"Following the imposition of tariffs by the US government against its trading partners and countries, including the European Union, uncertainty prevails in the markets and economies. It is a global trade war that will only have negative consequences," stressed Development Minister Takis Theodorikakos, while speaking to the SKAI TV on Wednesday.
The minister pointed out that Greece's exports to the US amount to 2.5 billion euros, pointing out that they are not very large in quantity, but that the US is a dynamic market for important Greek products. "The consequences, however, are not limited to that. The global decline in economic and trade activity creates the risk of recession for major export-oriented European economies, such as Germany, and - if this happens - it will also have an impact on the Greek economy. We are ready to face the difficulties and risks and adopt the necessary policies, specifically: to preserve fiscal stability, accelerate our policies for investment in industry, strengthen extroversion, which brings competitiveness, and innovation, which strengthens it," he stated.
"This is what we are aiming for with the new development law and the 900 million euros that will be given over the next two years, with an emphasis on border areas for reasons of national security and to strengthen entrepreneurship and, mainly, industry, in order to implement the productive transformation of the economy," noted the minister. He also referred to priority industrial sectors, such as metals, the pharmaceutical industry, the shipbuilding industry and the modernisation of the primary sector. "We have an organised plan," he said.
Theodorikakos underlined the need for responsibility and seriousness from all political forces, in the face of the difficult challenges of the period, which "require them to put aside conspiracy theories."
Referring to the 2023 Tempi rail crash, he stated "that it is necessary for all of us to be careful and let justice do its work. Everyone is judged and is responsible for what they say and what they write. I am certain that at the end of this process, everyone will see that monstrous things were said and that there was no cover-up on the part of the government. Unfortunately, many exploited the pain of people who had lost their loved ones for partisan reasons. It is a matter of ethics and justice to fully shed light on this national tragedy."