Her Excellency’s speech, Ambassador Lili Evangelia Grammatika at the HRCC GALA EVENT 2024

Dear Mr. President,

Dear ladies and gentlemen, members of the Board of Directors and of the Hellenic-Romanian Bilateral Chamber of Commerce,

Dear compatriots,

Dear friends,

I am glad to be with you for the first time at this event organized by the Hellenic-Romanian Bilateral Chamber of Commerce on the occasion of the cutting of Vasilopita, and to have the opportunity to meet members of the highly active Greek business community in Romania.

You know very well, as people active in the business environment, that the global and European economic situation remains difficult, but a close look at the data proves that the already strong presence of the Greek business environment in Romania has not only not exhausted its potential, but is expanding at a significant pace.

Here are some conclusive examples:

The numbers are on our side and the dynamics, both in terms of bilateral trade and the expansion of Greek investment, are obvious. However, systematic and synergistic actions are needed to maximize the result, which we have proven that, by working together, we can successfully sustain. Our initiatives to attract Romanian investments in our country, as well as events highlighting new areas of cooperation between Greek and Romanian companies (research, technology, regional programs), in addition to the existing important ones (food, construction, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment), will also be of decisive importance.

And, of course, besides our dynamic and trustworthy presence in business, our history and culture have always been integral elements of the Greek brand, a brand that, among other things, I must emphasize, has made approximately 1 million 350 thousand Romanian tourists visit our country in 2023.

I know that months of hard work await us, but I am not worried about results, because cooperation and unanimity always bode well for success.

In closing, I would like to congratulate you on this wonderful event and wish you health, prosperity, progress, happiness and many achievements.

• In terms of Greek direct investment/stocks abroad, according to data provided by the Central Bank of Greece, it follows that Romania ranks 4th in that list, with 7.5% of total investments.
• At the same time, Greece’s share in total foreign direct investment in Romania was 5%, which places our country on the 5th place in the top countries of origin of foreign direct investment, after the Netherlands, Germany, Austria and Cyprus. The recent acquisition of ENEL Romania by DEI, an investment worth EUR 1.3 billion, also contributed to this.
• In the last two years, 2022 and 2023, over 500 companies of Greek interest were registered in the Romanian Trade Register, which brings the total number of companies registered in December 2023 to 8,624.
• In 2023, Romania was the 8th main destination of Greek exports, with bilateral trade volume amounting to approximately EUR 2.8 billion, of which EUR 1.8 billion represents the value of Greek exports to Romania and EUR 1 billion represents the value of imports from Romania.
• For the 4th consecutive year, Romania maintains its position in the top 10 of the main destination countries of Greek exports.
• It is estimated that 30% of the value of Greek exports to Romania and about 25% of Greek imports from Romania are due to you, i.e. to companies of Greek interest established in Romania.