The mutual will to strengthen bilateral relations between Greece and Canada, with an emphasis on economic and commercial cooperation, was confirmed during the recent meeting between the Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and his Canadian counterpart, Justin Trudeau, in Montreal.
After the conclusion of the extended talks, the two prime ministers attended the signing of the agreement for the acquisition of seven new state-of-the-art firefighting aircraft, type DHC-515.
Mitsotakis highlighted the prospects of the Greek economy and the investment-friendly business environment that has already attracted significant Canadian investment to Greece, while adding that there is further room for improvement.
The two leaders also referred to the significant presence of Greek businesses in Canada, as well as the great dynamics that can be developed in the tourism sector between the two countries.
The challenge of climate change and dealing with extreme weather events were also discussed. Particular emphasis was placed during the meeting on the need for coordination, preparedness and training to deal with fires.
The prime minister focused on Greece’s initiatives in the field of renewable energy sources, as well as on the diversification of supply sources and the energy security of Southern and Eastern Europe through interconnection.
In an interview to the Canadian television network CTV, the Greek premier noted: “We are an important gateway for liquefied natural gas (LNG), not only for the Greek market, but also for the Balkans, for Eastern Europe. In theory, we could even supply Ukraine.”
He added: “We have a floating storage and regasification unit in Northern Greece, which is starting operation. Of course, the purpose of this infrastructure is not only to serve the Greek market, but also to serve our neighbors to the north.”
Regarding the Greek economy, Mitsotakis said that it is growing at a much faster pace than the eurozone. “Greece’s debt-to-GDP ratio is falling at the fastest rate of any other OECD country. Unemployment has fallen below 10%. Our borrowing costs are much lower than in Italy, for example.”
