Greece had lost an important part of its geopolitical dynamic and its role in the region from the beginning of the crisis in 2010 onwards. But now Greece is turning a page. Greece is exiting the crisis and regains its leading role in the Balkans.
At the Western Balkans Summit, the “Berlin Process”, an initiative that was taken in 2014 by Germany, France, Italy, the United Kingdom and Austria, with the participation of the six countries of the Western Balkans, in this process, at this established annual Summit, Greece did not participate. This year, for the first time, not only has Greece been invited to attend the Summit, but it has been invited as a permanent member of this Process, which concerns the prospect of the Western Balkans.
Because Greece is now the force that can guarantee the European perspective of the Western Balkans, their security, peace, stability and growth momentum.
Apart from the fact that everyone now recognizes the leading role that Greece is regaining in the region, we discussed and proposed very crucial projects, regarding transport, energy, digital interconnectivity between Northern Greece and the Balkans. The projects that we have already initiated at the Quadrilateral Greek-Serbian-Bulgarian-Romanian Summit, regarding the interconnection of the ports of Northern Greece with those of the Black Sea and the Danube, as well as the energy projects, the IGB vertical axis, TAP and the major rail and road links between Piraeus, Thessaloniki, Skopje, Belgrade and Budapest.
And, of course, ideas have been discussed and proposed concerning the financial support for these projects, as well as financial support for projects related to Greece’s border with FYROM, in order to strengthen cross-border infrastructure, as well as entrepreneurship on both sides.
I would like to say in short that this Summit shows the possibility and prospect that the country can have as a leading force in the region. Above all, however, what rises is the prospect of Northern Greece, of our Macedonia, and Thessaloniki as a focal point for the economic development of the Balkan region. Thessaloniki can become the economic capital of the Balkans; Northern Greece can become a lever of development, the region that can be the engine growth for the whole Balkans.
