Greek Finance Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis has billed Greece’s relationship with Germany "stronger than ever'', capping high-level talks in Berlin aimed at securing new investment and aligning European economic policy.
Mr. Pierrakakis met with German Vice Chancellor and Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil to present Greece’s transformed economic profile.
He emphasized the dramatic shift from the debt crisis era, highlighting that Greece now boasts unemployment at its lowest level since 2008, growth rates above the EU average, and sustained primary surpluses.
"We now come to speak about our own lessons," Mr. Pierrakakis said. "In Berlin, we now often speak about how Greece managed to progress so quickly."
The discussions focused on deepening the EU single market. Mr. Pierrakakis pointed to the recent acquisition of the Athens Stock Exchange by Euronext as evidence of Greece's commitment to financial integration.
He said the move aligns with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s stated vision for a unified European stock exchange.
"This is a vision we share," Mr. Pierrakakis said. "We demonstrated it last week by placing Greece within a larger capital market and liquidity pool."
The minister added that both nations are strengthening their bilateral partnership while "jointly investing in a Europe that works faster and better for its citizens."