The making of the event "Go International" and the forum "Greece - Romania: at the Crossroads of Regional Trade Synergies" in Bucharest (11 and 12 June 2012)

The third largest multidisciplinary business mission and forum, was held in Bucharest from 10 to 12 June 2012, in the frame of the "Go International" program, organized by the EUROBANK, the Pan-Hellenic Exporters Association, the Exporters' Association of Northern Greece, the Exporters' Association of Crete and the Foreign Ministry of Greece, has been completed with organizational and substantive success. On behalf of the Foreign Ministry participated the Secretary General for International Economic Relations and Development Cooperation, Mr. Kon/nos Papadopoulos, which also represented the Greek Government in the Business Forum (“Greece and Romania: at the Crossroads of Regional Trade Synergies”).

Besides the Commercial Office of the Embassy, the arrangements for business meetings and the organization of the forum were actively supported by Bancpost (the subsidiary of Eurobank EFG Group in Romania), the Romanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIR) and the Hellenic-Romanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The program aimed to facilitate contacts and cooperation between the 66 Greek companies which participated in the trade mission and a large number of Romanian enterprises and also firms from countries of the Central and South-Eastern Europe which responded to the call for business contacts. These business meetings were attended by executives of about 155 Romanian companies. The event was assisted by also 27 executives from Hungary, Moldova, Poland and Russia.

During the event there were more than 1450 bilateral business meetings, many of which will hopefully prove fruitful to both sides. Greek companies originated mostly from the sector of food and drinks. The mission also involved companies from the sectors of renewable energy sources, building materials, plastic products, pharmaceuticals, aluminium and other metal products (copper, iron), air conditioning equipment, machinery, etc.

Within the project "GO INTERNATIONAL" in the afternoon of June 11, 2012, a Forum (Conference) was organized in the Hotel «JW Marriot» on the subject: "Greece - Romania: at the Crossroads of Regional Trade Synergies"

The Conference was saluted by the Secretary General for International Economic Relations and Development Cooperation of the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Kon/nos Papadopoulos and the Romanian Undersecretary for the Business Environment, Mr Lucian Isar. On behalf of the Eurobank Group, greetings were addressed by Mr. Stavros Ioannou, Managing Director of Operations and Technology and Head of the International Division of the Bank and on behalf of Bancpost, by Mr. Mihai Bogza, Chairman of the Board of the bank. Greetings also were addressed by Mr. Florin Pogonaru, President of the Romanian Business Association, Ms. Ana Maria Mihaescu, Head of Office Agency IFC bank in Romania and Mr. Alk. Kalampokis, President of the Exporters Association of Crete (TEC).

The forum, which was attended by over 350 guests (including many journalists), was followed by a reception, during which entrepreneurs from Greece, Romania and other countries of South-Eastern and Central Europe had the opportunity to get to know better each other.