In Thessaloniki, on the occasion of the 90th Thessaloniki International Fair (TIF), the 3rd Meeting of the Government Committee on Extroversion was held, marking the transition from institutional set-up to the implementation, monitoring and measurement of the results of the national strategy for extroversion.
In his address, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Harry Theoharis stressed that the goal is for extroversion to translate into more Greek businesses in international markets, more high value-added investment, innovation, regional development and quality jobs.
“Our duty is to turn Greece’s international credibility into productive results,” Mr. Theoharis noted.
As he underlined, “the next phase of the government’s extroversion policy will not be judged by the number of actions, but by how many Greek businesses gain a stable presence in international markets, how many contacts are turned into contracts and how many investment plans reach actual implementation.”
A central point of the Meeting was the implementation of the first five-year Strategic Plan for Extroversion 2026-2030, which was approved in May 2026 and sets as its main target a 40% increase, by 2030, in the value of goods exports and foreign direct investment inflows.
The Secretary General for International Economic Relations and Extroversion, Dimitris Skalkos, stated:
“The 3rd Meeting of the Government Committee on Extroversion confirmed the momentum of our outward-looking economy in recent years, amid international economic uncertainty, and highlighted the directions in which our economic diplomacy must move, strengthening the role of Northern Greece in the wider region.”
During the first half of 2026, 836 businesses and organisations benefited from extroversion actions, while there were 168 business participations in business missions and 735 targeted business meetings. From July 2025 to June 2026, 58 international trade fair actions also took place, with at least 1,207 participations by businesses and organisations and more than 58,700 business contacts.
In the field of investment attraction, 1,694 initial investment contacts were recorded and 300 new requests were examined, while 68 contacts progressed to a more mature stage and 23 investment projects received specialised support.
Particular emphasis was placed on the dynamism of Northern Greece, which has a strong productive, industrial and export base, a significant research and university ecosystem, human capital, and strategic port and transit infrastructure.
In this context, a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between the General Secretariat for International Economic Relations and Extroversion, Enterprise Greece, Export Credit Greece and the Region of Central Macedonia for the establishment and operation of an Extroversion Office. The Memorandum was signed by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Harry Theoharis and the Deputy Regional Governor for Extroversion of the Region of Central Macedonia, Branislav (Bane) Prelević. The Office will operate as an operational hub to support exporting businesses, connect them with target markets and the Economic and Commercial Affairs Offices, provide access to financing and insurance tools, and support new investment projects.
“Extroversion cannot be planned exclusively from Athens. It must start from the country’s productive ecosystems and bring national tools closer to businesses,” Mr. Theoharis underlined.
Four priorities for 2027
Four key priorities were set for the coming period:
1. A targeted Annual Extroversion Programme 2027, with each action linked to a specific market, sector, group of businesses and measurable result.
2. A single monitoring mechanism, with a common dashboard and systematic progress reporting.
3. Regionalisation of extroversion tools, with the Extroversion Office of Central Macedonia serving as a model of operational connection between the Region, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the competent bodies.
4. Strengthening the financing of exporting businesses, with particular emphasis on small and medium-sized enterprises and the use of new financing instruments.
TIF as a platform for economic diplomacy
The 90th TIF, with Japan as the honoured country, gives a particular international dimension to the effort to strengthen Greek extroversion. Japan is a high-priority market in the Strategic Plan for Extroversion, creating opportunities for the development of economic, investment and technological partnerships.
Concluding, Mr. Theoharis underlined the need for joint action and accountability:
“Let us broaden the number of businesses that export. Let us attract investments that leave behind technology, know-how and good jobs. Let us bring the Regions to the centre of the national strategy. Let us operate as one government, with common goals, common tools and common accountability.”
“This is the real meaning of extroversion: not merely a greater presence of Greece in the world, but greater participation of Greek production, businesses and workers in the opportunities the world creates,” the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs concluded.
