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Greek economist: economic center of gravity shifting eastwards

The member-states of the Eurasian Economic Union as well as India and China are displaying sizable growth and are playing a greater role in global economy
Spyros Kouvelis (archive) PA/JUAN MARTIN MISIS
Spyros Kouvelis (archive)
© PA/JUAN MARTIN MISIS

ATHENS, February 27. /TASS/. Whether western European countries want it or not, the center of economic gravity is shifting eastwards, and the member-states of the Eurasian Economic Union as well as India and China are displaying sizable growth and are playing a greater role in global economy, the President of the Greek-Eurasian Business Council, Dr. Spyros Kouvelis said on Thursday.

He said it at a ceremony devoted to the start of the organization’s activity.

"We’re making steps towards an expansion of cooperative ties with the Eurasian Economic Union," he said adding that unless Greece took account of the persistently growing role of the region in the world economy it might lose a big part of this important market.

Dr. Kouvelis voiced the conviction that business ties should be untied from politics.

"Economic issues cannot be resolved with the aid of sanctions and we don’t agree with their imposition, all the more so that these sanctions (the EU sanctions against Russia over the turmoil in Ukraine - TASS) have created serious problems for many manufacturers in Greece," he said.

Dr. Kouvelis believes that the kickoff of operations of the Greek-Eurasian Business Council opens up big prospects for Athens in terms of collaboration with the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU).

He said the council would cooperate in a manner that would utilize the EEU’s business advantage.

Members of the council will make the first trip to Astana where the EXPO international exhibition will be held in 2017. It is important for Greek enterprises to establish working contacts with Kazakhstan already now, Dr. Kouvelis said.