The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Digital Governance, and the National Center for Documentation and Digital Content (EKT) signed a Memorandum of Cooperation aimed at developing a modern digital infrastructure to support economic diplomacy and the Greek economy’s outward orientation. The Memorandum was signed on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
This collaboration leverages the complementary expertise of the three organizations and creates the conditions for the systematic collection, organization, analysis, and utilization of the large volume of information generated by Greece’s Economic and Commercial Affairs Offices abroad. The goal is to transform this information into organized and actionable knowledge that will support strategic planning, evidence-based decision-making, and the promotion of Greek economic interests internationally.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Haris Theocharis stated: “It is with great pleasure that we are moving forward, together with Mr. Dermentzopoulos, on the agreement with the Ministry of Digital Governance and the National Documentation Center, to develop a digital platform that will strengthen and dramatically expand our capabilities as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This is because we will now be able to identify and capitalize on investment and business opportunities in the international arena immediately and effectively. With the new platform, beyond the primary goal of our government’s policy on the digitization of the state, we are transforming a vast wealth of information accumulated in local Economic and Commercial Affairs Offices into actionable knowledge. “And since our ultimate goal is to attract foreign capital and promote economic openness, today—with the signing of the MOU for the new platform—the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and more broadly, the methodology of our country’s foreign policy, is turning a new page.”.
The Deputy Minister of Digital Governance, Christos Dermentzopoulos, stated: “This new institutional collaboration between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Digital Governance, and the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) elevates the practice of economic diplomacy, by leveraging the EKT’s expertise in the digital transformation of public administration. The goal is to develop a comprehensive platform that does not merely digitize procedures, but transforms the information from the Offices of Economic and Commercial Affairs into measurable strategic knowledge. We are creating the conditions for strategic decisions to be made more quickly and with greater evidence-based support. In this way, the country’s outward orientation is effectively strengthened, and Greek entrepreneurship gains more comprehensive support in international markets.”
The Chair of the EKT Board of Directors, Professor Emerita Eugenia Bezirtzoglou, stated: “The signing of the Memorandum of Cooperation is an important step toward the effective use of data and documentation to support public policy. At the same time, it highlights the importance of collaboration among public institutions with complementary roles when the common goal is to make better use of information for the benefit of the country. The EKT contributes its experience and expertise to the organization, documentation, management, and dissemination of data and digital content, helping to create reliable digital infrastructures that make a substantial contribution to public administration and the Greek economy.”
The Director of the EKT, Dr. Kyriakos Tolias, stated: “The Memorandum of Cooperation serves as a starting point for the gradual development of a unified digital portal that will strengthen the country’s national representation and presence abroad. Economic diplomacy is the first area of application, building on the substantial work already done through the AGORA web portal. With the EKT’s expertise, information from the Offices of Economic and Commercial Affairs will be organized, analyzed, and utilized in a timely manner, providing more targeted support for strategic planning, decision-making, and the country’s outward-looking approach.”
Digital Platform to Support Economic Diplomacy
The Offices of Economic and Commercial Affairs serve as hubs for information, monitoring, and support of the Greek business presence abroad. The volume of information generated and the pace of international economic developments make it necessary to develop a unified, organized, and interoperable system for recording and utilizing data.
The new digital infrastructure will serve as a single point of access to reports, updates, studies, analyses, and recommendations from the Offices, as well as to informational material on foreign markets, business and investment opportunities, sector-specific analyses, business missions, and business guides.
With an emphasis on security and role-based access, the platform will allow users to access information based on their specific roles and responsibilities. At the same time, it will be designed with interoperability in mind and the ability to interface with third-party systems and databases, such as the AGORA web portal, databases of international organizations, and Enterprise Greece’s information systems.
Under the Memorandum, EKT will contribute to the platform’s design and the definition of its operational specifications, providing expertise in digital services, data, and documentation. Its contribution is based on its experience in implementing complex information systems that aggregate multiple data sources and support collaboration and coordination among agencies at the national level.
Broader Framework for Cooperation and Joint Actions
Beyond the development of the digital platform, the Memorandum establishes a broader framework for institutional cooperation among the three agencies. This includes the exchange of expertise and best practices, the standardization and utilization of public data, the conduct of studies and research, as well as the production of statistics and indicators to support policies and actions of mutual interest.
The Memorandum also provides for joint information and outreach activities, initiatives targeting the Greek diaspora, as well as the exploration of funding opportunities and participation in national and European programs and cooperation networks.
The Memorandum lays the groundwork for institutionalized cooperation, leveraging data, documentation, and digital technologies for the benefit of the country.