Greece’s great opportunity

By Antonis Karakousis

Greece by all accounts is plying forward.
The Mitsotakis government’s plan to demonstrate that it is a country that offers opportunities and possibilities for major investments has indeed attracted the interest of foreigners – both state entities and private international investors.
Right now all the major, international investment firms are eyeing Greece and putting it back in their planning in a bid to find attractive opportunities in a variety of sectors – from real estate and tourism to foodstuffs, energy, transportation, industry, networks, and new technologies.
The prime minister’s trips to Germany, France, and the Netherlands and more recently China, as well as a trip to Italy scheduled for later this month, aim to persuade that Greece offers truly fertile ground for investments.
Another argument that he is citing is that economic conditions have stabilised and that prices, labour cost, and values remain competitive and attractive.
The PM is stating that the economic and social environment has changed and that he can guarantee economic and political stability at least until his term in office ends in 2023.
It is expected that this will be confirmed on 13 November when Chinese President Xi Jinping visits Athens accompanied by a large delegation.
The Chinese president is coming to sign a host of commercial and economic agreements. This demonstrates the interest and importance that this great and rising economic superpower attaches to our country.
The prevailing sense is that China views Greece as a commercial and economic hub for the expansion of its trade with Europe.
China’s intensions and aims were made absolutely clear in Shanghai which Mr. Mitsotakis visited last week and they are expected to be dynamically confirmed next week inj Athens.
According to some evaluations, increased Chinese interest in Greece will reflexively trigger reactions and an enhanced interest on the part of the US, Europe, Canada, Japan, Israel and others.
Given the developments in international competition and geopolitical shifts, Greece can transform itself from a poor relative into an attractive investment destination and exploit a unique opportunity for progress and growth.
Nonetheless, one still faces the spectre of a problematic domestic front in which there is plenty of meaningless competition that remains intact and is liable to create loci of social and other clashes.
That is why at this point one must forge understandings and an initiative for consensus on major and critical issues.
Greece does not have the luxury of engaging in clashes over the migration crisis and even more so over the educational system and domestic security and order.
It is high time that one finds common ground on all these divisive and stubborn issues so that the country can take the place that it deserves in the world.