“To live and work in Greece as an ambassador has always been my dream,” the German Ambassador to Greece Andreas Kindl said in an interview with the Athens-Macedonian News Agency released on Monday. Starting with this phrase in flawless Greek, Kindl went on to describe his bonds to Greece and the plans for Germany’s participation in this year’s Thessaloniki International Fair (TIF), which will be the largest in any trade fair held outside Germany’s borders in the last 25 years.
Noting that his ties to Greece go back to his school days, Kindl said that he went on to study ancient Greek at university and started learning modern Greek in the city of Thessaloniki in 1985. He also revealed the plans for the 88th TIF, where Germany will be the honoured country, with the slogan “Hallo Ellada”.
“Germany is not just about businesses. Germany is also about football, for example, and one of our guests at TIF will be Otto Rehagel, who is well known and loved here. Germany also represents culture and creativity, tourism and nature, politics and Europe. We have more than 100 events at the special stage in Pavilion 13 but also cultural events in the city, such as the parade with Volkswagen Beetles, for example. But back to the economy: my country’s participation in TIF is the greatest participation in a trade fair outside Germany in the last 25 years,” the ambassador said.
He stressed that economic dynamism and innovation will continue to be the hallmarks of Greek-German cooperation in the future, saying he was proud that brands like Mercedes, Lidl and Siemens are so well known in Greece.
With 110 exhibitors in Thessaloniki, he added, the goal was “to present a complete picture of Germany and bilateral relations.”
Kindl said that relations between the two countries are strong and have shown that they can pass “stress tests”, adding that the two countries appeared ready to let go of the negative stereotypes from the years of the economic crisis.
He noted the great prospects for investments in renewable energy and satellite technology, while he also emphasised the importance of the north of Greece, noting that it was impossible to understand Greece without knowing the north.
Talking about events in Europe, he expressed his belief that “logic will prevail over populism” and that Europe will be able to successfully handle the major challenges that have arisen, such as wars, the climate crisis and migration. He also emphasised the importance of inclusion, including through events like Europride, which was recently held in Thessaloniki.