The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, responsible for Economic Diplomacy and Extroversion, Tasos Chatzivasileiou signed a Memorandum of Cooperation for the operation of an Extroversion Office in the Region of Crete, on the sidelines of the 9th Session of the Extroversion Council, held on Thursday, June 5th, 2025, in Heraklion. The session was chaired by the Secretary General for International Economic Affairs and Chairman of Enterprise Greece, Mr. Dimitrios Skalkos, with the participation of the Regional Governor of Crete, Mr. Stavros Arnaoutakis.
With the support of Enterprise Greece, Crete becomes the fifth region to join the initiative of the Secretariat General for International Economic Affairs. The establishment of Regional Extroversion Offices aims to dynamically integrate Regional Authorities into the broader ecosystem of the country’s economic diplomacy, through a flexible linkage mechanism expected to contribute to improved planning and coordination of extroversion-related actions.
At the opening of the session, Mr. Chatzivasileiou stated:" “It is with great pleasure that I am in Heraklion today for the 9th Session of the Extroversion Council. Crete plays a pivotal role in the economic development of the country. We are inaugurating a new era for the island, with the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation with the Regional Governor Stavros Arnaoutakis for the operation of an Extroversion Office in the Region of Crete”. He also emphasized: “The Regional Extroversion Offices are tools to support local businesses in promoting exports. At the same time, they serve as mechanisms for attracting investments to the benefit of local development. Supporting the extroversion of businesses operating in the Greek regions is a priority for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. George Gerapetritis”.
Mr. Skalkos coordinated the presentation of the 2024 annual report on the actions of the National Strategic Plan for Extroversion (NSP), highlighting the interest of the business community in international markets, as reflected in the requests submitted by Greek enterprises to the Economic and Commercial Affairs Offices and the content posted on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Agora digital portal. He also presented the export promotion actions of Enterprise Greece. Furthermore, he stressed the importance of coordination among economic diplomacy stakeholders to systematically support Greek businesses in international markets and underscored the need for a comprehensive extroversion strategy with a 2030 horizon.
The Regional Governor of Crete, Mr. Stavros Arnaoutakis, stated: "The signing of the Memorandum of Cooperation between the Secretariat General for International Economic Affairs, the supervised bodies of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Region of Crete for the operation of the Extroversion Office is undoubtedly a positive development. The Regional Strategy for Extroversion has been a priority for the Region of Crete, as through the cooperation with business, export and trade bodies, we have managed to strengthen the position of Cretan products in international markets. The key objective of the Region remains the utilization of our comparative advantages and, of course, the promotion of exports, the connection of local products with traditional and new markets, as well as the further enhancement of local identity through a structured plan, in which the Extroversion Office will be integrated”.
During his stay in Heraklion, the Secretary General for International Economic Affairs, accompanied by the Regional Governor and the President of the Exporters’ Association of Crete and the Panhellenic Exporters’ Association, Mr. Alkiviadis Kalampokis, visited the companies “Plastika Kritis” and “Critida Bio Cretan Olive Oil”.
June 5, 2025