Greek cemetery in Pirot, as well as the Serbian ones (Zejtinlik) in Thessaloniki and at Vido on Corfu, bear witness to the common struggles of the two countries and their peoples. In the same vein, the words of Greek Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos have been indelibly etched in the collective memory of our people: When asked to take advantage of Serbia’s predicament in WWI in order to invade Serbian territory from the south he stated in the Greek Parliament that “Greece is a very small country to commit such a grave crime”.

How would you rate bilateral relations between our two countries today?

Our bilateral relations are excellent, spanning the entire spectrum of economic, financial, commercial, cultural, educational and military relations. Of specific importance is the presence of the four largest Greek banks in Serbia, which collectively cover 15% - 20% of all banking activities in the country. Of course, there is always room for further improvement, with an emphasis on the investment and infrastructure sectors.

Greece has always supported Serbia strongly in its bid for EU membership. What would you say about Serbia’s progress in this process?

Serbia has achieved tremendous progress since October 5th 2000 on its way towards European integration, and especially during the past two years. Serbia’s efforts were crowned by the opening of the first Intergovernmental Conference on 21st January 2014 under the Greek Presidency of the E.U. Of course, the road is difficult and Belgrade needs to exert even more strenuous efforts in order to join the European Union family, a place where it definitely belongs.

During his recent official visit to Belgrade, Greek Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos said that Serbia’s EU accession would be of key importance for the stability of the Western Balkans. What do you think of regional stability today and what are the potential obstacles hindering the progress of relations between the countries of the region?

Serbia contributes positively to regional stability. The Brussels Agreement of 19th April 2013 represents the culmination of Belgrade’s efforts in this field. Greece remains steadfast in its belief that the overall improvement of the economic situation in Serbia will pave the way for further strengthening regional stability.

Greece’s presidency of the EU will continue for the following few months, while Serbia has embarked on the EU accession process. What do you think are the key reforms Serbia needs to carry out en-route to becoming an EU member?

Of particular importance are the reforms in the fields of the judiciary, corruption, media, anti-discrimination and public administration, as well as reforms in the area of the economy. We are confident that the new government of Serbia will renew its efforts to attain the final goal of EU accession, a vision which is shared by the majority of the electorate. Greece’s offer to provide the necessary EU expertise is well known to the Serbian authorities.

The economic crisis in Greece has been among the top topics in the world for a long time. However, the country has been showing signs of recovery recently. Could you elaborate on this and tell us what kind of plans Greece has for the future?

After exerting strenuous efforts for the past five years, Greece can safely say that the worst effects of the crisis are behind us. For the first time in recent history, the state budget presented a net surplus, a fact which is acknowledged and commended by the international community. Of course, the road to full recovery is still a long one. The most evident and socially painful consequence of the crisis is the level of unemployment, especially among the young.

The economic crisis has also led to political instability which, in turn, created plenty of room for extremists on both the right and the left. How would you assess political stability in Greece at this moment?

Greece remains – in spite of the crisis – a politically stable country. A temporary rise of radical elements both on the right and on the left of the political spectrum can in no way prevent the government from carrying out its reform policies.

Despite the economic crisis, Greece remains the third biggest foreign investor in Serbia and one of the first countries that invested in Serbia after the wars of the 1990s. How successful have Greek investments in Serbia been to date?

Greek investment in Serbia can be characterised, without exaggeration, as a success story. Besides the banking sector which I already mentioned, Greece is present in the fields of construction, hotels, oil, aluminium, food and beverages, supermarkets and cement, to name just a few areas. In fact, many of the companies established in Serbia are doing better than their parent companies in Greece.



Διαβάστε το Ειδικό Ένθετο του περιοδικού CorD για την Ελλάδα, στην ακόλουθη διεύθυνση: http://cordmagazine.com/CorD/Greece-2014.html