Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for Economic Diplomacy and Openness, Kostas Fragogiannis, visited New York to attend the High-Level Week of the 78th United Nations General Assembly.
The Deputy Minister represented the Prime Minister at the High-Level Summit on Sustainable Development on September 18 and 19, and participated in the High-Level Dialogue on Financing for Development on September 20.
During his intervention at the roundtable on "Innovative Solutions for Unlocking Investment in the Sustainable Development Goals", Mr. Fragogiannis outlined ways in which private financing can contribute to better addressing today's global challenges. He referred to the “GR-eco islands” project as an example of public-private partnerships in order to ensure the funding of an innovative project that simultaneously serves the green economy, energy autonomy and environmental awareness.
Mr. Fragogiannis had a private conversation with UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner, who expressed interest in Greece's initiatives and actions in the field of development assistance.
On the sidelines of the 78th UN General Assembly, Deputy Minister met with foreign counterparts, including Burak Akcapar, the Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister and his counterpart for the Positive Agenda issues. The meeting took place in a warm atmosphere, with the two Deputy Ministers confirming their scheduled meeting in Athens on October 17, and expressing their shared desire for this meeting to produce tangible results.
The Deputy Minister also held a bilateral meeting with the UAE's Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, during which they discussed the ongoing economic and investment cooperation between Greece and the UAE. The two men reaffirmed the excellent climate in relations between the two countries and the intention to further enhance cooperation. Furthermore, the Emirati Minister emphasized the significance of Greece's participation in the upcoming COP28 climate summit, which will be held in the United Arab Emirates from November 30 to December 12.
Mr. Fragogiannis participated in the bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the President of South Korea Yoon Suk Yeol. The possibilities for enhancing cooperation in areas such as shipping, high technology, and renewable energy sources were among the topics discussed during the meeting. Following an agreement between the two leaders, the Deputy Minister pledged to pay a working visit to South Korea in early October.
During his stay in New York, the Deputy Minister met with Amazon’s senior executives, who briefed him on the company's “Project Kuiper”, which aims to increase worldwide broadband access by deploying a constellation of 3,236 low-orbit satellites.
Mr. Fragogiannis also had a working breakfast with executives from Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Google, CVC Partners Capital, Sustainability Partners, and Hunton Andrews, to whom he presented recent encouraging data on the greek economy, following recent upgrades by international agencies. The representatives of the funds, for their part, confirmed their interest in increasing investment in the greek economy, which is on an outward-looking, growth-oriented path.
Upon concluding his meetings and contacts in New York, Deputy Minister Fragogiannis expressed his satisfaction with the climate he encountered during his talks. "I was very pleased to note, once again, how much the international climate for Greece has shifted - not just in financial and business circles, but also more broadly. Greece has established itself as a credible and strong interlocutor on a range of issues, international and regional, in the economy, energy, geopolitics. And this is undoubtedly a success of Kyriakos Mitsotakis' government. I am happy and honored to be part of this effort, promoting the objectives of Greece's Economic Diplomacy", he stated.
September 23, 2023