French Deputy Minister for Foreign Trade and Economic Attractiveness Nicolas Forissier, who is in Athens for official talks focusing mainly on energy issues, said France aims to work with Greece to “build on the foundations of this privileged relationship and do more in infrastructure, digital technologies, environmental services and financial services”.
The French official also pointed out that bilateral trade is at an all-time high, reaching €5.3 billion in goods and €3.4 billion in services.
The full interview with Nicolas Forissier to “N” follows:
Minister, you are in Athens at a time when security of supply, particularly of raw materials, has become a critical global issue. What role is France playing?
“France plays a leading role. It champions multilateralism, cooperation and dialogue, without illusions, while also safeguarding our economic and industrial sovereignty.
Securing access to raw materials is a strategic priority for Europe, as reflected in the Critical Raw Materials Act and the RESourceEU action plan.
It is also one of the priorities of France’s G7 presidency. In June, in Evian, we reached a collective commitment to diversify supply chains. This is essential if we are to accelerate the decarbonisation of our economies. Furthermore, at France’s initiative, the G7 decided, together with the International Energy Agency, to release strategic hydrocarbon reserves in an effort to bring prices down.
In the fields of security and diplomacy, we are…
