Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis addressed a luncheon co-hosted by 28 expatriate organizations in his honor.

Among other things, he referred to the progress achieved by the Greek economy, as well as the very important issue of the return of young Greeks who in previous years had moved abroad.

At the beginning of his speech, as reported by ERT, Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed his joy at the opportunity to speak to expatriates, stressing that it is “a privilege to be present at this event, which has become a tradition.” Referring to the “leaps” of progress made by the Greek economy, he emphasized that “Athens is now thriving.”

He also referred to a Wall Street Journal event in which he spoke with the newspaper’s editor-in-chief, where the discussion was titled: “Is Greece back?” Mr. Mitsotakis stressed that “this question should be avoided, because Greece is back for good.”

“We all feel very proud, and at the same time, this makes my job easier, as we plan the next steps in this exciting journey of a country that was on the verge of bankruptcy and has now become one of the best economies in Europe,” he pointed out.

“Ten years ago, France borrowed at 1%, while Greece borrowed at 10%. Today, Greece’s borrowing cost is lower than France’s. I don’t think many would have bet that this could happen. This proves the resilience of the Greek people and the positive impact of sound fiscal policy,” he added.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis stressed that the Greek economy is growing at twice the rate of the eurozone and is constantly attracting foreign direct investment, having drawn over €30 billion into the country in the last five years, while tourism is flourishing. “We have welcomed, and will welcome, around 36 million people, and it will be another record-breaking year,” he said.

“We have opened up the American market, we have over 100 weekly flights to Athens airport, but this success story is not only about tourism—it is about renewables, logistics, services—Greece is becoming a hub for the region,” he added.

He also referred to the creation of non-profit private universities starting in October, emphasizing that Greece is becoming an “educational hub” that will attract foreign students.