Hair salons, dry cleaners, funeral parlors, electronic repair shops and gyms. These are the businesses that flourish in crisis-stricken Greece, the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises (SEV) said in its bulletin issued this week. But such businesses do not bring growth, SEV underlines. Such businesses will not bring growth, as the only …
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Increased Israeli interest to invest in Greece’s privatization program, energy, tourism
The environment, energy, tourism and real estate sectors reportedly dominate interest by Israel-based investors eyeing business prospects in Greece, according to reports. Greece’s embassy in Israel has mostly fielded requests by local companies interested in an ongoing privatization program in the still bailout-dependent country. Solid and liquid waste management, a …
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Money talks: Greece blocks EU statement on China human rights
Greece has blocked a European Union statement at the United Nations criticising China’s human rights record, a decision EU diplomats said undermined efforts to confront Beijing’s crackdown on activists and dissidents. The EU, which seeks to promote free speech and end capital punishment around the world, was due to make …
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Special Envoy Fuchtel strikes back, promises German investments and jobs creation
German businesses are planning important investments in Greece, such as the creation of a logistics center in Alexandroupolis and investments in tourism. These investments could create up to 50,000 new jobs, especially for younger Greeks, Germany’s Deputy Minister of Economic Cooperation and Development, Hans-Joachim Fuchtel, said on Wednesday. During a …
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Kammenos: There is a new US “Marshall Plan” for Greece
The trip to Washington was short and effective. Greek Defense Minister Panos Kammenos cannot hide his enthusiasm about the Trump administration. He was in the White House and heard President Donald Trump saying “I love Greeks! Oh, I love the Greeks!” He had thorough talks with his counterpart Defense Secretary …
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Chinese online giant Alibaba considers to expand in Greece
Chinese online-shopping giant Alibaba is expressing an interest in Greece now that Cosco Pacific’s investment in the port of Piraeus appears to be in the bag. Officials of the world’s biggest online sales corporation will visit Athens this week, and in September Alibaba has arranged for contacts with the Greek …
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Athens invites hydrocarbon companies to invest in Greece
International oil companies were invited to start investing in hydrocarbon research in Greece, by Athens’ Energy Minister Panos Skourletis. Skourletis invited companies to start investing in research and exploitation of potential hydrocarbon reserves in Greece, in a speech he made on Friday at the 45th Central-Eastern Europe & Caspian Scout …
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Why do major investors avoid Greece?
Greece is eager to attract major investors willing to put their money in Greece and create jobs. But investors are reluctant to do so. The question remains, however: Is the high level of Greece’s sovereign debt an obstacle to attracting investment? Indices measuring a country’s competitiveness – often a “gold …
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Moscovici in Athens to check ‘state revenues’, while some Greeks cannot pay rent & bills
EU Monetary Affairs Commissioner Pierre Moscovici arrived in Athens today. He talked with the Prime Minister and other important members of the cabinet about “prior actions”, austerity cuts, structural reforms and equivalent measures. One of Moscovici’s hot spots is whether the Greek government can scrap the 23% Value Added Tax …
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Tsipras in New York: looking for debt restructure allies and investors
This is the chance for Greece to promote its most important interests: debt restructuring and investment. The United Nations General Assembly turned into an arena full of opportunities for fruitful contacts so that the debt-ridden country can boost its two noble causes. Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras did not leave any …
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Energy Minister Lafazanis: Greece to invest $2 bn in Turkish Stream, will sign memorandum asap
Greece plans to invest $2 billion in the construction of Gazprom’s Turkish Stream natural gas project. A memorandum on the political support of the project is reportedly to be signed late June during the International Economic Forum. “A memorandum on political support for the gas pipeline project will be prepared …
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Guest Post: German economy inefficient through Schaeuble’s Macho-Economics & frenzy Trade Surpluses
What is the real problem of Greece in particular and the eurozone in general? What is the purpose of piling up debts and more debts -call me: bailout – to Greece and the other indebted countries of the European South and strictest austerity program that end up in recession, deflation …
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Amphipolis’ Kebab & Persephone’s Gyros: 4,000 vendors want to open souvlaki grills near the ancient tomb
Funding the excavations and promoting the mysterious ancient tomb of Amphipolis, Prime Minister Antonis Samaras had an inner desire: to see the area blooming and attract thousands if not millions tourists every year. Growth and development and revenues at full speed. And, indeed. Samaras’ wish seems to come into fulfillment, …
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Chinese PM arrives in Athens with €6.5bn in his suitcases
Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang arrived Thursday afternoon in Athens afternoon where he was welcome with all honor relevant to the leader of a country: two military contingents, a band playing marches and the national anthems of the two countries, a cooling breeze from Northwest was making the arrival in …
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Philip Morris to turn town of Agrinio into Europe’s tobacco warehouse
Big investment on the way. Greece will turn into tobacco warehouse for the whole of Europe. Philip Morris has plans to build a new central warehouse in Agrinio, a town in western Greece and supply with tobacco all smokers within the European boundaries. “Philip Morris plans to take 50 percent …
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If half of PM Samaras’ heart is in Greece, the other half is in China…
Greece’s prime minister Antonis Samaras is visiting China in an effort to get investment in the debt-ridden country. On Thursday, the first day of his official contacts, Samaras invited the Chinese business community to join “Greece’s success story.” On Friday Samaras reiterated his invitation to the Chinese political and business …
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PASOK leader calls George Soros “international speculator”
They flashed and banged inside the Greek parliament, the political party leaders on Tuesday during the ‘hour of leaders’. Main topic of dispute the problems of in the agriculture and the farmers. It was inevitable that the leaders sharpened their swords on the painful issue of development and growth – …
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New Investment Bill submitted to Greek Parliament
Greek deputy Development Minister submitted the new investment draft bill to the Parliament, aiming to attract foreign capital and create jobs in Greece and thus in fast track procedures. The mammoth bill will speed up the issuing of permits for strategic investments, provide some tax exemptions and tax incentives. However …
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Hollande to “push” 2+6 frigates to debt-ridden Greece
Everything changes and everything remains the same. Politics, mentalities and interests. What if Greek children go hungry to school, pensioners dig in garbage bins for food and majority of households cannot afford heating their homes. Politics, mentalities and interests remain the same. French President Francois Hollande will visit Athens on …
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BDO-Survey: Greece riskier for investors than war-torn Syria
An annual survey of finance directors from global business consultancy BDO finds that the crisis over too much government debt in Europe remains one of their key concerns — so much so that Greece is considered a riskier place to invest and set up business in than war-torn Syria. Only …
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