Economic diplomacy and developmental cooperation were key tools in advancing foreign relations and should be given equal weight to traditional diplomacy, Deputy Foreign Minister Evripidis Stylianidis said in his address to the first conference of Greek ambassadors that took place  in Athens.

"From the 20 countries in which we operated in the last 28 months, the Greek economy gained €3.5 billion from exports alone, while the benefits from repatriated capital from the Balkans come to €2.0 billion. This is the contribution made by the foreign ministry," Stylianidis stressed, pointing out that the aim was to earn more income for the national economy.

He encouraged ambassadors to view economic diplomacy and developmental cooperation as a inseparable part of their work, to carefully monitor projects involving Greek funds and to ensure that Greeces role in projects it assisted abroad was properly publicized and promoted.

"It is the obligation of the non-governmental organizations who undertake to carry out projects to keep you informed, to consult with you and to bear the logo of Hellenic Aid [the Greek foreign ministry development aid service] on all the projects they undertake. You must be present when a project starts and when it ends. It is, above all, a work of Greece," he said.

Regarding future trends in Greeces immediate neighborhood, Stylianidis referred to an apparent shift of Greek businesses in the Balkans, where Greece was among the top investors, toward the service sector, while noting that an emphasis on energy diplomacy in Black Sea countries had increased Greeces potential role as an energy junction and Athens was now seeking to promote the idea of a single economic area in the region.

He also pointed to the good results of Greeces overtures to Russia, China, Japan and Turkey, that had led to an increase in exports.

For Turkey, in particular, exports increased by a spectacular 50.8% according to Greek figures and 58% according to Turkish figures, greatly improving the balance of trade deficit for Greece.

The governments next goal was an opening toward Latin America in 2007, to be followed by India, Australia, South Africa and - ultimately - the United States.
"The aim is to promote Greeces image, the Greek economy and foreign policy," the minister concluded.