US Embassy committed to Greece’s return to growth, says ambassador

The top priority of the US Embassy in Athens is “to focus on supporting Greece’s rapid return to economic growth,” Ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt said on Thursday, during in a visit to the northern port city of Thessaloniki, where he held talks with Regional Governor Apostolos Tzitzikostas.

“American companies, American investors, are going to play a critical role in that regard, and a big part of the story is happening here in northern Greece, not just because of what’s happening in Thessaloniki, but because of the way in which Greek Macedonia is serving as a gateway for a 30-million strong market in the western Balkans,” Pyatt said.

The US ambassador said that he is planning to visit the local offices of Cisco and Pfizer, “two top-tier American companies that have come to Thessaloniki because of the talent that they see here, the human capital, and their interest in Greece and Thessaloniki as a platform for engaging the whole market of the western Balkans.” He also referred to the Deloitte Center of Excellence which opened in the northern city in 2018.

“We have a very strong record of American companies that, even in the environment of the pandemic, are continuing with their new investments here,” Pyatt added.