Greek Foreign Affairs Nikos Dendias addressed the online 7th EU-Africa Business Forum 2022 via a pre-recorded video message on Monday.
The forum’s theme was “Hydrogen & green shipping for clean energy: Market prerequisites & green energy transition opportunities for African-EU partnership”.
Dendias reiterated Greece’s interest in participating in several Team Europe Initiatives, such as Africa-EU Strategic Corridors for an Enhanced & Greener EU-Africa, Africa-EU Green Energy Initiative, and Africa-Europe Digital Green Energy Initiative.
He also mentioned that Greece is currently developing a comprehensive roadmap to introduce a hydrogen economy, and that Greek companies “could offer their valuable expertise to African partners, for the promotion of relevant synergies.”
The foreign minister also noted that Greek shipping, the largest cross-trader globally, is “willing and ready to become a clean and competitive low-carbon fleet.”
Finally, Dendias mentioned that in a few days’ time he will be travelling to Senegal and Cape Verde, after having recently visited Rwanda, Ghana, Gabon, Nigeria and Angola.
Meanwhile, Dendias is to visit Finland on Tuesday and Norway on the following day.
In Oslo, he will joining Deputy Foreign Minister Kostas Fragogiannis, who will accompany him during his meetings.
Specifically, during his stay in Helsinki, Dendias is scheduled to meet his Finnish counterpart Pekka Haavisto.
A working lunch will follow and afterwards there will be joint statements to the press, the foreign minstry said. He will also take part in a round table debate at the Finnish foreign ministry, focusing on the developments in Eastern Europe.
In Norway, Dendias and Fragogiannis will meet with the Finance Minister of Norway, Trond Grande, and afterwards Dendias will meet in private with his Norwegian counterpart Anniken Huitfeldt.
Extended talks will be held during a working dinner. Joint statements will follow.
Later, Dendias and Fragogiannis will visit the Norwegian parliament, where they will meet with the president of the Standing Committee for Foreign Affairs and Defence Ine Eriksen Søreide.
Concluding his visit to Norway, the Greek foreign minister will give a speech at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI).
The speech is entitled “Implementing the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea – The Aegean Sea and the Eastern Mediterranean as a case study”.
The strengthening of bilateral relations in all fields will dominate the discussions between both countries’ top officials.
At the same time, they will discuss the latest developments in the Eastern Europe and in the Eastern Mediterranean, in light of European (in the case of Finland) and NATO solidarity (with respect to Norway).
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