Greece inaugurated its consulate in Benghazi on Monday, in the presence of a delegation headed by Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Kostas Fragogiannis and the local Greek community. Greece is the first country to have a consular representation in
“We are the first country to have consular representation in Benghazi,” Fragogiannis said, which along with the delegation’s visit “confirm, expand and complement the diplomatic relations” of Greece and Libya.
Achilleas Rakinas is appointed Consul General.
Fragogiannis, head of the Foreign Ministry’s economic diplomacy, said that “developments in the last decade may have restricted our economic relations, but in reality the Greek business presence in Libya was never interrupted. And now that the political situation in the country is stabilizing, this interest is rekindling.”
Greece and Libya have collaborated widely in the past, and are mutually important countries, he added, no less so for Libya’s strategic location. He said Greece supported the interim National Unity Government from the very start, and he also referred to high-level official visits between the two countries.
The contacts in Tripoli and Benghazi show that sectors of collaboration include infrastructure, energy, health and maritime transport. “There are also significant opportunities in education, culture and tourism,” he added. “The operation of the consulate general proves our interest in you, in a practical way,” he said, adding that “Greece has returned to Libya and is here to stay.”
