The European Investment Bank (EIB) is expanding its office in Athens, setting up a team that will deal exclusively with Greece and will undertake to renew its relationship with Greek banks and explore the prospects opening up for investment by the private sector, the bank’s head said on Monday during a visit in Athens.
According to ministry press releases, EIB President Werner Hoyer introduced Nicholas Jennett, who will head the EIB’s newly established Investment Team for Greece, and who from early next year will be resident in Athens.
Jennett is EIB Deputy Director General and the most senior official working to enhance EIB operations on the ground. “The new initiative will further enhance the EIB’s engagement and operations in this country,” Hoyer said after his meeting with Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos, Economy Minister Giorgos Stathakis, Deputy Minister for NSRF Issues Alexis Charitsis and a delegation of EIB.
Sustainable economic recovery
“The new Investment Team for Greece will ensure that the EIB’s financial and technical expertise can support sustainable economic recovery in Greece and much needed job creation across the country,” he added.
On his side, Tsakalotos said that the government will prepare by March 2016 a new growth plan for Greece and also mentioned the State Property Fund which is being established. He also stressed the importance of coordinating all the bodies and organizations so as to facilitate investments in the country.
Stathakis welcomed EIB’s initiative and noted that Greece has taken many initiatives in that direction which includes the transformation of the Hellenic Fund for Entrepreneurship and Development into an umbrella-organization that will manage the available business tools, as well as the expansion of the Institute for Growth (IfG), which will allow it to fund the share capital of SME’s.
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