Improvement of Greek-Turkish relations helps regional prosperity: Senior Greek diplomat

By Faruk Hanedar

ISTANBUL (AA) – The Greek deputy foreign minister said Friday that the improvement of Greek-Turkish relations contributes to regional prosperity.

“The deepening of the positive climate in Greek-Turkish relations and the further development of our bilateral cooperation contribute to the prosperity of the whole region,” Konstantinos Fragkogiannis told Anadolu.

About the ongoing thaw in the relations in general and particularly Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to Athens in December, he said, “At this moment, our bilateral relations run on a roadmap at three levels: political dialogue, the Positive Agenda, and Confidence Building Measures.”

Drawing attention to the Positive Agenda that focuses on topics of economic interests where cooperation can be mutually beneficial, Fragkogiannis underlined that significant improvements were made regarding connectivity, facilitation of trade transactions, increase of tourist flows and enhancement of cooperation on civil protection issues since its adoption in 2021.

The Agenda also aims to boost understanding and cooperation between the youth of our two countries in vital fields such as innovation and technology, he added.

On trade, which both countries repeatedly indicated they want to increase, Fragkogiannis said the volume between the two countries has recorded a steady upward trend in recent years.

“Currently, our bilateral trade exceeds €5 billion ($5.45 billion). Our goal, which I find realistic enough, is to reach €10 billion within five years,” he said, noting the vast potential for cooperation.

Asked about the difficulties Turkish investors face in Greece and if the country has plans to address it, Fragkogiannis said Greece has made significant strides in overcoming bureaucracy in recent years.

“We have a plan in this government that we actively implement regarding the constant improvement of the business environment in Greece. And we keep working on overcoming any barriers by setting rules that will be respected by all parties involved,” he added.

On the prospects of the bilateral relations, Fragkogiannis said: “What is important to stress is that Greece and Turkey are two neighboring countries that ought to live in peace, thus they ought to keep trying to bridge differences through honest dialogue.”

Numerous major global and regional challenges including climate change and conflicts in the region make rapprochement even more relevant and needed, he said.