President Papoulias urges Korean investments in Greece

19:57 4/12/2013 - Πηγή: Matrix24

Papoulias, who is currently on an official visit to South Korea, stressed that Greece had always shown solidarity with S. Korea in times of difficulty, referring to Greece’s contribution to the Korean war six decades earlier, and emphasised Greece’s comparative advantages as an investment destination.

“I am sorry to say that the investment presence of the Republic

of Korea in Greece is at very low levels, while imports of Greek products are also low. Greece is a gateway to Europe, to Asia and Africa. Its geostrategic position is being reinforced by the new situation concerning energy in the area. The structural changes taking place in Greece have significantly changed the business environment and created opportunities for international cooperation,” the Greek president underlined.

Papoulias went on to express hope that the signature of memorandum of understanding between the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises (SEV) and the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) will give new momentum in this area. The president also expressed hope that Greece will see an increase in arrivals of Korean tourists.

Highlighting Greece’s geopolitical and economic role as a reliable factor for stability in the eastern Mediterranean, Papoulias said this was confirmed by a decision to conduct hydrocarbon exploration in Cyprus’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) by the Korea Gas Corporation (KOGAS).

“Here I would like to stress that Greece is determined to exploit its undersea wealth and proceed with the collaborations necessary for this goal,” he said.

Papoulias expressed Greece’s support for efforts to achieve a final peace agreement on the divided Korean peninsula, at the same time highlighting Turkey’s responsibility for the division of the Cyprus Republic.

“You, the Korean people, can directly understand the results of a division… Turkey comes to the point of disputing even the existence of the Cyprus Republic as a state, raising serious questions about whether it genuinely desires the island’s reunification,” he pointed out.

Greece will continue to support the negotiating process for a viable and functional solution on Cyprus, which is absolutely compatible with its status as an EU member-state, he added, stressing that such a solution must fully respect fundamental human rights and the rule of law, without deviations and without an occupation army.

Source: AMNA