The importance of the National Strategic Plan for Extroversion (NSPE) for the systematic and targeted promotion of the country's economic objectives in terms of exports and investment attraction was emphasized by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for Economic Diplomacy and Openness, Kostas Fragogiannis, in his address at the presentation of the NSPE 2022, which was held today, Thursday, May 26, 2022.
The Deputy Minister made a brief reference to the impressive results of the implementation of the first NSPE 2021, and spoke about the objectives of this year's Strategic Plan, which includes a total of 670 actions in forty-seven (47) target countries. Indicatively, Mr. Fragogiannis pointed out that, according to the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) data, the value of exports was increased by 29.5% in 2021. Furthermore, the Bank of Greece reported the largest net inflows of Foreign Direct Investment since 2002, totaling five (5) billion euros.
During the detailed presentation of this year's National Strategic Plan for Extroversion, Ioannis Smyrlis, the Secretary General for International Economic Relations and Openness of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and President of the Hellenic Investment and Foreign Trade Corporation (Enterprise Greece), who was responsible for its preparation, underscored that, as last year, the National Strategic Plan for Extroversion is structured around three (3) strategic axes: (i) promoting the country's economic and commercial position at regional and international level (ii) upgrading extroversion and strengthening economic diplomacy activities and (iii) enhancing our country’s role and presence in the context of multilateral economic relations. He pointed out that the 670 actions included in the NSPE in forty-seven (47) target countries show a 46% increase compared to 2021.
The Secretary General stressed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which is in charge of economic diplomacy and extroversion, is taking every necessary initiative to ensure that Greek products and services become competitive in international markets and that Greece emerges as a stable, reliable and attractive investment destination. For this reason, the Extroversion Toolbox has been designed, with tools organized in four (4) major axes: i) Tools for promoting Greek entrepreneurship, such as the National Strategic Plan for Extroversion, ii) Tools for removing barriers, iii) Tools for developing partnerships at regional level and iv) Funding Tools.
Concluding, Mr. Smyrlis pointed out that our country can capitalize on its unique advantages and assume its rightful role as a major geostrategic hub of security and stability, as a hub of trade, investment, technology and innovation, extroversion, as a leader of the 4th Industrial Revolution. "The National Strategic Plan for Extroversion clearly reflects our holistic approach and strategic planning for economic diplomacy. Our vision for Greece", Mr. Smyrlis pointedly said.
The event was addressed by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nikos Dendias, who emphasized of the multifaceted work of modern diplomacy, of which economic diplomacy is an important aspect and the National Strategic Plan for Extroversion is a decisive tool for its effective exercise.
May 26, 2022