T
he Greek government has prepared, and
is implementing, an ambitious pro-
gramme, designed to stabilize the Greek
economy. And we will bring this programme to a
successful conclusion. Beyond re-establishing
financial equilibrium, the government aims at
implementing a broader programme of structural
reforms that will bolster competitiveness and the
internationalization of the Greek economy. Greek
citizens are admittedly making sacrifices, but
these sacrifices will pay off in the end.
The first ray of optimism produced by the efforts
of the Greek people was visible by late 2010, and
it came from our export trade. Despite financial
adversities, the year 2010 marked a successful
shift towards international markets: the value of
Greek exports rose by 7.5% year-on-year. The
recovery of international demand and ―in part,
perhaps― falling demand at home, encouraged
Greek enterprises to reorient themselves and
focus more on doing business abroad. And this
shows healthy reflexes.
The Greek government sees support for the inter-
national business efforts of Greek enterprises as
a key policy for exiting the crisis. After all, the
Greek economy’s prospects for long-term sus-
Trade with Greece
12
Greece had a difficult year in 2010:
the international financial crisis,
the domestic recession, and
-
unquestionably
-
the mistakes
made in the past conspired to bring
to the surface and exacerbate some
of the chronic problems of our
national economy.
Support
for the interna-
tional business
efforts
of
Greek enterprises
is
a key policy for
exiting
the crisis
By Dimitris Droutsas,
Minister of Foreign Affairs
