“After spending three days at the New Democracy party congress, where everything was blue, I am particularly pleased by this change of colour,” Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Tuesday at the inauguration ceremony for a new production line at the Coca-Cola HBC facility in Schimatari, Boeotia.

The prime minister underlined that the new investment strengthens production, innovation and employment in Greece. He further stressed that the occasion carries special significance, as a company with deep Greek roots and an international footprint, Coca-Cola 3E, is investing dynamically in the future of Greek industry, thereby demonstrating in practice its confidence in the prospects of the Greek economy and its workforce.

As he noted, the new production line represents not only a major business initiative, but also another step toward a more productive, outward-looking, modern and competitive Greece, with investments that combine growth with technological advancement and sustainability.

“You know that it is always a particular pleasure for me whenever we inaugurate a new investment in the country, and I always make every effort to participate in such positive moments – even more so today, as a significant new production line of Coca-Cola 3E, a company of the Coca-Cola Hellenic Group, begins operations. The company, with Greek DNA, is now celebrating 75 years of creative presence, while at the same time being an international giant with operations in more than 30 countries. This occasion also gives me the opportunity to wish the company many more decades of progress with a positive contribution to the Greek economy, the market, society and, above all, your many employees,” the prime minister stated.

“We have demonstrated that this government wants industry to play a leading role, and this is precisely why industrial production in our country has increased by more than 20% over the past seven years, at a time when similar increases are not being observed elsewhere in Europe. With 3,000 additional manufacturing enterprises, employment in the sector has increased overall by almost 20%. These are clearly significant achievements for private initiative, but also for the state and society as a whole.

I believe this is further proof of the importance of political stability as a guarantee of the country’s development trajectory. No investor will commit to long-term investment in a country that does not ensure a stable business environment, and I believe this is something we have successfully achieved in recent years. Together with the private sector and major Greek enterprises, we are building a country that produces and exports, that evolves in line with the times – a country that prospers.”

The prime minister added that the new high-speed production line, according to the information provided to him, more than doubles operational performance while at the same time reducing plastic use and significantly lowering energy consumption.

“I stress this because your investment represents both a leap in productivity and a step that brings us closer to European standards. We must acknowledge – and the competent ministers are fully aware of this – that in terms of productivity we still lag behind the European average. Consequently, we have substantial ground to recover, and we must regain the lost ground of the past. This requires businesses with scale, but above all businesses that invest in modern technology,” he stated.

Mitsotakis also expressed satisfaction upon learning that the company’s next investment concerns a state-of-the-art logistics centre in Attica, representing an investment exceeding 30 million euros. According to the prime minister, the facility will be fully automated and aligned with the most advanced international standards for logistics centers.

“On our part, the government must continue investing precisely in the improvement of the business environment, in the simplification of procedures, in reduced payroll deductions and social contributions, as well as in significant investment incentives and training programs,” he concluded.