The Greek-German Business Forum “Restoring Confidence and Navigating for New Trade, Investment and Startups”, on the role innovation and start-ups play in returning the Greek economy to growth, took place yesterday (04/04) in Berlin. The conference was organized by the Economist, under the auspices of the Greek Ministry for Economy, Development and Tourism and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy.
The head of the Hellenic Bank Association and governor of the National Bank of Greece (NBG), Louka Katseli, identified the five main preconditions that would allow the domestic banking system to contribute effectively to Greece’s growth and provide loans to small and medium-sized businesses. The first two preconditions are political and economic stability as well as the effective management of non-performing loans (NPLs). The fourth element is creating innovative funding tools to attract investments, as well as improving corporate governance in the banking system. The last precondition is to have a comprehensive rebranding of the Greek financial system.
The Greek minister of Economy, Development and Tourism, George Stathakis, presented the new Greek Legislative Framework for Development. Dimitris Mardas, Deputy Minister for International Economic Relations presented the business environment in Greece, outlining the basic reasons to invest in Greece. Greek and German business counterparts had the opportunity to conduct one to one meetings to explore joint ventures and investment opportunities in the fields of tourism, energy, infrastructure and telecoms.
Read more: Speeches and Presentations of the Conference
