THE 4TH ANNUAL CAPITAL LINK FORUM CONFERENCE
Monday October 30, 2000

Mr. Costas Papagiannacopoulos

President,

AMERICAN-HELLENIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, GREECE

Good Morning Ladies and Gentlemen:

I am delighted that you are with us this morning and that you will hear about some of the most dynamic, promising, and rewarding opportunities that exist today: opportunities in a country that has - in just a few years - transformed itself into the economic engine of Southeast Europe. Greece, or, more formally, the Hellenic Republic, ladies and gentlemen, is on a ride. Not only is its economy one of the best performing in Europe, Greece is a strategic player in one of the most exciting transformations about to take place in the world: the development and reconstruction of the Balkans. What this means for you investors, business partners, financiers is something unique for Southeast Europe: unprecedented opportunity and unlimited possibility. Greece has become both the hub and the entrance point for investment in Southeast Europe. I urge you to listen closely to our distinguished speakers. I'm quite sure that they will impart messages with a clear meaning: Greece is a place to be.

One of the reasons that Greece offers so much opportunity is because of the strong American presence in Greece and the strong historical ties between Greece and the United States. If you flip through our Directory, the Directory of the American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce, you will see page after page of American companies that operate in Greece and companies that offer American products and services. They are among the most highly respected companies in the country and the region. I am proud to say that the American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce has, since 1932, led the effort to bring U.S. firms to Greece, to increase trade and commercial relations between the two countries, and to showcase and promote American products and services.

And, just as Greece is positioned as the "springboard" for American companies that want to invest in Southeast Europe, the American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce is positioned as the springboard for American companies interested in coming to Greece. We have focused on developing strategic partnerships that build a strong presence for U.S firms to expand and develop their presence and image in the region. This year, the Chamber brought COMDEX to Southeast Europe for the first time, in a partnership with Key3Media, formerly Ziff-Davis. Nearly 25,000 people participated in COMDEX Greece 2000, which, for the most part, showcased American technology. I am happy to say that COMDEX Greece 2001 is scheduled for February 15-18.

I am also pleased to announce that last month, at the 65th Thessaloniki International Fair, at which the United States, by the way, was "Honored Country," the Chamber reached, with the State of New Jersey, the first agreement for a U.S. state to be permanently represented in Greece. We look forward to promoting New Jersey businesses and I believe that New Jersey's decision demonstrates a wise, valuable, and timely insight into the potential that Greece offers.

What might be of special interest to many of you here today is the Thessaloniki Forum, a conference the Chamber organizes annually in Thessaloniki, which has become the leading forum for decision makers and investors in Southeast Europe. If anyone here is interested in attending the Thessaloniki Forum in May, 2001, the Chamber extends to you a warm invitation.

The Chamber has been sponsoring conferences in the United States and business delegations to and from the United States for many years. We are pleased to organize today's conference, along with Capital Link, so that your aims, which in turn are our aims, might be furthered. The Chamber will continue to be active in the United States and we look forward to being your partner.

Ladies and gentlemen, the success of any event ultimately rests on its supporters, and participants. We are fortunate today to have with us some of the finest proponents of increased U.S. Greece economic relations. I would like to thank Minister Christodoulakis for sharing his time and insights, and for the special effort he made to be here today. To Ambassadors Philon and Burns we are indebted; it is really a treat to have the Ambassadors of both Greece and the United States together at an event such as this. And, to have the Mayor of Athens, Mayor Avramopoulos, who worked so tirelessly to host the 2004 Olympics, I thank you. In fact, I would like to thank all our speakers, whose remarks I'm sure we all very much look forward to hearing. You all honor us and we are grateful.

Finally, to the delegation of Greek businesspeople who traveled the participants from the United States, to the supporters of our from Greece, to conference publication, and to our generous conference supporters Hellenic Telecommunications Organization (OTE), Intracom, P&K Securities, Commercial Bank of Greece, Hellenic Center for Investment, and DTZ Mihalos, thank you very much and I hope you all have a profitable day.

ORGANIZERS