Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs Miltiadis Varvitsiotis attends the conference on “No Deal Brexit – Preparation of Public Administration and businesses for the eventuality of a no-deal Brexit”

Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs Miltiadis Varvitsiotis attends the conference on “No Deal Brexit – Preparation of Public Administration and businesses for the eventuality of a no-deal Brexit” (Thessaloniki, 18 September 2019)The Foreign Ministry’s Brexit conference in Thessaloniki was attended by Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs Miltiadis Varvitsiotis and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Kostas Fragogiannis. The event was held in the context of the Foreign Ministry’s actions aimed at optimum preparation of Public Administration and businesses for the eventuality of a disorderly Brexit. Also in attendance at the conference were the head of the Prime Minister’s Office, Maria Antoniou, Thessaloniki Mayor Konstantinos Zervas, and representatives of the Central Macedonia Region. The event was held at the Thessaloniki Chamber of Commerce and Industry (TCCI) and was co-organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, TCCI, the Federation of Industries of Greece (SVE) and the Exporters Association.

Mr. Varvitsiotis underscored that the United Kingdom is a longstanding ally of Greece and that the Greek government will prepare as well as possible to ensure that in any event – a Brexit with an agreement or a no-deal Brexit – transactions will continue smoothly. He then stressed that Greece has already prepared Public Administration based on a “Roadmap of National Actions in the event of a disorderly Brexit.” The Alternate Minister presented in detail the economic and numerical data on the repercussions of a Brexit, emphasising the coming contraction of the community GDP and budget, and the volume of bilateral trade transactions, explaining how the UK’s withdrawal from the Union will affect citizens and businesses. The Roadmap includes extensive interministerial coordination on 128 actions on a national level, under the supportive umbrella of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In the context of the preparations for Brexit, the Greek state is making operational preparations in all sectors of the financial, commercial, political and diplomatic interests of the two countries.

In closing his remarks, Mr. Varvitsiotis underscored that the needs of businesses and of the people of Macedonia and northern Greece are high among his and the Greek government’s priorities. He stressed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs supports Macedonian businesses and Macedonian products and will be in ongoing contact with the market agencies of Thessaloniki, making every effort to boost their openness.