He found “fertile ground” for contacts in Ankara during his recent visit as part of the 4th round of the positive agenda, which he describes in his interview with Deputy Foreign Minister “K”responsible for economic diplomacy Kostas Fragoyannis. According to him, progress has been made on almost all topics on the positive agenda, while he emphasizes that his relationship with his former colleague and current Turkish Ambassador to the UN, Sedat Onal, is a legacy.

– In Ankara, we found a suitable site. Something, of course, we know after four rounds of negotiations, after we launched a positive agenda in May 2021. Then, for the first time, together with former Deputy Minister Sedat Onal, we laid the foundations for a level policy between the two countries. In the recent round of the positive agenda, we got to know the new Deputy Foreign Minister Burak Aksapar better. It is also important that Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu expressed his intention to keep abreast of the negotiations. What Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias did at all stages of the negotiations. The general conclusion at this stage is that a positive agenda is an effective tool for solving everyday problems in relations between the two countries. Thus, despite the recent critical period between the two countries, no one canceled the positive agenda. During our recent visit to Ankara, we picked up where we left off before it was postponed and were able to complete most of the agenda items. We have even agreed on a framework for signing memorandums on the remaining issues, which will be discussed jointly at the next summit meeting in Athens. The diplomatic culture is what we have preserved from our visit to Ankara, and we hope that this spirit will continue to prevail in the relations between the two states.

We stated with great satisfaction that progress has been made on virtually all topics on the positive agenda.

– We stated with great satisfaction that progress has been achieved on almost all topics of the positive agenda. Negotiations on the conclusion of a memorandum of understanding between Enterprise Greece and the relevant Turkish body (Türkiye Investment Office), as well as the signing of a memorandum of understanding in the field of small and medium-sized enterprises between the General Secretariat of Industry and the Turkish KOSGEB have been completed. Both of these memorandums will be signed at the next summit meeting. In addition, several economic committees (Tourism, Trade and Economic Cooperation, Information and Communication Technologies, Transport) completed their work. The momentum established during all these technical meetings, in addition to expanding the channel of communication between the two parties in critical areas of mutual interest, also opened up opportunities for closer cooperation in more targeted activities, such as cooperation between the business circles of the two countries. in trade and investment in Greece, Turkey, as well as in third countries. However, the topics that will concern us at the next meeting include new areas of interest.

I can mention some of them, for example, in the field of rural development, in the field of energy and environmental protection, or in the field of social security and insurance. There are also opportunities for cooperation in the field of legal aid, as seen in the recent release of a Greek prisoner, the father of an unfortunate train driver, which served as a catalyst for developing relations between the two respective ministries. Other topics for the further development of bilateral relations relate to civil protection, sports, digital governance and cooperation between various research centers (in the fields of biology, medicine and environmental studies). The recent statement by the two foreign ministers, who declared their mutual support in voting for the UN Security Council (Turkey will support Greece) and the International Maritime Organization (Greece will support Turkey), was a success of great significance. As you understand, this means that the way is open for closer cooperation within the framework of international organizations as well.

– The relationship that has developed with Sendat Onal is a serious legacy, which is not uncommon in the world of diplomacy. By definition, respect for different political views must be respected and common ground must be sought. Diplomats, despite the tension and loud rhetoric, remain on their positions and are looking for points of de-escalation. A positive agenda and those who serve it today, and not just Fragoyannis, Onal and Aksapar, have exactly this goal: to have a means of diplomacy with specific requirements, in which communication is not interrupted. It is not about people, but about forming an institutional structure that will offer solutions to small issues that mainly concern individuals, professionals and businesses in Greece and Turkey. In the business sector where I come from, the greatest accomplishment of a full-time leader is the ability to create successors. In the sphere of politics, this role is played by institutions that are formed and serve as reference points. As with the positive agenda, the type of diplomatic culture that I mentioned earlier.

“First of all, the institutional reform itself has contributed to our goal through the actions of economic diplomacy in the context of the National Outsourcing Strategic Plan, which was first drawn up by this government. The consistent implementation of these actions has brought significant results in exports, the internationalization of Greek business and the increase in exports. As for financial indicators, they are impressive. I will briefly note the growth of exports by 62% compared to 2019, despite the difficult period of the pandemic and quarantine measures deregulating international trade. Foreign direct investment is breaking all records, approaching 7 billion in 2022, and for the period 2019-2022, the growth is 39.3%. However, these results do not come from autopilot.