Greek Minister of Economy and Finance, Kyriakos Pierrakakis, met in Washington with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant. Among the topics discussed was the attraction of American investments in cutting-edge sectors in Greece, such as artificial intelligence and data centers. Pierrakakis also met with Deputy Treasury Secretary, Michael Folkender. Talks between the two counterparts took place in a friendly atmosphere.
The Deputy Minister of Finance, Thanos Petralias, and the Head of the Economic Office of the Prime Minister, Michalis Argyrou, were also present in the meeting. The two parties discussed the strategic nature of Greek-U.S. relations and the common pursuit of deepening ties between the two countries, which was also confirmed.
Pierrakakis expressed Greece’s will to attract American direct investments by U.S. technological giants, and expressed Greece’s particular interest in American investments in the field of artificial intelligence and data centers.
In regards to the tariffs on Europe that U.S. President Donald Trump has announced and suspended for 90 days, the Greek chief of finance reiterated the position of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis that trade wars cannot have winners and expressed Greece’s will for a mutually beneficial solution in the trade negotiations between the European Union and the United States.
Pierrakakis then highlighted Greece’s role as an important energy hub in Southeastern Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean.
It should be noted that this is the first meeting of the U.S. Treasury Secretary with one of his counterparts, indicative of the excellent state of Greek-U.S. relations.
Greece is working on a strategy for exemptions from the new U.S. trade tariffs on Greece, according to Greek Minister of Rural Development and Food, Kostas Tsiaras.
Greece’s olive oil and table olives sectors face a challenging period following the recent imposition of 20 percent tariffs by the U.S. on all European Union imports. While Washington has temporarily suspended these measures for 90 days, applying them selectively, the uncertainty has already begun impacting strategic planning across the Greek agri-food industry.
Table olives are among the nation’s top export goods, characterized by high added value and widespread global distribution, with exports reaching over 100 countries. Notably, the United States represents a pivotal market, absorbing 30 percent of total production valued at 214 million euros ($244 million) annually.
Earlier in April, the Greek prime minister stressed that the Greek economy is prepared to face the challenges stemming from the sudden shift in global trade policy triggered by the new U.S. tariffs.
Greek agri-food and other companies that export goods to the United States are in a state of alert in regards to the 90-day suspension of the tariffs imposition.
